Have you been watching Deadliest Catch? If so, then you know that one of the boat captains, Phil Harris, recently (in Feb) had a fatal stroke, and that the program had at least 2 programs devoted to a memorial for him and remembrances from his sons, the other boat captains and crews, and from loyal fans all over the country.
One of the things they talked about several times was rough, tough Capt. Phil's hobby of hand-building the most beautiful, intricate bird houses! They had ladders and steps up to the wrap-around porches, hanging flower baskets, chandeliers, fireplaces with logs, furniture galore, table decorations, lights - everything was hand-carved, took an inordinate amount of time and took patience and a loving touch to achieve, made all the more amazing by the fact that Capt. Phil was really gruff, had a foul mouth when at work on the boat, was unkept, had long, unruly hair, was unshaven, had bad teeth, was heavily tattooed, loved fast expensive cars and motorcycles (3 of which he kept in his LIVING ROOM !), spent money like water, and lived in a broken-down trailer. But what the memorials revealed was that he loved his boys and worried about them, deeply loved his ex-wife until the day he died, his best friend whom he truly loved was his little, scruffy, fluffy lap dog. They revealed the real Phil - the one who hand-fashioned delicate, beautiful bird houses, the likes of which none of us had ever seen before.
When I saw your dollhouses and the mini quilts you made for them, I was reminded of the time and love Phil put into his hobby, and you also put into your hobby a lot of devotion, time, love and dedication which we can all see and appreciate. You've really done it, girl. Keep it up and please show us more pics. What you've done is just wonderful. Too bad you don't live in Pittsburgh - I'd ask you for lessons!