Misplaced

The strangest thing happened at the shop last week. I have a small bench scraaper that had truly become an item I use in a lot of ways, and all of a sudden, it is just not there. This caused a great search to take place, and before all was done, I had cleaned the shop and put all of the tools back where they belonged, but to no avail - the bench scraper has not shown itself. Now, I have another one just like it and there is no real sentimental value to this scraper, but I don't know about you - it drives me crazy when I can't find something like that.

I come from a family that had a very solid philosophy about this kind of thing. Mom taught us, from the earliest that I can remember that nothing is ever lost, it is just misplaced. This was not just a passing comment on something we couldn't find, it was a call to arms to leave no stone unturned and find whatever it was. I have to give you the best example. Sometime in the mid 1970s, probably 1975 as we were getting ready to have my high school graduation, we took all of the drapery in the house down to have it professionally cleaned. This was no small feat.  After taking it down, we removed all of the drapery hooks and put them somewhere that "we would be sure to remember." We took the drapes in, had the cleaning done, brought them home, and went to put them back up.  And to our surprise - no drapery hooks. We tore the house apart. After several days of searching, mom gave up and bought new hooks.

Now, fast forward, like 13 years. Mom died in February of 1988. When my sister and I were cleaning out the house, in the drawer that had always been known as the junk drawer, clear in the back in a couple of plastic bags, we found the misplaced drapery hooks. Jaye and I didn't say a word, we just started to laugh. And, at a time we needed a good laugh, it continued until we both had tears in our eyes.

That day, the universe had shown us the truth of Mom's words - nothing is ever lost, it is just misplaced. We also found out that at the most high stress times of our lives, things like this will happen to give you a moment to release some of the pressure that you are under. After all, it was just drapery hooks, but at one point they had driven us all crazy, and at another time they were almost cathartic, giving us a much needed release.

So - my bench scraper - it will show up sometime and will hopefully happen when I really need it, or when I need to be able to laugh about where I put it. I say that because I'm sure that wherever it is, I put it there to ensure I wouldn't lose it and would be able to remember where I put it. So much for that thought. I also know that there are things in your life that are currently missing/misplaced. Maybe it is a picture, or a newspaper article, or all of your stained glass tools. There is a reason and a place they have landed and it is just a matter of figuring it all out. By the way, if I loaned/gave my stained glass tools to you, please let me know. My cousin, Julie, has been good enough to give me hers, but I am really curious as to where mine went. One of those other things that is just hanging out there for me.

As for other happenings in the Toybox, I delivered a couple of chairs to Andrew and Lyndsey last week. Although I know they will add more furniture to their deck as they go forward, they really look good there now. And I have finally gotten back to a project that is just for me. I am working on an Alder and Maple roll top desk that I am very excited about. It will reside in the Toybox, but I have always wanted to see if I was good enough to make this project. Since the days up at the lumberyard, sitting in Pug's chair at his roll top desk, I have always wanted one. Well, that is about to come true.

Have a great weekend.