By fromskilledhands (
March 11, 2010 at 7:47 pm)
· Filed under Spring
Those of us who live in NE Ohio treasure these early spring days, when warm breezes and blue skies give us respite from the long gray days of winter. The snow that remains is crusty and gray with the dirt of cars and trucks, as it morphs into puddles and mud. The dogs are happy since they have plenty of mud in which to roll and to track into the house.
Buds adorn the trees, tentatively ready to open, hoping that frosts that are sure to come will be kind to them.
The mackerel sky tells me that the weather is going to change; rain and thunderstorms are predicted for the next few days. That’s ok with me. It’s another sign of spring.
You can still partner with us in supporting the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank through our Cups of Kindness show and sale. Join us for a silent auction and bid on the remaining pieces of amazing art! Remember that each dollar we raise purchases $7 worth of food and other grocery items. Come on down to Elements Gallery and to the Peninsula Art Academy in the beautiful Village of Peninsula. The winning bids will be drawn on April 17, and winners will be contacted by phone or email.
We the People have proved the Power. Of. One. — over and over again. We have shown that we can, with our hands and hearts, help our friends and neighbors in a time of need. As Margaret Mead said, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
The quality of the light has changed in my Valley. The heavier tones of Winter are being replaced by the lightness of Spring. That does not mean that the 24″ of snow on the ground won’t have a topping of more white stuff. It does, however, signify that there is plenty of mud underneath just waiting to be caked on the dogs’ feet.
Nuthatches, woodpeckers, juncos, tufted titmice, chickadees, finches and brilliant red cardinals are visiting the feeders, singing the songs that suggest that Spring is on it’s way.
My Word-A-Day calendar has brought pages of words to me, some new, others, old friends. Here’s a sampling:
**Conventicle: a noun. 1. An assembly of an irregular or unlawful character. 2. an assembly for religious worship, especially a meeting for worship not sanctioned by law. 3. a meetinghouse
**Fulgent: an adjective. Dazzingly bright: radiant.
**Parry: a verb. 1. To ward off a weapon or blow. 2. to evade especially by an adroit answer.
**Infix: a noun. A derivational or inflectional affix appearing in the body of a word
**Clepe: a verb. To name or call
**Rectitudinous: an adjective. 1. Characterized by straightness or moral integrity. 2. piously self-righteous.
**Harbinger: a noun. 1. A person who goes ahead and makes known the approach of another, herald. 2. anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign; 3. a person sent in advance of troops, a royal train etc., to provide secure lodgings or other accommodations.
As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.
By fromskilledhands (
February 16, 2010 at 10:16 pm)
· Filed under Words
It’s been an interesting time over in my neck of the woods. It’s been snowing again—and again—and again. The snow is over my tall boots, and Lily, the toy poodle has a challenge in walking through the woods. As always, she rises to the occasion.
After 7 weeks, our Australian adventurer has returned in body, if not in spirit. She has grown in so many ways; it has been wonderful to see her again, and to hear the new inflections in her voice.
Quite a few pages have been turned on the Word a Day calendar that lives on the kitchen wall. Here’s some food for thought for you. What’s your favorite new word?
*Jape—a verb. To say or do something jokingly or mockingly; to make mocking fun of.
*Compunctious—an adjective. Arising from remorse or regret; feeling remorse or regret.
*Oligopsony—a noun. A market situation in which eachof a few buyers exerts a disproportionate influence on the market.
*Crwth—a noun. An ancient Celtic stringed instrument that is plucked or bowed.
I’ve been working on some new pieces. I find that the more I let go and relax, the more the work flows through me—from the heart through the hands.
I love working with porcelain clay. I love its purity of color and texture; I love the way it challenges me—they way it manifests my energy of the moment. Here are some small tiles that I’ve just completed, and a large piece in progress.
The snows fell fast and furious on February 5-6, 2010. Predictions were from 2-4 inches in our area; the Southeastern part of the country was predicted to receive 30 inches of snow and sleet.We received 10-12 inches of the white stuff—-heavy and wet snow covered the roads and everything else. Here’s a look.
Feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone, (o), to let me know you’ve been here.
Wander over to My Town Monday to see what other folks have to say about their towns.
By fromskilledhands (
February 4, 2010 at 9:21 am)
· Filed under Playing for Change
This is an exquisite song from the fine folks at Playing for Change. We can indeed make a difference in the world, one cup, one note, one thought at a time.
By fromskilledhands (
January 26, 2010 at 11:41 pm)
· Filed under Uncategorized
Each day I take a look at the words that grace the calendar on my kitchen wall. Some days I look ahead to see if there is a word that strikes me. All the words make me think. Here are this week’s Words for Wednesday:
**exclave–a noun: the portion of a country separated from the main part and constituting an enclave in respect to the surrounding territory
**bird-dog–a verb: 1. to watch closely; 2. to seek out: follow or detect
**colubrine–an adjective: 1. relating to a snake; 2. relating to a large family of nonvenomous snakes
**revenant–a noun: one that returns after death or a long absence
This week’s favorite:
**tub-thumper–a noun: a vociferous supporter (as of a cause)
I have certainly thumped some tubs in my time. How about you?
As always, feel free to leave me a comment, ot a stone, (o), to let me know you stopped by.
By fromskilledhands (
January 20, 2010 at 5:48 pm)
· Filed under Words
Words. They have power. I love the sound of them, how, when chosen with care they flow as they tell a story. So when I saw a Word-a-Day calendar at my local discount store, I put it in the cart.
Some of the words are familiar, others are new to me. They all do their job, describing and enriching my life. Here are a few from the pages that are on my wall:
**fissiparous: adj: tending to break up into parts: divisive
**perspicuous: adj: plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation
**quaggy: adj: marshy, flabby
These are fine words, but my favorite, so far, is this:
**Cloud cuckoo land: noun: an unrealistically idealistic state where everything is perfect.
Stay tuned. The year is young, and there are many more pages of the calendar on my wall.
Those of us who live in NE Ohio treasure these early spring days, when warm breezes and blue skies give us respite from the long gray days of winter. The snow that remains is crusty and gray with the dirt of cars and trucks, as it morphs into puddles and mud. The dogs are happy since they have plenty of mud in which to roll and to track into the house. 
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