When I have the chance to speak to a new woodworking group or club, I introduce myself. I tell the story of my Dad’s first trip to a lumberyard to buy material. We were both very green and miss-spoke a few key woodworking terms , Im sure we made an impression on the salesman. We shared a great laugh when the terminology faux pas were made clear. In fact, each time we would hear certain words, we would smile at each other and remember that trip. It was, and still is, a memorable experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
That’s it for my introduction. I close with these words of encouragement: Share woodworking with your children or grandchildren. You will grow closer, and you never know when you might make a lasting memory.
To that end, I received this message from Pat McCarty a few weeks back:
Mr. Huey,
I would like to thank Bob Casey and you for the Shaker clock/article design. We had been searching for a father-son project for many years. About the time when your Shaker clock article came out (8/2007 issue of PWW), my father suffered a relapse of prostate cancer. His disease had spread and was inoperable the prognosis was not good. In addition to that, my brother-in-law left for a year tour in Iraq for the Reserves.
My sister, father, and I decided to build three of the Shaker tall clocks as a family project. Building these clocks was inspirational to us, and will likely be the last project my father was able to complete. His cancer has progressed to the extent that he is now confined to his bedroom with only six months left to live. My mother took photos along the way and I created books about the project. We intend to keep the books with each clock as theyre passed down in my family.
Pat McCarty
Pat, thank you so much for sharing. This is what woodworking is all about. I feel certain that Pats father is proud of everyones accomplishments, not only for building a family heirloom, but also for building a stronger relationship across generations.
With the New Year coming on quickly, I suggest we all take a moment to resolve to make woodworking memories with our family and friends.
(Below is a PDF copy of the book that Pat and his family produced. Click on the link to view the book.)
