Hello Everyone.
I wish I could explain how I have become an innovative creator of unique products using reclaimed and recycled materials over the past few years. I cannot. Most of my career was spent in the commercial real estate field. Upon retirement from this industry, not from life, I decided to forge a new life path. This exploration of life options led me to using my talents to "create" fun and useful home furnishings from reclaimed natural items. In a chance tour of a landscape recycle area, I found old logs ready for the chipper. I retrieved them, finished them into stump tables, and discovered not only a love of the process, but also an item people wanted. This led me to Bruner Lumber, an outstanding supplier of lumber milled from old growth cypress logs reclaimed from Florida rivers. This wood is called sinker/deadhead cypress. Much of it is hundreds of years old. I fell in love with the beauty of old growth timber, especially cypress. I now specialize in the creation of home and commercial furnishings, accessories and sculptures from reclaimed wood. For those of you in search of unique, natural items for your home or business, please consider the joy and beauty of sinker cypress. Then, along my life's journey, I started to make sea glass with a friend Mark. This led to coming up with a necklace pendant with Chinese life symbols painted by my artist friend Velda. Then came the sea glass necklaces. It was fun to create, so I tried making wrap and leather bracelets. This was fun too. So, along comes my super cool granddaughter Bianca saying Ompa (me) can you make different necklaces with leather and deer skin cords to wear at her college, and maybe for her to sell and make some money. You know, our life journeys can take us many interesting and fun places, if only we open up our minds and say "sure I could do this." "Sure I could do this" does not have to apply only to creating things or being an artist. What about attempting to make a change in this wonderful world we live it. Be an activist, maybe not as forceful as Gloria Steinham, but with a purpose to change something important to you and/or your family. One of my favorite sayings is: "A tsunami starts with a ripple, let your voice be heard." A change starts with a ripple, and builds from there. And here I am, four years after my initial post. Things have changed, but things have stayed the same also. I am now 77 and with it comes some physical aging issues, nothing serious. However, the creative mind and motivation is still there, thank GOD. Seems like each day, I have the urge to create something new or work with someone on a joint project. The attitude of "sure I can do this" is stronger than ever. It is amazing what can be done mentally and physically when this attitude is a strong part of tour persona. I have found this attitude of CAN DO can also apply to helping others, promoting love and joy, and contribute to helping change America and the world. This has become a strong element of ME these days. A strong ME can do a lot of great things in today's difficult world. So, when people tell me "it can't be done" or "you are nuts," I just smile and go about doing it. If Henry Ford has listened to the naysayers, we still would be riding horses. I have found everyone has a passion, a way to express creativity. It doesn't have to be in art. It just needs an open mind, imagination and a solid look at themselves. I wish everyone a very creative, love filled life. Get those blinders off and see the real YOU. |