Nurturing one another's hobbies is one of the best ways to keep love alive in the empty nest years. These are finally the years when we have the time and energy to invest in something that interests us. It seemed those decades lived in the minivan and at football games and cross country meets and orthodontist chairs would never come to an end, but alas they did. I never had time for hobbies in those days, or should I say never made time - I had friends who had hobbies but I always felt too busy between the demands of home, church, and later work. And then, when we made a move to rural Iowa, where I was unable to find a job, I all of a sudden had this sense of creative energy starting to bubble up within. I realized that the previous years were a bit of a blur but now...now, I could breathe. The two and a half years we spent there were energizing for me. I rediscovered the kitchen and actually lived there instead of just flying through. I had a friend who encouraged me to begin to sew and got me started in basic quilting.
Flyboy, on the other hand, has always had a penchant for woodworking. He spent all but about $5 of our very first tax refund on a table saw and a radial arm saw and several other things. His hobbying has been sporadic through the years, but he, too, has found new life in the empty nest days and has really created several wonderful pieces. And in our current house, he has his very own workshop space, which he loves, and his next project will be to create custom California closets in our bedroom.
Flyboy has always been a believer in "the right tool for the right job" and when I was ready to start sewing, he marched me right out and had me pick out a new sewing machine, a cutting board and rotary cutter, a big plastic ruler and a good pair of scissors. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so affirmed in something I wanted to do, and my heart welled up with new appreciation for him.
Today, it's his turn! Exactly one year ago today, Flyboy and a friend went to the annual woodworking show at the fairground exhibition center. There were plenty of tools there to drool over, and drool he did. He turned to absolute mush when he spied a new table saw, light years ahead of his 35 year old model. He hemmed and he hawed and he drooled some more, but he just couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger without discussing an expenditure of that magnitude with me first. He walked away from the table saw. And he came home to tell me about it, feeling somewhat proud that he had resisted. I exclaimed, "What? You didn't buy it? Why not???" And his heart welled up with a new appreciation for the support he knew he had in me. And his eyes welled up with tears that the table saw was still sitting on the exhibition hall floor instead of in his shop. Not really - it was more like a Chewbacca yell filling the room, such was his disappointment.
Well, anyway, as Dash likes to say, "today is a new day." And today, one year later, is opening day at the annual woodworking show. And you'll never guess which booth Flyboy is heading to first. He has tried to prepare himself for the fact that the deal might not be as sweet as it was last year, but he's not taking any chances on missing out and will be there as soon as the doors open.
Nothing says "I believe in you" like putting your money where your mouth is.
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