S'mores, anyone?

When realtors show houses, they don't want the potential buyers to see walls and floors --- they want them to see lifestyle. "Just picture yourself entertaining your family here....making memories."
My back deck is just that ----a family gathering place (except for the bugs and the heat, that is).

I have always wanted a fire pit. Why? Because I see friends and family with long sticks roasting marshmallows and singing Kum Ba Yah.

But what is a firepit without benches?

I love the word "serendipity." It is something extraordinary happening when you are walking down the street doing the ordinary. My new benches are serendipitous. Ricky, the Lone Star Woodworker, came into my life randomly as I looked for two benches. He lovingly described his process and then quoted me a price much higher than I planned to pay. Oh, how thankful I am for the good sense not to quibble over dollars and cents.

Ricky delivered two benches to me today that aren't just well-made ---- they are works of art. They will support the bottoms of many s'mores makers for years to come.

Mom and Dad bought a table nearly 50 years ago crafted as a single 8 foot cut of wood. All of the grandchildren learned to walk around that table. These benches now join the family tradition.

Al Angell taught me years ago the difference between price and cost. One is short term; the other long range. The price was higher on these benches, but the cost is so much lower than inferior products which are disposable and merely utilitarian.

It is a good reminder to me ---- look for the art in life. Look for the beauty beyond function. And share the joy of the craftsman's work. Moses put it this way, "Confirm the works of our hands." Ricky's hands did well.