So this has been an interesting weekend. I’d decided to build myself a thread rack following this tutorial. I mentioned previously about buying peg board and what not. Well, yesterday I also went out and bought an electric saw. They had one on sale and I figured, why not. I’m sure this won’t be the only time I want to saw something.
I spent all afternoon outside working on this thing yesterday and all afternoon today. It was 28C today and guess who forgot to put on sunscreen. Guess who looks like a lobster? Yes… Me.
Anyway, today (or I guess it’s yesterday now) was my mom’s birthday and some friends came over with cake and had a short visit. I was sitting on the deck painting my thread rack, my saw still out and my father said something to the effect of I’ll probably never use the saw again. Thanks for the support there dad. Don’t get me wrong, my dad is great and he’s always supported things that I do but he’s also pretty pessimistic. The comment irked me a little. Well first of all, I really don’t think having power tools handy is ever a bad thing. Obviously my parents don’t have any or I wouldn’t have had to go out and buy my own but that’s fine, I want to have my own anyway. I’m sure there were plenty of times we could have used some power tools and just didn’t have them. Secondly, I don’t intend to simply build this thread rack, pack up the saw and never use it again. I don’t have any solid plans for another project but that doesn’t mean it won’t get used.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve been interested in building things, making things. I always said if I had a sewing machine I could sew and it turns out I was right. I also remember finding this old wood burning kit that belonged to my grandfather and wanting to use it. My mom wouldn’t let me because she said it was dangerous. Then later when I was a bit older I found some jackknives that belonged to my grandfather and I got this chunk of wood and started trying to whittle it. I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing but dammit I was going to whittle me some wood! I ended up slicing my finger open pretty good but that didn’t stop me from carving this crude, weird totem thing which I proceeded to paint and my mother hung it on the wall (for years). I will be forever grateful to parents who indulged my fancies whether they took or not. I took art lessons. I went to doll shows. My dad bought a skateboard for me and then later an electric guitar and I never learned to use either one. I am thankful though, that they never said no, never said I couldn’t, I didn’t know how, I wouldn’t be able to.
So here I am, many long years since that strange ugly totem thing was created and I’m using real tools. Building something I can actually use. I never liked shop class (you’d think I would have) but I think it had more to do with my age then anything else. That said, clearly I was paying some semblance of attention because I do recall how to use a band saw though I haven’t laid hands or eyes on one since the early 90s.
My great grandfather was a carpenter though really he was much more than what that word implies. He made furniture, much of which is in our house. My great uncles all worked with wood as well. My great aunts, one worked for Saks sewing one of a kind garments, another made jewellery and a third was always with her camera, taking pictures of everything. It has taken me awhile to get here, to remember that I once loved to create and to actively seek out that love again. I like to think that they can see me, all of them, and that they are smiling.
My great grandparents, David & Sarah Turner
