Sprinkling Glass, Catching Smiles: Art, Travel, and Friendship

In September, as my husband and I wandered through England and Germany, I tucked tiny glass art treasures into my bag—little sprinkles of art to share with old friends.

A glass pup for Judith who treated us to a wonderful lunch at the Hole in the Wall in England. Judith gave us Abbey—our first golden retriever, the matriarch of now five Goldens who have anchored chapters of our lives and who have filled our hearts with much love and laughter.

A sweet heart for Helen who we shared tea with in the Cotswolds, one of our very first British friends, whose family and kindness have stayed with us over the years, a gentle thread connecting us across time and distance.

A delicate bouquet of flowers for Antonia (and her husband Barrett, a childhood friend of our boys) in Munich, thanking them for hosting us at Oktoberfest—we enjoyed frothy beer steins, music and Gemutlichkeit!

A bouquet for Marianna and her daughter Johanna, gracious keepers of the Brauelerhof in Bayerisch Gmain where we stayed.

Their warmth, shaped by generations, wrapped around us like a gentle embrace, with ties stretching back to my husband’s grandparents who once lived in the same village.

And for Lara Louise, tiny birdies perched on a limb, singing of love and connection—once a German exchange student in our home, now a daughter in our hearts and a lifelong friend of our family. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and Apple wine at Zum Gemalten Haus in Frankfurt the night before we returned home.

Sprinkling these little glass pieces across Europe, leaving gifts of thanks, brought me immense joy. That is the magic I love most about my glasswork: gifting small creations of love for friendships that no matter how near or far have impacted our lives.