The cold, grey days of winter are not my friend. Quite frankly, they give me the blues, and I’m not talking about the sky blue of a clear summer day. My blues are much closer to black. With the wind waltzing wildly outside, stirring up small eddies of leaves and banging tree branches against the siding, my house is anything but quiet. There is sleet slashing at my windows, and I simply dread the layers of ice that are forming with the dropping temperatures. I know I’m lucky to be inside where it’s warm, but I can only hope the power stays on. There is something so disheartening about a day that traps you inside your house. Winter has hardly arrived, but I’m already tired of being cold. Judging by the weather forecast, it’s just getting started.

I’ve done nothing but the holidays for the last few weeks. I spent happy time with family but I hadn’t seen my friends since the week of our Christmas retreat at Tygart Lake in early December. I needed a bit of something new in my life so, on Saturday, before the forecasted snowstorm has the chance to make us miserable, we traveled to Fairview, WV, to the Potter’s House Art Center. I’m so glad we did!

A beautiful, old, abandoned church, located on a small hill right at the entrance to town, has been repurposed into a cheerful art center. Walking in, the bright colors of the custom painted tables catch your eye immediately. The walls are decorated with cheerful canvases and the shelves are full of shiny, glazed pottery. I was relieved that Christmas is over because the potential for purchasing gifts was enormous.

In addition to the acrylic pour painting and pottery classes, the artists offer classes in quilting, sewing, crochet, knitting, painting, basketry, ceramics, and more! We were there to make candles. Using a blend of paraffin and soy, I pressed lavender flowers onto the inside walls of a glass container, and then added a few drops of scent, choosing to keep my wax its creamy, white color. I slowly poured the warm, liquid wax into the jar, and as it mixed with the scented oil, I got a heady sniff of good things to come. I like my candle but I do need more practice at putting in the flowers because they stuck to me better than they did to the jar!

Following our class, we went to The Fairview Diner for a late lunch. The food was great, their homemade potato chips were devine, and the company was the best there is! It was so good to be spending time with friends! There was only one problem with the day. The menu was so tempting that I ordered way more than normal. I ate it all, too!