From Skilled Hands

I came across  a video of James Taylor and Yo-Yo Ma performing an exquisite interpretation of Here Comes the Sun. It is, I think a wonderful metaphor for the events in my life for the past month or so. I am ready.

On this most amazing day, I want to share a poem by ee cummings that is dear to me.

i thank you god
for this most amazing day
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
for the blue true dream of sky
for everything that is infinite
that is natural
that is YES

My good friend Lisa wrote about this day. I am passing it forward—-both the exuberance of youth and the wisdom of experience.

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.

########
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..
#########
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.