New Glass

…or Longing for the Peace of Granny’s Kitchen.

  We didn’t spend a ton of time at my Grandmother’s house when she was still there because it required a boat and cooperative weather, but what time we did spend there is remembered as the best days of my life. That’s a big statement, I know. I also know it is not just me who feels that way; my siblings hold the same fondness for the place. Perhaps it was the fung shui of that point of land, or the novelty of the old fashioned lifestyle, or maybe just as simple as the love we felt for Granny and Grandpa. Anyhow, when I decided I wanted to try making a larger glass panel that is the first place that came to mind. There will be four when I am done. Here are the first two. They are approximately 14″ by 17″. Please excuse the shadows from the window trim and the small amount of artistic licence I have taken.

Granny’s Kitchen.

I should explain that there was a day-bed in many Newfoundland kitchens. It was where the men could come in to dry off, warm up, and have a rest, without having to remove their work clothes; a mid-day nap often a necessity when a fellow had to leave the house at first light to check his nets or traps, around four in the morning.  So it wasn’t very fancy. I don’t think I ever saw Granny lie down there; she preferred to nap sitting up with her chin resting in her hand. As kids we would fight over who got the daybed as it was a wonderful place to lounge about and be lazy and eavesdrop on the adults who usually forgot all about you if you were very very quiet. Grandpa would also lie there to listen to the radio, which was battery operated and rationed to important broadcasts like the news, the weather, the steamer report and most important, boxing matches. The rocker was a great place to sit and watch the fishing boats come in to the community stage – you could tell if they did well by how low they were in the water. The door with the glass led into the other half of the house where there were bedrooms and the parlour which was never used, at least not while I was there. When the house was torn down my Uncle saved me the glass from the door. It will become part of a larger piece once I become more proficient. The other two panels are in the design phase and will be constructed next winter.

© Judy Parsons 2017 Click on any picture for a larger view.

email any comments to JGParsons@judypstickletrunk.com Don’t bother with the Blog comment section, it is broken beyond repair.

Sign up using the box in the upper upper right area if you wish to receive notifications of new posts.

Leave a Reply