My father has recently acquired
a new nickname...
Our family is now affectionately
referring to him as
The "Chair"man...
For, not only is he
the patriarch of...
10 children...
18 grandchildren..
17 great-grandchildren...
(and another blessing on the way!)
But,
At the ripe "young" age of 89...
He has taken up a new hobby...
Refinishing and caning old chairs!
He taught himself to cane
by reading articles and instructions
on the internet...
 |
| This is the one he is currently working on... |
He has already completed
about 10 chairs
since starting early this summer...
 |
| As you can see, he has a good supply! |
He picks up old broken chairs
at our local town "swap" shop...
And at the thrift stores
when he and mom travel to
"the big city!"
Recently,
during our hurricane clean-up
He surprised me with one
of his finished products...
This beautiful little rocking chair!
You see,
we have always had a rocking chair
next to the cookstove in the kitchen...
The last one we had
(pictured in my header)
unfortunately became firewood
after a little mishap...
It had served us for over 18 years
and had been reglued many times!
Not only did my dad
cane and refinish the sweet little chair...
But he also made rockers for the bottom
as this was originally just a straight backed chair.
What a sweet gift...
At just the perfect time...
That's why he's the "Chair"man!
"Every Good and Every Perfect Gift
is from Above..."
James 1:17
That is very special! :-) My grandpa used to refurbish old trunks and give them away. He has Parkinson's now and isn't able to do so, but when he did do it, the trunks were a very special gift and so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteDear Miss Melinda,
DeleteSo nice to have you stop by again! Thank you for your sweet comment. So sorry to hear that your grandfather has Parkinsons...we have a dear friend who also deals with this disease and we know how frustrating it can be at times. I'm sure the trunks he refurbished are cherished possessions by those he gave them to!
Hope you are having a blessed day!
Mrs. Laura
How wonderful is that! My husband rescued two chairs and had someone else recane them, now he won't let anyone sit in them!!! Which is a slight bone of contention between us whenever we need an extra chair. Maybe it's me, I don't know, but chairs are meant to be sat on, right? Enjoy your adorable little rocker - I love it!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Jodi!
DeleteThank you so much for stopping by for a visit! I know what you mean about chairs...I want to be able to use all the chairs in my home too! My mom does have two caned chairs that are antiques that nobody ever sits on...they go to this really neat table that has a lion's head carved in each corner!
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Sweet blessings,
Laura
Laura,
ReplyDeletethis post brought tears to my eyes when I read it.. How wonderful that your dad has found and taught himself [how ammazing] this
hobby..
I know that this little rocking chair will be treasured in your family for many a year.
What a fantastic present..
Hugs,
Dear Judy,
DeleteI cried as well when he brought it over...it was the day after the hurricane...when we were so uncertain as to whether or not the inside wiring had been damaged...which made me really nervous...it was just the right gift at the right time!
Have a blessed day, my friend!
Laura
What a lovely rocking chair your dad- the 'chair'man made! All of his work looks beautiful. It goes to show it's never too late to learn something! We have a small sewing rocker with a caned seat that was my husband's grandmothers. It reminds us of her. So special to have!
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Kathy in Illinois
Dear Kathy,
DeleteIsn't it wonderful that we can have things that remind us of special people in our lives! Right next to the cookstove...in the corner of the chimney...my grandfather's cane rests against the wall. I see it everytime I load the stove...and it reminds me of all the special times I had with "Bunter"!
Have a wonderful day!!
Laura
Great gift your dad has. Caning is not a easy task. My youngest son once wanted to learn this.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Trish!
DeleteI once caned a chair that my son refurbished. I learned from a book and the internet. It was a bit tedious at first, but once I got the hang of it...I loved it!
It is very similar to basket weaving...which I have done quite a bit of. Hope you son finds the time to learn...it is becoming a lost art!
Have a blessed day!
Laura
Such a heartwarming story! What talent your dad has, he did an amazing job!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by my blog, Holly, and for your sweet comment! He is doing so well on these chairs...I'll have to post a picture of some of his "finished" products!
DeleteTake care,
Laura
What a fantastic, useful, beautiful hobby—and I love the way you write about your father.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sweet comment, Diane. My father is a dear man...I am very blessed indeed!
DeleteSweet blessings,
Laura
Hello Mrs. Laura!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat hobby your dad has gotten into! The chairs are wonderful! What lovely ways to see his handiwork!
God bless you!
Frannie
Dear Miss Frannie,
DeleteThank you so much for stopping by again and for your dear comment! My dad is so talented...he has made many wonderful gifts for me over the years!
Have a lovely day!
Mrs. Laura
Hello Laura :-)
ReplyDeleteEvery time I attend Heritage Days here in the mountains, I stop by the gentleman that repairs chairs...just like your dad! They look so amazing when finished :-)
The Chair*man does wonderful work!
m.
Dear Maria,
DeleteWelcome back! I have missed your sweet comments. Yes, my father does do a lovely job on these chairs...as well as all of his other projects...he is such a talented man!
Sweet blessings,
Laura
That's such a thoughtful gift. It's good that your father has such a productive hobby. It will make a lot of people happy.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Deborah!
DeleteThank you so much for stopping by my blog for a visit...I always love to meet new friends! My father has been retired for over 25 years now..and he and my mom are still going strong!
Have a wonderful day!
Laura
What a great chair. Growing old doesn't mean sitting til you die, it means 'growing new things'. Your dad shows he is growing new talents.
ReplyDeleteDear Cheryl,
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by for a visit...you are so right..."older folks" have so much to share...we really should be more mindful of this wonderful resource!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Laura
What a precious gift! I'd love to learn to cane old chairs as well - I have one waiting for attention! Thanks for sharing at Knick of Time Tuesday - I'll be featuring you next week and there will be an "I Was Featured" button waiting for you there. Please add my party button to this post, so others will know where the party is.
ReplyDeleteThanks & Blessings,
Angie
Dear Angie,
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by! Featured! Wow, I'm honored! Thanks for noticing my little blog. I will add your button right away...sorry that I forgot to do that...I'm sort of new to this "linking up" feature!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Laura
Oh my what an amazing man your father is. To learn how to cane just by reading books. WOW! Sure wish I had a chair man at my house. This will keep him young and his mind sharp. Thanks so much for sharing this with Share Your Cup.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Jann
p.s. I would love for you to share again and please put the link to the party so that others will know where to join. Thanks!
Dear Jann,
DeleteThank you so much for stopping by to visit...and for your sweet comments about my dad! I did add the link to this post...and I will be over to visit you soon!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Laura
how wonderful! I love that he taught himself by using the internet! who'd a thunk it all those years ago!
ReplyDeleteDear Gail...the funniest part about it...he really didn't have a clue how to use a computer! I had to show him how to access information...he feels as though he has discovered a "whole new world!"
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Laura