August 10--Amazing Artistry

Love is the true means by which the world is enjoyed: our love to others, and others' love to us.  --Thomas Traherne

Grant me strength when I feel small.

Grant me faith when I lose sight.

Grant me hope when all seems lost. 

Grant me grace in morning's light. 

--Mary Davis, "Every Day Spirit"

    Big day yesterday! I started off the day with a swim for the 4th day in a row. D drove us to Dover, Ohio, to the Warther Museum and Cutlery Store. I had been there a long time ago when my sons were much younger, and D had not been there. Our first stop was the Button House displaying Freida Warther's amazing artistry in buttons:

Button collecting and art is a THING. They even have conventions.

    Next we took the guided tour through the Museum to see Ernest Warther's carvings. His passion was steam engines and he carved a lot of them, using mostly ebony and ivory. He worked in a steel mill and carved as a hobby. Though he had only a second grade education, he was an engineering and mathematical genius. All of his carvings are to scale. Each train has thousands of TINY pieces. The train cars even have people inside. And he carved chains, too. Here is an example:

Those springs are carved out of ivory and are about 1/2" long. All the lettering, even on the base, is inlaid ivory. 

    The Warther Cutlery business began because Ernest Warther elected to use his steel mill experience to make his own carving knives. Here is a set--the one on the far right is about 1" long.

    

    We have been using Warther kitchen knives in our family for decades. In my opinion, they are the finest knives on the planet. And, they sharpen them for free--I send them back every year to be sharpened. 

    One might think that was enough fun for one day, but NO! The evening was a potluck supper followed by silly fun karaoke in the beautiful basement music studio of one of D's friends. This is definitely a case of "enthusiasm making up for lack of skill," but we had a blast. 

    It's a cool sunny day here, so expect a walk is in my future. 

        Leta