Tell us about you!
My husband and I live in Melrose Highlands, and we have two wonderful daughters in college. We have a rule: they can only travel to fun places that we’d love to visit! Our eldest is currently in Sweden, studying sustainable energy engineering in a Nordic Master’s program. We were lucky enough to visit her there this summer—Sweden is incredible! Our youngest is a senior at Tufts and spent a semester abroad in beautiful New Zealand, where we got to visit last year. We love adventure travel with our girls, whether it’s paddling, hiking, camping, sailing, or snorkeling. Traveling with them is truly the best!
I’ve been an Occupational Therapist for 37 years and currently work in a special needs preschool in Beverly. The kids I work with are amazing; their resilience, love for life, and special hugs and smiles are priceless gifts every day. Helping them grow and thrive has been one of the biggest blessings in my life.
I grew up in Montpelier, the quintessential small capital of Vermont, with a population of around 8,000 when I was there. I grew up skiing, and cross-country skiing is still my favorite. It was such a big part of life there that we even had a cross-country ski team and raced all winter. Our coaches had us practice on downhill slopes with our skinny skis—once, I found myself dangling midair from a chairlift with my skis, a true movie moment before they stopped the lift!
Where do you go when no one wants to cook dinner?
When no one feels like cooking, we love getting Indian food from Rang in Stoneham—it’s our favorite! I love the spices, and I even enjoy cooking a few Indian dishes myself; it’s such a change from the flavors I grew up with in Vermont. Sushi is a close second, and we often get takeout from Ocean Sushi in Malden. For special occasions, we’ll head to Tahpas down the street for some fun appetizers and a bottle of red wine.
For yoga, Barre and Soul is my go-to just down the street, and La Q Chara is my favorite breakfast spot. There’s nothing like starting a Sunday morning with yoga, breakfast, and time with friends—a little slice of heaven!
Favorite things to do?
In my free time, aside from cross-country skiing, I love kayaking. Years ago, my husband and I took an unforgettable trip to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula to paddle and camp. We hired someone to drop us, along with our tent and kayak, several miles out near a glacier so we could set up camp on a remote island—complete with bears (thankfully black bears)—and paddle back. It was both terrifying and exhilarating! On the way out, the boat driver asked if we had a gun… Nope! Do we need one?! Somehow, we survived in our double kayak, just the two of us, watching incredible ice chunks calve into the water. But the best moment was seeing a whale breach just a few yards in front of us!
We love living in Melrose Highlands. The Fellsway is like our backyard for jogging and hiking, and Spot Pond in Stoneham is a fantastic place to paddle.
Tell us about your craft/business! Best part.
I started taking ceramic classes at Mudflat Studios about 35 years ago and have never stopped throwing clay on the wheel since! I still take classes there—it’s a great spot to unwind in the evenings or on my Fridays off. My husband even built me a pottery shed with a wheel on a small porch, so I get to enjoy creating outside in the summers.
I began working in stoneware, but I’ve since switched to porcelain, which I absolutely love. My favorite glazes are blue-green and red-purple combinations. These days, I mostly make functional pieces like bowls and chip-and-dip plates, though I’ve created some sculptural pieces in the past. I sell my work at a few holiday fairs, Melrose Open Studios, and to friends, but it’s still mostly a hobby. Over the past 10 years, as my collection grew, I began selling more of my pieces. Pottery is my passion, and I hope it always will be. Centering clay on the wheel centers my soul—it’s truly one of my happiest places to be!