By John Matonich
I recently finished a pretty big contract here at the wood shop that took about two months to complete. It felt good to get the items built, boxed and to my customer. I was going to take a day to relax a little, but I still have a solid project list and not much extra time.
One of the things I really did need to do, though was to give the shop a reasonable cleaning. I especially needed to work on the retail area and the office area. We were spread out pretty far in working on the last contract and it came at a price of sawdust finding its way about everywhere. I have spent the last day or so trying to make it presentable. I have never been a good cleaner, but I gave it my best shot.
While I have owned the building my shop is in for a number of years, I didn’t move my shop here until about 18 months ago. I also had a number of boxes from my office downstate when I had a real job that I moved up here and put a few things in my new office space. I guess over time you get used to seeing the same items and they don’t register as they once did, but when you have to move everything to try to get the dust picked up many of the items origins come back to mind.
I have a small bookshelf with some pictures on it that I had to stop and smile about when I did my best to clean them up. One picture is of my dad’s mom and dad. I never knew my grandmother as she passed before I was born, but I did enjoy spending time with my grandpa. My grandpa was a miner and spent his career underground, laboring for the mine he worked at. What made me smile was the picture showed him in a white shirt and tie and my grandma in a nice dress. My guess it was taken before a trip to town. Back in the day, everyone dressed up to go to town. It’s too bad that tradition went in a different direction.
Another set of pictures were graduation pictures of my son and daughter. Looking at them made me stop and remember when they were taken and how much fun we had having them done. They are both well into their own lives with spouses today, but back then they were still mine and I couldn’t help but smile about that.
Another item I had to clean was a chunk of amethyst with a pewter deer standing on top of it. It isn’t very big, but it was a gift from my mother for my birthday when I was in college. Amethyst is my birthstone and I guess my mother didn’t want me to forget that. I don’t know how it survived my college years and all the desk moves while I was working, but it did.
I believe I have written before how my mom was famous for unusual gifts and this one is pretty high on the list, but it cleaned up well and will continue to live in its spot on top of the bookcase. I guess I will have to clean more regularly and continue to take those walks down memory lane.
And that’s the situation as I survey it …
Image credit: Barta IV
I sure can relate to that, John. The problem is when I find a great treasure , I realize “that I put it in a safe place so I would remember where it is”. Happy that I found it, I have a good excuse to quit cleaning; there’s always tomorrow, the day after, or next week!
Well said, Linda Ann. I agree on all counts..
I too can relate. But, my mom had about a zillion treasures, and I could NOT get family very much interested in them. Brother and sister took a few, but their kids did not understand how nice the stuff is/was.
So… My house has lots of her nice stuff, and people who come here give me decorating credit. But, the credit actually belongs to Mom. And, I sold off a lot of her good stuff, for cheap. The buyer got a great deal.
John – We know you are a Michigan environmental Big-Shot. I am extremely alarmed about last week’s leak of electrical fluid under the Straits, and about the new damage to the Line 5 petroleum pipeline.
We see how vulnerable and dangerous Line 5 is. Please do what you can to shut off Line 5 now. Please shut it down indefinitely, and work to get alternatives.
I think that is already in the cards…