Daddy's Saw...Tuesday, March 18, 2014

I thought I would share the cross-cut saw that Mother painted for my Daddy...

Mother most ALWAYS had great meaning behind everything that she did...This saw was no exception.  Mother would sneak off to Aunt Becky's to paint this for Daddy...He WONDERED why she was spending so much time at Aunt Becky's, BUT as long as he got fed, he didn't really mind...Mother and Daddy trusted each other and they had great respect BOTH for themselves and for each other.

 On the left side of the saw, Mother painted Daddy's Tobacco barn that is located behind our house...I would LOVE to go with Daddy to hold the light when he would go to check the fires when we had tobacco that was being fired...The barn is BIG and I would love to see the dancing coals shimmering in the darkness of the night...I was always amazed at how Daddy could back a wagon into the barn since I hate to back up and can't "back back down the lane" as Aunt Maude used to say!  lol...Isn't it funny the small insignificant things that we remember and that bring a smile to our faces...Seldom is it EVER the big stuff we remember...the small simple things are the BEST...

 The next thing that Mother painted was our house.  Daddy came to live with Uncle Bud and Aunt Jenny when he was 22 months old when his Mother died of pneumonia.  Daddy lived here until his death at 80 in 2003.  The house was built in 1913 and had MANY remodels including a new den/kitchen in 1962.  Mother was NOT allowed to come home UNTIL the room was finished when she had me...She spent 10 days in the hospital...BUT NOT because the room wasn't finished, but because Dr. Stone KNEW she needed the rest and would get NONE when she went home with me, a brother 2 years older and another brother 10.5 years older AND 3 people past 80!  WHEW...our house was BUSY!

Mother painted our church next...this was BEFORE the last addition that added a gym, elevator, more rooms, a parlor, new carpeting and paint...that makes me sad because the church is almost dead now and WAS FULL of life...When Mother and Daddy got married, Mother didn't care WHERE they went to church, she just wanted them to be TOGETHER and to worship TOGETHER.  OK...here is my FAMOUS line:  "Mother was a Baptist and Daddy was a Christian...UNTIL he married Mother...NOW they are Cumberland Presbyterians"~~ROFL...Daddy did NOT want to join the Baptist Church BECAUSE he refused to be re-baptized...He said that IF his baptism was GOOD enough for God, then it should be GOOD ENOUGH for any church...hmmm...THAT is a discussion for another DAY...BUT mother said that it would be best for them to find another denomination that was different for BOTH of them and they did...They BOTH served faithfully their entire life...Daddy was a deacon for MANY years and Mother sang in the choir until the LAST time she was able to attend church.  Both of them are buried behind the church and I will one day join them there.

The last picture that Mother painted was the house where Daddy was born and that is Him standing on the porch.  Daddy's Father was a sharecropper and this house was located on the Borthick Farm...This is a special picture!  Daddy had one sister and two brothers. They all died in the order of their birth at the age of 80.

This is such a special piece and I find great comfort when I look at it.  Mother painted every stroke with love...and Daddy was proud of it.  I can remember the day that Daddy died, I would sit in His chair and look at the saw and would remember WHAT a GREAT MAN he was and HOW blessed I was...

Mother didn't learn to paint until she was about 51, which is my age now!  I have such a creative and talented family...I'm glad that I was encouraged to try new things and that I got so much support for what I did...I was SO lucky to be able to do craft shows for MANY years with my parents...WOW...I'm a LUCKY GIRL!

Have a great day and TRY something NEW this week...Be the little TRAIN that COULD...I think I can...I THINK I can...I CAN...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥