Journal to a Muse

New Philadelphia adventures.
As one drives to the center of town, this big sign sits atop an imposing (but not especially official) building. What struck me that it was NOT about branding, or advertising or the typical Chamber of Commerce speech... but welcome to OUR city. It resonated with a sense of community that we have sensed in almost all of the "natives" we have spoken to.

I went to the motel breakfast area for coffee and a piece of fruit this morning and noticed that rest of the breakfast crew seemed to have Irish or Scotch accents, that they were extremely lithe, limber, fit and young. Turns out they were the entire touring Riverdance cast and crew! The same bunch that was at Bass Hall (Fort Worth) last week, will be at Detroit this weekend and Boston next weekend. Small World.

The Tuscararwas Welcome Center, was closed (all the lights were out) but the door was open. We picked up a few brochures before going next door to Michael's diner.

Mitt Romney may have made lame jokes about never having had grits before, but it was no joke that I had never had fried mush. Have you had fried mush?
Michael's mush was light, HOT, and excellent with a little butter and syrup.
A "regular" came and commiserated about how busy they were, but how much she liked it. We traded partial life stories. Before she left, she introduced herself as Betty Morgan and wished us a happy Easter. We felt warmly welcomed.

I had read about Warthers Museum. The Warther family has made knives for three generations. The progenitor (who may have been kind of obsessive) was said to get up NO LATER than 3 am and begin wood carving. He worked on model trains until breakfast, then switched to knife making. By three pm or so, he gathered his children (he had 5) and would take them swimming, swinging, hiking or just playing.
He had a little workshop separate from his house. It was about 10 x 12' and had more files than I've ever seen. Stay tuned for me to load photos of what he did with them!

His wife, besides being a beloved mother, collected buttons, and planted thousands of bulbs for spring, and annuals in the summer.
Warthers Museum: knives, trains, woodcarving, buttons, tulips

Later we visited the Dutch Village Farm and Bakery, headed to Sugarland, Walnut Creek and Berlin. There is definitely a tourist industry here... but it was SO different from most of the others I've seen, that I didn't mind!
We had dinner at an Italian Bistro right next to our hotel. ENORMOUS portions!