Whale and Polar Bear and the Silver Frame

I made this cross stitch back in 2003.  15 years ago.  Time flies when you’re having fun.  This is more about the frame than the actual work.  The design was just something I thought was more mystical than pretty.  Not very many people will actually get a view like this.  You see a lot of pictures and designs with tropical water scenes ½ & ½  with the coral and bright fish.  I live in Florida, all I would have to do is go 60 miles south to Key West and see that in abundance.  The design was simple and straightforward even the &%$#) french knots.  No I don’t like them.  In fact these days if I have them they get replaced with beading a lot of the time. 

This project was more about what happened after I finished it.  I knew how I wanted to finish it.  Just a simple silver frame.  Not grey, not metal…Silver.  You would think that would be simple wouldn’t you, but no.  So I did what any daughter would do and complained to my Dad as he was creating something wonderful in his own shop. My Dad was a genius.  He invented, created and sometimes built his own tool to create what he wanted.  Anyway, I told him all I wanted is a simple Silver frame for my project that I just completed and couldn’t find one anywhere.  He said “well, that’s easy”  I just looked at him.  I didn’t know what he was thinking, as usual.   He said” let’s go” , and away we went.  We got in his 1986 pickup and headed to town.  Took me straight to the lumber yard (his third home away from home, first being Ace Hardware) Took me to the trimming isle and said pick one.  ???? I informed him it was a frame I needed, not a doorway.  He laughed at me again as usual and said that is what we are making.  Ok, I picked a simple design, no frills, no thrill, we went to the SPRAY paint isle and he said pick one.  Ok…. I picked my simple silver.  He bought it and we went back to his shop by way of my place to pick up the design.  He didn’t trust my measuring & I didn’t trust his greasy shop so in a baggy it went.  We measured, cut my trim board on a 45 degree, glued, nailed.  He then proceeded to hang a wire across the room, threading it through the bare frame.  Got my “simple silver” spray paint and gave it 3 coats without ever touching it.  So basically in 2 hours time he gave me exactly what I wanted.   No questions, no himhawing, just “Let’s go”!  I miss that man so much…