My step dad’s parents got me a Christmas gift this year that my grandpa said they got over 300 miles away. They went to Tennessee this fall and visited a pottery shop called Alawine Pottery. I felt the rim of the mug through the tissue paper and tried to find a handle to see if I was right and it was a beautiful hand thrown and glazed mug made, signed, and dated by Alawine himself and my step grandparents knew that would be something I would love. It felt like the most genuine excitement and surprise I had to a Christmas present in quite a while.














