Archive for November, 2008

My Town Monday: So Long Old Friend

By fromskilledhands ( November 16, 2008 at 10:13 pm) · Filed under Change, Cups of Kindness, Giveaway, little Blue Santa, Musings, My Town Monday

The old maple sat in front of this old house as long as the house has stood. We think it’s somewhere between 1830 and 1840. She spread her canopy of green in hot summer days, shading this old house. Seeds helicoptered down, covering the walkway; and young maples surprised us when they sprouted in unusual places. Each fall, she’d shed her leaves; leaves that had started out as that bright, fresh young green of early spring, maturing into the deep green of late summer, and finishing as brilliant as they had started, but this time in red and gold. The front walk and garden were blanketed in browns, gold and reds as the leaves completed their yearly cycle.

Old

The sugar maple had seen a lot in her long life: floods and droughts, high winds and thunderstorms, ice and snow, and she wore the battle scars. A strong cable supported a couple of large limbs that were located over the house. We knew she was old, and saw changes that kind of made us think she was winding down. Then Hurricane Ike roared into town, bringing torrential rains and high winds, taking its toll on the old tree. A large crack appeared in the side, pushing a section of the tree out from the trunk, as if the winds had twisted her like a matchstick.

Crack

There really was no choice. The tree, with 2 large limbs perched above the house, was dangerous and had to come down.

Limbs

Rich is a man who thinks about trees. He methodically plans each move, each cut, as he takes down a tree, one section at a time. Climbing the tree, using heavy rope and a chain saw, Rich took his time as he brought our old friend to the ground.

Rich

A neighbor wandered across the road to watch; Grandpa came through the woods and over the stream to witness this change.

Grandpa

It took two days to take down what nature had nourished for 175 years. Friends who are wood turners took 2 truck loads of wood; and another who heats with wood took more. There are still parts of the trunk, 38 inches in diameter, sitting in front of this old house. We’re not ready to let it all go yet.

End

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My Town Monday comes to us all via Travis Erwin. Take a trip over there and check out the links from bloggers who share this beautiful blue planet.

*Post a comment if you’d like to be entered into a drawing for a Little Blue Santa.
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And if you’re so inclined, please visit Cups of Kindness, our art show to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
Cups Of Kindness

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Gifts From the Heart and Hands

By fromskilledhands ( November 16, 2008 at 12:12 pm) · Filed under Art, Christmas, Clay, Gifts, Giveaway, little Blue Santa

There is something special about things that are made one at a time by hand. They come from the heart through the hands.

An old friend once said that these mugs are user-friendly since he had “hands like hams.” He could easily hold the mug in his hand. I have my favorite mug: I can hold it with one or 2 hands, and it’s designed to keep my drink and hands warm. The cool thing is that if my coffee or tea cools off, I can heat it up in the microwave. They are available in blue, green and earth tones.

It drives me nuts when I have poured a drink into a mug or glass and the pitcher drips. These pitchers don’t drip— really.

green

Kids’ sets are unique personalized items. They are made from porcelain clay and are the perfect size for children. I use the cups, bowls and plates all the time. The cup is the perfect size for a late afternoon cup of something, and the bowl controls the amount of ice cream I eat.

Pink

Blue

All culinary pieces are made of white stoneware or porcelain clays, by hand, one at a time. They are glazed with non-toxic glazes, fired to 2400 degrees F, and are safe to use in dishwashers, conventional and microwave ovens. They make great gifts—either for someone else or for yourself.

The little Blue Santa and friends have continued to grace our lives. We have met so many wonderful people from all over this beautiful blue planet who have shared their stories about him. We are now making little Green Santas, a cat and a shoe. I will be posting photos of them in the next day or so, so check back soon.

 Little

To order any piece, please click here.

Post a comment and I’ll enter you in one of my high-tech (where I pull a name from a hat) drawings for a little Blue Santa.

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The Power of One: The Charter for Compassion

By fromskilledhands ( November 13, 2008 at 8:37 am) · Filed under Caring, Change, Charter for Compassion, Cups of Kindness

A few weeks ago, I wrote the following here:

We all really do live in the same town; it is called Planet Earth. We share the same air, drink the same water and look at the same blue sky. All of us gaze up at the same stars and are amazed by the same full moon.

We the people can solve problems that governments have caused; we the people can share our resources with our friends and neighbors—even those whom we do not know. We the people.

In this time where CHANGE is the buzzword of the day, we the people live it and do it. We are the change we wish to see in the world. Quietly, without the acrimony of politics. In our everyday life. One cup at a time

This morning, I came across The Charter for Compassion:

The Charter for Compassion is a collaborative effort to build a peaceful and harmonious global community. Bringing together the voices of people from all religions, the Charter seeks to remind the world that while all faiths are not the same, they all share the core principle of compassion and the Golden Rule. The Charter will change the tenor of the conversation around religion. It will be a clarion call to the world.

We have always been the change we wished to see in the world. Now we can see that others are joining us. One person at a time. The Power of One.

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And if you’re so inclined, please visit Cups of Kindness, our art show to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

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Wordless Wednesday

By fromskilledhands ( November 12, 2008 at 10:22 am) · Filed under Change, Hope, Wordless Wednesday

Mackerel

Flag

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My Town Monday: The Cuyahoga Valley National Park

By fromskilledhands ( November 9, 2008 at 6:24 pm) · Filed under Cuyahoga Valley, My Town Monday, Peninsula

The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602, is located within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Originally established as a U.S. National Recreation Area on December 27, 1974, the Park was redesignated a national park by Congress on October 11, 2000.

Here’s a look at the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park in warmer days, before the leaves and the temperatures fell:

My Town Monday, a product of fearless leader Travis Erwin’s fertile mind, is where bloggers from hither and yon join together in sharing the places that are near and dear to us. Check it out. You’ll learn a lot and have fun, too!

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Homage to the Unknown Craftsman

By fromskilledhands ( November 7, 2008 at 4:11 pm) · Filed under Art, Clay, Craft, creativity, Musings

I was looking at some pieces of glass and of pottery the other day. Pieces that are wonderful in their simplicity and purity. There appears to be no ego—the pieces are not signed and have obviously been well used. They are perfect in that their design is matched with their function. Who were the makers of these vessels? It hardly matters.

These are the unknown craftsmen and craftswomen. Folks who made things out of necessity and for the joy of the making. Nothing but that. And that, my friends, is something we can all learn.

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Have You Ever?

By fromskilledhands ( November 6, 2008 at 1:27 pm) · Filed under Musings

Over at Paradise Found, Kris asks,
“Have you ever…?”

Bold the things you’ve done and will admit to.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (does Pig Latin count?)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (I’m easily satisfied!)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (does a wall count?)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (ew!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (I was fired for over-scooping at an ice cream store)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

How about you?

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Wordless Wednesday

By fromskilledhands ( November 5, 2008 at 9:35 am) · Filed under Wordless Wednesday

American

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A Reminder

By fromskilledhands ( November 4, 2008 at 12:06 am) · Filed under Change, Vote


Just a reminder to exercise your right to VOTE.

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My Town Monday: Election Day in The Village of Peninsula

By fromskilledhands ( November 2, 2008 at 6:20 pm) · Filed under Community, Election Day, Food, My Town Monday, Peninsula

VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*VOTE*

For over 100 years, the Peninsula United Methodist Church has held an Election Day dinner. Traditionally, local farmers who were members of the Church donated and prepared the food. The chickens were “so fresh that they had been scratching in the yard the day before”; and the turnips, potatoes, coleslaw, and vegetables had been recently harvested. The women prepared the food and baked pies for the event.

Although the food isn’t all locally produced any more, not much has changed over the years: the food is still prepared and served by volunteers; and all proceeds benefit the Church. The menu is, as always, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, turnips, green beans, coleslaw, cranberry sauce, bread and butter, homemade pie, and coffee, milk or ice water. It’s a bargain at $10/adult and $8 for carryout.
sign

So if you’re in our neck of the woods on Tuesday, stop at the Methodist Church. Have a seat at one of the long tables, chat with folks about politics, the weather, or whatever suits you. You’ll enjoy a great meal, have fun, and support the Church. If you’d like to make a monetary donation to the Church, please send it to the Peninsula United Methodist Church, 1575 Main Street, Peninsula, OH 44264.
Methodist
The Village of Peninsula, population 602, gently resisting change since 1834.
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My Town Monday comes to us all via Travis Erwin. Take a trip over there and check out the links from bloggers who share this beautiful blue planet.
*********
And if you’re so inclined, please visit Cups of Kindness, our art show to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
Cups Of Kindness

Share this!
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