Well, since no one else in my family is interested in starting their own blog, I thought I'd take a few posts to highlight a little bit about each of them. I'm the second of 5 kids ("kids" ranging from age 16 to 23!) and my parents and siblings all lead busy and interesting lives. =)
I'll start with Dad. First and foremost, Dad is devoted to serving God as the pastor of the First Baptist Church in North Conway, NH. You can read a little bit about our wonderful church here:
www.firstbaptistnorthconway.org. Dad is an incredible pastor, and I always miss his preaching and teaching when I'm at school even though I get to hear some great speakers.
Dad is also devoted to his family. He and Mom are approaching their 26th wedding anniversary, and their relationship is an excellent example of God's perfect design for marriage. They're constantly working to put each other first!
Dad is a talented guy - as if he wasn't busy enough with these duties as a pastor, husband and father, he's also an accomplished author, an expert on Biblical Warfare, a great shot with a Nerf gun, and a superb woodworker. Woodworking is one of his favorite hobbies (other than battling my youngest brother with Nerf guns), and he has made many spectacular pieces over the years. I thought I'd show off a little on his behalf:
1. This here is a vase. A very tiny vase! Most anyone can make big, clunky stuff, but it takes skill to do detailed work like this. =) This was in my stocking this year.
2. Many of his pieces were made especially for Mom, such as this oak-framed mirror. This has been a central part of our living room for several years now. (He also carved the "Praise HIM with Harp" plaque hanging below the mirror.)
3. These ornaments were turned on his giant, antique lathe.
4. The majority of his lathe work is pens - beautiful, unique creations! Below is part of my personal collection, some of them "defects" that I kidnapped. I think that defects give them more character! The purple one on the right is a fountain pen, and the third one from the right is my new favorite - Wormy Maple. It's got some real character! =)
5. Detail on a nicely done Olive Wood pen. Olive wood has a distinct smell to it when it's being worked on; sometimes you can catch a whiff if you scratch the wood with your fingernail. I love the contrasting grain of Olive.
6. More pens. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors!
7. Another cool thing that can be done on a lathe is Treenware. These are little containers with decorative lids, and they can be really cool! The greenish wood on the left is Lignum Vitae - one of the densest and heaviest woods; it will sink in water. On the right is a type of Palm.
8. One of Dad's favorite woods is white oak. He made our dining room table out of oak, as well as the mirror in the first photo, and these little drawers follow the theme. (The "HOME" letters were done by my Mom, who I will highlight in a later post.) Oh, and I just noticed - there's another ornament hanging from one of the drawer knobs! =)
9. Interesting boxes are endlessly intriguing to everyone in my family, but Dad goes a step further than most of us - he actually makes them! He's always coming up with clever new designs and latches from various bits and pieces. The box in the middle in the picture below has a closure fashioned from scrap leather. The memory chest on the bottom, which Dad made many years ago, is even better - the latch is hidden! This was probably to keep nosy children out of his and Mom's love letters. =)
10. Concluding this whirlwind woodcrafting tour is one of my favorites of Dad's recent pieces - a nice little wall decoration, complete with another piece of Treenware:
I'm so glad to have a Dad whose love for the Lord prompts him to excellence and beauty even in his hobbies!
P.S. - The Olive wood pen and the pens arranged in a circle are at present homeless; should you desire to purchase one for a loved one (or for yourself!) feel free to drop a comment so I can provide you with much more detailed photos and information.
