Dan has 212 model cars that he is excited to build

This sounds like an awful lot of model cars.  But considering that he has already made 46 cars in the past year, he is actually going to run out of all these vintage, unique, and beautiful cars in about three years.  And the new modern cars are just not beautiful. (Note: three of these 212 model cars are the ones that Grandpa Dan is building with our grandsons.)

Meanwhile, all these boxes of cars have to be stored somewhere.  And that somewhere is in our garage—in cabinets, on shelves, and in the attic. 

And of course to build a model car, one needs lots of supplies—paints, tools, sand paper, glue, clamps, and much more.  

Some of these supplies live in our guest bedroom closet with our Seattle to Portland (STP) jackets, our dance shoes, and my dancing dresses.

Dan has a model car supply “to-go” kit that he uses when we are at home.  The “to-go” kit also travels with us when we head out into the desert to camp and hike.  It’s sort of like an old fashioned sewing kit—a little of most everything he might need to build a car in one container.  Smart idea and very handy.

This kit lives in our living room, along with whatever car (or cars) he is working on at the time.

Another thing that is needed to build a model car is a work space to paint the various parts of each car.  What better place to paint a car, than on top of my chest freezer in the garage!

In Dan’s defense, I have to admit that we bought one of the smallest homes in Leisure World.  And then we turned our extra room into an Activity Room, where we play ping pong and dance.  We love our small home.  We are never more that a few feet away from each other, and we can see and talk to each other all the time. 

I also have to be honest and admit that I have used the entire closet in our hallway for my sewing, knitting, and jewelry making supplies, and all my maps of our Public Lands where we camp and hike. (I can spend hours perusing these old-fashioned paper map, so I guess it is a sort of hobby of mine too.)

I am happy that Dan has resumed his childhood hobby of building model cars.  I enjoy all his unfinished and completed model cars.  And I like all the clutter that is part of building them.  It makes this house feel like our home….Nuestra Casa.  

The truth is that I love to watch my Danny create his model cars.  Each one is a little piece of art. It takes great patience, concentration, attention to detail, and an artists eye.  Dan’s cars are unique and beautiful.  They add a dimension to our day to day life.  He lovingly and slowly builds a car, and I lovingly watch him.

And look how beautifully Dan’s cars decorate our Activity Room!