September 8, 2012
Ahh, the beauty of flowers
Blooming flowers add a nice touch to the Stone Bank’s front facade.
Summer brings a bit of extra color to flower boxes on Bottineau’s Main Street. We are lucky to have one of the planters in full bloom outside the Stone Bank. It looks just great against the bank’s warm stone exterior.
What’s up with the project? We are working to raise $20,000 in matching funds for a State Historical Society grant, so work can proceed on the back of the building. We’re hoping to start work in October. Can you help? There is a PayPal link on this page, or you can send a check to Touchstones, Inc., 524 Main St., PO Box 272. Bottineau, ND 58318.
We recently had a nice $2,500 donation from Otter Tail Power. That’s a great start for our fall work. Jump in. Every dollar helps. Seriously, every dollar helps.
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading the Stone Bank Blog.
July 7, 2012
Stone Quote #3
Another great quote etched in limestone at the Peace Chapel at the International Peace Garden.
Isn’t this a great quote?
The Peace Chapel at the International Peace Garden never ceases to inspire. Depending on my mood or the day or current events a different quote strikes me as “more” meaningful on every visit.
At the Stone Bank, we are working to raise $40,000 to help raise (rebuild) the back of our building this year.
“The only hope of preserving what is best lies in the practice of an immense charity…”
It’s as simple as that. We think the Stone Bank is “the best,” and we are working hard to keep it standing for another 112 years. We could use “immense charity” to get going on this year’s work. Remember, the Stone Bank is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization — so your contribution is tax-deductible.
What’s the plan? A sketch of the overall plan is here. (Scroll to the second half of the story for the plan!)
Want to review earlier quotes? Stone Quote #1 and Stone Quote #2.
Want to make a donation? Click the DONATE NOW icon in the right column. Or send a check to Touchstones, Inc., 524 Main Street, Bottneau, ND 58318!
Fossil embedded in limestone panel at the Peace Chapel at the International Peace Garden.
May 5, 2012
Pie and a Sleeping Giant
We’re all about stones at the Stone Bank, thus we have a profound appreciation of all rocks — especially Ireland’s.
So Ireland Week continues with a look at the Sleeping Giant near Dun Chaoin (pronounced Dunquin) — off Ireland’s west coast. (They say after Dun Chaoin the next stop is Boston.)
The Sleeping Giant is one of the Blasket Islands. The giant floats in profile with his (her?) head at the right in the picture.
Talk about an impressive rock! It’s an amazing, mesmerizing sight and one of the highlights of walking along this section of the breathtakingly gorgeous coast.
Here’s a link to more information about the Dingle Peninsula and Dun Chaion in particular (their site has a picture of the giant on a clear day). It’s a very special slice of the rocky world. Wait. It’s a special slice of the rocky world with Bird’s Custard on top.
Speaking of Bird’s Custard, here’s a picture of a fabulous piece of deep-dish apple pie with warm Bird’s Custard. (Something else not to miss in Ireland.)
Our slogan at the Stone Bank is “Preservation Rocks!” We can easily extend that to Ireland Rocks! Or, Ireland’s Rocks Rock.
Thanks for reading the Stone Bank Blog. We’re restoring an 1890s stone bank building in Bottineau, ND. Watch for more posts on Ireland’s Rocks over the next few days. Rock on!
May 4, 2012
Dingle Barn
This charming stone barn was so pretty it demanded a pause and a photo along the Dingle Way.
Ireland! The home of marvelous stone EVERYTHING!
Stone walls. Stone houses. Standing stones. Reclining Giant stones. Fabulous stone-strewn beaches.
If you like stone — this is another destination for your bucket list.
In the next few days, we will post some “stone photos” from a recent hike around the Dingle Peninsula.
Where have you traveled and found great stones? Maybe we’ll add it to our bucket list.
February 20, 2012
Here’s a great post from our friends at the UWECPeru blog. And it’s not about stones or stone builders.
It’s about weaving your own life and story, beauty, and finding your voice and passion amid adversity. Hope you enjoy it. It’s pretty inspiring.
Detail of a weaving designed by Maximo Laura
- A weaving from Maximo Laura’s workshop in Lima
Like every day in Peru, our last day exceeded expectations. We flew from Cuzco back to Lima and bused directly from the airport to the home of Peru’s most acclaimed textile artist, Máximo Laura. A longtime friend and associate of ArtAndes owner Melanie Ebertz, Laura gave us a tour of his workshop, where he employs about 15 weavers, and his personal collection of richly colored and textured wall hangings.
Laura grew up in the same mountainous Ayachuco area as Wilbur Quispe, and he likewise suffered persecution during Peru’s civil war with the Shining Path in the 1980s and ’90s. The government imprisoned him as a suspected Marxist, but when the war wound down, he took up weaving (as had four generations of his family before him) and raised it to an artform.
Moving beyond the natural dyes and fibers of his ancestors, Laura used modern synthetic threads and bright colors to give new life…
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