A Special Project.

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Here is the latest project, its small and not anything crazy but is one of the most important to me. Its a much better tobacco pouch, it should hold about three pipes full of tobacco. This project was made from some of the leather that my Great Grand Father had. By the time I came around he was not doing leather work anymore since his eye sight had degraded. My mother still talks about the coin purses he made out of leather with the hair still on. He did do a lot of wood working, and he forgot more then I could every learn about it. He built 13 of the 19 houses on the street he lived on. He lived in three of them, two were taken by the bank, the last one he got to keep. He ran two green houses and a good sized garden up until he died. His home also butted against a good track of woods with a brook going down the middle, what more could a young boy ask for? Some of my best memories as a child are getting out of school early on Wednesday, it was a half day when I was in grade school, and going there. It was free day care and it was great. Grandpa didn't talk a lot but when he did you listened, and he liked to show you how to do things once and then let you figure out how to do it from there. I never really watched TV as a kid, they didn't have cable and the outside was way more interesting. I know I get my love of learning from those times. Much to my wife chagrin I get my desire to try a bunch of new things from him too. I learned wood working, cement casting, figure carving, gardening, hunting, fishing, and the list goes on and on. I also learned a lot more. My work ethic comes from that time in my life. It's hard to stop weeding when the 70 something guy is there doing it with you. You can't really complain when something breaks because he would just take it as a challenge to fix..
Turns out you learn a lot about things when you take them apart to fix them. I get my love of quiet contemplation from him too, I think that's why I love motorcycles so much, I don't have a tree in my front lawn to sit under and just think, but I do have the bike. I know I got my love for apples from him. It just made me think that I miss him. I wish that he and BooBoo (That was what we all called my Great Grand Mother, that's a whole other post) could be here for me having a little one of my own. I remember how important they were in my life and all the great influences that I had growing up. I hope my kid gets that, the Navy life is going to make it hard. The soon to pop out kid will have a Great Grand Meme, so they won't totally miss out. Still its good to go back and think of those influences that got you where you are. I know he would be proud.
I also get my habit of walking around in stocking feet from him.
-Joe