Sunday, February 7, 2010

Lathes and egg cases

In this entry the first one for 1943 Dad gets the job of running the wood shop. I guess he had started doing carpentry work earlier than this job but he does continue with it the rest of his life. Both family and friends have received bowls he made on the lathe he had in his workshop. I remember the Christmas that he first started making things on the lathe, Carol helped him wrap the presents. We had always had presents from Mom, she would put both of their names on the presents or else she would put 'from Santa', but we knew it was her. So this year there were presents that said 'from Dad'. At first we thought it was Mom who had done it but she had one also. I think Carol was in college and Bonnie and I still in high school. Both Carol and Mom got bowls or platters and Bonnie and I each a jewelry box, all made on the lathe. After that there were always bowls, platters, and other lathe items around the house in various stages of completion, waiting for oil or waiting to become gifts. They were usual items at the AFSC fund raising craft sell that Mt. View Friends Meeting would have each year. At one point he tried being part of a craft co-op, I offered to put in the time at the shop and he put in the bowls. I think that was the only time he sold them for his own profit, or that of the co-ops, I don't think it lasted long.
Another item mentioned in this letter is 'egg case fillers'. When our grandparents would come out to visit from Iowa, they would bring a case of eggs from the farm. Tim thinks a case was a dozen dozen eggs. I have the old egg case that they brought out, it is made of wood and we use it to hold magazines. The bottom is solid and sides have wood slats connected by metal rods. The fillers were cardboard and would stack in side holding 24 eggs on each layer. Between our two families in Colorado and with Grandma and Grandpa there for 2 weeks or more we would eat up those eggs. I imagine for packing the cookies that grandma cushioned them with the carboard egg case fillers and just made a box to fit.

1 comment:

  1. I like your writing! I'm glad that you're writing down some memories too! Lots of love! Jenny

    ReplyDelete