The First Tangible Step that started months ago.

In December of last year, a few weeks before my best friend, Jeff passed away, he and I made toys to give away for the holidays. Well, I suppose I made them, and he supplied the inspiration, the paint, and the brushes. Jeff lived in Virginia, I live in the Midwest.  In typical overkill Jeff fashion, he made sure that the Art supply place sent something like 200 brushes with the eight cans of paint that arrived. If paint brushes are made from horsehair, there is now a herd of naked horses wandering around right now, hoping to God that spring gets here soon.

I made almost 200 toys to give away. I do that every year in lieu of my complete and total opposition to going to church.  I figure I can sing praises to the Universe and actually do something tangible in the world, all at the same time! I gave the toys away  to a day care center and a food pantry to be included in their Holiday boxes.

Jeff asked me what my next project was going to be. I told him I was pondering a boat and that he should come next summer and we would go for a ride. he laughed, a sad laugh, but he did laugh. I told him it would be like a floating tree house, along the lines of the one we had built as kids together. Except for the part that this was a boat and not a tree house. I had found some plans for a boat and I was keen on building it. He was, of course, enthusiastic.

Today, after months of planning and logistics, I started my tree house boat.