DO YOU REMEMBER ME? PG. 26 Exploring the fourth element of networking
HOLIDAY DÉCOR ON A BUDGET PG. 28 Creativity steps in when dollars run short.
DUMP THE SCALE PG. 29 There are better ways to evaluate health than tracking pounds
Tired of politics? Escape into our pages of photos, stories and tips from local experts!
The Toy Maker After traveling many paths through several countries, Robert Dunfee found his calling by returning to his roots and creating heirlooms to cherish. PG. 4 A locally owned, independent publication dedicated to higher standards of journalism
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
VOLUME 3 NUMBER 11 JOYOFMEDINACOUNTY.COM
Life Lessons by Amy Barnes Over the years, I have learned many lessons, the most important being that handling things with a sense of humor is key. Every one of the following bits of “wisdom” is absolutely true and lived through, and no one was more surprised then I was!
15. If a child shows you a finger injury, most likely you will end up poked in the eye. 16. I ordered a book on how to succeed at getting what you want out of life, and it was backordered! Come to think of it, I never did get that book. 17. If being served a summons, it can be 1. If you agree one of your kids can visit a awkward if you are wearing a shirt that has friend and you think he is walking there, “Be Naughty...save Santa the trip” printed check. At least twice. Mostly likely he is on it, especially when the summons is for headed out of town, in a car, to a different your child. house than you thought. 18. Never, ever, try to put on your glasses 2. Surprisingly, gasoline does not always while going down the stairs. catch fire when it hits hot engine parts. Do 19. Many men will say they like strong not count on that, though! women, but when it comes down to it, most 3. If you agree to make handmade paper like only the strong women they can with students in one class, bright-eyed control. teachers everywhere will find you. 20. If you feel your children are not sharing 4. No one listens to instructions, not even their lives with you enough, tell them you teachers. are going to sit down and relax and would 5. The two most loving things in the really appreciate some quiet time. world: a wet dog and a peanut-butter21. You will find the missing puzzle piece, covered child. but only AFTER you have thrown away the 6. A child can walk safely all the way puzzle. home but on the last step, trip and fall flat 22. Kids have more memories attached to on her face. each toy than parents know. 7. If you are deep in conversation, that is 23. It is only a theory that no two the exact moment your child will tug your snowflakes are alike, but you can see a lot sleeve and then slap the sticky end of a of beauty trying to disprove it. used lollipop into your palm. 24. There will be an unexpected house 8. If the secretary is having an affair with repair every time you realize that you have the boss and you are the only other managed to save some money. The woman in the office, she will find a way to emergency level and cost of the repair will get you fired. be determined by how much you were able 9. Snowballs do NOT save well in the to save. freezer. 25. If you tell a kid that you received an 10. If you give a child a balloon, she will anonymous letter, she will ask you who it is break your antique chandelier with it. from. 11. Only God can make a dog stop 26. When you leave a package outside for barking, but everything in the the mailman to pick up, it will be the only neighborhood can get him started. time your child is helpful and brings in the 12. It will not rain on the days your kid package. does not listen to you and leaves his 27. Kids will walk out of their bedrooms raincoat at home. Is this God teaching your and leave the light on, but they will clean kid NOT to listen to you?! house in the dark. 13. Nothing in the world is more 28. If you discover $1 in your pocket, your important than love. kid will discover he needs $2 for school. 14. If you try to improve something, everyone thinks you are a troublemaker.
PUBLISHER Blake House Publishing, LLC EDITOR Amy Barnes ART DIRECTOR Danny Feller PHOTOGRAPHERS Allison Waltz-Boebel FlashBang Photography CARTOONIST Jerry King CONTRIBUTORS Bob Arnold Kelly Bailey Hunter Barnard Kariem Farrakhan II Michelle Riley Robert Soroky Austin Steger Kent Von Der Vellen THE READING NOOK AUTHOR Amy Barnes MASCOT Rico Houdini ADVERTISING SALES AND OFFICE 330-461-0589 E-MAIL Joy@BlakeHousePublishing.com WEBSITE JoyOfMedinaCountyMagazine.com Learn more about the staff at Behind The Scenes, JoyofMedinaCountyMagazine.com Open positions are listed on the website at Open Positions.
JOY of MEDINA COUNTY MAGAZINE is published monthly by Blake House Publishing, LLC, 1114 N. Court, #144, Medina, Ohio 44256. It is distributed as an e-edition and in a print edition. Both editions can be found at JoyofMedinaCountyMagazine.com Copyright 2020 by Blake House Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Any unsolicited materials, manuscripts, artwork, cartoons, or photos will not be returned.
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
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HOME AND GARDEN
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BITE ME!
COOKIE CUTTER AND PRESSED COOKIES by Amy Barnes After many attempts, finally a tasty cookie-cutter and stamped-cookie recipe.
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DIG IT!
HOLIDAY DÉCOR INSPIRATION by Michelle Riley Use these tips to open your mind to the possibilities in your own backyard.
HEALTH
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STOP WEIGHING YOURSELF
by Amy Barnes
by Kelly Bailey There are better ways to evaluate health than measuring pounds.
THE READING NOOK
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
STRINGS OF LOVE by Amy Barnes A story of love, the gift of music, and a small Christmas miracle.
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OH, SNAP! photos by Allison Waltz-Boebel Finding friends in the shelves.
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JOYFUL LETTER DETECTIVES CLUE BOX
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ROLL ’EM!
GREEN DWARFS, RED SHOES AND A LOT OF PERSONALITY Our movie reviewer takes a musical journey with a movie about working together.
THE IN BOX
TRY INNOVATION
MIRTH AND JOY
by Amy Barnes
by Jerry King
A challenge for the new year: Open a unique shop in Medina County.
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Read the clue, then gather and unscramble the magnifying glass letters to solve the puzzle.
by Hunter Barnard
BUSINESS
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by Robert Soroky
OF MIND AND BODY
ALL FOR THE LOVE OF A TOY A child’s love of wooden toys grows into a mission to bring joy to other children.
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CHANGES FOR WOMEN’S BIKES After extensive research and data collection, women’s bikes get a redesign geared toward women’s bodies and how they move.
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HEALTHY TRAILS
FROM A TECHNICAL MIND
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by Austin Steger
by Bob Arnold Networking includes know, like and trust, but there is an overlooked element. On the front and back covers: photos by Amy Barnes Robert Dunfee at home in his “garsh,” surrounded by the heirloom toys he created and loves.
by Kariem Farrakhan II
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JOYFUL WORD SEARCH
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LET’S DO IT!
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CELEBRATE!
THE NETWORKER
THE FOURTH ELEMENT
USING BRACKETING TO CAPTURE DETAILS Photography method can be used to emphasize subtleties for creating an authentic reproduction in paint, closer to what human eyes see.
WHEN ELECTRONS TAKE A SHORTCUT Learn what a short circuit is, what causes it, and why you should care.
IN THE STUDIO
IN THE WOODS What can you find?
Time for crunching through fall leaves and appreciating the events in Medina County.
Our clickable directory of vetted businesses who bring you Joy!
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
photos and story by Amy Barnes
I
father’s company. He got an engineering degree from Lorain Community College, followed by an electrical t is not what you want to make the wood apprenticeship. into, it is what the wood wants to be, says Robert Dunfee worked mostly in construction and found he Dunfee, standing in his “garsh,” his term for his loved taking blueprints and turning them into combination garage and workshop, surrounded by actuality. He inherited his father’s love of problem tools, pieces of wood and toys he has created. solving and solving puzzles. Dunfee learned to listen to the wood at the knees of However, by age 55, Dunfee found that electrical his father and maternal grandfather, both of whom work was becoming too hard on his body so he practiced the art of woodworking as a necessity, not retired. as a hobby. It was his father, also named Robert The quiet of retirement was not for him, however, Dunfee, who taught Dunfee how to use woodworking and he then got a paramedics degree and found tools. another new love. However, it was not a straight or obvious path that “You have to be an adrenaline addict to be a Dunfee followed to become a toy maker. paramedic,” Dunfee said. Throughout his working years, Dunfee has pursued At the time, he and his wife, Cyndi, were living in several paths, including being an associate pastor New Mexico. and an electrician, at one time working for his The couple has lived in Idaho; Seattle, Washington;
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A knothole table Dunfee made
New Hampshire; Sweden; and India. The longest they have ever lived in one place was six years. Part of the reason for all of the moving was their missionary work with Youth With a Mission, part of the reason was for work, and the rest was because of their love of experiencing different regions, cultures, and other countries. “Our passion was community development,” Dunfee said. The couple even started an import company to help micro enterprises with goods made by women in other countries. The company was not a moneymaker for the couple, but they were satisfied they were helping others. They closed the company because the work was so exhausting for them.
Left to right, Cody and Wilson try out a dog puzzle made by Dunfee. photo by Robert Dunfee
“It requires a lot of work and a lot of emotion,” Dunfee said. “When I look back at the times of our life, I wouldn’t want to change a thing, but I wouldn’t want to do it again.”
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They returned to their birth state of Ohio, three years ago. “It took us 60 years, but we finally settled down,” Dunfee said. Cyndi Dunfee smiles, glances at her husband, and says, “Maybe.” The two met through mutual friends who hung out together after work. “Our friends were friends, we hung out a lot together,” Dunfee said. Dunfee says he was shy, and it was Cyndi who talked to him. A relationship and love blossomed from there. They married in 1978. After so many years of career restlessness, Dunfee returned to the lessons learned when young to find peace. He found that working with wood was his calling, after all. The way that the grain and texture of wood is different from tree to tree presents unique challenges that keep Dunfee’s mind interested and entertained. “I need to keep myself challenged,” Dunfee said. He said that one day he can make something and then, three months later, find how much better he can make it because of the skill and knowledge he
Wood in waiting
has gained in the meantime. Wood for his projects is reclaimed from wooden pallets, siding from old barns, and even a pieces of old furniture from the side of the road. He works with oak, maple, walnut, ash, and pine. “I love making toys,” Dunfee said, adding that the toys are not made to scale. “I take a picture out of my brain and then turn it into something in my hands.” He loves to be able to build for children, to see toys he has made bring happiness to a child. One of his biggest regrets is that he did not make toys for his own children when they were young. He wistfully recalls buying plans for a rocking chair several years ago and never making it. Wooden toys have a special significance to Dunfee. He remembers with great fondness the wooden toys that he would play with in his pediatrician’s waiting room. He said it was the only way his parents could get him to go for his regular checkups. He wants to make toys that can be played with roughly but will last and become family heirlooms, unlike the toys found in stores today. Ironically, the toy he still has from his childhood is made of metal, not wood. It is his beloved trike with attached wagon that he would enthusiastically ride when he was a tyke. It is
The mounted wood duck that was a gift from Robert Dunfee to his father and whom Dunfee’s shop is named after: Wood Duck Wood. photo by Robert Dunfee
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rusted and sits quietly now, holding plants in its wagon, but Dunfee has no plans to restore it. He and Cyndi love it, just the way it is. While he does not stain or paint the toys he makes, he does sometimes singe the wood to shrink back the pulp and raise and darken the grain for a more detailed look. He has dabbled in making furniture, usually whatever Cyndi finds she needs. “He’ll play around with a design and dimensions,” Cyndi said. “I’m a little more than a hobbyist but not a professional,” Dunfee said. “A pro-hobbyist!” Cyndi interjects with a smile. Dunfee smiles back and agrees. Dunfee has had booths at art and craft shows and gets a kick out of watching children play with his toys. He said parents tell their children not to touch, but he does not mind. After all, he builds the toys for play and they are built rock solid. It is all about having fun, he says. “He likes to make something from nothing,” Cyndi said. He even makes puzzles for dogs. “The dog puzzles have been so fun,” Robert Dunfee, as photographed by his grandson, Jacob Tomasch he said. paintings and ask him to explain them. Instead of Dunfee also makes wood sculpture paintings from answering, he asks the questioners to look at the wood scraps. Some of them are very dark and eerie, painting and tell him what they see, what does the but all show the talents of the man. He shapes and painting mean to them? fits the wood, with just a touch of paint here and He says that, unfortunately, he is like his dad and is there to emphasize what the wood is telling him to bad at business. It is more important to him that create. people enjoy his work than that he makes money. He “I do things by feel, or I ask Cyndi,” Dunfee said. says that when someone likes his work, he feels a Cyndi happily fills the role of design consultant. Their glow, but that it is more nuclear. favorite place to confer is across their kitchen island. “Something I built, they are putting a value to it. Dunfee said people often question him about his continued, Page 8
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Cyndi and Robert Dunfee have one of their frequent brainstorming sessions.
There is an immense joy to that,” Dunfee said. He started his business as Wood Shapers Shop, but there was a Maryland company with the same name, so he changed the name of his shop to avoid confusion. His shop is now known as Wood Duck Wood Designs. The name comes from a stuffed wood duck that a 20-something-year-old Dunfee gave to his father as a gift. After his father’s death, the duck came back to Dunfee, and it now resides on a top shelf in his garsh. Every item Dunfee creates is an original. While he might create more than one fire truck, for instance, each one is an individual item, unique and never the same so that each person gets an original item like no one else’s. What does Cyndi do while Dunfee is busy creating in his garsh? She tutors adult English language classes, which she began doing when overseas. She currently tutors through Cuyahoga Community College. The challenges have been dramatically increased with COVID-19 precautions halting in-person meetings and increasing at-home schooling. Cyndi said that many times the families have only one phone or one computer. When the children need
A small table with various woods Robert Dunfee made
to use the one piece of technology in the home for schooling, the parents step aside in their English tutoring classes. Add to that the challenges with internet connections and trying to speak clearly enough to be understood, and it has made tutoring a very frustrating and long process to make any progress. Just as Cyndi is a consultant for Dunfee, he is a sounding board for Cyndi when she is considering whether she can fit another student into her schedule. When Dunfee’s father, Big Bob, got kidney cancer, he managed to fight it into remission, but then,14 years later, his lungs showed spots. The cancer had returned with a vengeance. Dunfee and Cyndi were in India when they were notified they needed to come home, fast. It was only three to four months later that the man who meant so much to Dunfee and who had taught him so much was gone. He remembers fondly being called Little Bob while
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Dunfee’s cliff dwelling painting made using wood pieces and paint, he also makes the frames for his pictures.
his father was called Big Bob. “I loved my dad, I still miss him,” Dunfee said. “He taught me how to figure things out. My dad, if he didn’t know something, he’d figure it out.” Big Bob was always inventing things, remembers Dunfee. One of Big Bob’s inventions was an energysaving device that plugged in and managed a house’s electricity flow to lower the cost. Unfortunately, because Big Bob was trusting and loved to share his
ideas, he shared his idea with the wrong person, who then turned around and patented it and claimed it for his own. Dunfee was raised with a strict code of honor, which his father set by example. “To call my dad a cheater or a liar, you might as well call the pope not celibate,” Dunfee said. When Dunfee was 10 years old, his father gave him a tube radio set to build on his own because he continued, Page 10
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“They asked him, ‘OK, how’d you do it?’,” said wanted to share his skills and love of learning with Dunfee. Big Bob was confused, how did he do what? his son. “ ‘How’d you cheat?’ ” Big Bob always wanted to help people, Dunfee said. Big Bob could not convince anyone he had not Dunfee’s father graduated from high school and cheated, so they made him retake the test while a joined the Air Force, fighting in the Korean War. college official stayed in the room with him and Following his time in the service, Big Bob took the watched. college entrance exam for Bowling Green State His score was even higher on the second test than it University and failed the test. He was given a stack of had been the first time, said Dunfee, with a big smile. books to study and was told by college officials to What was Big Bob so determined to attend college return to retake the test after he had finished for? Dunfee cannot remember, he only remembers studying. the story demonstrating how smart and determined One month later, Big Bob returned. In that month, his father was. he had taught himself algebra, geometry, calculus, Eventually, Big Bob started a company called and trigonometry. Systems Electric in Elyria. Dunfee said his father was He retook the test and passed. College officials known for helping people out, but was terrible at were in disbelief. running a business. He would rather help someone continued from Page 9
Robert Dunfee demonstrates some of the working features to the fire truck he created.
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Robert Dunfee’s childhood trike and wagon
A geometric wood painting by Dunfee
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than worry about charging them for his work. “My dad was a fantastic electrician,” said Dunfee. Following his father’s death, Dunfee’s mother, Mary, sold the house and moved to an apartment in North Ridgeville. She had been a private-care nurse and a nurse at Elyria Memorial Hospital. Dunfee admires her can-do spirit, too. When Mary was in her 60s, she decided to upgrade her nursing status and get her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Shortly after Big Bob’s death, Mary started to falter and had trouble caring for herself. She would get lost and leave things cooking on the stove. It became obvious that after all of her years of giving care, it was her turn to be given care. She was moved to Atlanta to live with Dunfee’s youngest brother. Only a couple of years after the death of Big Bob, and she, too, was gone.
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“I loved my mom,” so much, Dunfee quietly said. He has two younger brothers and a younger sister. He and Cyndi have two daughters, Meghan Gray and Erica Tomasch. Gray is a neonatal nurse in Texas and is married to Luke who is a flight nurse and is studying to be a nurse practitioner. They have a 15-year-old son, Lucas, and an 11-year-old daughter, Katherine. Tomasch lives in Medina and works at Perkins Insurance Agency; sells rare tropical plants; and works with her husband, Andrew, at their business Arterra Landscaping. Andrew also is an artist. They have a son, Jacob, who is attending the University of Cincinnati with the goal of traveling, teaching English, and being a photographer.
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
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THE READING NOOK
Strings of Love photo and story by Amy Barnes
I
t wasn’t what I had expected. An insistent request from a teacher to attend an in-class casual guitar recital was a little odd. I kind of figured that my son, known for his love of making what he thought were humorous comments in the back of a classroom (which I got to listen in to one day when his phone butt-dialed me), was acting in an unacceptable way and I was going to be given a talking to about it. “Son, are you sure you haven’t done anything to upset your teacher?” I asked, repeatedly. Each time, his answer was more exasperated. “No, mom, I haven’t done anything. I like the class and the teacher, I haven’t done anything bad, I swear.” “Uh, huh.” I would sigh, bracing myself for whatever I was going to have to deal with. I had been given no information other than a firm request for my presence. At the recital, I watched my son as he played and I saw something different in his eyes. I saw a part of him from deep within come to life. It was a part of him I had only seen quick flashes of before. Following the recital, after the other kids had left the classroom, the teacher turned to me and the words that followed brought tears to my eyes. “I wanted you here because I wanted you to see how talented Christopher is,” the teacher said. “He has talent and I would like to see it grow. Is there any way you can get Christopher a guitar of his own?” At the same time my pride soared, my heart crashed. A single mom of four kids, already struggling to figure out how I was going to provide Christmas
gifts for any of them, had now been asked to buy a guitar. I swallowed hard, and said, yes, of course I would do all I could to get him one. Then she followed it up with that it would be better to not get him a guitar from a big box store, those warp and break easily and are not worth a dime. She said I should get him a real guitar or not to get him one at all. As my son walked down the school hallway with me, away from the guitars he loved, he told me that it was OK. He knew there was no money for guitars and he didn’t know the teacher was going to say that to me. He just had wanted me to hear him play. I choked back tears, told him I loved him, and left him to finish his school day. But my mind would not stop. I was determined to get a guitar for him, my boy who hardly ever asked for anything and always made sure his little sisters were happy. After a few days of thought, I paid a local music store a visit. There is no way to know how big the mountain is unless you visit the mountain. The man at the store was very nice. He listened to what I was looking for, he showed me some guitars, and I flinched at the cost of even the cheapest guitar. The mountain was, indeed, very big. It was obvious that when I told the man that I would return to buy a guitar and I would be back before Christmas; he did not believe me in the slightest. I clenched my teeth with determination. I knew it would take a miracle for me to come up with the funds for a guitar, and I also knew I had to do everything I could to get one. A real one. continued, Page 18
background photo by Jessica Lewis
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
$50. She said she had faith in me and that she hoped the extra would help. When she left, the kids came downstairs and asked how much I had gotten for the finches. When I told them that Linda had paid extra, Christopher said, “Oh, good, that will help with bills, won’t it, Mom?” Then he turned away and went back upstairs, not seeing the tears that had started streaming down my cheeks. I was never so proud of him. When all he wanted in the whole world was to get a guitar, his thought was that the money could help us with the bills. I don’t know how I did it, I know I cut corners, skimped on a lot of things, we ate a lot of noodles and rice, but I managed to somehow come up with the rest of the cost of the guitar. Back to the music store I went, two weeks before Christmas, praying that the lower-cost guitars weren’t all sold and gone. There was one left. The store owner was very surprised I was back. He was even more surprised when I told him that I wanted to buy a guitar, and I had the cash. He didn’t believe me at first, until I dug the money out of photo by Amy Barnes my purse and carefully counted it onto his counter. continued from Page 17 At the time, I bred and sold finches. I had one Soon, I was driving away with a guitar in the customer who always bought all that my birds back of the car. But now what? I had to hide it would produce. At $5 a baby finch and about 20 indoors, it couldn’t be hidden in the car and finches to sell, I was determined every dime exposed to the cold outside, and it was still two would go toward a guitar. weeks until Christmas. The night that Linda came and picked up the Time to involve the girls. finches, she asked how we were doing, what was I filled Christopher’s sisters in on what I was up new, what our plans for Christmas were. The kids to and swore them to secrecy. They could barely were playing in their rooms, and the whole story contain their excitement and promised to keep the about the guitar came spilling out. secret. Linda reached into her pocket and gave me not The guitar was safely hidden in the house while only the $100 for the finches, but added another Christopher’s sisters distracted him. Now the wait.
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
I thought we were all going to pop, that surely someone would ruin the surprise. But the days marched on, and the secret was kept. Now, if you think about it, you’ll realize what I did. There are really a very limited number of ways to wrap or hide a guitar under a Christmas tree. I wanted to make it so Christopher wouldn’t know right away that there was a guitar. It was when I was in a local thrift store that I got my answer. There sat, as if waiting for me to find him, was a Woody doll, from “Toy Story.” He was complete with a guitar that had buttons to push so a recorded song would play. Not only that, but while one of his hands held the guitar, the other was kind of cupped, perfect for putting a note into. My plan was set. To top it all off, after I had purchased the guitar and was scrambling for gifts for the girls, a friend from out of state, who had no idea what was going on, sent a $100 Christmas check, making it much easier to get the girls’ presents, too. Another miracle. Christmas morning came, and I thought the girls and I were going to scream we were so revved up with excitement over what was waiting for Christopher. There sat Woody, under the Christmas tree, with his mission firmly in hand. As presents were doled out, it finally was more than we could bear, and the girls presented Woody to Christopher. What came next was, again, not what I expected. Christopher took the Woody doll, obviously a toy meant for a much younger kid, and said, “Thank you! It is not a guitar, but it still plays music.” And he proceeded to push the buttons on the guitar. We all fell into a stunned silence. Christopher did not see the scrolled note in Woody’s hand; and through all of the disappointment he must have felt in those moments, he never once wavered or complained.
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He knew in his heart that mom had done all she could. Then the room broke into a frenzy of his sisters and me yelling for him to read the note in Woody’s hand. The note? Ah, the note. He read the note and was gone from the room in a flash, taking stairs three at a time with his sisters scrambling behind him. I did not follow because I was still too stunned from his acceptance of a simple Woody doll. And yes, tears were once again streaming. I listened as feet pounded down the upstairs hall to my bedroom, knowing that he already knew in his heart what was waiting for him. What had the note said? “Christopher, go to mom’s room.” Because, after all of the kids had gone downstairs to the tree that morning, I had brought the guitar carefully from its hiding place and put it on my bed to wait for Christopher. I knew when they all got to the guitar because I heard the strumming begin, intermixed with the squeals of excitement from his sisters. He was lost to us for the rest of Christmas, totally immersed in his guitar, and it was OK. He tried a few times to set it aside but always quickly picked it back up to examine it once again. The girls unwrapped their gifts to the deep tones of a guitar in the background, a guitar that no one thought was possible. Christopher lives in California now. Too far away, and we see him rarely. While the miles keep us apart, the strings of love forever bind us together. The Woody doll has been under the Christmas tree every year since that magical Christmas, a reminder of what is possible when love and determination won’t be stopped.
Christopher’s playing can be heard at https://bit.ly/3kHwFHS
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
photos by Allison Waltz-Boebel
Sitting with a stack of books on her lap to consider, Samantha Miller of Hinckley is Immersed with her family in picking out books to read at the Brunswick Library, 3649 Center Road, Brunswick. Standing beside Miller is her daughter, 8-year-old Rose Miller, and across the book cart from her is 8-year-old Izak Myers, son of Michael Myers of Brunswick who also is looking over the book selection and is Samantha Miller’s boyfriend.
Mirabella Miller, 8, of Hinckley, and Samantha Miller’s niece, flips through books at the Brunswick Library.
Samantha Levandusky, Brunswick, tutors Isabelle Wichert, 7, from Strongsville, in reading at the Brunswick Library. Isabelle is a second grader at Saint Albert the Great School in North Royalton.
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
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cupscafe.org
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
“Every thank-you card I write is very draining for me.”
“To me, everything I do is the obvious thing to do.”
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
BUSINESS: THE IN BOX
Try Innovation
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S
by Amy Barnes When someone is considering opening a business or looking for ways to increase profits for an existing business, he or she often looks at existing businesses or the competition to see what is working for them. Then, they make a second mistake. They decide to open the same type of store or to start doing what their competition is doing. Not something innovative, not unique, but more of the same. Blah! Sure, it might increase business for a while, but in the long run, doing what Dick and Jane are doing only succeeds in spreading existing business thinner. Imagine that shopping dollars are like a big blob of peanut butter. Spread that entire blob on one slice of bread. It is nice, thick, filling, and satisfying. No need to worry because, even with economic fluctuations caused by weather, shopping patterns, a pandemic, there will be enough peanut butter to survive. Then, others see how much peanut butter you have. They assume there is more peanut butter to be grabbed. They open stores similar to yours, one even opens next door to you. Unfortunately, there is a limit to the peanut butter. The peanut butter, once the perfect amount for one business, is now stretched among several similar businesses. Your slice has gone from thick and satisfying to a mere smear of color.
There are those who will argue that the blob is endless and there is always plenty to go around. Yet, from what I have seen, the opposite is true. Take pizza shops, for instance. How much pizza can any household eat? Yet, pizza shops continue to pop up like mushrooms. Worse, the constant duplication of businesses causes shopper weariness that results in decreasing sales for all. More than once, I have heard complaining and endless snide comments when another pizza shop, mattress store, oil change location, or auto parts store opens in the area. It has become a joke now that any empty lot is going to become one of those often-copied businesses. Shoppers crave variety, yet shopkeepers seem to go with what they think is safe and just keep opening more of the same. Here is a new year challenge for those considering opening a new business in Medina County: Do something different! Be innovative. Throw in some creativity. Please!
Interested in writing this column? Contact Amy Barnes at Joy@BlakeHousePublishing.com Be sure to include information about your business experience and a sample column of no more than 350 words.
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
BUSINESS: FROM A TECHNICAL MIND
When Electrons Take a Shortcut
BUSINESS: THE NETWORKER
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by Austin Steger The term short circuit has been used a lot in pop culture. You may be familiar with it from television shows and movies. Despite a familiarity with the term, you may not know what this term really means and how a short circuit occurs. Before explaining the details of a short circuit, first a bit about electronics theory. Electronic devices, like the name suggests, are powered by electrons. You probably learned about electrons in your high school chemistry class. What you may or may not remember is that electrons want to be in the lowest energy state possible. This lowest energy state is called "ground." Inside of devices are circuits. Think of a circuit sort of like a race track for electrons. At the end of the track is ground. The electrons at the start of the circuit can sense that ground is at the end of the track, so they speed through the circuit to reach the end. As they move forward through the circuit, they power components along the way that make electronics work. A short circuit happens when there is a shortcut in the race track. Instead of going through the entire track, the electrons will take the shortcut because it is the path of least resistance. When the shortcut is taken, the components of the device are not powered, and therefore the device will not work properly. Many things can cause short circuits. Most often, they are due to liquid damage. Electrons can flow through water freely, and water can bridge parts of the circuit together to allow electrons to take a shortcut to the end. Other times, shorts can be caused by damaged components, extreme heat, or dust and other debris. While a short circuit is just one of many failures a device can experience, they are common enough that it is good to know what they are and what might cause them. Diagnostics on shorts should be performed by an experienced technician as it can be dangerous for an untrained person to try resolving them.
Austin Steger is a local computer and mobile electronics technician and technical communicator. He can be contacted at repairs.riztech@gmail.com or by calling 330-952-1225.
The Fourth Element by Bob Arnold “Oh wow, that would have been perfect for you!” This is a phrase I have heard more often recently than I care to admit, not just from others, but also from me. Relationships are funny, maybe curious is a better word. They seem to rise and fall on the tiniest of circumstances. Business relationships follow personal relationships closely as far as dynamics go; however, they have some very different expectations tied to them. One of these is that we are expected to refer someone to another business person so they can get work and make money. In order for these business relationships to work effectively, most training in networking incorporates the ‘know, like, and trust’ principle. First, I need to know you, meaning I need to meet you. Second, I need to like you. That means I need to have a relationship with you and be glad to be around you. Third, I must trust you, which assumes I will then take a chance and refer you to others I know well. Sounds pretty good. However, I have found in referral relationships that just because a person has reached the trust stage, they do not necessarily get referrals as often as they want. There is another level that is usually left out of the discussion. That is “remembrance,” and it is a big one! When I remember you, our relationship has reached a level where we have become important to each other. If there is someone you meet who expresses some sort of need to you, whom do you think of first? Those you trust? Or those you remember? We want to say it is those we trust, but that is simply not the case. It is those we happen to remember at the moment. So, your task is to make sure those you know remember you when they are in front of those who can help you in some way. No small task, but a necessary one. Do not think that being remembered will do the trick; it will not. You still need the other parts, especially trust.
Bob Arnold is the founder of ONward Networking and the international best-selling author of “The Uncanny Power of the Networking Pencil,” which can be purchased at https:// amzn.to/2KSy3Xm More networking tips are available at “Bob’s Pencil Points” blog at http://onwardnetworking.com/ or by contacting Arnold at TheNetworkingPencil@gmail.com
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
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HOME AND GARDEN: BITE ME!
Cookie Cutter and Pressed Cookies recipe by Amy Barnes Cookie cutter and pressed cookies always look so pretty but are so disappointing to bite into. They tend to be rather tasteless to me, so I developed a recipe that is tasty and still fun to decorate, if they last long enough! • 1 cup butter or margarine • 2 cups powdered sugar • 2 tablespoons corn syrup • 2 tablespoons dehydrated, ground orange peel soaked in 6 tablespoons vanilla extract • or ¼ cup vanilla and 1 dram orange oil • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom • 1 egg • 2 tablespoons water • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 3 ½ cups flour • powdered sugar for dusting cutters Cream butter, powdered sugar and corn syrup together until fluffy. Add soaked orange peel or mixture of ¼ cup vanilla and dram of orange oil. Add cardamom and mix well. In a separate bowl, stir together egg, water and baking soda until soda is dissolved. Add to butter mixture. Gradually add flour and beat until smooth. Divide into three to four pieces, shape into thick, flattened disks and wrap in plastic. Place in refrigerator for one hour or overnight. When ready to bake, set oven at 350 degrees. If using a cookie press or stamp, use the dough cold, straight from the refrigerator. If using cookie cutters, allow to warm about 15 minutes. Either way, take only one dough ball from the refrigerator to work with at a time. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface, dip cutters in powdered sugar, and cut cookies. Gather scraps, shape into a
ball, then roll out and cut out shapes again. Repeat until too small an amount is left to roll out. Take remaining scraps, shape into a small ball and flatten for circle cookie. Repeat with each ball of dough in refrigerator. Place cookies on lined baking sheets, bake for approximately 10 minutes. Watch the cookie edges for browning, and remove from oven. Allow to cool before removing the cookies. Cookies can be decorated prior to baking by brushing cookie tops with one egg white combined with 1 tablespoon of water, then adding sprinkles. An alternative way to decorate them is to wait until after baking, then decorate with frosting, sprinkles and any other decorating items. The yield is about 5 dozen medium-sized cookies. Want to have your recipe featured in a future issue? Send it with your name, phone number (in case we have questions), the city you live in, and some information about you to: Joy@BlakeHousePublishing.com with “recipe” in the subject line. Recipes MUST be your original recipe or one you have highly modified and thus made it your own. By submitting a recipe, you are guaranteeing it is one you have developed or modified and used. This is open to anyone who would like to submit a recipe.
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
Want more Joy? Subscribe to our e-edition and get Joy no matter where you go! Use this link https://bit.ly/30duSlB to start your subscription. Want to read Joy in print? Visit Medina County libraries where you can find Joy of Medina County Magazine as an official, cataloged publication in the Periodicals section of the library. Joy also can be found in the Medina Library’s Historic Archives! For more information about Joy of Medina County Magazine, visit our website: https://bit.ly/38WotiH
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: ROLL ’EM!
MIRTH AND JOY
Green Dwarfs, Red Shoes and a Lot of Personality
by Jerry King
by Hunter Barnard For the movie this month, I watched “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs.” The movie is about seven people with superpowers who get turned into little green dwarfs and have to try to break their curse by kissing the most beautiful girl in the world. All of the characters in the movie are from fairy tales so I thought that was very cool. When we meet Snow White, she is looking for her dad. She sneaks into her evil stepmother’s secret room, where the stepmother keeps a magic tree. Apples are growing from the tree, and they turn into shoes. When Snow White puts them on, she turns into a very pretty lady and has to run away from the queen, her evil stepmother, because the queen is trying to catch her. When Snow White finds a place to stop, she ends up in the house of the seven superheroes turned into little green dwarfs. She realizes she looks different now and asks the dwarfs for their help. Of course, they agree because she is now the most beautiful girl in the world and if she will kiss them, their curse will be broken. I really liked this movie because it had lots of funny parts and there is a princess and a king in it. The dwarfs are very funny, and there are a lot of monsters in this movie, which made it really cool. At the end of the movie, we find out Snow White’s evil stepmother was chasing her to try to get the red shoes from her. The stepmother wanted to wear the shoes so she would be turned into the most beautiful person ever. But not everything went as planned, and she did not get what she wanted because she was not nice. The movie was pretty cool because it tried to teach people that it is not about what anyone looks like, but about people’s personalities. Snow White and all the dwarfs learned a lot from helping each other and it was very nice.
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Hunter Barnard is an energetic 7-year-old who attends Berea City Schools and likes to share his opinion. He is assisted in writing his column by his mother, Jessica Rapenchuk.
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: IN THE STUDIO
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Using Bracketing to Capture Details by Kariem Farrakhan II
Our eyes are absolutely marvelous. They work together with the brain to create a full, descriptive image that helps us interpret our surroundings in terms of light, depth, color, and a myriad of other inputs. Because of that, many artists stress the importance of painting or drawing a scene from life. Creating art from observation helps the artist to get a great grasp of the way that dimensions and forms work in the real world. Oftentimes, when we witness the most stunning scenes, we have with us neither our painting setup nor the time or intention to sit down for hours to capture the scene. However, we do normally have a camera on hand. Artists are frequently discouraged from painting from a photographic reference. This is because cameras do not see the world the same way our eyes do. In many photographs, everything is in focus. Cameras also interpret light in a different way than our eyes. There is a solution to this though, a method called “bracketing.” In order to bracket an image, three photographs must be taken. One photo should be used to show the scene as it appears, another as it looks underexposed, and the final one as overexposed. Shown are two photos from a set of photos of a scene I bracketed for painting.
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Photo 1 is a “dark version,” meaning the picture is underexposed to light. This way, the proper colors in the sky and light areas of the photo can be seen. Photo 2 is a “light version.” This overexposed photo helps show detail and color in the darker areas of the scene. As a bonus, take a fourth photo that is slightly blurry, if you can pull it off. Use this to reference for the beginning stages of the painting, then use the other photos to paint the details in to the area of emphasis of the painting. Bracketing is not a perfect solution, but it helps the artist express a scene in a very relative way to the way it was experienced firsthand. If you must paint from a photo, use this method to help you express the scene in a more satisfying way. Kariem Farrakhan II is a Wadsworth artist who has experience creating art using a variety of media and enjoys sharing his knowledge, while continuing to learn. He is the art director for The Spirited Palette, https:// thespiritedpalette.com/, and maintains his own solo platform at The Indigo Kid, https:// theindigokid.com/. He can be reached at kariem@thespiritedpalette.com or by calling 330-329-3930.
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
Joyful Word Search In the Woods
SCREWDRIVER SANDPAPER CHILDREN WHEELS FIRE TRUCK AIRPLANE PROPELLERS PAINTINGS
TOYMAKER RUBBER BAND WORKSHOP NAILS CARS WOOD HANDMADE TOYS
Answer Key for Last Month’s Search
Acres of Life
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
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December 2020 Nonprofit Calendar Tuesday, December 1 Eat a Red Apple Day https://bit.ly/35xuS3T Self-Guided Natural Discoveries Hiking Series: Seasonal Discoveries, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., through December 6, Allardale East, 141 Remsen Road, Medina. Signs along the nature trail highlight seasonal points of interest with one sign having a code word to list on Natural Discoveries form. Counts toward Natural Discoveries award. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2OaZxdU Monthly Makers: Hand Turkeys Walk, through December 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view hand turkeys created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. Mark Church, 1330 N. Carpenter Street, Brunswick. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Holiday Scavenger Hunt, 9 p.m., Wadsworth Library, 132 Broad Street, Wadsworth. Look for hidden holiday pictures in the library, through December 23.
Wednesday, December 2 National Build Joy Day https://bit.ly/3nvuCbW Now, this is a day we can get behind at the Joy office! Self-Guided Natural Discoveries Hiking Series: Seasonal Discoveries, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., through December 6, Allardale East, 141 Remsen Road, Medina. Signs along the nature trail highlight seasonal points of interest with one sign having a code word to list on Natural Discoveries form. Counts toward Natural Discoveries award. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2OaZxdU Monthly Makers: Hand Turkeys Walk, through December 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view hand turkeys created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Root Candles, 640 Liberty Street, Medina. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Create! DIY Gift Bags and Boxes, 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Learn how to make bags and boxes at https://bit.ly/3lDa1BY
Thursday, December 3
National Roof Over Your Head Day https://bit.ly/2UyG6is Self-Guided Natural Discoveries Hiking Series: Seasonal Discoveries, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., through December 6, Allardale East, 141 Remsen Road, Medina. Signs along the nature trail highlight seasonal points of interest with one sign having a code word to list on Natural Discoveries form. Counts toward Natural Discoveries award. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2OaZxdU Monthly Makers: Hand Turkeys Walk, through December 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view hand turkeys created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot.
Friday, December 4 Wear Brown Shoes Day https://bit.ly/3fglghr Self-Guided Natural Discoveries Hiking Series: Seasonal Discoveries, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., through December 6, Allardale East, 141 Remsen Road, Medina. Signs along the nature trail highlight seasonal points of interest with one sign having a code word to list on Natural Discoveries form. Counts toward Natural Discoveries award. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2OaZxdU American Red Cross Blood Drive, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Medina Hospital, 1000 E. Washington Street, Medina. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Monthly Makers: Hand Turkeys Walk, through December 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view hand turkeys created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Medina Community Recreation Center, 855 Weymouth Road, Medina. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp
Saturday, December 5 International Ninja Day https://bit.ly/2IxvOwI and Bathtub Party Day https://bit.ly/2UtYxVm Could be lots of fun trying to combine the two! Photo Gallery: Park Photos on Display, 6 a.m. to dark, Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Through January 3, 2021.Look in the windows of the nature center to view nature photos. Center is closed due to COVID-19. Self-Guided Natural Discoveries Hiking Series: Seasonal Discoveries, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., through December 6, Allardale East, 141
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020 Remsen Road, Medina. Signs along the nature trail highlight seasonal points of interest with one sign having a code word to list on Natural Discoveries form. Counts toward Natural Discoveries award. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2OaZxdU Monthly Makers: Hand Turkeys Walk, through December 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view hand turkeys created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Winter Wonderland, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Lodi Library, 635 Wooster Street, Lodi. Stroll through Lodi Village Square, visit reindeer, talk to Santa, crafts, bonfire, more.
Mitten Tree Day https://bit.ly/3nu3FoP Self-Guided Natural Discoveries Hiking Series: Seasonal Discoveries, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., through December 6, Allardale East, 141 Remsen Road, Medina. Signs along the nature trail highlight seasonal points of interest with one sign having a code word to list on Natural Discoveries form. Counts toward Natural Discoveries award. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2OaZxdU
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National Cotton Candy Day https://bit.ly/2ID2ep4 American Red Cross Blood Drive, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Brunswick United Methodist Church, 1395 Pearl Road, Brunswick. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp
Tuesday, December 8 Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day https://bit.ly/2IFeO7e Virtual Expedition Zoo, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., virtual. Explore Grizzly Ridge with Akron Zoo staff members. All ages. Register for link at https://bit.ly/3pASqwI Winter Bird Feeding Basics, 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., virtual class. Learn how winter feeding benefits birds who migrate and birds who stay. Covers basic feeder options and bird id. Pre-register to receive class link. Register at https://bit.ly/35zVmBI Alphabet Adventure: C is for Cookie, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Stories, Santa hunt, cookie craft ideas. Materials pickup available at library with registration at https://bit.ly/32PIV3f View program at https://bit.ly/3nWWoPC
Wednesday, December 9 Weary Willie Day https://bit.ly/36E6pJv No comment. Monthly Makers: Wreaths through December 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. This month is wreaths. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. For more information and to register, go to https://bit.ly/32Rhwhj American Red Cross Blood Drive, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wadsworth YMCA, 623 School Drive, Wadsworth. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp
Thursday, December 10
Dewey Decimal System Day https://bit.ly/2UxFrOk Libraries wouldn’t be the same without Melville Dewey’s system! Jingle Bell Jamboree, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Learn how to make an ornament out of a card, a gingerbread puppet and a paper bell. Materials pickup available at library with registration at https://bit.ly/3pBnFYL View program at https://bit.ly/3nWWoPC Writer Series: Writing Speculative Fiction, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., virtual. Discussion of common story genres. Meeting link sent after registration at https://bit.ly/2Uxxf0m
Friday, December 11 National Noodle Ring Day https://bit.ly/36IFWdJ
Saturday, December 12
Sunday, December 6
Monday, December 7
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National Ding-a-Ling Day https://bit.ly/32OT8wG Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. K-9 Kapers, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.,Killbuck Lakes, 7996 White Road, Burbank. Socialize dogs while hiking. Dogs must be on 8-foot nonretractable leash. Bring towel for muddy feet and water bowl for dog. All ages, children must have accompanying adult. Free. Register at https://bit.ly/3pCvWf4 Limited to eight people.
Sunday, December 13 Pick a Pathologist Pal Day https://bit.ly/3f3Dmmx Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages.
Monday, December 14 More Good Today Day https://bit.ly/2IxGpYw Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. American Red Cross Blood Drive, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Brunswick United Methodist Church, 1395 Pearl Road, Brunswick. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp American Red Cross Blood Drive, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Medina Fire Station 1, 300 W. Reagan Parkway, Medina. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Baby Car Seat Installations, 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Medina Fire Station No. 1, 300 W. Reagan Parkway, Medina. By appointment only, call 330723-9688 Art in the Afternoon: Print Making, 4 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Lean how to make prints from things around the house. View at https://bit.ly/2IHBJyK Monday Night Intrigue: Lady Killers, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Explore crimes and history of female serial killers. Register for link at https://bit.ly/3kIPwmc
Tuesday, December 15 National Cat Herders Day https://bit.ly/35B6uhL
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot.
Explorastory: The Mitten, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Stories, songs, crafts. Materials pickup available at library with registration at https://bit.ly/3lOABYE View program at https://bit.ly/3nWWoPC
Friday, December 18
National Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day https://bit.ly/36FAGYD Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Wednesday, December 16 Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Pythagorean Theorem Day https://bit.ly/2IGgNZn Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided made. All ages. outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail. becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided Teen Mini Con, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., virtual, sponsored by Medina outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s Library. Gaming, discord, artist alley, live demonstrations. Grades 6 to theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. 12. Send artwork by December 10. For more details and to register, go Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek to https://bit.ly/32LtNni R Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail. Saturday, December 19 American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Root Candles, 640 Look for an Evergreen Day https://bit.ly/3nrlzZq Liberty Street, Medina. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow Thursday, December 17 trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is National Maple Syrup Day https://bit.ly/3kzi0OT made. All ages. Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to made. All ages. view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail. theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Sunday, December 20 Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January Cathode-Ray Tube Day https://bit.ly/3kFQQ9c 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail. Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan American Red Cross Blood Drive, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., St. Ambrose Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow Church, 929 Pearl Road, Brunswick. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is Tween Scene: DIY Wrapping Paper, 4 p.m. to 4:20 p.m., virtual. made. All ages. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Learn how to make gift bags and American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hinckley Fire wrapping paper. You will plain paper bags, butcher paper, tissue paper, Department, 1616 Ridge Road, Hinckley. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp and markers, paint, or crayons. View at https://bit.ly/2IyFOpv Virtual Escape Room: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, 5 p.m. to 6 Monday, December 21 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Register for link and International Dalek Remembrance Day https://bit.ly/2UynDlW instructions at https://bit.ly/3f3bw9Y
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020 Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Let’s Explore: Kitchen Science, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Science that can be done in the kitchen. Make butter, write a secret message, learn how germs spread and why apples brown, more. Materials pickup available at library with registration at https://bit.ly/3lASDxy View program at https://bit.ly/3nWWoPC
Tuesday, December 22
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Date Nut Bread Day https://bit.ly/2UuV1dd Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail. American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. Mark Church, 1330 N. Carpenter Street, Brunswick. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Virtual Otaku Tuesdays, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A discussion of all things anime, for Grades 6 through 12. To register for required meeting link at https://bit.ly/3nut7un
Wednesday, December 23 Festivus https://bit.ly/38Ph2vF Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail.
Thursday, December 24 National Egg Nog Day https://bit.ly/2Ixi8Sl Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages.
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American Red Cross Blood Drive, 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Medina Community Recreation Center, 855 Weymouth Road, Medina. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail.
Friday, December 25 Grav Mass Day https://bit.ly/3f6B5qU and A’phabet Day https://bit.ly/3kB89sa Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot.
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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail.
Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail.
Saturday, December 26
Wednesday, December 30
National Whiners Day https://bit.ly/3kK4dW9 Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail.
National Bicarbonate of Soda Day https://bit.ly/2Uxvr7A Probably needed after yesterday’s soup! Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail. American Red Cross Blood Drive, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Comfort Suites, Brunswick, 1464 Town Center Boulevard, Brunswick. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp
Sunday, December 27 No Interruptions Day https://bit.ly/3pzcr6T Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages.
Monday, December 28 Card Playing Day https://bit.ly/2Uynlvu Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. American Red Cross Blood Drive, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., First Congregational Church, 114 Church Street, Lodi. https://rdcrss.org/2ybO4Rp Virtual Sensory Friendly Story Time, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with Wadsworth Library. Designed for children on the autism spectrum or sensory integration challenges and their families and caregivers. View at https://bit.ly/2H62Naj
Tuesday, December 29 Pepper Pot Day https://bit.ly/3nwY15E What better way to end this year than with a soup that “won the war.” Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot.
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Thursday, December 31 Make Up Your Mind Day https://bit.ly/35ANfoE Gingerbread Journey; 6 a.m. to dark; through January 3, 2021; Susan Hambley Nature Center, 1473 Parschen Boulevard, Brunswick. Follow trail with gingerbread people along the way. Lean how gingerbread is made. All ages. Monthly Makers: Wreaths Walk, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 2, 2021. Walk the Monthly Maker trail to view wreaths created by local families. Get inspired and consider becoming a Monthly Maker family. Registered households are provided outdoor space each month to set up displays according to that month’s theme. Portable restroom is available in parking lot. Yule Lads, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road, Wadsworth. Through January 9, 2021. Seek 13 mischievous yule lads along the trail. New Year’s Eve Party, 11 a.m. to noon, virtual. Sponsored by Wadsworth Library. Story, crafts. Materials pickup available at library with registration at https://bit.ly/3f6NtXz View program at https://bit.ly/3nWWoPC
Submitting Calendar Events Listings in the calendar must be events, festivals or fairs hosted by or benefitting a nonprofit organization in Medina County. Send submissions to Joy@BlakeHousePublishing.com and put CALENDAR in the subject line. Information is not accepted by phone. The calendar also is available online at JoyofMedinaCountyMagazine.com on the Events: Let’s Do It! tab at the top of the page or in the drop-down menu on mobile devices, where it is regularly updated.
Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2020
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