Forgotten Treasures: Common Items Left Behind at the Pottery Store

All the notes and all the pins in the maps tell a story of where people are from. I love finding the new notes each day as there are a lot now and people find new spots to place their note of connection. The pins in the maps are always fun to see where they end up. I actually will look at the map and think...hmmm I wonder if I will have someone from there this summer. I have come to the conclusion that because of how the highway store is operated it feels so comfortable that sometimes things get left behind.

Cheeto Bear spending a few extra nights at Freba Pottery

Forgetting things happen and I love to try and reconnect the items with the owners. Some fun stories of items being left behind starts with a wallet. A lady from Ontario stopped and left her wallet on the desk. I could tell, she had set it down to write in the book, most likely grabbed a pin and turned to place it in the maps and then walked out leaving it for me to find. It had been a few hours from her visit before I found it. I looked through her wallet and could not find a phone number to call, except to call the credit card office. Now I wasn't sure if she had her card on her phone and was worried that they would shut down the credit card because her wallet would be deemed lost. I just wanted them to call her and let her know where her wallet was, I told them I would not be using it, had them google Freba Pottery to understand that I operate on the honour system. I offered up to share my credit card with them to show them that I just wanted to get the wallet back to the person. SO they called her and gave her my phone number and got it arranged for her to get it back. She didn't even know she had left it, and was flying out the next day and would have needed her identification.

There have been sunglasses, cell phones and a very special little stuffie; Cheeto Bear. Not too long ago, I went to the store and there was a guest hanging out on the bistro table beside a tic-tac-toe game. This little polar bear looked well loved and I suspected its best friend would be sad that they hadn't hopped back in the vehicle to continue the adventures. I got it wittled down to a family from Yellowknife and reached out to Yellowknife Books to see if they could help me find the family. The bookstore owner, but a post on Facebook on a few Yellowknife sites and people started messaging Betsy to say this must be their bear. I had another person that was going to be going through Saskatchewan up to Yellowknife offer a ride to the polar bear if the family had already headed home. Luckily Besty and family were still in Saskatchewan and I could reunite Cheeto Bear with its best friend. Now Cheeto Bear kinda enjoyed hanging out at Freba Pottery as I was throwing and they wanted to learn how to throw! Cheeto Bear made a few fun tiny pieces, but didn't get to glaze them, but took their creations home to paint with their family.

I believe in connection through creativity, and each time something is left I get creative in finding the owner and make it fun. As a society, we need more looking out for each other to ensure that what would be a huge inconvenience turns into a fun story. I do love meeting people and adding to their story. I wonder what the next forgotten item will be?