Life Long Kept Treasures
I should know by now that planning too far out just doesn’t work. Yesterday at this time I was sure I would be up in the attic getting a few things tidied up. Today – not so much. Dennis reminded me that we had various types of paint in the garage that needed to be brought in before the cold. The dang stuff costs an arm and a leg so protect it we will. Who would have thought that good paint could cost $39.99 or more?
My Haven for Crafting
In the last 1980’s Dennis and his friend Bruce gave me a surprise when I got home from work. Off of my sewing area they had borrowed an air hammer and had busted through the concrete blocks of the basement to open up the area that had been the cistern aka: water container for the home’s use prior to the city plumbed water supply. Was it a mess? Oh yes. Did it knock items off the walls on the first floor? Oh yes. Did we gain some wonderful storage? Oh yes. The cistern closet has been outfitted with cabinets and shelves to the max. This is where we keep household tools and of course extra paint etc.
I do have one set of these shelves for some special treasures. What can I say? I am sentimental and once I have an item I won’t let go of it too easily as how could I replace them either due to the sentiment or the cost. I needed to share with you a priceless memory of my Dad, Raymond Wendlandt. He knew he needed a hobby after retiring from farming and he turned to woodworking. His uncle Roy Gronewald had a love of woodworking and Roy became my Dad’s mentor. My Mom turned over an extra room in the basement to Dad and it was his haven. It would take him hours to finish a project, but he never gave up and every one of us four children reaped the rewards.
My Dad: Raymond Wendlandt’s Craft
Dad worked on his projects to the extent that he took delight in finding just the right wood to take to his saw mill site and then plane them down to be used in his workshop. At the age of 73 Dad passed away with many projects yet to be made and also to be finished. The only shortcoming Dad had with his craft was that once he had crafted it, putting the finishing coats on them did not really pique his interests. These small items that I am sharing have remained just as Dad passed them off to me. I enjoy them as Dad left them and I don’t know if I will ever “finish” them. The heart box was going to be a gift to all the granddaughters in time to come and I was to paint this prototype for his approval. The tulips needed to have the holes drilled into the base to have a small dowel inserted for the stem. I was to affix leaves on the stems.
Literally Having My Dad’s Light Shine on Me
The lamp that each of us children received from him is close at hand to me each and every day while I am enjoying my crafts. If I could possibly expand my passions to the next degree it would be woodworking. Dad had an entire room and I just don’t think I could squeeze it into my basement area and Dennis is really “in like” with his garage porch. I may need to rethink that for now but if we don’t have dreams we have nothing to strive toward.
As I stated in the beginning, Dennis and I completed taking items out of the garage and have checked off one more item in preparation for colder temps. I can only hope the attic area will still be in the plans for another day and it would not surprise me if upon finding some items of sentiment I may get lost up there.