Archive for November, 2009
Nostalgic Wood Puzzle Memories
When I was little, I was what most people would refer to as a “nerd”. Although I enjoyed traditional childhood entertainment, like action figures and cartoons, my favorite activities included reading, doing puzzles and solving math equations. This may seem a little unnatural for a young boy, but my parents encouraged these habits by purchasing me educational toys and games.
One of the first toys that they bought me was a wood puzzle that featured various dog breeds. I loved the puzzle because one of the dogs looked just like my canine, Barney. Although the puzzle was relatively easy, I never got tired of solving it. Last week I was cleaning out my closet and found the old toy, still complete with all of the pieces.
Inspiration for Future Woodworking Projects
My grandfather is the sort of person who can’t sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. In fact, he barely makes it through family dinners without jumping up and whisking away everyone’s plates to do the dishes. Out of the many pastimes he’s perfected over the course of a long, fulfilling life, woodworking is perhaps his greatest passion. When he visits our house, he’s constantly checking the dining room chairs to see if they need replacement.
When I got married last year, he shipped me a coffee table made from scratch out of mulberry wood. The knots and imperfections in the material made it all the more visually appealing. For my part, I like to send him an inspirational item for his birthday and Christmas. Most recently I found a piece of intarsia wood wall art that he could use as a template for his own future projects.