Valeria Out Loud

Hello WordPress!! Happy new month, and new week. Hope you guys are doing well and feeling fine.

This recent Spring weather up in Massachusetts has given me that jolt of dopamine that I love and look forward to all Winter long. The warmer sun. The sounds of playful birds. All of the sleepy bulbs making their way out of the ground. Great feelings of growth and coming out of the slumber that was …blah, Winter.

Also, seeing my husband back to almost 100% in his last weeks of his recovery, is a great feeling. He worked on dethatching the lawn and raking out all of the garden beds in the yard on Saturday, and he said he felt great. Which is a relief!

Since I last posted so much has happened! Let’s get into it!

It’s elemental, but not periodic. (I am sorry for this pun.)

After months of searching, and test driving, we finally found the perfect car for our daughters, a 2009 Honda Element. It’s been a long time coming, especially after the unfortunate incident last November when they hit a deer, and our previous car was totaled. Since then, we’ve been on the hunt for a reliable replacement, and we (my husband and kids) couldn’t be happier with our choice.

My husband has always had a soft spot for the Honda Element, (honestly don’t know why), and when he found one that fit our budget and needs, we knew it was meant to be. The car is spacious, practical, and has an impressive safety rating, making it the perfect choice for our girls- heck, it saved them once already so how could we not get another?

Our daughters are thrilled with their new ride, and we’re grateful for the peace of mind that comes with having a reliable car on the road.

Spring sets sail

Our youngest daughter’s Spring crew rowing session officially began in March, and we couldn’t be more excited to watch her progress. As proud parents, we attended the parent kick-off party last week, where we got to meet the coaches and other parents, and learn more about the upcoming season. The energy in the house was electric, and we were impressed by the level of dedication and passion the coaches, other rowers and parents had for the sport.

As our daughter embarks on this next journey, we’re thrilled to see her enthusiasm for rowing grow. She has turned herself around so much over the past year, and I think it’s this rowing crew in her life.

We know this journey for her won’t be easy, but we’re confident that the skills she learns and the memories she creates will last a lifetime this season. We can’t wait to cheer her on from the sidelines and witness the magic of crew rowing firsthand.

Throwing Down in the New Pottery Studio

This Monday was a delight as I started on my fourth pottery session. I was returning to this session with an unfinished project (chip n dip bowl). I was able to apply some underglaze on it for about thirty minutes, as all of the students were arriving and before we were instructed on our first project.

Our project last night was to throw a plate, which we will then use a patterned underglaze to decorate it in the following weeks. This is something I have been dying to do! I watch a lot of Instagram stories, and YouTube videos on pottery making. It’s like an obsession. Sometimes these patterned underglaze sheets come up and I want to but them. Hah. So I am so psyched this is coming up. I just hope the instructor follows through.

Anyways.

What made the night even more fantastic was the fact that our pottery class used the new throwing room that overlooks the downtown. The view of the sunset above the old buildings was beautiful, and it added an extra dimension to our creative process. The room was spacious, and the light that shone through the windows was warm and inviting. The atmosphere was lively, and the energy in the room was infectious. I felt lucky to be a part of such a fantastic experience.

Side note-Last week, the instructor sent out a survey to returning students, asking for feedback on the overall successes and failures of the previous sessions. As a student, it’s important to feel like your opinion is valued, right? And that your ideas can lead to positive change. So with that, I decided to give my comments and suggestions.

Overall, just so you guys know, I don’t have anything bad to say about this class. It’s fun and I honestly feel like what I am learning ..it’s changing me in ways I wasn’t expecting. It’s just, that sometimes, the instructor will hype us up for something new to learn, like pulling handles or gilding with gold, and then she is either flaking or out on those days…and the other two assistants don’t know or just forget or something..but the classes that follow us in the week get to pull handles or gild. They seem to do all of those cool things that we never do. (We can see the posts on their business page on FB). So I did write, a lot of suggestions. Along with what I love about these classes as well.

To my delight, on this first day back, the studio was noticeably more organized and the first lesson on the plate was constructive. The class felt more in sync with the project and our instructor was more focused and engaged with each of the students. The class and staff interaction has progressively improved since the first session. Which is a great thing!!

I’m excited to see how the rest of the session unfolds and if they adhere to and make more changes to impact our overall experience. (Always hopeful.)

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Well that’s a long post! I still didn’t share all the other hubbub -my daughter’s upcoming prom, how we had ten 50’ pine trees taken down around the house, or about our vacation coming up! But I guess that’ll have to wait. 😉

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. It’s always a pleasure to share my experiences and thoughts with you. Your support and interest are greatly appreciated, and it’s what keeps me motivated to keep writing. I hope that my stories have brought a smile to your face today or inspired you in some way. Thank you again, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the next one.

till next time. xo