B.W. Taylor and His Wood Working By Pat Kinsella Herdeg

B.W. Taylor

Mom has often said that her grandfather--Bryant Waller Taylor (B.W.)—was NOT a farmer. He did not enjoy it, although of course he lived and worked on his family farm.

He DID seem to enjoy woodworking. He had a barn full of tools for the craft—lathes, planes and chisels of all types, and a skill saw for making jigsaw puzzles. And, did he use these tools!

In the winter months, when the land was not in need to tending, he would head to the barn to work. In later years, he brought his tools to Porter Street in Batavia and continued his woodworking there.

My Heart's In the Highlands Puzzle

Desk Lamp

 

Chinese Checkers

He made numerous jigsaw puzzles (and yes, they are tough to put together—not as uniform as the puzzles we are used to today), small boxes with lids, lamps, candlestick holders and even games. Mom remembers his Chinese Checkers rounded game board. He would make some game pieces out of wood and paint them, but also game pieces out of cork, as they were far easier to carve!  B.W. also made lazy susans, and a wooden sewing stand. Many of the boxes, games and lamps would be given as gifts to friends.

B.W.'s second wife, Emily Carr Taylor

Sewing Stand

Mom remembers B.W. making a large wooden ferris wheel which was placed in the front window of his son Leon’s store on Bank Street in Batavia. It had cigar boxes for cars [ minus lids] and he electrified so it rotated! Looked grand according to Mom.

My great grandfather may not have enjoyed the career of farming he had to pursue, but I am glad that he did find at least one hobby which kept his spirit enriched. As Mom and I put together a few of Bryant Waller’s puzzles, I saw him leaning over the workbench in his barn surrounded by his tools. A man of many parts, the complexity of his puzzles equals the man.

Taylor Reunion Time! By Aunt CB

It was another great Taylor Reunion on Saturday September 19th!

It was a lovely reunion day, bookended by rain on both ends. With Uncle Harold in the nursing home, all were very aware of the shortness of life. Everyone was able to circulate well and a good time was had by all. I am sure that Aunt Ruth was pleased because her four boys were there and all we missed were her fried cakes!

The Clan, Seated

Bridget Kinsella, Maddy Kinsella, Kelly Kinsella, Leah Walker, CB Taylor Kinsella, Jack Kinsella, Ted Lochner (slightly behind Jack Kinsella), Abby Hauf, Jonah Hauf

Standing (Row Behind Seated Row)

Kathy Taylor Mills, Jen Dalle Kinsella with arm around Joe Kinsella, Maggie Kinsella, Laurie Lochner, Rosemary Holz Kinsella, Annie Taylor Catherman, Dan Kinsella (behind Annie), Judy Taylor Alberts, Tim Kinsella (behind Judy), Jessica Catherman Rooks, Chris Kinsella, Karen Maney, Lorraine Maney, Marlene Maney, Debbie Maney, Kathleen Maney, Anna Bresovski (David Lochner’s friend)

 Back Row

Gordy Mills, Rick Lochner, Olivia Rooks, Erik Rooks, Jill Miller Kinsella, Jim Kinsella, Dan Maney (behind Chris Kinsella), Michael Maney, Chuck Lochner, Colleen Maney (behind Debbie Maney), Richard Maney, Dave Lochner

 Dan Kinsella

 Rick Lochner

 Aunt CB

Uncle Jack

 Hanging out by the Lake

Checking out the Taylor Flag

Until next year!

September at Otty Lake with my Sister, Doris By CB Taylor Kinsella

September was always my favorite month at the cottage on Otty Lake. Until all the kids were out of high school and away, I was based in Rochester during that month, but as soon as the “coast was clear” I took off for Canada. Sister Doris, whenever possible, was with me. Like two giddy “high schoolers,” we headed north, sometimes together, more often one of her boys brought her, both one or two weeks together, was our goal.

Mom and Doris looking GREAT for Krissy Hawkes' wedding in 2003

These weeks, or week, were closely planned. If only a week, which was the usual, our plan was clear. Shopping and sightseeing were the norm, and surrounding towns were our goal--Lanark (pop. 1,000?), Smiths Falls (pop. 8,000?), and Perth (pop. 5,000). Allowing a day for each, our second goal was our “kitchen duty.” One year we made and canned chili sauce, one year apple sauce, always we tried “new” recipes we’d clipped through the year. Our favorite, though, was “making pickles”!

Making pickles sounded so laborious but, in truth, the recipe we followed was a simple one. Take a quart jar, cut cucumbers lengthwise to fit, stuff full, add 2 Tablespoons dry mustard, 2 teaspoons salt and 4 Tablespoons of sugar, then vinegar to almost cover and ½ to 1 cup of water. Screw lid on and shake often for a week. This we accomplished by placing the jar on the kitchen counter. Each time we passed by on our way to the bathroom, our bed, (for frequent naps), or to go outside, we’d shake it vigorously and upend it! Thus, by visit’s end, we had “made pickles” (and good ones, too)!

Mom and Doris--Looking snazzy in matching shirts (Giant Tiger, anyone??!), 1979

Both these goals, though, easy to understand because we’re TAYLORS, were encompassed in READING TIME! We read early, late, all night, snacked at 2-3 a.m. – whatever occurred, NOTHING interrupted our reading! Yes, we visited and knit as we did so, but I repeat, our READING TIME was sacred!

Two separate events pop into my head, though one, a given for every visit, was that Doris, when she “cased” a store, operated like a vacuum cleaner! She never missed an item – or a bargain! And each of those towns might have only one or two stores of our interest but they were spread miles apart! Therefore, after two or three years of my driving to repeat town stores, because she’d decided she really DID want to buy “such and such,” I ruled that she must make up her mind in one visit, I was not driving all over Canada, even for her!

The second event is our famous “brown sugar tart test”! I am pretty sure I’ve already written that one up for the blog though, so I’ll just content myself with a “memorable moment.” In my mind’s eye I see Doris, lying prone on her back on the couch, book open before her eyes, and on her chest, in a straight line, four brown sugar tarts, just waiting to be eaten! This I see from my vantage point of the green chair, feet on the stool and book on my chest, as awaited my perusal, on the arm of the chair, four brown sugar tarts! We voted at the end—which of these four tarts, from four different stores, were the best, before we both fell asleep!

 Mom and Doris again in almost matching shirts, 1979, at the Marble Mines

Yes, we had glorious times together! Made marvelous memories to tide me over these lazy days. Like Uncle Wiggley, maybe the next time I’ll tell you about our “toilet manufacturer quest.”