Grandpa England, My Friend Wendy, and Thomas Jefferson

Today is their birthday. Grandpa would have been 101. What an amazing man! He isn't as well known as TJ, but he was perhaps even wiser. I always enjoyed my time with Grandpa. He was not only smart and wise, but gentle and kind as well. I loved, loved, loved working in his shop! This picture probably shows it the messiest I've ever seen it.

I have many fond memories of working with Grandpa. He owned rental homes, stores, and apartments so there was always work to do. We mowed lawns, shoveled snow, painted (although I don't ever remember him using a paintbrush), hauled garbage, cleaned clogged toilets, and performed many other tasks. I especially remember hauling garbage with Grandpa. I know that it sounds crazy, but it was usually fun. He sometimes let us ride on the bumper of his truck, once in a while we found treasures, and he always went fast over the railroad tracks on the way home so that we bounced around like a roller coaster. It was also very cool to pull up next to another full pickup at the dump. They would be working really hard to shovel or pull things out of the bed of the truck while we would get out, uncover the bed, turn a key, pull a knob, and the bed would lift up. All we usually had to do was pull forward a little bit and gravity did all of the work. Sometimes I would climb up and help push things down with my legs when friction was stronger than gravity, but it was always very easy and fast compared with all of the neighboring trucks. Grandpa's green truck even looked like a regular pick up which made the trick even more fun.

I will also be forever grateful to Grandpa and Dad for teaching me woodworking. Sometimes when I was at Grandpa and Grandma's house I would go home with a new toy or birdhouse made in Grandpa's shop. He always let me be part of the design team and often I even got to assemble the newest creation. I know that it took a lot of patience for him to let me be involved, and the end result may have been better without my help, but I am so grateful that I was included. Anytime children come to visit my shop I try to remember how Grandpa treated me so that I can help them to feel just as special and proud of whatever they make.

Happy birthday to Grandpa England, Wendy, and TJ!