So now I will tell you the story of the Touchstones. It was just before 9/11. I had been holding a piece of porcelain in my hand, musing about it’s texture and how it felt. It was like a stone. I rolled it into a comfortable form, and picked up a tool that I use for carving the tiles. I began to write words on the stones. No thought, just action. I rubbed colorants into the carved areas, like I do with the tiles, and fired the pieces.
These little pieces were like those that people all over the world hold: worry stones, beads and stones, and the like. It seemed that in the business of daily life, we—-I—-often lose track of things that I need to remember. These little pieces of porcelain were touchstones—-reminders—–to pay attention. I carry them in my pocket, and as I handle them, they help me remember.
A year after 9/11, I was in the studio. A couple came in. They were from New York City. We started talking. They were planning on walking, with a group of bagpipers, at dawn, from Battery Park to the place we now know as Ground Zero. The woman wanted to buy a touchstone that had PEACE on it. I gave her a dozen and a half or so, and asked her to pass them on.
A week or so after that, I received an email from a man who had been given one. He wrote that he had been in his office near the Twin Towers on September 11, and that receiving a touchstone was a life affirming experience—a connection with others who cared.
I continue to make them, on and off, when the time seems right to me. We sell them at our gallery in the Village of Peninsula, and I give them away when it is what I need to do. And that, my friends, is the story of touchstones.
As always, feel free to leave a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. If you choose to leave a comment, I will enter you in a drawing for a touchstone.
Send me a shot of your favorite mug and I will enter you in a drawing for one of our favorite mugs. (from skilled hands AT Gmail DOT com). I will post the winner on Monday, July 27, 2009.
Here are some mug shots:
“This is one of my favourites – a Royal Alma mug by Staffordshire. I love anything English and stone or potteryware..”
“They are big enough for two measured cups of coffee, keep the contents warm, and big enough to warm my hands in the winter (all three weeks of it!). They tend to be the favorite mugs of all the younger folks that come for coffee because of their size.”
“Though I have my favorites, any mug will just about do in the morning. This one was given to me by a friend when I resigned from the ICU. I miss Freddie and think about her when I pour a cup of coffee into this mug.”
“Here is a picture of me with my favourite mug. Not sure how clearly it shows the glories of the mug itself, but it does show just how huge it is and that’s what I love about it most. It holds at least a pint of coffee which is what I need to get me going in the morning, sad but true! Not only does it hold a pint it keeps it hot too for as long, pretty much, as it takes me to drink it, which is a good forty minutes. It has no handle, and doesn’t need one, sitting perfectly in both hands as it does. Ideal for the Scottish climate: it’s a mug and hot water bottle in one! The glaze is a luminous cream with splendid green stripes all around it. Another thing I love about it is that it was hand-thrown by a particularly handsome potter who evidently loved his job. My fingers fit neatly in the ridges that his hands created and thus I feel comfortably connected to its origins.”
Signs of the python are all around: Larry has been getting his python ready for tomorrow’s parade; the Peninsula Art Academy’s artful python has emerged from it’s winter resting place. Our python has been enjoying being outside.
We are getting ready for the python scavenger hunt in the Gallery. If you can find them all, you win one! Lots of activities are planned in the Village tomorrow. Slither on over here to see.
While you’re in the Valley, wander on down the Towpath to Deep Lock Quarry. Hobo Days will be in full swing. It starts tonight with the Hobo Jungle Campfire, the official lighting of the hobo campfire. You can enjoy potlatch and hobohemia. Bring a can of soup for the hobo pot. Breakfast will be at 9:00a.m. tomorrow, and there will be activities all day. The election of the Deep Lock Quarry Hobo King and Queen will be at 3:00 p.m.. The campfire will be at 8:00p.m., and there will be more hobohemia Sunday, from 11:00a.m.-1:00pm. For more information, check out the MetroParks, serving Summit County website.
I talked toNaturalist Pat Rydquist (whose hobo name is Hummingbird) about Hobo Days. Thie is the 6th year of the event at Deep Lock Quarry. 30-40 hobos will camp in primitive campsites there. Hobos were really the first “leave no trace” campers. Number 8 of the Hobo Code of Ethics reads: “Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.“ For more information about the Code of Ethics, hobo terminology and hobo symbols, go here.
Email me a photo of you with your favorite mug and tell me why you like it. I’ll post your photos and comments here, and enter you in a drawing for one of our favorite mugs. AND you will have the opportunity to beome a member of the Peninsula Python Posse! How cool is that? This is what I like in a mug.
Email to : from skilled hands AT g mail DOT com (you know what to do )
Ronda Russell, the proprietor of Peninsula’s Downtown Emporium, loves the Village of Peninsula and it’s history. She says, and rightly so, that Peninsula is full of stories. The story of the Peninsula Python is unique, one that was told all over the world in the summer of 1944. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of Ronda’s stories about the Python and the festival she spearheaded in it’s honor. For more information about Python Day, slither on over here.
So the story goes like this: back in the summer of 1944, a traveling circus came through Bath Township, which is a short distance from the Village of Peninsula. There was an accident in the local cemetery, and two large snakes escaped. One was found dead, and the other disappeared—for a short while.
Farmer Clarence Mitchell was tending his corn field. He reported that his dogs were mighty nervous for a couple of days; then they refused to go near his field. Mr. Mitchell looked up and said that he saw the biggest snake he had ever seen, sliding along the ground in plain site. Local historian Randy Bergdorf, of the Peninsula Library and Historical Society writes:
Multiple sightings of the serpent were reported during that summer of 1944; the mayor organized the local Civil Defense organization into posses. Folks with loaded guns responded to reports of the wayward snake. The then director of the Cleveland Zoo, Fletcher Reynolds, pleaded for the life of the snake. He asked that anyone finding the reptile stay calm and phone him with the snake’s location, so he could come and take him alive. Locals came up with plans to capture the snake, from box traps, to clotheslines and sticks, to music.
By this time radio newscasters, and reporters from the United and Associated Presses were regularly reporting on the escapades of the snake that had become the Peninsula Python. The story was reported in the media that was sent to American troops abroad during WWII. Letters from soldiers came into the Village’s post office. Robert Bordner, a reporter from the old Cleveland Press was one of those who wrote about the snake; one of his stories was published in the Atlantic Monthly, in November, 1945.
Sightings of the reptile decreased; some folks wondered if the entire story was a hoax concocted by Bordner. Those who saw the snake stand by their stories.
Post a comment and I will enter you in 2009’s first Peninsula Python Posse drawing for an official badge! You will have a chance to join Peninsula Python Posse members Amy, Terrie ,Sam, Travis, Barrie, and Eryl.
As always, Travis Erwin, an official PPP member, is the man at the helm of My Town Monday. Slither on over there and see what he has to say.
The Village of Peninsula, OH, population 601, is an inland town. Gerry asked what many folks want to know: how did the Village get its name?
Look at the map below. You see the Cuyahoga River on the left side of the map, and a loop in the center of the photo. The loop is where the River flowed before its course was changed. In April, 2008, I wrote:
The Village of Peninsula, population 602, is nestled in the hills where the Cuyahoga River bends sharply. Years ago, before the Valley Railway came through town, the old river made a meander that formed a peninsula. When the train was planned, 2 bridges would have needed to be engineered and built in order to cross the crooked river called the Cuyahoga. Instead of doing that, the engineers decided to cut through the neck of Peninsula’s peninsula, changing the course of the Cuyahoga.
If you want to see who is coming to the Village next weekend, fly on over here.
Travis Erwin is My Town Monday’s Chief Marauder. Meander on over to his place, where he has played hookie, and you will not only find out how he did that, but you will also find links to other blogs all over this fine blue planet.
The winner of last week’s high tech drawing is Mary, who always has something interesting to say. Post a comment this week and you, too, will be entered into a give-away where you can win some cool stuff from the Village of Peninsula.
If you ever want to know about the history of my town, the Village of Peninsula, population 601, or about the Cuyahoga Valley, go to the Peninsula Library and Historical Society. The library and historical society is dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Valley. They have an extensive collection of books, photographs, letters and other materials that chronicle the lives and times of those who settled the Valley. Committed to preserving and promoting the history of the Cuyahoga Valley, the PLHS provides a variety of historical programming. They share the stories of the people who carved out a life in this Village along the river called the Cuyahoga, and the canal called the Ohio and Erie.
The mural on the front of the Library is a beautiful work of art. It was created by the late Honore Gilbeau Cooke. The library website describes the mural:
Travis Erwin is the main fisherman on the My Town Monday boat. Cruise on over to his site, and check out the links he posts. You’ll discover lots of things you never knew exisited.
POST a comment this week and I’ll enter you in another one of my high tech drawings (where I, once again, draw a name from a hat). You’ll have a chance to win something cool from my Valley.
The winner of last week’s drawing for the book about the Cuyahoga Valley is Lana. Send me your street address and I’ll send you your book.
I’ve written about our being connected and that living on Planet Earth, we really do live in the same town. We breathe the same air, look at the same moon and stars.
One World One Heart is an opportunity for people to share. Last year, Lisa Swifka, the originator of this event wrote:
The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way.
For me, it is another manifestation of the power of this medium. It is a way that we can embrace our humanity, and share it freely. It is interesting to me that it is the high tech that is providing the high touch in this high tech world. We have already demonstrated the Power of One in so many ways. This is another way for us to connect and to know that We Are One.
On Thursday, February 12, I will be doing another one of my high tech drawings—this one will probably be high tech die to the number of comments. I will be giving these to those whose names I draw. All items are crafted from fine porcelain clays, one at a time, by hand.
There will be at least 3 names drawn, and I will select which piece will be sent. The Touchstones may be given as a group or I may select some for several people.
Post a comment on this post by the deadline of 10:00 p.m.EST on February 11, and I will enter your name in the drawing. Please make sure that to add your email address when you post your comment so that I have a way to reach you .
#####
My Town Monday is another way to see that we all live in the same town. Travis Erwin, the man behind the curtain, is putting things back together after a devastating house fire. Chris, over at e-Cuniform scratchings, and Junosmom at Lifetime Learning are minding the store and posting links to blogs all over this fine planet. Take a look. You’ll learn a lot and have fun, too.
####
And if you are so inclined, please visit Cups Of Kindness.
76 artists donated over 150 pieces of artwork. All proceeds from the sale of the artwork benefits the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank. To date, we have purchased 21,000 nutritious meals.
![[Bloglines]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[kirtsy]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/kirtsy.png)
![[LinkedIn]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/linkedin.png)
![[Reddit]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/reddit.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://fromskilledhands.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
Now, I feel like a cuppa coffee …”
While you’re in the 
The loop is where the River flowed before its course was changed. In 
If you ever want to know about the history of my town, the 
