Ten years seems like half a lifetime, yet in reality, it feels like I blinked. It was on the 23rd of February, 2009, that we bid a sad but honorable, farewell to my dad. I ponder how our lives have changed in this past decade.
My mom met Doug, a loving gentleman to share her life with. Our daughters were Grandpa Louie's pride & joy. They have matured into talented young women. My dad would surely be beaming in their accomplishments & would have enjoyed being in the midst of their remodeling projects.
Courtney is a Recreational Therapist. She & her boyfriend Shane, bought a house 2 months ago & are nearing the end of a whole house cosmetic makeover. Shane is skilled in building trades, so it has been a full on DIY for them with help from family & friends.
Kelsey is a Nurse Tech & full time student in Nursing School. She & boyfriend Tyler, bought a house 14 months ago. Dave & Tyler dug into a main bathroom demo & remodel, a month ago. With the help from from Kelsey, family & friends, it should be completed soon.
Between mudding, sanding, & painting in Nahma, skim coating & painting a few spaces in our Grand Rapids home, mudding & sanding at Kelsey & Tyler's & then sanding & painting at Courtney & Shane's, I have become more precise with my skills.
Dad would relish in the beautiful things that Dave has built... a cedar sauna and a couple small sheds constructed from milled logs harvested from our wooded UP property. He has crafted live edge tables, farm tables, Adirondack chairs, & customized more things than I will list. I'm certain Dad would have had a list of ideas & probably have a path to possible trees he & Dave could fell. Dad truly loved nature & enjoyed working with wood. His walks in the woods brought reflection & conversation with God. He shared many observations with me over the years.
When my dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer 20+ years ago, major remodeling plans for the vacation home they had recently purchased in the UP, were put on hold. He & Dave did tackle a few needed projects to make the house function safely. It was a get away to hang our hat, enjoy the serenity of the place, soak up time with family, relax, or play. Dad & Mom had discussed adding a garage to their home in Belding, but never did. The year dad passed, mom had the garage built. That Summer of 2009, a few of their close friends spent a few weeks spiffing up the UP house. Over the years, they have enjoyed many get aways together.
Two years ago, Dave sold our business & retired. He & I started a full on remodel of the UP house, encountering a time capsules of sorts, left by my dad. It was not intentional, but one was the placement of a few hand tools & Shop Vac in the attic. They were evidence of where dad had stopped working before he began a continuing journey with cancer. They were no longer shiny & new or weathered & used. Sadly, they were rusted & covered in the bat guano & urine that Dad had planned to eradicate from the space. With every nasty pile of guano that fell from the demolished ceilings to each bat evicted, we were reminded that Dad had planned to seal off their passageways!
This past year, mom had the attached garage drywalled. A few minor remodeling tasks are happening in her longtime home, to make it function better as her life slows down. Although, she is still like the Energizer Bunny!
Not a day goes by that I do not think about my dad. In every project, in each deep conversation, in simple milestones, he is there. Although, he is not in my physical space, he is in my heart & my memories. I love & miss you, Dad!
Louis Charles McMillan 9/20/40 - 2/23/09
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ~
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