Kathleen Higgins

Sawdust, Oil and Love

Growing up, I always had strong feelings about my father’s workshop. Dad made magical things happen in his workshop – from turning the rusted shell of an old car filled with trash into a shiny red (and fast) 1957 Alfa Romeo Guiletta that earned me the nickname of Speed Racer in High School, to turning scrap wood into heirloom quality mid-century furniture scattered throughout our house. It is a source of great pride to wander through my house and point out the things my dad made. My favorite thing, though, is the bookshelf he built in junior high woodshop class.