Made With Love! Merry Christmas Sis.

My hand crafted gift for my little sister... Issue #44

ifOnlyi…had continued with my newfound passion back then, I would be somebody different today. Working with one’s hands is a gift from the heavens. I genuinely miss that old passion I once had.

It all started because my little sister, whom I truly loved and still do, had a deep passion for horses. I have always told her she needed to be a horse whisperer; I know she was meant to do just that in this lifetime. But…her current passion is raising and breeding Standard Poodles.

When you read “Thee, General Custer’s Personal Rifle,” Issue #13, you will remember that I shared my love for woodworking in school, where my passion for the craft started.

I was creating a customized gift for my little sister, made with love.

I found a wonderful, kind man who lived a few houses down the street from my Dad. He had an incredible workshop that he had built in his garage. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I wanted to create a custom miniature all-in-one house and stable barn as a Christmas gift that would last forever.

I had plans, ideas, dreams, a vision, hope, and a desire to make her the most incredible miniature creation. But where was I going to start?

The fine gentleman offered up his garage for me to work in. All he asked was that I refrain from drinking and always leave it spotless when I finished for the day or night. I was 17 at the time.

Next, I needed plans. This great shop in Torrance, California, which is not far away, sold almost everything I would need to make this all come together. I wanted this to be a Picasso or a Monet, a ‘pièce de résistance.’

So, I bought and studied many Miniature dollhouse books to get ideas, as this wasn’t a huge trend yet. My work was cut out for me—that’s 100 percent fact!

I would drive up to the garage after dinner and work. I worked on weekends and any window I could find time to complete this behemoth. I wanted it perfected in time for her Christmas gift in 1977.

Dropping bales of hay for the horses

I calculated that over 300 hours went into making it all come together. Remember, I had never worked with electricity before; I had to have the best lighting. I had to cut the Parquet floor and then cut and glue each wooden shingle onto the roof. That was a monumental task.

There was a lot of cutting and sanding in that garage.

I made a large section for the horse Stables downstairs, and the bathrooms and bedrooms were upstairs.

Finding each piece I hoped to include in this home was difficult.

Constructing the doll house and stables

Carpets, tiny little people, dishes, the right lights and chandeliers, utensils, towels, hay, all the tiny horse parts, the list was endless.

Miniature Furnishings, lights, and art.

Finding all of them was tedious and time-consuming, but very satisfying as the creation came together.

The hardest part was finding a weather vane, and we did it. On a trip Mom took to Wilmington, Delaware, she went hunting and, by fate, found one in a tiny craft shop. She also found some beautiful art to hang on the walls.

The paint had not even dried out when it all finally came together beautifully, almost too close to Christmas day.

Mom and Dad helped me set it all up so when she came downstairs on Christmas morning, she would see this sitting on a table with a card, and inside that card, I was so pleased to write;

When I saw her face, my expectations were far exceeded—the Joy of Christmas and seeing my 8-year-old sister wanting nothing more.

Years passed, and it was displayed in her bedroom, where she and her friends enjoyed playing with it often until Mom decided she was too old for a doll house and stables. She thought it would be a good idea to take it and give it to my first cousin's daughter.

My sister was heartbroken and never the same again. Even though she has her own family now, she still misses the house with the red door and bright lights and wishes she still had it to pass on to her daughter.

Happiness is an excellent state of mind!

Does anyone agree and want to share?

ifOnlyi…. Short stories are published chronologically and follow my life growing up in California from age 4. If you’ve just found me, the stories will come together when you start reading from….Issue #1