Grandpa's Workshop

We grew up on an 80 acre wooded plot of land ... and have wonderful memories playing for endless hours on the property. My father continues to reside on this property with my mother, after 49 years of marriage, they are like school kids ... deeply in love.

My father is now retired and is busy working on making each of his four children, six grandchildren and one great grandchild fantastic family heirlooms! He cuts down the trees, processes the wood and individually designs each piece for the person he intends to present the gift of his labor to. He does not use any nails when he constructs a box or chest. They are amazing and the dovetails are perfect!

Each of us cherish his efforts and truly appreciate that the wood came from the trees we planted as children together, climbed on, the woods we ran through, and from the land we grew up on! Below you will see a few examples of the pieces I have.

Oak Jewelry Box

Spratted Maple Box With Wood Hinges & Black Walnut & Maple Tray

Walnut Box With Wood Hinges

Sasafrace Chest Lined In Chest

Sasafrace Machinist Tool Box - 1920 Reproduction - With Eagle

My father made me this wonderful Machinist Tool Box ... It is fantastic!!!

Double Rainbows Over Copper Mountain

Road Trip ... We're Heading West ....

We are heading to Vail to scout out a few school and snowboarding opportunities for Patrick!! Unfortunately they did not present themselves earlier in the year!!!



The wonderful news is that my cousin will be in Vail during the same time! I am so excited that we will have a chance to visit and then attend his concerts with the NY Phil while we are out there!!

I am really looking forward to a break from the Tundra and the music festival should be fantastic! For those of you who actually read this blog ... please check back soon ... we are on vacation!!

Is Your Family ... The Poster Family for Domestic Wreckage

When considering my personal family "unit" I must say it is very disapointing ...with a few wonderful exceptions.

I have to wonder how so many different personalities and views can spawn from the same parents. Genetics are literally amazing and often even ones environments are identical and yet .... domestic wreckage can occur between parents, siblings, children and more distant relatives. Maybe it all just boils down to free will.

Consider that a family consists of a domestic group of people (or a number of domestic groups), typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by analogous or comparable relationships — including domestic partnership, cohabitation, adoption, surname and (in some cases) ownership (as occurred in the Roman Empire).

Contemporary society generally views family as a haven from the world, supplying absolute fulfilment. The family is considered to encourage "intimacy, love and trust where individuals may escape the competition of dehumanising forces in modern society. It is a shame most families do not even realize this.

If that is true ... then why can family actually be so very disapointing? Is it that our expectations, beliefs and morals are so very different? I would suggest that when evaluating a "family" relationship ... consider how your family actually treats you ... would you remain friends with people who treated you the same way? Often times not.

But lets remember ... this is not Walton's Mountain ... now is it?

AL OR FDR ... FOR PRESIDENT .... AGAIN!!!!!

Typically I do not voice my personAL views on Politics. That topic falls along side religion, sex and fiances. You do not dicuss those topics when surrounded by large groups of people. At least that was what my father taught me.

However, since this blog is going out into space ... and I am so absolutely discouraged ... I will share my views so that some other soul may understand and realize they are not alone!

As I watch CNN, scroll over to Fox and yes even the Networks, and consider the 2008 canidate possibilties ... I think I will vote, "None of The Above!". I am an Independent these days. The "Parties" ... the "Administration" ... now that has to be the biggest joke on the planet! I mean really ... what can you believe? Certainly not the spoon fed crap they have been serving ... filling us with perservatives for years! I cannot stand by and listen to yet another, wind up my ass speech, by yet another of our elected Evildoers!!!!

Morals, Values, Doing the Right Thing.... they are clueless! FOR THE PEOPLE???? Yeah, right! It is a complete humilation to travel abroad and actually admit you are an American. People actually laugh and they have no respect for us or our Policies what so ever. We are the selfish, big, greedy, bully's of the West! European's get the real news ... we acutally get a version of truth that meets the need of big brother's agenda! And if you don't think that is real ... do your research! We get the polished verison of the truth. European's get the real news and consequently have a very real opinion.

Don't get me wrong ... I love this country. I am an Army veteran. I am a single mother of two boys and a Grandmother! However, use your mind .... None Of The Above ... it is our harsh reality! We are not in a position to end up with more of the same!

Since we all know our lilly white politicians will continue to vote in their own pay raises and protect their own intersts, even when they are squandering any possiblity of a healthy positive environment and a secure financial future for our children ... I will suggest, as an alternative, since the popular vote apparently doesn't mean zip in our nation of the free, and special interest groups, ... draft AL!!! FDR certainly did what he could, and impacted this country as a whole, more than any president in history.

Our planet is dying, our children are dying, the economy and housing markets (despite the polished numbers) are dying, our grandchilren having hope to excel and achive beyond the capabilities of their ancestors ... their dreams are dying!!!!

SIGN THE PETITION TO DRAFT AL GORE

How Does One Become A Cat Woman...after all?

Recently a friend of mine warned me of becoming a cat woman. Since I live in near isolation, unable to sell my Crackerbox Palace, due to the ongoing local suffering from the broken economy, there is really very little chance that I will meet a confident, self-reliant cultured companion to share my days with, in these here north woods!

Apparently the cards I drew do not include a relationship with a man who has not been called to my house to repair an appliance, fix the well or plow the snow from my driveway! And since I am not a bar type of girl it is very unlikely a local redneck with dental deficiencies would be a suitable scenario.

However, I must say, being alone is actually not a terrible thing at all. I become a bit stir crazy from time to time, ponder the value of the friendships I have developed here, and have learned most definitely to prepare a very mean Cosmo!

In time, once my son graduates and starts college, I will venture out … back into the real world. I do wonder if there will be a refresher course available to help me with my lost grammar and my inability to operate a vehicle at warp speed! And then … when I do get the opportunity … I wonder if my failing body will remember how to function in a skirt and pair of heels!

Until then, I will reside, with my two cats (and a dog by the way) … alone.… in the tundra … wondering what effects global warming will continue to have on this isolated uncultured place. Possibly I should not bother relocating to a warmer geographical location for the winters … it will be warm here soon enough!!!!