From Skilled Hands » Christmas

An Ornamental Mostly Wordless Wednesday Post

fromskilledhands — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:06:07 +0000

We will celebrate our first Candlelight Walk on Thursday, December 1, from 5-9pm. Stroll through this beautiful historic Village, listen to carolers, enjoy light refreshments, see the lights and see what we have to offer. Explore Peninsula!

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Holiday Musings: A My Town Monday Post

fromskilledhands — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:39:59 +0000

When 6 of the 8 tiles I had painstakingly carved cracked in the bisque kiln, I was somewhat disappointed. I had expected to have them ready for the holidays. The patterns were wonderful; yet the cracks were certain to migrate through the pieces. I left them on my work table, wondering what to do.

An artist friend came into the studio, and we talked about the pieces that were less than perfect. What is it, I wondered, that makes an item a “second.” Could I embrace the crack as the nature of that particular piece?.

I began to think about the whole concept of perfection. We look at ourselves and question our hair, or our eyes or our body types. We look at our homes or our jobs or our families and compare them with what the dominant culture tells us is perfect.

Nature does not determine that an oak tree or a rock or a lake is less than perfect. Why do we as humans tend to put conditions on our environments, our relationships, our lives?

When Amish women make a quilt they intentionally make a mistake; mid-Eastern rug makers do the same. Only the gods are perfect. A finger mark or tiny crack on a hand-crafted piece is really the mark of the craftsman. It lets us know that the piece was made by a human, with all our imperfections, rather that a machine.

The mark of the craftsman does not detract from the beauty of the piece; rather, it enhances it, I think. And it is the challenges and experiences in life that give our lives texture and richness.

It is, I believe, time to let go of our notions of perfection, and embrace that which makes us human. Keeping that in mind, I wish us all an imperfect holiday.

These skilled hands wish you kind, happy, healthy, loving and peaceful days.

Visit My Town Monday for a look at other places on this fine blue planet we call home. and, if you are so inclined, please visit, Cups of Kindness, our benefit for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

As always, please feel free to leave a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.

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Almost Wordless Wednesday: Christmas in Peninsula

fromskilledhands — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:33:48 +0000

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If you are so inclined, please consider visiting the Cups of Kindness website for holiday gifts. The Foodbank is able to purchase $7 worth of food and grocery items with every dollar raised. We the People can make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors.

One. Cup. At. A. Time.

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My Town Monday: The Steeples of Peninsula

fromskilledhands — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:23:13 +0000

The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, is home to several beautiful churches and chapels. Here is a look at the steeples of Peninsula:

Members of the Peninsula United Methodist Church worked long and hard to raise the money to restore the steeple of the historic church. Here is what it looked like prior to the restoration:

The steeple was removed for restoration:

Check back for a look at the beautifully restored steeple.

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Cups of Kindness, an art show and sale to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, had it’s opening reception Saturday, December 5, at our Elements Gallery, and at the Peninsula Art Academy. Over 70 artists once again donated amazing works of art; the proceeds from the sale of the art will benefit the Foodbank.

If you are so inclined, please consider visiting the Cups of Kindness website for holiday gifts. The Foodbank is able to purchase $7 worth of food and grocery items with every dollar raised. We the People can make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors.

One. Cup. At. A. Time.

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Visit My Town Monday for a look at places near and far. Join us! And share cool things about your neck of the woods

As always feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.

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Raising a Cup of Kindness

fromskilledhands — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:59:11 +0000

Hunger does not discriminate; it affects people without regard to background or social status. In our land of plenty, people are hungry every day; they have to decide between paying rent or eating, between medication or food, between staying warm and buying groceries. Of this I am certain: having enough to eat is a right rather than a privilege.

The mission of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is simple: Feed People. Fight Hunger.

The Foodbank uses its resources well: each dollar that is donated purchases $7 worth of food and grocery products to those in need. Meals that provide sustenance to people who are already stressed. No questions asked. When I recently toured the facility, I was amazed by the quantity of food that was ready to distribute to agencies large and small. The facility was immaculate; the people, both volunteers and paid staff, passionate about their purpose.

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is located in Akron, Ohio. It serves 8 Ohio counties: Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas and Wayne. It distributes food to more than 400 member agencies that provide food pantries, hot meal sites, shelters and other emergency hunger-relief programs.

The statistics are mind boggling:

the Foodbank serves over 163,000 people annually.

*1 out of every 3 are children under age 18

*1 out of every 10 is a senior citizen

*One in eight Ohioans lives in poverty

*Ohio ranks third in childhood food insecurity for children under 5 — hungry or at risk for hunger

*One in eight Ohioans use the Food Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps)

*Every $1 donated to the Foodbank provides $7 worth of food and grocery products for people in need.

*There has been a 23% increase for food requests for food at food pantries over the requests in 2008.

*In 2008, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank distributed 16 million pounds of food.

*In 2009, the Foodbank is on pace to distribute 17.5 million pounds of food.

We are reaching out to others by giving hope. There is, I think, joy and intrinsic satisfaction in helping people who will never know who we are. As members of a world community, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to share our resources and to preserve dignity.

Cups of Kindness is now in it’s second year. This year, we are pleased to join with the Peninsula Art Academy, the Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, local, regional and national artists and a group of dedicated volunteers to support the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

Local, national and regional artists — over 70, have raised a cup of kindness by donating over 125 pieces of artwork; the proceeds from the sale of the work will benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

If you are in our neck of the woods on Saturday, December 5, from 10-2, join us for light refreshments at our opening reception. The show will run until January 10, 2010.

Take a look at our website to see some of the beautiful pieces of art that have been donated. Items will be available for purchase online on the evening of Sunday, December 6.

We the People have proved the Power. Of. One. — over and over again. We have shown that we can, with our hands and hearts, help our friends and neighbors in a time of need. As Margaret Mead said, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

We can do this: One. Cup. At. A. Time.

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A Magical Day at the North Pole

fromskilledhands — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:30:41 +0000

What does 1 train + a great story + a crew of dedicated staff and volunteers equal? Take a look at a very special train, when the Village of Peninsula is transformed into the North Pole. All aboard for the Polar Express!

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Raising a Cup of Kindness in 2009

fromskilledhands — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:49:22 +0000

photos courtesy Ron Wayton, photographer

Last year 76 artists and authors, and assorted web designers, sign makers, muffin bakers, photographers and patrons raised a Cup of Kindness as they donated over 150 pieces of work and countless other services to benefit friends and neighbors in need. Through the generosity of these fine folks and people all over the country, we have raised enough money for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to provide around 28,000 meals. That is an astounding figure: twenty-eight thousand meals. That is enough to feed each of the 601 people in the Village of Peninsula 46.6 times.

Artwork is coming in and is being cataloged and packed to go to be photographed for this year’s show, which will open on Saturday, December 5th, from 10:00am-2:00pm, at our Elements Gallery and at the Peninsula Art Academy across the street, and will continue through January 10, 2010. Check back for more details about online purchases and other ways to help.

We the people have demonstrated the Power of One. And one more. And one more. This is how we make a difference in the world. One. Cup. At. A. Time.

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Holiday Musings

fromskilledhands — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 01:56:23 +0000

Wednesday morning was an icy one, with the roads covered with a glaze of ice. Cars stood on the pavement, unable to move. The 4 wheel drive on our Toyota helped us navigate the frozen ground, and we proceeded to the studio.

The day was a good one, with people picking up orders and just stopping by to say hello. There is something special about being in a place for a while—and we have been in Peninsula for 20 years. Folks know us, they ask about our family, and we ask about theirs.

At the end of the day, we stopped at a friend’s to have a glass of wine and some cheese and fruit. Then off to the grocery store–we got there 10 minutes before they closed—to get a few things.

Christmas morning was cold and dry. The ground was frozen so there was no mud. We are beyond the days where we had to tell our children that they couldn’t wake us until it was light outside. We were up and on our second cup of coffee well before our daughters emerged from their rooms. The magic of Christmas morning is different from the way it was in years past, but it is still magic.

#2 daughter and I made pita bread for the first time. She made falafel and a delicious cucumber yogurt sauce to take over the stream and through the woods to Grandma’s house. We shared sandwiches, veggies, and other munchies. A pot of coffee graced the table. Grandma had made her fruitcakes, strudel, mince pies and peanut butter pie for #2.

Home for the evening, quietly enjoying the time together. Grazing, watching a move, and my fingers tappity tapping the keys. A good day.

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The Power of One: Cups of Kindness

fromskilledhands — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 04:27:14 +0000

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank does amazing work. Just because. Their mission is simple: ENDING HUNGER.

I’ve discovered some astounding statistics:

**as of a couple of weeks ago, the Foodbank had distributed over 1,000,000 pounds more food than they distributed for the entire year in 2007.
**so far this year, there has been a 29% increase of families with children who need the Foodbank’s services.
**each dollar ($1) donated provides 7 nutritious meals.

Right here in these United States. The people who are in need are our friends and neighbors; folks just like you and like me. Folks who have to decide between medical care and food; between heat and electricity or food.

We the people can make a difference. Over 60 artists from points near and far have donated small scale works of art to help us help the Foodbank. Cups of Kindness is a show and sale of these pieces. All proceeds from the sale of these works will benefit the Foodbank. Please take a look at our website, http://www.cupsofkindness.net. Help us raise a cup of kindness for auld lang syne.

Friends and neighbors helping each other.

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Of Marbles, Toys and Akron’s Little Blue Santa

fromskilledhands — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:32:22 +0000

Michael Cohill is one of the many people who are passionate about the history of the American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Company. He is one of the people who have spent the past 20 years researching the history of Akron, Ohio’s toy industry.

The American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Company was the first toy marble factory in the United States, and the first of 32 marble factories in the Greater Akron area. The factory made some of the world’s first mass produced toys; this is significant because it made toys available to all children, rather than just the wealthy. They manufactured 1,000,000 clay marbles each day.

However, on one unlucky day in 1904, thirteen years after it had been incorporated, The American Marble & Toy Manufacturing Company burnt to the ground. This unfortunate event appeared, to some young pilferers, to be a great day for marble collectors: the next morning, every little boy in Akron came down to scavenge and fill his pockets with marbles. This was no play ground, far from being a safe place for such innocent children to be hanging (and looting) about. The police were called in to keep these treasure hunters from unlawfully appropriating the marbles, and soon after, the city ordered the charred remains of the factory to be buried.

The land on which the Factory had stood became a successful department store and parking deck. The department store closed in the 1980′s, and the building was bought by a law firm. In the late 1990′s, the parking deck was demolished.

Removal of the debris exposed the remains of the old marble factory, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, thousands of marbles and old toys reappeared in the dirty remains, waiting to rediscovered.

The Little Blue Santa was one of many toys that were made at the American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Company. It may be one of the oldest known American made ceramic figurines of St. Nicholas, and dates to the mid-1890′s. Why is he blue? Santa Claus and modern day Christmas celebrations are of the German tradition. When Germans immigrated to the Akron area, they brought their rich culture and Christmas traditions with them: the decorated tree, stockings, gifts, and St. Nicholas, dressed in his blue, red, tan, green and white robes. Historically, St. Nicholas’ have been seen in brown, red, blue, green and tan robes.

The Little Blue Santa was brought to our studio. To make the Santa available to more people, Steve made a mold, and began casting reproductions, not unlike the toys made by the American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Company. He developed the glaze, so that the modern day 2 1/4″ tall Little Blue Santa retained the character of the original.

The Little Blue Santa had been described as “a gentle and kind figure. His head was slightly tilted, and he was relaxed. He was the hope of Christmas.” I agreed. The Santa’s sweet and gentle nature resonated to a simpler time, one where shared experiences and memories were the spirit of the season. We were pleased to have been able to share it with you.

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