It’s as cliche’ as cliche’ can get but I’ll say it anyway: this year absolutely flew by. A year ago we loaded the moving truck and were on our way to NC from Oklahoma. 2021 ended with us coming home after 5 years, and though we were sad to be leaving family and friends behind, … More It’s the End of the Year as We Know It and I Feel Fine
There are times I have to stop and think what year it is. Am I alone in this? 2021 has gone by so incredibly fast, it’s almost as if it didn’t happen. And yet here we are, recovering from feasting on Thanksgiving and staring down the Holidays and the culmination of yet another trip ’round … More Thankfuls
“Can you come meet me by the Braverman house?” No explanation, no details…just my wife asking me to come meet her near a house we often dream of buying, so-named because it reminds us of the family home on the TV show Parenthood. Either it had finally gone up for sale or she’d had a … More Restoration
My grandfather, Taft Rakes, was a woodworker. No, that’s doesn’t come close to doing him justice. He was a craftsman. He could take beautiful, raw pieces of cherry and pine and oak and create pure art. My mom’s house is dotted with the work of his hands: an incredible dining room table, 8 ladderback rush-seated … More The Craftsman
The Wading Pool 