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Cara C. Putman: Grandpa's Handcrafted Furniture & Giveaway

1/8/2012

 

This week we welcome Cara C. Putman to Author Memories.

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Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney and a teacher at her church as well as lecturer at Purdue. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and romance to life.
 
An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law, Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy. 

Cara is an author chasing hard after God as she lives a crazy life. She invites you to join her on that journey.


Grandpa's Handcrafted Furniture
by Cara C. Putman

 
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Cara's Grandpa is the boy on the left circa late 20's to early 30's.
In December, my grandpa turned 92. Can you imagine the cute boy on the left in that photo, now a man who has seen 92 winters come and go?

Because Grandpa K is 92 and Grandma K is 85, I treasure the times I have with them. But the times I treasure most are when they share memories. Often when my family drives home (860 miles my door to my parents’), we’ll stop at the family farm to spend the night with Grandpa and Grandma. I’d slept in their guestroom for years, never knowing the story behind the furniture.

It’s a nice set. Probably walnut – I really don’t know woods well enough to distinguish them. And you can tell from looking at it that somebody carved it – quite well from my perspective, but being a child of the 80s, I assumed they’d bought it at a store.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

My Grandpa is a child of the Depression. He was born in 1919 and grew into adulthood in the hard times of the 1930s. Living in eastern Nebraska, it was a hard time to find work and make a living. I don’t remember all the details, but during that time, I think it was a doctor took a liking to my Grandpa and asked him to make some furniture for him. That meant he had to learn how to build furniture. One of his first projects was that bedroom set I’d taken for granted. Each swirl in the wood was there because he carved it in place. The dresser matched the vanity and the bed because he made the set.

All of a sudden the furniture evolved from a nice set that I appreciated when I was exhausted from travel. Now, I view it as a treasure. It’s a treasure because a man I love and respect poured his energy and creativity into it.

After hearing the story and heritage of those pieces, I was quick to let Grandpa know I would exercise my right as his oldest grandchild to claim the furniture if none of his children wanted it or had room for it. It’s a set I would add to my home with pride because I know, love, and respect the man who crafted it all those years ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight, January 15th
to be entered for a free copy of
Cherry Blossom Capers which includes Cara's novella,
Dying for Love
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cherry Blossom Capers, Barbour Books, Available Now

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Cherry Hill Blossoms contains
 4 novellas set in Washington, DC:

Cara's novella:  Dying for Love

Attorney Ciara Turner is horrified when she stumbles over a judge’s dead body in Alexandria. Will she be able to retain her composure and control when she joins her nemesis Daniel Evans in investigating the murder? Constantly on the opposite side of domestic cases, they have to work together to find the murderer…just in case the police and marshals run out of luck. As they are thrust back together, Ciara is reminded of how Daniel swept her off her feet as a clerk. Now she has to choose whether to risk her heart to love.

You can find Cara online at the following sites:

http://www.caraputman.com

http://blog.caraputman.com

http://www.facebook.com/cara.putman

Sandra Orchard link
1/8/2012 01:06:48 pm

What a wonderful story, Cara. It reminds me of a unique bedroom set of my long-past nana's--makes me wish I had been the eldest grandchild. :) But I hope you have your grandad for many years to come, yet!

Jennifer Mull
1/9/2012 01:57:13 am

I have a doll cradle that my grandpa made for my mom... has her name on it.... it was mine when I was a child and now my daughter plays with it. :-)

Janna link
1/9/2012 02:17:42 am

I have Grandpa's shelves that he made for me and I love them. They are so pretty and sturdy. They are a keepsake for me :-)

Michele Catlett
1/9/2012 03:15:08 am

I knew he made the set, but never knew the whole story behind it. It's amazing how something that was "just some furniture" changes when you know the story behind it.

Cara Putman link
1/9/2012 05:26:32 am

Janna, I have my shelves and the photo frame he made Eric, too. He's so talented. And Michele, I agree, knowing the story really changes my perceptions.

Cynthia Chow
1/9/2012 07:55:53 am

This sounds like a fun read. I love little mysteries like this. I can't wait to read it. Thanks for the lovely interview.

josh
1/9/2012 09:28:07 am

Cara did you know that at grandpas last auction he sold all of his wood working machinery. They were cool just to look at.

Marianne link
1/9/2012 03:30:43 pm

Although all four of my grandparents are gone, and neither of my grandfathers worked with their hands, i have some items that i cherish because they were theirs. i have a few things my grandmas made me. doilies, apron, etc. i have my paternal grandmothers noodle making machine, though i never saw her use it or make pasta. Now, my maternal grandmother did, but i never saw her use a machine, she did it all by hand. So now, when i use it, i picture both of them helping me!

Jo
1/9/2012 11:56:09 pm

My grandfathers didn't work with their hands but my one grandmother that i do remember did. She was always embroidering as did my mother and I have kept several of the things that they have made and treasure them.

Blessings,
Jo

wendy
1/10/2012 12:17:15 am

Thanks for sharing about your grandpa. I miss my grandparents. I only knew one of my grandpa's.
I look forward to reading your book. Thanks for the chance to win.

Anita mae
1/10/2012 01:23:59 am

Cara, thank you for sharing the memory of your grandfather's handcrafted furniture. As a wood worker myself, I know the joy and satisfaction that comes from exposing the true nature of even the smallest stick.

My passion is intarsia - using different coloured woods to create a puzzle-like artwork. Perhaps it's because I love jigsaw puzzles (as you can see in my fun pages here on the website). Or perhaps it's just the joy of seeing the grain emerge as I sand down a small piece of wood so it nestles amongst its neighbours. Even the knot - that bane of carpenters - can be used to advantage as an eye in intarsia.

Cara, as you described "Each swirl in the wood..." I could imagine your grandfather sanding the hard edges to create something lasting for his family.

Anita Mae.

Cara Putman link
1/10/2012 10:17:45 am

Josh, I didn't know that. Anita, your woodworking sounds amazing! What a gift! Jo, those pieces sounds like treasures!

Beth C
1/11/2012 12:33:14 am

Thanks for sharing the story of the furniture and your grandfather. You are so fortunate to still have your grandparents. I would enjoy the book Cherry Blossom Capers!

Rebecca
1/11/2012 03:42:42 am

What a beautiful story about your grandfather! I love to hear people of that generation talk about what they did and how their lives were shaped. We asked my elderly aunt what was the greatest invention during her lifetime. We expected her to say computers or something like that. Her answer - aluminum foil. As a cook and homemaker, it had made the biggest improvement in her daily life. (And we just take it for granted!)
I’d really like to read your book too. It sounds wonderful!
rrgreene62(at)gmail.com

Joy Hannabass link
1/11/2012 11:03:00 am

Would love this book! Thanks ladies for offering it and for the interview,.

Cara Putman link
1/13/2012 01:08:31 pm

Rebecca, I love talking to people from that generation as well. They have so much experience and wisdom to share!

DebH
1/14/2012 07:35:07 am

thank you so much for sharing about your Grandfather and the furniture history. i know how such things can be cherished history. my younger brother and my husband both like to work with wood and both have built things for their sons. i think creating something with your own hands for family creates a wonderful legacy - especially when it is crafted with love.
and Anita - you are a woman of many talents. i'm sure my husband would love to talk "shop" with you. *heh*

Anita Mae
1/15/2012 02:54:39 pm

LOL Deb, I'd love to talk shop with both of you!

And again, you don't mention the things you are creating with love for both of them. But I'm sure they both know how special you are, too. :)

Evangeline link
1/14/2012 12:57:46 pm

That's a cool thing to have as a heritage from your grandparents! My heritage from my grandparents are their traditional pots and pans... I treasure them. :)

Anita Mae
1/16/2012 11:25:47 am

Evangeline, that's cool. When my mom asked what I wanted from my Finnish grandmother, I asked for her pots and pans, too. I especially like the black metal baking sheet Pappa made Mamma. :)

Pegg Thomas link
1/14/2012 10:20:49 pm

I hope that bedroom set winds up with you eventually because you do treasure it, and things like that should be treasured. I have some furniture from two of my great-grandparents and one from a grandparent. They were not hand crafted, but they are still treasured for who owned them before me.

Anita Mae
1/16/2012 11:32:12 am

I've made the drawing with the help of random.org and the winner of Cara Putman's Cherry Blossom Capers is...

Cynthia Chow!

Congrats, Cynthia. Cara will be contacting you soon about your postal info.

Thanks everyone.

This week, we have Missy Tippens with another Author Memories who's giving away a copy of her latest Love Inspired, A House Full of Hope.

Anita Mae
1/16/2012 01:55:18 pm

Well, let's try this again as my comment got swallowed up somewhere... with the help of random.org, I've picked a name and the winner of Cara's Cherry Blossom Capers is...

Cynthia Chow!

Congrats, Cynthia. Cara will be in touch with you concerning your postal information.

Thanks everyone.

Stop by for this week's post by Missy Tippens who's given away a copy of her newest Love Inspired release, A House Full of Hope.

Linda Goodnight link
1/21/2012 09:26:38 am

Missy, what a lovely, touching story about your grandmother. It blessed me. I was not close to either of my grandmothers and I felt that lack. As a result I try to be the kind of grandma yours was. Those memories are precious.

And your book sounds awesome!

M nazim link
1/29/2012 08:44:31 pm

Thanks for exciting blog post! I really liked reading it, you are a good writer. I actually added your blog to my favorites and will look forward for something new.


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