A deluxe split level for my dusty ole pile of records

I've always wanted to build something with my mom. She's a carpenter by trade and has a full wood shop at my folks house on the west side of Santa Cruz. She built the garage with her bare hands when I was a little girl and I watched her every step of the way. Because of that memory and others like it, I think of her as a woman who can build anything. So when I decided that my vinyl collection needed a little something next level to live in, naturally I turned to her.
In my dreams, we'll conquer a big project together some time, like a cabin built on a flatbed, or a bed made out of driftwood. But first thing's first, we needed to make something small and simple together.

Mom and I in the hot tub in our Santa Cruz backyard.
The back of this photograph reads:
Late in the month 8/83, 10 months old
She loved the hot tub today- but sometimes she doesn't

This hot tub once belonged to my aunt and uncle. it lived in the backyard of their home in the San Jose foothills. When they decided to replace the old Finnish style redwood tub with a new one, my mom swooped in and gathered the demoed lumber. She brought it back to our Santa Cruz home and rebuilt the tub for our family. That tub was a permanent fixture on our back deck for over 20 years. 

When my folks decided to tear the tub down, my mom wisely kept all the wood. Like most mid century things made out of redwood in northern California, that wood is clear heart, old growth, straight grain, ancient, rare, gorgeous treasure. It was from the larger planks of this cache (the tub seats and floor boards) that we made a split level shelving unit for my record pile.

                            

                            

Hot tub turned shelf magic in my Oakland home. 

I am so grateful for my mom who was very patient with me learning how to use new tools. I had such a great time working with you momma. Let's definitely do it again. xoxoxox

*if you replaced the stacks and stacks of Tom Petty records that Todd references in this song with stacks and stacks of Joni Mitchell records, then we'd have identical collections. Just sayin', vinyl soul mate.