Before & After

Before cleaning & After the flood.

For the last 2 weeks, my kitchen, sun porch and driveway have transformed into The Clean Zone. All the glass that I salvaged had to be cleaned. Seriously cleaned. The great thing about glass is that it's not porous. So, as long as it didn't chip, crack or break during the flood, I am able to salvage it.

Most everything looked like the vase in the picture....covered in a layer of sludge.

The outsides were easy....rinse, soak in bleach water, scrub down with soap, and a final rinse.

Cleaning the insides proved to be the challenge. All my vases have a little opening (perfect for little arrangements, but not so perfect for cleaning). I now own every style scrub brush on the market, and even used an old toothbrush.

And my dishwasher....that's right, my dishwasher! (shortest wash cycle, and cool dry). I'll be honest, I held my breath when I took a look at the first load, afraid that everything would be cracked.

This has been a long process, and it's ongoing, but I'm so grateful to have salvaged so much of my inventory.

For all that I have lost, it's encouraging (and motivating) to have so much.

Thanks again for all your kind words and support.

Moving On.....and Up

This past week, Rhode Island suffered it's worst flooding in over 100 years.

When I awoke early Tuesday morning to see that my sump pump had not worked properly, I was facing an inch of water in my basement, and it was rising quickly. By 6 am, it was clear that anything I did that day would be to maintain the water level. 2 sump pumps and a shop vac (and 3 people), worked all day. And we won that battle! Very little was lost.

(Some of my neighbors were not as fortunate. 3 blocks from me, residents were evacuated by Emergency crews on rafts).

However, the Studio resides about 100 yards from the Pawtuxet River in Cranston, and was one of the areas that was hardest hit by the floods

This is the Studio. The water is over 5 feet deep (inside and outside). My heart sank, and my knees buckled when I stood there.

It took the River 2 days to recede enough for us to enter the building. I did not know what to expect......I knew it would be devastating, and very mucky, but it was worse.

Very little was where it *should* have been. Tables were taken clear across the studio. In 3000 square feet, you could not walk 2 feet without running into something large.

This is my studio space, in the back of the building. Notice my *safe* shelf, that floated down to safety as the waters receded.

I am still heartbroken, but I am moving on (and UP, to higher ground). Amazingly, I was able to salvage about 70% of my inventory. But that's it. All my display, packaging and supplies were destroyed. And my beloved glass tools? They were the first thing I looked for, and I found them (hooray!).

Tanner Glass will continue.....it just make take me a little while to get settled. I will find a glass studio to rent, so I can continue to make all the things I love to make. But for the short term, I am consumed with salvaging what is left.

For all the well wishes, I am eternally grateful. Thank you all for your support.