Both Jana and Paul were only children. That put them at a deficit in knowing the advantage of having a brother. Having experienced the loss of a brother, I had a relational slot that was empty.
I figure family is family, and since Jana was previously my sister-in-law, that finds both Jana and Paul stuck with me in a forever family. Our relationship is important. People need people, and the way I see it, folks without a brother need one.
The package that arrived in the mail last week contained two whisks with hand-turned mesquite handles. Paul falls into the category of gifted and talented, and one of his hobbies is woodturning. He turned the handles and found a supplier that furnished the metal part of the whisks.
The two whisks served as a trigger to remind me of the Paul Judkins’ originals that grace our home. The first gift he shared with us from his artisan abilities is a set of candlesticks.
Paul can see things in a weather-beaten aged old tree trunk lying in a pasture, that people like me will never know existed. He spied the old tree trunk on the property where our former home was located. He asked if he could have it. I had no idea that he planned to repurpose it and return it to us in the form of a fish. It looks amazing.
Recently at Jana's urging, Paul made a beautiful wooden tray to give to the General for her birthday. The wooden tray is displayed on our coffee table. We thought it was a great base for a treasured wooden duck given to us by a friend about four and a half decades ago.
Paul is also creative enough to create a rustic line of turned wood and with great care was able to fashion a bowl that includes thin air. You have to see it to believe it.
One year, his entrepreneurial interests found him turning wooden stems and making wine glasses for a high-dollar specialty store that relied on catalog sales. He found himself a lot busier than he wanted to be. I suspect he will think twice before he does that again.
We also have a wooden bowl or two that grace the hutch in our kitchen.
Of course, Paul's artisan abilities pale in contrast to all he has to offer as a person. His friendship is one I highly value. We are blessed to have him and Jana in our family.
All My Best!
Don