RobArt Penguin

I’m a do-it-yourselfer. I’ve always been handy and liked to make things. Rather than buy an item I like, I make my own. My grandmother started me on this path. She wanted a step stool for her bed that was set high off the ground. She saw something in a catalog, liked the concept and basic design, but thought it was too expensive. She asked me to make the same thing for a pair of shoes. I did and like to think my iteration was more robust. Sometimes my attempts to replicate turn out to be flops. During a cold but snowless winter, I set out to make a snow machine. I found out there is more to it than spraying cold water into the air. I made a ton of ice, but no snow. It was a failure, but I had fun doing it. My daughter has caught the same bug. Our latest joint project was a Christmas stocking holder. We saw one at Target, a wood bar that could hold 4 stockings, with buildings and Christmas decor on top. We liked it but thought we could build it better, plus we needed room for 5 stockings. So we built our own, added another building, a church with a bell tower and stained glass windows. We love it. The best part is we did it together. We also made a mahogany coffee table/display case for some of her Legos. It’s nice to have finished pieces, but it’s the process of working together that means the most. I don’t know what’s next, but she’s been talking about making a mosaic table for our deck. Oh, boy.