Continuing the tour
Look up there, at the balcony? Oh, you’re distracted by the scaffolding. Yeah, that’s been there for seven years - Dad decided to put a flat roof out in front of the house and those awesome pillars. He never finished designing the portico, though, so there the scaffolding waits. But look up at the balcony, through the scaffolding.
Over the balcony door, you see the keystone? I know that you can’t see it from here, but that black spot in the center is pretty special. When Dad was making the keystone, he got this random idea. In the middle of working, he ran into the house and got his jewelry box. He dug out his class ring from high school and ran back outside. Then he mushed the ring deep into the mortar, so that it would set. That black you see is from the ring tarnishing in the weather.
The ring isn’t there anymore - later, Dad decided to pry the ring back out of the mortar, but the tarnish remains, discoloration in the mortar.
Another silent lesson from my father - everything we touch changes by our touch. Sometimes we think that we’ve made it ‘all better’ or put things back to the way they were, but the truth is - the changes remain. I don’t know where Dad’s ring is now - I haven’t found the jewelry box yet. But I know where it was. I remember.
Over the balcony door, you see the keystone? I know that you can’t see it from here, but that black spot in the center is pretty special. When Dad was making the keystone, he got this random idea. In the middle of working, he ran into the house and got his jewelry box. He dug out his class ring from high school and ran back outside. Then he mushed the ring deep into the mortar, so that it would set. That black you see is from the ring tarnishing in the weather.
The ring isn’t there anymore - later, Dad decided to pry the ring back out of the mortar, but the tarnish remains, discoloration in the mortar.
Another silent lesson from my father - everything we touch changes by our touch. Sometimes we think that we’ve made it ‘all better’ or put things back to the way they were, but the truth is - the changes remain. I don’t know where Dad’s ring is now - I haven’t found the jewelry box yet. But I know where it was. I remember.