I had lived my whole life in Michigan until I graduated with my MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and promptly moved to Philadelphia in 2007 to join The Clay Studio’s Resident Artist program. The Clay Studio was a transitional time for me, having just left academia and my home. The community and life that evolved from my time spent at TCS is the reason I am still here living and working in the arts in and around Philadelphia. This saucer depicts this because I made it years ago in my studio at TCS.  A couple of years later, I glazed it as a demonstration for my class at Abington Art Center and a couple of years after that I lustered it at my new studio in Collegeville. As I was lustering this piece, for every gold tallie I drew, I gave thanks for something wonderful about my life here. I left plenty of room for additional tallies so that in another couple years, I can give thanks for more wonderful somethings in my Philadelphia life!