Attempting to build a Legacy for my Grandfather.
We all have a story. Here's mine.
Growing up in a very non-traditional country setting, family was (and still is) everything to me. Acres that never end contained my Grandparents home, my parents Home, my Uncles home, and my Great Grandparents home. On these acres were motocross tracks we surely used, waterfalls and brooks we surely swam in, ponds we (tried) to skate on, and most importantly old fashioned love we grew up on. My grandfather Norman Pehr Persson was the best master carpenter of his day. He had me in his workshop at age eight alongside my little cousin Adam Michael Persson using hammers and nails while most children were playing with dolls. He was the most strong, brave, family loving man in the world. Married to my Grandmother for over 60 years the love they shared was so deep the ocean would be envious. (Did I mention she was Mrs. America, Miss World, and Mrs.Apollo standing next to THE Arnold when he took home Mister Olympia? I know..... crazy!)
Life gets hard sometimes. Unlike the curve balls we used to throw on our make-shift baseball field on the long dirt driveway- life can throw some harder ones. My Grandfather lost his life to dementia in September, 2020. This has been a life changing experience full of holding on tight and as hard as you can to the moments that made you who you are. The people you will never be without. Nostalgia is stronger than dementia, and being proactive with love for him is better than coping, its thriving.
I'm so thankful for this beautiful Country we live in where we get to follow our dreams. My family taught me you can do anything and everything if you set your mind to it. Everything to me is family, and my dream is carrying on my Grandfathers legacy and leaving something behind he can be proud of me for. Scattering pieces of him across the world. Like every one of us- each piece is original. Once it's gone it's gone. Every piece is hand crafted by myself. No sponged on stencils, no replicas. One of a kind. Hand cut. Hand stained. Hand painted. I know there’s far more modern saws & tools out there that would probably cut my work time in half- BUT I prefer to use his tools he used all these years. The best way to live for me, I’ve found- is to live for him.
We all have a story to tell, welcome to ours.
Farmhouse Pehr
