Memories of Grandpa Morton

I talked with my Mom the other day about her dad and I was reminded of a few things. It's funny how something like a smell can bring a ton of memories flooding back from years ago. I started thinking about this about a month ago when I caught a whiff of someone chewing Juicy Fruit gum. Immediately, I was in my Grandpa Morton's garage with him working on some project. When he would bend over and tell me something that was just between us and not for Grandma to know about, I could smell the fruity aroma of the Juicy Fruit gum he chewed. Occasionally, if I was good (defined as not letting the screen door slam), I would even get stick of my own to chew.

Grandpa's garage was a heavenly place. He had shelves and drawers just full of fancy gizmos and tools. There were sheets of plywood and pieces of threaded rods and all sorts of things a small boy did not know how to use, but when Grandpa used them, it was like magic. One of the things that really fascinated me was that he had thirty or forty round bottles with their lids screwed onto the underside of shelves that held screws, nuts and bolts, and nails of all kinds. He even had one section where the bottles were screwed onto two boards connected together forming an X. These boards were hung in a way that they turned like a roll of paper towels. You could turn the rack and expose the bottles that had the screws you needed. He said it was one of his "inventions". Grandma always had a bottle of that "Homade Chili Sauce" in the fridge. I never knew whether they really liked the stuff or just bought it so that Grandpa would have a place to rathole some more hardware.

Grandpa had one of those old style shaving brushes that he used with a hand razor. He would work up a lather, spread it on his face and go to work shaving. A lot of the time that I knew him, he had a full beard, but Grandma wouldn't let it get too out of control. Another smell that reminds me of him is the Old Spice after shave that he used. Even though I hear lots of people complain that they don't like the smell of Old Spice, it is still my favorite. I still use it today, even though some think it a bit old-fashioned. It is a small way that I can have Grandpa with me still.

Shortly before Grandpa died, he let me have one of his homemade tool boxes. This one was fashioned out of marine grade plywood to hold his Skil saw and a Craftsman jig saw. He made special holders for a small square and a two-foot level. There are places to hold the extra saw blades and the tools to remove blades and adjust the saw. Grandpa's ingenuity at how to construct this box has always amazed me. I have to admire the workmanship of his hands, especially the small details. He used Grandma's old prescription bottles to hold the small jigsaw blades. This is something that I started doing about ten years ago. I thought it was my own idea. I was surprised to find this pill bottle in the bottom of this toolbox last month. When I open this box, there is a distinctive smell of marine grade plywood. Grandpa always had it around the garage. I don't know if it was leftover from the boats he built or if he just preferred to use this kind of wood. Whenever I smell this smell, I immediately think about Grandpa Morton. I love the smell of the wood, because it reminds me of the times I spent with Grandpa. A lot of these times were when my Mom was sick and we were all afraid that we would lose her. All of my grandparents helped me to understand that our family would protect us kids if Mom didn't make it. This toolbox is not just a memento from my grandfather's life. It is a symbol of the enduring love of family.