A Wonderful Memory by Esther

[Editor's note: This story is by my Aunt Esther]

We had a good place in Toledo Bend Lake, where we moved to when Vernon retired to his fishing hole, when the doctor told him to find a place he could live comfortably. It was a great place to be and I have never regretted it. I fell in love with all the dogwood trees among the pine tree forest. The dogwood trees were all in bloom at the time we bought the acreage. They were so lovely. I felt a sense of peace when I first saw the area. I knew it was the right place for us.

It was not long before we had company to come and we loved every one who came, if they stayed one day or several days. They made the days so much nicer and yet when it was just Vernon and me, it was still very good.

Our children were able to come often and the Grandchildren were my best company. They loved the outdoors and it was often my Brothers were there and they really made it like a special party for them. Children don’t need a reason to have a party. They just love parties and it works for me too.

I had not done too much fishing after leaving California. We did a lot of surf fishing along the Pacific Ocean when Taffy was the only baby. With the second child, Marion, it was too hard to watch both and to make sure they were not into any problems, which was my big concern. It was better for me to keep the children at home so I could be sure they were safe.

It was at the lake when I was back to fishing. It was so easy to sit in the back seat behind Vernon and cast my rod out and reel it back in and if I had a fish, great. If not, still it was OK. It was more to me to be out enjoying the view, meeting others on the lake fishing and Vernon did all the work driving the boat.

I tried several times to start a business with out too much luck. First time it was the Ceramic Shop. Vernon and Dad together with our son, Vernon Jr. and neighbor Hoy, helped build me a Ceramic Shop. It did not work out too good. It was about this time I had thought I would like to work with Dad and learn to refinish furniture. Dad and Charles were the two who taught me to strip and sand and repair and finish the project till I had a lovely nice dresser or table or a cabinet etc.

Vernon was able to help me and he enjoyed helping Dad when we visited Mom and Dad in Orange, Texas. Dad had a Shopsmith and that is why we ended up turning the Ceramic Shop into Vernon’s Wood Shop. Which made my day ever so good. I spent many hours in that wood shop with Vernon. But only when the weather was not good for fishing or it was to cold to go out on the lake or it was too windy for the boat on the lake, if you get my meaning.

Vernon really loved working on wood projects in his spare time. I was able to barter my ham radio for a drill press and we bought some good wood tools, which were a must, if we wanted to do any serious work in the shop. Which we did. One of the items we made was a pendulum rocking cradle for our second daughter Marion Marie. She had a daughter, Kathie, in high school and a son, Timmy, and he would start kindergarten when school started that year.

Marion told us she was going to present us with another grand child. The best thing she could of told me. I loved each of the new babies. I could love and hold and spoil and not worry about them , as Mothers all know, they have to put up with Grandmothers.

Vernon looked in his magazines and found a cradle to show me. He was thinking of making one if I liked it enough, which I did it was lovely. While we were in Orange. Texas, we shopped at a lumber shed and found some White Ash lumber and we purchased enough to build it. It was the only time he skipped fishing when the weather was nice, so he could work on the cradle. He made spindles and more spindles. The pattern called for both sides to be spindles, which made it look so lovely,

As he finish each part of the cradle I would sand it and then stain it with Golden Oak, by Minwax. Together we worked at and hoped it would work out OK. I did not do any of the lathe work. Mostly I did the finishing work, and worked on other projects I wanted to make like nicknacks to give as gifts.

There was one last thing for Vernon to make to finish the cradle. It was the support to hold the mattress on. I made the mattress to fit the inside of the cradle bed. And this was the only thing Vernon was unable to do.

Then we had a severe freezing rain/ice storm and the weather was very bad. We lost power outage and often Vernon would go out to check the water well to be sure the well did not freeze. He caught a cold but he seemed to be doing OK. I had planned a trip to spend time with Cindy, our youngest daughter in Baton Rouge. Said he was good and for me to keep my plans.

The weather remain cold but not below freezing while I was gone. Cindy and I did some shopping that I needed to do, and then we found some sewing supplies I wanted and I planned to spend one more day before going home. But as things happens, we got a phone call from Vernon; he was in the hospital with a bad chest cold. It did not take us long to pack and we headed home.

We arrived at the hospital four hours after the phone call and Vernon looked good, but the report was not favorable. Cindy and I took him home on a Saturday morning and it was not long till she had to leave. Vernon seem to be doing great. Sunday morning he went up the road to see Hoy and they both went to visit Tom. Vernon came back and he laid down for a short nap. He even helped me to fix a light supper.

I lost my Vernon. He passed a way in his sleep.

I asked a dear friend to please help me finish the cradle. Tom and his wife were good friends in the neighborhood. Tom had his wood shop and I knew he would be able to help me. Which he did. Then I stained it and it was all ready for the polyurethane work. I put on the first coat, let it dry over night. I was able to start a fire in the wood stove and it dried over night. Then I sanded it lightly. Wiped it down and applied the second coat of clear satin matte polyurethane. It was dry the next morning, and it was the last coat of the glaze to be done. It was finished. It looked just great.

I was proud to show it to Marion Marie. I knew Charles, Marion’s husband, would know how to set it up and they warped it in blankets and took it home. Several of the others have use the cradle in the family. I know many years from now other grand children will use it. It’s a good feeling to know things can be useful in the future.