Louise checks in from Ireland:

(these 3 plus one more just traveled from NY to Ireland, my first overseas sale, and YES, shipping was 40 bucks)

I sent an order to the neighboring state of Massachusetts last month, priority, and it took 8 days. I had mailed another box to Florida that day, and it arrived in 2 days. In December I mailed a box to Hamilton, Ontario, which I could drive to for lunch in less than 3 hours, and it took 4 weeks to get there but cost over 25 bucks postage. I sent Louise 4 mugs last Tuesday and it took six days to get to Ireland. Lou and Benny are the VERY best, and they write to say:

louise wrote:

"THEY'RE HERE! Oh Gary, I can't get over how beautiful and wonderful they are! they're so much nicer in the 'clay' than even in the pictures! I never thought I'd laugh with joy the whole way through making a hot drink, but I did just now. And as I sit fondling my new purchase, sipping a warming hot vit c drink with honey, the rain is pouring and the kittens are playing in the bubble wrap and newspapers that are strewn about the place. What excellent timing, I was feeling like complete poo this morning. And thank you so, so much for the fourth one, I had no idea it even existed, if I did, I would have had to buy it, and you know it! Benny loves them too, he's having a cup of tea out of the 'fourth' one as we speak. He thinks they're very us, and he's right, they totally are.

I love them, love the lip (very easy to drink from, yes, this would bother me), love the feel of all the little curves, love the little swirl at the base of the handle, love the glaze, love the bottom of them, love looking into them, love holding them. Yup, love them all over.

Thanks a million Gary, you've absolutely made my morning. And the kittens say thanks too, Millie is in the box as I type, and Sasha is eating the New York Times. I wonder can they smell the potsblog clan?"

and I write back:

"Oh I'm so pleased! I worried about breakage, of course, and I hoped that with a fourth mug, three would survive easily! Murphy's law, of course, says that if I hadn't sent an extra, all three would have been crushed, sorta like carrying an umbrella to make sure it doesn't rain.

So, thanks! So nice to hear from you! That was quick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gr"