From Skilled Hands

The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602, is a small town with a very big heart. People help each other. People come here and know they’re home. It’s just like that.

So a year ago, when we first started talking about Cups of Kindness, people said they’d lend a hand.

Friends and neighbors helping each other.
People from all over this big beautiful planet. Artists donated artwork. Just like that. No hesitation. Same with the website, the logo and the photography. Other bloggers said they’d post about it. And they did. Just like that. One member of the Peninsula Police Department brought in a large can of coffee and a package of stirrers for the opening celebration. Her kids are going to bake cookies and help us at the reception. Others are going to play music. And others have dropped change in our Help Us Help the Foodbank jar. It’s just like that here.

So if you’re in the Cuyahoga Valley in Northeast Ohio next Saturday, stop in and see us. You can have a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, listen to music and check out the wonderful artwork at Cups of Kindness. Then wander through the Village and enjoy Christmas in Peninsula. We’d be happy to see you.

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My Town Monday is the vision of the incomparable Travis Erwin, a guy who has a lot to say. He links to other blogs by folks all over Planet Earth. You won’t regret it.
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And the winner of last week’s drawing for Peninsula goodies is OldOldLady of the Hills. She’ll be receiving a package soon.

Friends and neighbors helping each other.

72 artists
135 pieces of artwork
6 days until the opening celebration
8 days until you can purchase artwork online

Each dollar raised purchased 7 nutritious meals.

#1 daughter is a college student in New York City. She had researched her options for coming home for the Thanksgiving holiday, and had discovered that she could take a bus from NYC to State College, PA for $35.00, and a 4 hour drive. State College, PA is about 4 hours from here, as well. So it seemed like a good idea. Until Tuesday morning when the snows started to fly. A major storm was heading our way and was predicted to extend quite a distance to the East.

The drive to State College is a pretty one, through beautiful mountainous country. In good weather. During daylight. So instead of leaving for the 4 hour drive at 6:30pm, Steve left at 12:30pm. he stopped at a tourist information center, and asked the woman at the desk about the weather. She showed him the map on her computer, complete with pink and white swirls. She said that the weather was indeed a problem, but that another big issue was that it is bear season, and that bears run across the highways all the time. (Unfortunately with visibility near zero,it would be hard to see a bear.) He arrived in State College at about 5:30 pm, and went directly to the motel where he and #1 daughter would be spending the night, waiting out the storm. The bus arrived after midnight.

The next morning, the storm had passed, and they began the drive home. I had already checked with the airlines and found a flight that would get her back to NYC; the only seat left was in business class—the day before she had planned on returning—at a premium rate.

So this afternoon, I drove with my wonderful daughter to the airport. When we got there, I helped her remove her suitcase from the car, and I asked her if this was when we hugged and cried. It was.

As I drove away from the airport, back to our studio, I was so grateful for what we share. And the greatest of these is love.

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank does amazing work. Just because. Their mission is simple: ENDING HUNGER.

I’ve discovered some astounding statistics:

**as of a couple of weeks ago, the Foodbank had distributed over 1,000,000 pounds more food than they distributed for the entire year in 2007.
**so far this year, there has been a 29% increase of families with children who need the Foodbank’s services.
**each dollar ($1) donated provides 7 nutritious meals.

Right here in these United States. The people who are in need are our friends and neighbors; folks just like you and like me. Folks who have to decide between medical care and food; between heat and electricity or food.

We the people can make a difference. Over 60 artists from points near and far have donated small scale works of art to help us help the Foodbank. Cups of Kindness is a show and sale of these pieces. All proceeds from the sale of these works will benefit the Foodbank. Please take a look at our website, http://www.cupsofkindness.net. Help us raise a cup of kindness for auld lang syne.

Friends and neighbors helping each other.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway does a remarkable job of bringing the Polar Express to kids of all ages. Running trains from Akron, Canton and Independence, Ohio to the North Pole, the CVSR, along with hundreds of volunteers, elves and Santa himself, provides an experience that is magical.

We had the pleasure of taking the Polar Express when our children were younger; what a joy to see adults and children board the train and embark on the adventure of going to the North Pole. On the train, voilunteers read the Chris Van Allsburg’s magical story of the Polar Express. Hot chocolate, cookies, a visit from Santa and a special gift make the ride memorable for all who take it.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Cups of Kindness,our show and sale of small scale artwork. All proceeds from the sale of the artwork will go to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

Hunger does not discriminate; it affects people without regard to background or social status. In our land of plenty, people are hungry every day; they have to decide between paying rent or eating, between medication or food, between staying warm and buying groceries. Of this I am certain: having enough to eat is a right rather than a privilege.

So far, over 50 artists are donating artwork to benefit the Foodbank. The Cups of Kindness website has been donated by Carrick Enterprises; a professional photographer, Ron Wayton, is donating his services so that we have photos of the work on our site. The logo was donated by Teri Schott. Food for the opening is being donated by companies and by individuals who have offered to bake for us. People have walked into our gallery to ask if they can help.

Once again we demonstrate the Power of One. We the people who reach out to our friends and neighbors in a time of need.

If you live in the area, come on down for our opening celebration, Saturday, December 6, from 10-2, at our gallery, Elements Gallery, 1619 W.Mill Street, and at the Peninsula Art Academy across the street.

Enjoy light refreshments, music, and Christmas in Peninsula. You’ll be a part of a very important event. If you’re not close to our neck of the woods, you will be able to purchase artwork online on December 8th. The show will run through January 11, 2009.

Friends and neighbors helping each other.

This week’s My Town Monday has two parts, so scroll down to the next after you have read this one.

MTM: Part the First: The Week that Was

It’s been quite a week in my town, the Village of Peninsula, population 602. We had our first real winter storm, complete with the ever-popular wintry mix and white out conditions. The Village is located in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley. That means the only way in is down, and the only way out is up. Not so much fun on icy roads.

Folks are gearing up for the holidays in my town. Judy, from Terry Lumber and Supply, orders greenery and bows. The Garden Club decorates the bridge and the Village Hall, and merchants decorate their buildings. I’ll show you photos of this year’s Christmas in Peninsula next week.

Here is a look at a Christmas in Peninsula in another time.

The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, gently resisting change since 1837.

MTM: Part the Second: the Spirit of Thanks
This is Thanksgiving week, a time, for me, at least, of reflection. Our lives are comprised of a series of “moments,” that, in the blink of an eye, can change our experience in ways we could never have imagined.

Blessings come in all sorts of packages, some quite clear and others shrouded in confusion and mystery. It’s been a year of change, of challenge, of transition for all of us. One thing is clear: we are all one. We all live together in our towns on this beautiful blue planet, in this Universe.

I give thanks. I am grateful for the incredible beauty of this amazing planet, for the warmth of family and friends, and for the wisdom of the experiences of those whose lives have touched mine.

**Post a comment and I’ll enter you in another high tech drawing (where I draw a name from a hat) for some Peninsula goodies.

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And, once again, if you are so inclined, please visit Cups of Kindness, our art show and sale to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Over 50 artists have joined us in lending a hand to our neighbors and friends in a time of need..
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As always, My Town Monday comes to us via Travis Erwin, who understands what is important in life. Check out his site, read what he has to say, and follow links to other writers all over this fine planet.

Email me with your address and I’ll send your gift!

After reading the newspaper, I needed this:

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Please remember our benefit for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

It was shortly after September 11, 2001. The busy-ness of my day to day life left me feeling ungrounded. I rolled a small piece of porcelain into a lucky stone-shaped orb. And I wrote p-e-a-c-e on it. I inlaid a blue colorant into the carved letters and put it in the kiln. It worked. I had a stone with an important reminder. I kept it in my pocket and rolled it between my fingers. I began to make more of these “touchstones.” Reminders of things that seemed to get lost in the shuffle of life. They said things like dream, hope, believe, compassion, justice, peace, love and other words that touched a chord for me. We began to sell them—and give them away.

Right before the first anniversary of 9/11, a couple came into the gallery. We began to talk; the woman told me that they were in our area from New York City. They were planning on walking at dawn on the morning of the first anniversary from Battery Park to what we now know as Ground Zero, accompanied by a group of bagpipers. The woman wanted to buy a few Touchstones that said PEACE on them. We had just fired some of the stones. I selected the ones that said PEACE, and gave them to the couple, asking them to pass them on as they wished.

Several days later, I received an email from a man who had been in one of the buildings in the area on September 11. He wanted me to know how much it meant to him to receive a Touchstone.

It is important to remember that the power of One is immense, and that we can create change, one pebble at a time. Pass it forward.

The Power of One.