The Carpenter...

I found this beautiful saw handle in my daddy's woodshop.  Im almost 100% positive he made it.  I remember it from when I was little.  For those of you who do not know, my dad was a carpenter.  Or really, we called him a master wood crafter.  He could make anything.  Anything.  Not only with wood, but really anything he put his mind to.  If he wanted to do something and he didnt know how, he would get a book and teach himself.  He built our entire house board by board that I grew up in.  When we first moved out here in the country I was 3 years old.  He started building the house when my mom was pregnant with me.  They would drive out to their piece of property in the country every weekend to build the house.  They were pretty broke in the beginning, and the base of the house was built with boards my dad reclaimed from tearing down another old house.  And we would go to the local dump and look for good boards there.  We finally moved out there when it was a livable box.  Then throughout my life, my parents business grew and they were able to financially afford to continue building their dream home out in the woods, and it eventually grew into a magnificent place full of love, and completely one of a kind and handmade.  My dad then learned masonry and built all kinds of rock walls and even a gothic archway (that James and I got married under).  The house is just a work of art, built with love & sweat.  And this sentiment above reminds me of the beginning of that journey they took together.  I am slowly starting to gather items from my parents house, starting with little things like this that have alot of meaning.

Tomorrow will be the first time I am actually going to bring home furniture from there.  I am going to redo my jewelry studio completely with their old furniture.  Im hoping it will create a warm, memory filled space that I can go into and feel comforted with their spirit.  I have an exciting big project Im going to be working on over the next month or so, and this will be my preparation step in making this a magical experience and journey.  Without actually having my parents here by my side to show them on a daily basis what I am creating and doing, the best I can do is surround myself with their things that are left behind.  As Ive said before, I know they are just things, but they feel like a warm blanket to me.  Its what I have left in the physical sense.  So it will be a bittersweet process to make this change, but I think it will be a good and necessary change.  Im looking forward to it.  And this amazing saw handle will be hung on the wall.  Even though I am not building my home like they did, I am in the beginning stages of making this house our home.  Gosh I miss my parents like nothing else in this world.  

PEACE,

Laura