3 Loves Collide - Everything Happens for a Reason

Do you believe? I mean, do you BELIEVE?

Ah, my love of (link) Pan and Tink is well known, especially if you're a Friend of CMI. That shall never change. And my love of the OBX, not to forget just about any beach - you know. But did you know that I have a weakness for hand-thrown pottery? Maybe not, as I've been in my downsize mode for a while now, trying to resist old haunts and temptations. Occasionally, though, a girl has to cave. Consider this…

To be found at Spry Creek, link below.

Shop owners on the OBX love rainy days. Beach types like myself and Joe would never browse, were it not for them. And so, on the last two days there, we didn't have much choice. Rains were torrential. Did you see those earlier captures? On the first of the two days, Joe went to run an errand and came across a shop that sold driftwood. I know, I know, it's pathetic that we'd even think to buy such an item, but every piece I've approached for a steal either here on Golden Pond or on any sandy shores seems to be anchored by a root system that runs to China. Thing is, when he brought me to check it out at (link) Spry Creek, my favorite piece was a cedar tree. That's right, I said tree. Gorgeous, right? Imagine our return to Rock Hill with it anchored to the roof of the Jeep…

Oooh-kay. The tree wasn't an option, so we went inside to check out the shop. Great stuff. I was particularly attracted to pottery by Ilze. Actually, I strongly considered one particular bowl, but there was just one little thing about it that didn't appeal to me; thus, resistance. Instead of pushing other items on us, the shop owner, Karen, began telling us about the artist, where she lives (Carova!) and that she maintains an Etsy store. Then, we went on with Karen, a native of the Banks, to have a wonderfully interesting and informative chat. She was raised during that horse-y time when the OBX was remote to most of us… and then, she watched it grow. Our conversation with her (and other locals) was reminiscent of those had with Kaua'i natives… all maintain an intense appreciation for where-on-earth they ended up. It's a crap shoot, eh?! I digress...

Next morning, I began to browse (link) Ilze's online store. There it was. My bowl. The theme? Pan and Tink. Some things are just meant to be…

"What?!? The road to Carova is not passable???"

I contacted Ilze by e-mail to see if we could get together for a purchase. We're always ready for a ride to Carova. But sandy Route 12 was a washout. Yep, it's true - when you live in the sand, there might be issues. It wasn't going to happen. Other possibilities were mentioned, also drowned out by the weather, pun intended. Not to worry, I made my purchase via PayPal and the duo should arrive at my doorstep by tomorrow. Ilze shipped as soon as she was able to swim to the post office. Just kidding!

And so it goes and so it goes…  sheer coincidence allows a few loves to collide. Who would think that the bowl carrying childhood loves and soon to adorn our home would be a souvenir of that beach-y, horse-y place we can't resist… a rhetorical question, but food for thought.

The bonus? We met some lovely people, along the way.
Thanks, Karen and Ilze. Thanks, rainy days.
Now, on to find some fairy dust...

(Photo of bowl to come, upon its northern arrival!)