Winter was hard on this old house, and ice dams and their subsequent leaks were a constant problem. Leaks mean water, and water means damage and mold. So yesterday, we emptied our room, and got rid of the old carpet. It’s a lot of work, emptying a room, but the benefits extend beyond the clean space.
It was a day of discovery. I found my parents’ marriage license, letters they wrote to each other that express the sweetness and depth of their love; wonderful photos of my mom and dad, so young and full of possibilities. I came across photos of my mother-in-law as a child, and of her brother. Irreplaceable treasures are these, part of the tapestry of our family’s history. And I discovered a lot more than a beautiful wood floor.
As always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone, (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. And wander over to My Town Monday to see what my fellow MTM Marauders have to say.
On this day of parades and picnics, please take a minute to remember those who lost their lives so that we can have parades and picnics.
Take a look at My Town Monday to see what others have to say about their towns on this day. And, as always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve been by.
Spring has finally come to my town, the Village of Peninsula, population 602. We have had 2 days with sunshine and without rain! The redbuds are in bloom; people are emerging, smiling, welcoming the green that isn’t mold. Take a look at Spring in my Valley. And, as always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. Then wander on over to My Town Monday to see what other folks have to say.
So there we were, working on new pieces, when, in the distance, we thought we heard bagpipes. It was hard to be sure; the river was running fast and high from all the rain we’ve had. I ventured outside, grabbing my camera, “just in case.” And there he was, playing his bagpipes to the river. I’m told he comes by every now and then to play to her; this time we were fortunate to hear him, too.
See what other folks have to say about their towns over at My Town Monday. Did you know this is the 100th MTM post?
My mother-in-law loved rhubarb. But she really loved springtime. Because springtime meant fresh local rhubarb, and that meant rhubarb pie. I think that she loved making the pies for her son and husband more than she loved the unique sweet-tart confection.
Since I planted for both of us, we always talked about what to put in the garden. Besides the usual tomatoes (pronounced to-mah-toes), beans, and squash, she would tell me how much she loved new potatoes with the dirt still on them, mesclun greens, blueberries and raspberries fresh from the garden. But what she really wanted was rhubarb. Rhubarb still warm from the sun. So I planted some. Over and over again. Each spring I would wander out to the garden searching for signs of rhubarb. And each spring, when my mother-in-law would ask me, I would shake my head and sigh. “Well, luv,” she would say, “there is always next year.” And so it would go.
My mother-in-law died suddenly last July, before the tomatoes were ripe, and before we had the opportunity to plant again. But this spring, as I sloshed my way out to the garden, I glanced over to the place where I perennially planted rhubarb. There it was, Rosemary’s Rhubarb.
So this year, these hands and this heart will honor the woman who called me her daughter-in-love. I shall make a rhubarb pie.
****
My Town Monday is where folks like you and me share a bit about their lives in the places they call home.
We’ve been in the Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602, for 22 years. We have made changes along the way, as we and the gallery have evolved. But last week, when the bridge on Main Street was closed so the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s tracks could be replaced, we decided it was time to do some things we’d wanted to do for a long time.
So take a look, at things in our neck of the woods this Monday. When you’re done, wander on over to My Town Monday, to see what other folks have to say about the places they call home. And, as always, feel free to leave me a comment to let me know what you think, or a stone, (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. And Happy Spring. It’s been a long time coming.
My town, the Village of Peninsula, population 602, is a busy place. We are nestled in the gorgeous Cuyahoga Valley, surrounded by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and we are the home of creative and independent people. The legacy of independent thinkers is a long one; one had to be ready to take risks in order to carve out a life in the Valley.
The Peninsula Valley Historic and Education Foundation does a lot to celebrate the rich history of this place. Collaborating with the Ohio Humanities Council, the foundation will be presenting a Civil War lecture series. This series will initiate the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the American Civil War, a war that impacted the Village, the country and the world. The programs are:
4/14 Ohio in the Civil War, presented by Mark Holbrook
5/12 An Evening with Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater, presented by Mel Mauer
6/30 Lee, Jackson and Longstreet, Traitors All? presented by William F.B. Vodrey
7/28 Gettysburg and its Aftermath, presented by Carol Zeh
8/25 The Civil War through the Window of American Art, 1861-65, presented by Jesse Bryant Wilder
All programs begin at 7:00pm, in the Auditorium of the G.A.R. Hall Museum, and are free to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, feel free to call 330.657.2528.
While you’re in the Village, take a walk and see what else we have to offer. You won’t be sorry!
And, as always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.
Check out what my fellow MTM Marauders have to say by visiting here.
The river called Cuyahoga runs through the Village of Peninsula, population 602. When you take a look at the map, you can see why the Mohawks called this waterway Cuyahoga, or crooked river.
The river is a powerful neighbor. She provides food, shelter and solace. She has overflowed her banks on many occasions, inundating my Valley with water, and causing damage to roads, trails and train tracks.
The river hasn’t always been called the Cuyahoga. According to the US Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System, the river has also been known as:
Cajahage River
Cayagaga River
Cayahoga River
Cayhahoga River
Cayohoga River
Cujahaga River
Cuyohaga River
Gichawaga Creek
Goyahague River
Gwahago River
River de Saguin
Rivière Blanche
Rivière à Seguin
Saguin River
Yashahia
Cayahaga River
Cayanhoga River
Cayhoga River
Coyahoga River
Cuahoga River
Guyahoga River
Gwahoga River
Kiahagoh River
White River
As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve been by. Take a look at what other folks have to say about their towns over at My Town Monday.
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.
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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