A Leonard Haire Loom!

My Dad died in July, 1992.  It didn't take but a week for our family to clear his house of just about everything.  At the end of that week, I discovered that I was the executor of the estate.  Along with that office came the responsibility for clearing the final clutter from the house.

As I walked through my Dad's "shop" part of the basement, a cabinet that he had built remained.  It was not an attractive cabinet, it was a functional cabinet.  I assume that he built it.  It was very heavy!  It's 'drawers' were actually old wooden cheese cartons.  The cabinet had been built with pigeon-holes designed perfectly to house these cartons.

The cartons were loaded with screws, bolts, washers, pipe fittings, connectors, chisels, files, and a wide array of other useful-but-rarely-used-paraphernalia.  I felt drawn to it because of my belief that my Dad had made it.  It had been passed over by all the others who had gone through the house.

I labored over my decision;  it would be a giant pain to move it! 

But, sentiment won out!  I hauled it to my home in East Liverpool.  And then to Maryland.  And then to Akron.  And then to New Middletown.  And then to a storage unit for three years.

Today, I brought it to Enon Valley!  Am I sorry?

Oh no!  You cannot imagine how many times I have needed something and found it in one of those cheese cartons! 

"Dad!  Your cabinet is safe and sound in my shed!  I used several things from it today!  Thanks so much for your organizational acumen!  And thanks for giving me just what I needed so many times through the years!  Someday, when I come to see you, this thing will probably find a home in Troy's shed!  Ha ha ha ha ha..."

"I love you, Dad!  Say "Hi" to Mom for me and give her a big hug!"