Carving show was a nice break

It wasn’t as big as we expected, but it was nice nevertheless. I’m talking about the carving show this past weekend at Souder Village in Archbold, Ohio.
After the scary events lately with my mother and her recent hospital stay, we needed a day off. One of us had seen a carving show advertised at the historical village. It has been years since we first visited. At that time we had toured all the creaky buildings and listened as the workers in period costumes told us how things had been done in the old days.
We were shown how to card wool and the steps necessary to turn fleece into cloth. We saw school desks that were complete with the laptops of the day - chalkboards. We watched glass blowers at work and stopped by all the other exhibits, as well. We remembered that we had enjoyed our time there and expected to do the same this time. As we had already seen the Village, we confined our visit to the carving show.
I am always amazed at the pure talent evidenced at these venues. The other thing that impressed me was that several of the exhibitors said that God made the wood, they merely crafted it into a work of art. This was always spoken with reverence and appreciation for the Almighty. They weren’t expressing false modesty, just truth as they saw it.
Most of the woodcarvings were far beyond my ability but a few left me thinking that mine were better than those. I am my own worst critic and when I see people displaying something that I think I can do better, it makes me feel like I may not be quite as bad as I think I am. Then there are the ones that leave me reaching for my camera in hopes that one day I can duplicate the work of art I see on the table.
I always stop to talk to people. One boy said he had been carving for more than 10 years. As he was only 16, I thought that was interesting. He not only knew his craft, he also knew a lot about the birds that graced his display. His father had done all the carvings in front of him but maybe the next show would feature the boy’s own work.
Another man carved exquisite miniatures. There was a tiny church, barely two inches high (if you include the steeple) that, when opened, held a Jesus figure with its arms outstretched. An Indian paddling a canoe flipped over to reveal an alligator in the canoe. The oars were as slender as sewing thread. A tiny egg that was about a half-inch tall cradled an entire nativity inside. The carver offered the use of a magnifying glass to better inspect his work.
A well-dressed lady told how much she enjoyed carving the song birds that surrounded her. A guy who looked like a derelict crafted trees and abstract art using slices of branches. Elaborate chip carved boxes caught my husband’s eye. There were turned bowls and chalices and intricate scroll saw work scattered among the woodcarvings. The variety and beauty was amazing.
After we had seen our fill, we stopped at one of the vendors and I purchased a couple things to use for future projects of my own. We were finished much too soon.
We are home now. Tomorrow I will attempt to take my mother home for a visit. She still isn’t strong enough to go home forever but they said it would do her good to get away for an hour or two.
This is the time of year for scary things. Ghouls and goblins abound at the end of October while vampires and zombies roam the streets. But sometimes we need to step  away from truly scary things, such as a parent in rehab, and immerse ourselves in beauty and creativity. There is a time and place for scary things, and there is also a time and place for beauty.
Every life needs a bit of both.[[In-content Ad]]