Good Viewing
Sometimes the PBS channels have some great programs that allow me to have a glimpse on what it takes to keep a home up to snuff. Some of the shows working with older tools, bring back memories of my dad’s tool shed. What would a farmsite be without a tricked out tool shed that could fix everything from that which needed nails and screws to some rod welding. Dad was handy on all fronts.
In time when brother Mike moved onto the farm site, dad found a spare bedroom in their basement to continue being the all around fix-it fellow.
I don’t think Grandpa Art Schafer ever had a need for a tool shop as he had the tools right at the end of his arms for all things that could be needed in fixing on a tractor at his work site. I never heard that Carrie and Kevin’s grandpa Art was handy with wood.
Along came the kid’s dad, Orlin, and he could do quite a bit of all of it. The art of a fine finish . . . maybe not so much but it beat wire and twine by a long run. Then along came Kevin. What Grandpa Raymond and Grandpa Art knew went down the line and added to what Orlin knew by association and his own experiences.
Kevin was like a sponge and honed it all to near perfection. I don’t think there was ever a time when he didn’t stretch himself by seeking and learning by trial and error, the printed word or what could be found on the internet. It doesn’t hurt to be curious. Our home on Stauffer Avenue is a testament to Kevin’s handiwork. From top to bottom, inside and out it all has Kevin’s fingerprints on it. Priceless!
Is it any wonder why PBS shows on how and what to do with all things within a home would interest me. I have witnessed generations of family members that have had an influence on my appreciation of “hands-on.”