Archive for March, 2011
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Saturday in the Studio
Frosty Morning
It was a frosty morning in the Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602. The daffodils, bravely emerging from their winter’s home, were blanketed with a coating of crystals. Daffodils are a hearty lot; the buds seem to be fine.
Spring is here, though; breeding male gold finches are sporting their yellow feathers, as if to say, “Pick me!” Peepers are filling the evenings with their songs; and then there’s the quality of the light! The clear light of early spring in NE Ohio is unmistakable. And for this, among so many other things, I am so grateful.
What is spring like in the place you call home?
Living Fully in These Times
None of us are strangers to the intensity of these challenging times on Planet Earth. We can make choices how we deal with internal and external circumstances.
This is what I do: I try to live my life in kindness, with an open heart. I love my family and friends, and try to remember to let them know. I love this life and try to honor it. I know that, that which lets me see and feel the challenges and horrors on the planet, also lets me experience the incredible beauty. I am keeping on keeping on.
What is life like for you? What choices have you made? As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone, (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.
Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Spring is on the Way
How I know that Spring is coming:
1. I saw it on the calendar;
2. I looked in the garden;
3. I paid attention to the quality of the light;
4. I listened to and watched the birds;
5. I have faith.
Walking the Path: A My Town Monday Post
I have often said that we all live in the same town, spinning on the same spaceship we call Earth. The enormity of what has happened in the past week is hard to describe in words; and the photos are surrealistic. This is beyond imagination. Each story, each photo, is more intense than the previous one. But in the midst of all of this, I believe in the human spirit, and our connections to each other and to the Universe.
There is beauty within us and all around us; our studio and gallery are in the middle of the Village of Peninsula, nestled in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Take a moment to see one of my favorite trails in the Park, the Tree Farm Trail. And, if you are so inclined, say a prayer for those of us who are facing challenges that we cannot fathom.
As always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. And take a look at what others have to say about the places they call home, over at My Town Monday.
Dream On
Wordless Wednesday: The Snow Melteth
Sharing the Gifts
For the most part, artists are a pretty generous lot; we get asked to donate work to this or that pretty frequently. We do the best we can, sharing that which we have been given.
I have a 2 friends who have lost someone to cystic fibrosis, and another whose young son is challenged by the disease. For the past few years, my friend has coordinated the art component of Chef’s Fantasy, a dinner and auction that raises money to benefit the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
This is the second year that we’ve donated a piece. These one of a kind pieces are a collaborative process between wood worker Dave Kish and me. The tiles have been hand carved from porcelain clay. Colors have been inlaid into the carved areas, the excess removed, and a series of glazes applied onto the pieces. After the piece has been fired, it is inlaid into hard woods, either cherry or walnut and maple.They work well for serving cheese or hors d’oerves.
The Water Runs High: A My Town Monday Post
The waters of the river called Cuyahoga were anything but gentle this past week. Heavy rains on top of mounds of melting snow created a torrent of water. Here’s what the Cuyahoga River and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Lock 29 parking lot looked like. It’s opposite our studio.
As if that weren’t enough, we had several more days of heavy rains. Our already drenched land couldn’t absorb the volume of water, so we had more flooding.  Here’s what the river looked like last Saturday.
After the rains abated, we were treated to ice and snow; today, however, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the dogs are loving the mud.
As always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone, (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.  Take a look at My Town Monday to see what other folks have to say about the places they call home.
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