The Red Oak Rocking Chair

What makes a rocking chair so appealing for rocking? People rock for comfort, fun, relaxation, pleasure, or rest, so there must be something special about a rocking chair. In her book, The Red Oak Rocking Chair, author Nelibeth Plaza tells the story of one particular rocking chair that shares surprising, heartwarming, joyful, and sorrowful details of a family. A handcrafted, wooden rocking chair, intended for giving comfort and pleasure to others, goes on its own journey of love, joy, discomfort, excitement, pleasure, and pain as a new baby comes into the family. As it first rocks the baby and then witnesses her grow up, the red oak rocking chair gives readers details of each sensation, from stinky diaper smells to being bitten by the babys incoming teeth! Along with the excitement, joys, and laughter of a baby and exploring toddler are the bittersweet times of detachment when a child must all too soon grow up and begin her own journey into the world. The Red Oak Rocking Chair provides a unique perspective on life and love.

An old rocking chair is recycled through a neighborhood, broken down bit by bit as young and old find various uses for it, until it ends up as a tiny footstool in the hands of the original owner.

Clara was a godsend. She had to be, for few experienced such talent at 16 years old. The ability of playing the piano required hard work, but she learned quickly and easier than most. From experiences out of her control, she moved from Tupelo to the middle of the Mississippi delta. Though a loving grandmother welcomed her, the move was life changing and difficult for the both of them. The piano she left behind was her first love and when her fingers were on the keys a gentleness and soothing came over her. Her mouth could never speak how her heart felt. Memories of the past plagued her with fear at times as she was now alone, except for her grandparents. Clara became friends with a dark auburn haired young man, who worked on the railroad. He too was from the "hills" and recently moved to the delta. She finds the southern delta people very different from those in Tupelo, but soon steals their hearts.

Why do people consider aesthetic qualities as well as utilitarian ones in the making of everyday objects? Why do they maintain traditions? What is the nature of their creative process? These are some of the larger questions addressed by Michael Owen Jones in his book on craftsmen in the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Kentucky. Concentrating on the work of one man, woodworker and chairmaker Chester Cornett, Jones not only describes the tools and techniques employed by Cornett but also his aspirations and values. Cornett possessed a deep knowledge of his materials and a mastery of construction methods. Some of his chairs represent not objects of utility but aesthetic developments of the chair form. Cornett sought to cope with the problems of his life, Jones maintains; their massiveness provided a sense of security, the virtuosity of their design and construction, a feeling of self-esteem. Jones also compares other area craftsmen and their views about their work.

Traces the history of the rocking chair, shows traditional and modern designs, and looks at the rocking chair as portrayed in art.

This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

Already haunted by the death of his mother and forced to live in a dilapidated cabin with his abusive stepbrother, eleven-year-old Joshua Jennings is swept away in a flash flood and marooned in the backwaters of the Mississippi River to fight for survival while intrigue develops in the efforts to rescue him. Pretty Bird, a novel set in rural West Kentucky in 1921, is the story of Joshua’s disappearance, rescue, and ultimate survival. It is a testament to his faith in God as taught to him by his late mother. The story includes examples of family discord, vindictiveness, and fear. But most of all, it is a story of inspiration, forgiveness, redemption, and relief. Pretty Bird tells the poignant story of Joshua’s spiritual and physical growth on his journey of becoming a man.

Showcases 10 talented furniture makers who have taught at the Penland School of Crafts. Woodwork descriptions and photographs include the works of: Craig Nutt, Paul M. Sasso, Michael Puryear, Curtis Buchanan, Doug Sigler, Brent Skidmore, Jere Osgood, Jenna Goldberg, John Clark, Kurt Nielsen.

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