I am really pleased that Cardinale Montano will be a guest on Carry Forth Tradition and bringing her wonderful storytelling experience too! There is a new section ‘Tales of Wonder and Wisdom’ and I hope you will enjoy reading the stories we will share on there. The stories will be written or adapted by us, and also we will do the accompanying artwork and illustrations.

Here is our first story - Brother Woodpecker — Carry Forth Tradition

Home made as they say.

Cardinale Montano

I am Cardinale Montano. I am a maker, and a free-lance writer, and celebrate daily the blessings of nature in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, USA, where I live.

I feel fortunate to have had a childhood surrounded by people who made things by hand. Growing up, we were a lively household; three adults and four children, a shepherd dog, a cat, a canary or two, and a couple of tanks of fish. A rather large station wagon and a pick-up truck to transport the whole lot, never a dull moment, and at times, temperamental in the best of ways, given the combination of our parents ancestral roots.

My German mother and our Omi fostered in us their love of music, dance, and art. They sewed, knitted, embroidered, cooked, baked, and preserved. My Italian father’s aunt and uncle were seamstress and tailor. On Sundays, their large cutting/dining table would be covered in layers of handmade pasta drying on linen cloths, sewing machines lined up along the edges of the room on standby for Monday. Tomatoes, grown along the south wall of the garage were cooked up for sauce, wine made from grapes grown on vines in their modest backyard, served with dinner.

My father was not afraid to paint, build, and fix, and he loved to make our home aesthetically beautiful and cozy. In short, if something was needed it was a hands-on, dive-in-and-tackle experience; learning as you went along, and improvising when necessary with what you had on hand.  

All this inspired me to become an ardent creator, with craft tools of looms, vintage sewing machines, found objects, hammer, and nails. Other tools include wood-burning stoves, garden tools, cookbooks, and canning jars. 

To this day, creating and making things is an integral part of my life – a day is not complete if I have not made something. Through times of less abundance, I grew to enjoy the creative process that comes with the challenges of making use of what is available.

Most especially satisfying is that feeling of balance that clicks in, when the heart and mind connect in the act of creating something by hand.  

I am deeply grateful to Becky for offering this platform where makers of all kinds can share their creativity, and inspire those who visit it.