My Dad

It was good to be home... Quite the stressful adventure to get there, but worth it once we arrived. We all had a beautiful time being together and catching up on life. It feels so good to have Soren with us for a long stretch, blissful really. Soren gifted me many books (per my yearly request for books!) and I was so happy for those he chose - a chance for me to learn about herbs, handmade living and sewing. I dove into the handmade life story first and was struck by how much the words were the life I had lived as a child and that my Dad followed a similar path when finding his place in the world and building a house. It wasn't any big story for him, requires no fanfare or long explanation - it was just simply him. It struck me how deeply ingrained the idea of handmade living has been my whole life without me even realizing it. It was not something that was preached, discussed or even thought about - it just was.

 

He used his hands to build our house - learning masonry, plumbing and electrical wiring along the way from those willing to teach or from reading books. Each piece of my childhood home has a story - the doors that were made by a friend...

 

Each log for the exterior was peeled by hand by my father, with my sister and I as willing helpers. The cherry trees on the property were used for the kitchen cabinets and floors he made.

The large beam through the center of the house was hoisted up by every neighbor who would come to help...

The fireplace stone is now, nearly 30 years after the house was started, being laid by my father. He and his dog walk the property and carry back suitable stones. The work is slow, handled on rainy or snowy days when outdoor work is not an option, but the result blows my mind each time I come home this past year.

 He adds quirky details to amuse the grandchildren and I think he really just delights in it himself.

Kasper is most excited about this detail that was placed in the bedroom the kids sleep in when they come to visit.

And the work goes on... If something around the house is needed, most often my Dad will build it, like this bench and foot stool.

I remember as a child desperately wanting certain things and often hearing the phrase, "I can build that for you myself." I now say that to my own children. We can make this. We can do this ourselves. This house, this place is ours. We need not buy things to make it home, we make it our home with our heart and our hands.
My Mom is always scouting flea markets and antique shops to find all the things she needed and continues to do so today. My two favorite Christmas gifts this year were a cutting board my Dad made for me and the juicer my Mom found for me at a flea market. Both will be used daily and be a constant reminder or their love for me and their understanding of who I am and what I love - quirky with a bit of character! Oh it all makes me smile...

My Dad instilled in me this life that I gratefully embrace each day - make do, make beautifully and be happy with what you have and most importantly, learn for a lifetime.
Happy Birthday Dad. You are loved.