in which I brag on my dad

I'm super preoccupied with planning my son's 6th birthday party.  What with this and Christmas there's not been a lot of crafting going on around here.  I have definitely been neglecting this blog, so I thought I'd take a minute to share with you my favorite Christmas craft this year... and it wasn't made by me!

This is my dad.  Well it was my dad in High School.  What a handsome guy!

Ok, this is really my dad now... still a handsome guy!  He is a man of many talents. He can do anything mechanical or building-related that he puts his mind to... literally.  He constantly surprises me at the things he is willing to undertake, and he never fails to surpass my expectations in the end.  For example, he has single-handedly:  added on to the upper story of my parents barn; dug the basement for their home with his very own bulldozer; designed and built a unit that burns industrial waste with almost no toxic emissions; designed his dream home and built it;.... the  list could go on but you get the idea.  So this Christmas I'm not sure which was more amazing - that he managed to shock me with one of his talents, or the actual outcome of this talent.  As I said, my dad is very mechanically inclined, but it turns out he's got some serious artistic ability as well!  My mom asked my dad to paint her a background for her nativity scene.  Paint it.  Like with paints.  My dad doesn't know how to paint.  He's never painted in his life.  Or he hadn't yet.  My mom left him with 2 canvases, some oil paints and the supplies to make a home-made easel.  8 hours later she had this:

(click 'em for detail!)

Now this may not be a van Gogh, but tell me that's not amazing!  When we went to visit my parents house to drop something off before Christmas my mom casually mentioned that I should check out dad's new painting.  I asked her where he bought it.  I thought it was FOR him, not BY him.  I think my mouth hung open for a couple minutes after she pointed out the signature.  I always assumed I inherited my crafty talents from my mom, who ran her own craft store when I was little, but it turns out it must come from both sides!  I'm so proud of my Daddy :)

(oh, and the mantle in the photo... that's the hand-hewn beam from an old barn that my parents tore down in order to use the wood for both the interior and exterior of their home.  Seriously.  No wonder I like to make stuff)