Sunday, December 7, 2008

MANIC MONDAY ~ LIGHT (S)




THE picture that will take me on my LIGHT journey is this one…













At this time of year, I reminisce… A LOT – too much. This is my LIGHT. It was made by my father. It has traveled from Massachusetts to California to Massachusetts and back to California. He also made the table that my LIGHT sits on. No matter where I live, they sit somewhere in my home.

My father was born in 1911. His father was the headmaster of a boys’ school in Woodstock, IL – his mother was the Latin teacher there. To say the least, he had an academic upbringing. The only thing I ever remember him bragging about was punching Orson Wells in the nose (Wells went to the same boys' school). Dad was always so rational; we very seldom saw any emotion. He instilled fear of the consequences that could happen if my sister or I misbehaved. I guess he was a good father (I still mull this aspect of him over in my mind from time to time). He provided everything we needed, and I know he loved us – he just had trouble showing it.
He was an electrical engineer with a bachelor’s degree from Purdue and his master’s degree from Iowa State. He has multiple patents registered in his name. My father was very wise with a dollar and after almost 40 years service took an early retirement from General Electric. He is one of the lucky ones; he loved retirement. There was always a summer garden in his back yard – vegetables, fruit and flowers. He and Mom bought a 25-foot trailer and toured the country; when they tired of that they bought a mobile home in Bradenton, Florida to escape the cold Massachusetts winters.
Retirement also gave him the time to develop a craft. He took courses at the local high school and began making small pieces of furniture. He was precise in his wood-working craft. He started by making lamps for all of us. He made Mom a new living room table set… then more end tables, coffee tables, bookcases, lamps. Only once do I remember he had to be driven to the emergency room for a finger repair – he did manage to cut the tip off one of his fingers. Soon after that he was diagnosed with Alzheimers; and Mom thought it best for him not to pursue his craft any longer. Eventually Dad forgot about them being in the garage.

Yes, this is my LIGHT, and it LIGHTS a corner of my home. And tonight I think that if not for Dad and MOM, my life would have been a lot different than it was. They had the courage and desire to adopt this girl without knowing much about her parentage. And I thank them for the LIGHT they gave me.

9 comments:

  1. What a beautiful story. The nice things about memories is that the often light our way into the future.

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  2. Wonderful story! I've posted a lamp for my Manic Monday post as well...just a bit different. *grin*
    Happy Manic Monday ~ My Lights

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  3. Awesome memories and story. It is wonderfel that you have this amazing gift. He sounds like an amazing man and this is a wonderful tribute.

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  4. a wonderful way to remember your father.

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  5. This is such a sweet post! I love the story and I love the lamp. Happy MM!

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  6. the table and lamp are beautiful and so is the story...

    parents back then were different than they are now. the men were work oriented and the women home oriented. it's better now with the men more involved in the home i think...

    smiles, bee
    xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

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  7. Really beautiful post and I love your light.

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  8. Such a great memory. I hope that I will always be one of those people that never tires of learning new things.

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  9. This is such a lovely story and I think it's great that you've got a light and a table that your Dad made himself. Such lovely things which go so well with such lovely memories.

    I think it's hilarious that your Dad punched Orson Welles in the nose! What a guy!

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