Wood waits
Ive noted before that were preparing my mother-in-laws house for sale following her move to an assisted-living center. Now, the family is divvying up furnishings, which is somehow both sad…
Ive noted before that were preparing my mother-in-laws house for sale following her move to an assisted-living center. Now, the family is divvying up furnishings, which is somehow both sad and pleasant at the same time.
Ive been in Tennessee at Sallys moms house since last week, helping to get the house cleaned and prepped for sale and packing up furnishings and belongings. The mood was downbeat, as you might imagine, but its pleasing to see so much of Sallys parents lives finding new homes with family which means that theyll continue to live on in a way.
There are lots of linens, books, photos and the like, of course, but the real treasures are wood. My daughter went home with a cherry bed and dresser that were very old, plus a not-so-old grandfathers clock, and the family piano that Sallys mom had since she was in high school. We brought home a restored steamer trunk her folks bought years ago, back when her dad was still with us. We had helped them buy it and get it home, now its come home with us. An old oak barrister bookcase will take residence in my office. Our nieces, on an earlier visit, also took home furniture.
All of this is old, although some only a few decades so, but its all very good stuff, made from excellent-quality wood, and all of it made the way they used to. All of this great craftsmanship will continue to be enjoyed for years more to come. The reason for disbursing all these items isnt a fun one, but Im glad that it will all go to family members.
There are a lot of memories with these belongings, the kind of memories that evaporate in the hands of strangers because they dont know any better. Keeping it in the family, that simply wont happen.
Till next time,
A.J.

A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.