Wednesday, August 1, 2012

My Grandfather's Treasures

The cavern was filled with treasures.  With excitement, I slowly moved inside.  It was loaded up from wall to wall with mysterious items that had been untouched, some for decades.

I broke through a spider web, watching the arachnid scurry off to safety.  My nose tickled as sawdust drifted through the air.  My eyes sparkling in delight, I picked up treasure after treasure, examining them with a critical eye, feeling their textures between my fingers.

No, I hadn't walked into a dragon's lair.

Rather, someone had opened the door to my grandfather's old workshop.  Lumber was stacked along all of the walls, and a table saw seemed to call out to me, longing to be used.  That wasn't all, though.  There was a 'handyman' encyclopedia set from the 1960s, chairs, tables, a record player, and even an old television from the days when I Love Lucy was still being broadcast live.

I was in Do-It-Yourself Heaven.

I grabbed a few of these treasures, and placed them into the car to take home with me.  Not many, of course.  I only took what I thought I could use in the immediate future.

One of the items I took was a magazine rack.  

Not just any magazine rack, of course, but a very old one that used to belong to my great grandmother.  I don't have a definite date on how old it is, but I can guarantee, based on pictures from when I was really, really little, that it's at least 32 years old.


It's a bit scratched up, and I may need to re-finish it, but the rack is in very good condition.  I don't plan on doing anything particularly fancy with this.  It'll just work out very nicely beside the kitchen table where it'll be used to hold my magazines.  The magazines are currently just being stacked in a corner.  This will be a very welcome change!

I also grabbed up a yarn basket so that I'd have a place for my crochet supplies.  

Unfortunately, that was something that my grandmother didn't want to part with, so I had to put it back.

My sadness was short-lived, however, because on the way back to the workshop to search for more treasures I discovered a basket the very same size.  I grabbed that up and decided to create a yarn basket of my own.


I've already started on that project, so you'll hear all about it soon.  Just like with the jeans I re-used a while back, I'll be using old clothing that's no longer in wearable condition.  Yay!

Finally, I grabbed one last item... or maybe I should say four.  What kind of items?

Boards!!!




The boards weren't the perfect lengths for what I had in mind, so remember that table saw that was pleading for use?  I got those boards cut down to the perfect size.  Two different sizes, actually.

Well, ok.  Since I'm not familiar with this table saw, or any table saw, for that matter, I had my father cut the boards for me, while showing me how to use it properly.  Safety first, right?

As the boards were cut, and the sawdust flew through the air, a warm, lovely scent was released.  At that moment, I knew the right choice had been made.  Nothing that smells so beautiful could possibly be a bad idea!

A small portion from the center of  the great Pablo Neruda's Oda a la Madera (Ode to Wood) whispered softly through my mind:

Te conozco, te amo,
te vi nacer, madera.

The translation of this very short section is, "I know you, I love you,/ I saw you born, wood."  Of course, the ode is much, much longer, but you get the point.  The smell of the saw dust filled me with indescribable joy and fulfillment. I felt connected with it.

Yes, I know... this probably doesn't sound particularly sexy to you.  To me, however, this is amazing!  For a while now, with the help of my incredible neighbor, I've been gathering supplies to create a small greenhouse/cold frame using plastic bottles - a step up from winter sowing.  These boards are thick and sturdy, and will work perfectly for its base!

Hooray!!!



No comments:

Post a Comment