First and foremost, apologies to all the fans of Shelley's Teaware that have waited so long for the latest teacup and saucer to be made available -- we here at the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation can never thank you enough for your support or your patience. “Shelley’s Teaware 2005” is the fourth teacup and saucer combination I have commissioned in honor of my wife, who was killed in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11th. The teacup and saucer are being produced in a limited production run by Oakleigh Ceramics, Ltd., of Cheshire, England. At this time, the Foundation still has a limited amount of teaware from 2002, 2003, and 2004, available at $35 +$5 s/h, for those seeking to build complete sets of our teaware. Profits from the sale of the teaware benefit the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) charity that honors Shelley by seeking to inspire and enrich the human spirit through activities that stimulate creativity and compassion.
On the first anniversary of September 11th, I felt the pain of Shelley’s loss intensely, but on September 14th, the day they told me Shelley was gone, I found myself feeling an even deeper sense of grief. That morning, I decided I would face the pain by going to Sky Meadows State Park, where Shelley and I used to picnic. At each picnic, I would point out a clearing on a nearby hillside and tell Shelley that we should visit it on our next trip, but we never made that hike. On September 14th, 2002, I hiked from the picnic area to the clearing, with Shelley’s hiking boots over from my shoulder. The going was rugged, the day close and still – nothing moved. When I finally stepped into the clearing, however, dragonflies – dozens of dragonflies – came out of nowhere to fly around me. Then, through my tears, I saw, a bench made for two under an old oak tree – I had kept an appointment that I didn’t know I had... Shelley’s presence filled the clearing, lifting me up. Our 2005 Teaware, with its bench and dragonflies, captures that setting forever.
In the months prior to September 11th, Shelley developed a fascination with dragonflies. Since her death, dragonflies have taken on a special meaning for those of us who love her, and that meaning is reflected in the presence of dragonflies on Shelley’s Teaware. The profits from the sale of this special teaware benefit the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) charity I established to honor Shelley. Our programs – children’s story hours at public libraries, creative writing contests at high schools and colleges, intergenerational tea parties at nursing homes, and art workshops for promising high school art students – are designed to inspire and enrich the spirit by stimulating creativity and compassion; to bring a smile to someone’s face and change the world one person at a time. To learn more about us, please visit us at www.shelleysfoundation.org, or call (703) 231-3607.
Thank you for supporting the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation.
Donn E. Marshall
