Although my Father never worked professionally as a jeweller, he graduated from Ryerson Institute of Technology (about a year behind the famous Bill Reid!) in jewellery design. He was always able to work in metal and wood and passed on that love to me. Some of his best advice was "measure twice, cut once" or "I cut it twice and it was still too short!" and about power tools: "It doesn't stop when you say ouch".
My Mother had a different type of creative streak, one that I lack. She could arrange flowers and "things" like no one I know. Give me some flowers to arrange, and well, you just don't want to be there.... Poor flowers. She created with her hands and heart and loved her gardens.
Their ultimate act of creation was this home overlooking Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island. They designed it, my Dad built a lot of it. They could be an amazing team. They would kid that he was a do-it-yourself husband with a get-it-done wife. Sadly when she passed away, the get-it-done drive was gone and the spiral staircase in the silo remains unfinished, as have a number of other projects.
If you know of anyone looking for a home on the Westcoast, about 40 minutes from Victoria, there is one available.... Please contact Nick Brown
Pst! It needs a get-it-done person to love it!
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