As a young couple living in Hamilton, Wendy’s grandmother who lived nearby really was our closest geographical and helpful relative in those days. Now when I say helpful, she was able to take a very young Philip though we usually weren’t sure if he was looking after her or her looking after him. In retrospect, it was probably Philip who had the best eyes and hearing and surely quickest and more stable on his feet.

Here’s Grandma all dressed up for our commissioning – we had family around that day for many understandable reasons – Keith and Jean, G&G Redbourne, Barb, Grandpa Kitney had died the year before and Mom and Dad, Wendy’s Mom, but for some reason I don’t have many pictures of that day. Weird.

Somewhere along the way in the early 90s, maybe late 80s G Kitney bought a chair, a single swivel rocker for her very tiny apartment in Hamilton.

I was looking for a picture of it or her in it, I haven’t found one, but I do have a picture of it now. Yes, it is still around – and Philip and Amanda have had it in their house for many years! Now that I think about it, I assume that it was at our house in Calgary and Phil took it with him when he moved out. So it’s been around a while and been moved several times.

But lately, it has needed some work so Philip took it apart – much to my amazement we discovered on the tag underneath it, and yes still there, was this tag. It was made in Red Deer by the Sims Furniture Ltd. and is still in business. So we were really interested to see what he would do.

With some fresh Maple supports Phil crafted and stained new legs….

He makes it look so easy – he’s such a great craftsman – and suddenly the old chair has new life. It was a delight to see it back on its new feet and resting in the corner again. How many hours has this chair given our family and now his Great-Grandmother’s chair is providing comfort for a few more years.