Crossbows, cannons, bunk beds--those are chump change compared to the granddaddy of garage projects. Yes, I'm speaking of the all mighty Pine Wood Derby Car.
I've gained great appreciation for those pre-fab kits you can buy at the craft store. Sure, they lack a little personality, but only a little, and put on a shiny coat of paint, add an army man, and it's a custom hot rod. Of course, my son's definition of "custom" makes my definition look like custom in the sense of customizing your Richmond tract home with brown carpet instead of beige.
But our latest true custom Pine Wood Derby car is nearly on par with my heirloom hand-made wedding dress.
When Grandpa was visiting, and my son asked for a little help on his car, well...you can imagine what followed. Yep, a couple of visits to the hardware store, two hours of math lessons on proportions, half a bottle of glue, and about a pound-and-a-half of sawdust later (and a few whispers of "he's making this all a little complicated"), what emerged was the fanciest sports car to ever hit a Cub Scout Derby track. Oh, yeah, it even ran pretty fast (as if that mattered when all was said and done).
There is something that happens when you give a boy and his grandpa free reign with a block of wood, a little imagination, a bit of determination, and a power sander Dremmel. Could that really have been how the Lord began--a little art project for school, or maybe even a Pine Wood Derby wood block, then asking his grandpa for a little help (that part's left out of the scriptures), and an afternoon later, the solar system?
Well, you know what they say, "home is where we train for the eternities." I can't wait to see what kinds of planets these guys come up with someday ( I hope one of them involves something to do with rivers flowing with chocolate and flowers made of snickerdoodles).
In the mean time, that "Best Design" certificate hangs proudly on the bedroom wall right next to the framed letter from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf--but that's another story.
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