From Skilled Hands

Our friend, Travis Erwin, who is also the originator of My Town Monday, and a stellar human being, lost his home and belongings to a fire this morning.
Everyone is fine; all possessions are gone. If you are so inclined, add Travis and his family to your thoughts and prayers, and pop on over there to let him know you are doing so.

The Village of Peninsula, current population, 602, was quite a place during the day of the Ohio and Erie Canal.
The men who dug the canal worked long and hard, for little pay.

Men, women and children worked to keep things going—-at a rate of 4 mph, and families would often live together on canal boats.

Peninsula was known to be a rough stop on the Ohio and Erie Canal. Some Captains wouldn’t stop there since fights often broke out; they would stop north or south of the Village.

Captain Pearl R. Nye was one of the last canal boat captains when the canals were destroyed by floods in 1913. His songs were recorded and were archived by the Library of Congress.

You can read more about Captain Nye, and listen to some of his songs here

Although time has passed, the stories of those who carved out a life in the Cuyahoga Valley continue. The legacy of their courage and independent spirits are alive and well in the Village of Peninsula, gently resisting change since 1837.

#######

My Town Monday is a great way to experience life through someone else’s eyes. Travis Erwin, the fearless leader of MTM can sometimes be found here. Lately he’s been elsewhere—I wonder if he wore a hat with ears…..
In his absence, Junosmom, and Chris have been minding the store. Check out their sites, and you’ll have the opportunity to click on links that will take you places you’ve never been…….

******************************
A Cups of Kindness update: we’re nearing 14,000 meals for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

To date, 13,800 meals will be provided through the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. That is like purchasing 29.9 meals for each of the Village of Peninsula’s 602 people.

166 hands have raised their cups of kindness and opened their hearts.
They have been joined by a community that extends far beyond this beautiful Cuyahoga Valley. A single voice was joined by another and another and another; a symphony of voices all over this amazing planet. Please feel free to join us.

Friends and neighbors helping each other.

Wednesday morning was an icy one, with the roads covered with a glaze of ice. Cars stood on the pavement, unable to move. The 4 wheel drive on our Toyota helped us navigate the frozen ground, and we proceeded to the studio.

The day was a good one, with people picking up orders and just stopping by to say hello. There is something special about being in a place for a while—and we have been in Peninsula for 20 years. Folks know us, they ask about our family, and we ask about theirs.

At the end of the day, we stopped at a friend’s to have a glass of wine and some cheese and fruit. Then off to the grocery store–we got there 10 minutes before they closed—to get a few things.

Christmas morning was cold and dry. The ground was frozen so there was no mud. We are beyond the days where we had to tell our children that they couldn’t wake us until it was light outside. We were up and on our second cup of coffee well before our daughters emerged from their rooms. The magic of Christmas morning is different from the way it was in years past, but it is still magic.

#2 daughter and I made pita bread for the first time. She made falafel and a delicious cucumber yogurt sauce to take over the stream and through the woods to Grandma’s house. We shared sandwiches, veggies, and other munchies. A pot of coffee graced the table. Grandma had made her fruitcakes, strudel, mince pies and peanut butter pie for #2.

Home for the evening, quietly enjoying the time together. Grazing, watching a move, and my fingers tappity tapping the keys. A good day.

It’s a wee bit chilly in my town, with the temperatures hovering around 2 degrees F, and the windchill plummeting them well below zero. The warmth of community is a pretty wonderful thing. Take a look at my town, the Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602, gently resisting change since 1837.

Outside and inside the Log Cabin Gallery:

####
Travis Erwin is the Chief Marauder of My Town Monday. He’s taking a break until after the holidays. In his absence, Junosmom and Chris are posting the links to My Towners. Take a look at their sites; you’ll find links to people blogging all over this incredibly amazingly diverse and beautiful blue planet. You’ll learn a lot and have fun, too.

And Happy 17th Birthday to my amazing and wonderful #2 daughter.

*******
And if you are so inclined, please visit Cups of Kindness, our benefit for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

Each dollar raised purchased 7 nutritious meals. So far, we have raised enough money to purchase over 13,000 meals. That is 21.6 meals for each of the 602 people in Peninsula.

Friends and neighbors helping each other.

The generosity of the community continues: from artists who donated work, to those who support them and the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

There are several pieces that do not appear on the Cups of Kindness website. These beautiful pieces are available, and can be purchased by emailing me at
FromSkilledHands AT gmail DOT com. (I took the photos in the studio with available lighting.)

Remember, each dollar raised purchases 7 nutritious meals. All proceeds from the sale of the artwork will benefit the Foodbank.

“Raise a Cup of Kindness”by Marianne Hite; fused glass; 6.5″ ht x 5″;
$75.00

“Covered Jar,” by Larry McCardel; hand turned maple with ebony;
3″ x 3″; $54.00″

“Tea Cup I,” by Diane Keske Talmadge; oil on canvas; 5″ x 5″; $45.00; easel included

“Tea Cup II,” by Diane Keske Talmadge; oil on canvas; 5″ x 5″; $45.00; easel included

Antique Silver Cup donated by the Downtown Emporium, 3.5″ x 2.5″, Porcelain Tile by Debra Bures, 3 3/8″ x 2 7/8″; SOLD

###

Friends and neighbors helping each other.