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Whenever I get the opportunity to speak to a woodworking club or group for the first time, I introduce myself and tell a great story about when my Dad and I first traveled to a lumberyard to purchase material. We were both very green and miss-spoke a few key woodworking terms , I’m sure we made an impression on the salesman. When the terminology faux pas became clear to us, we shared a good laugh, as I’m sure the office staff at the lumberyard did. In fact, each time we would hear certain words, we would smile at each other and remember that trip. It was, and is, a memory I’ll cherish forever.
I wrap up that portion of my introduction with these words of encouragement, “Share woodworking with your sons or daughters or with your grandchildren because you’ll grow closer and you never know when you’ll create a memory that can make you smile.”
To that end, I received this message from Pat McCarty a few weeks back:
Mr. Huey,
I’d like to thank you for the Shaker clock design/article you (and Bob Casey) did last year. My father and I had been looking for a father/son project for 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 now progressed to the point where he is confined to the bedroom with less than six months to live. My mother took pictures along the way, and I made books about our project. We intend to keep the books with each clock as they’re passed down in my family.
– Pat McCarty
Thank you for sharing, Pat. This is what woodworking is all about. I feel certain that Pat’s father is proud of everyone’s 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.)
