Dearest Wife,

      You know I hike a lot, and oftentimes my path follows the trail we walked at night while dating and stealing kisses under the moonlight long ago.
      It brings to mind flutters of remembrance every day and makes me glad you are mine.

Love,

      Your Husband

I'm often asked if I have talents or interests aside from writing, and I do. I find artists, and I consider writing an art, create in various mediums. This is true for me, and I have a particular love for the artisan crafts such as quilting, basket weaving, and stained-glass work.

Of these, stained glass holds a particular fascination for me. I learned this art from a well-known and highly-talented artist in Nashville, Tennessee, in the mid-80s.

Looking for something to entertain me, I signed up for a beginner's class, and little did I know my life-long love of this art would be born.

The class was structured around a small project, and several patterns were available. I picked a vase of tulips and distinctly remember the teacher's comment; the piece was more advanced than a beginner project, but if chosen, she felt confident I would learn everything there was to know about glass work in the making of that panel. Loving a challenge, I selected that very design and went to work.
This pattern required lead came construction due to its size.


A reinforcing border of zinc U-channel was cut and placed against the 90-degree frame on my wooden workboard. The first glass pieces from that section of the design were inserted into this channel.

Next, lead came, stretched and cut to size, was placed around the glass and held in place with horseshoe nails. After the remaining pieces were cut, ground to their most accurate fit, and positioned, the top and remaining side of the previously cut zinc U-channels were secured. At this stage of the construction, every lead came joint was soldered, including the corners of the zinc frame. Putty was mixed, tinted, and carefully pushed under the lead channel, and once dry, secured the glass from moving. Finally, the lead was polished.

I used a short, wooden horsehair brush to polish the lead to its beautiful, natural sheen, both dark and rich in appearance. The solder joints were blackened with patina to match. Finally, after mounting in a wooden frame, the piece was ready to hang in a location where daylight shines through and illuminates the glasses' texture and color.