Thankful for this hobby.

[E St. Kruiser50]

Hi all

Was spending some quiet time this morning praying and thanking God for this amazing hobby that I am so sold out to, and have been passionately dedicated to, in my own way, nearly my entire life now, like many of you other " OLDER GUY'S" here - LOL. (Notice I didn't say old )

For me, what a blessing, especially now at my age, to still feel so young and excited about something I love so much, and to have such incredible friends, for me, makes life the absolute best.

I'm still blown away by the quality of people who call me "friend", because I know I don't deserve them, but am truely blessed because of them.

Probably, like a lot of you guy's, this hobby was a friend, when we were all going through hard times, an believe me I've had a few like most of us here, and it helped me get through those insurmountable odds of life, and brought us back to where life is good again.

Now, there are times when I wake up in the middle of the night, with an idea, and go into my "cave" and "play", because I'm too excited not to, or I just go in and look at my latest project, and let myself be filled with those feelings we can't always describe, but give into because they feel to good not to

Or how about when that latest eBay winning shows up at the door, or the latest kit you've been waiting for finally shows up at your LHS (Tijuana Taxi & Rommels Rod-Can't wait), and you get it home and begin opening it up, and everything inside you is sorta going crazy with excitement (Notice I use that word a lot here - ).

Everyone of my friends in this hobby, have exactly the same response to their latest "treasures" they have acquired, and just never get over it, and don't want to. ME EITHER!! And hopefully never will!!

As I've gotten older, but not nearly as wise as I'd like to be, I've started realizing that life and this hobby are a lot more about being a gift, than it is about being a right.

Anyway, thought I'd share these thoughts and feelings, as for me they were too good not too.

Thanks all for making this a great hobby for me.

keep on doin' what ya love - Dave

Edited November 4, 2008 by Treehugger Dave

[The Creative Explorer]

or the latest kit you've been waiting for finally shows up at your LHS (Tijuana Taxi & Rommels Rod-Can't wait),

Really?

From where are you Dave in Oregon?

[E St. Kruiser50]

Really?

From where are you Dave in Oregon?

Not yet steef - just dreamin'

[The Creative Explorer]

Seriously, I already thought I heard the rumour for Revell 2009....Just hoped it was true.....

[ricky12]

DAVE I HOPE I CAN SPEAK FOR SOME IF NOT MANY , ON THIS SITE THANK YOU FOR SOME OF THE WORK AND THE COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE GAVE US . I FEEL YOU HAVE GAVE SOME GREAT ADVISE AND BELEAVE YOU WILL BE AROUND AWHILE . LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MANY MORE GREAT LOOKING MODELS . THANK YOU !!!!!

[Modellpularn]

Dave, I also feel the same way about this hobby! Since I got my new computer, and found my way out on the 'net, there's a whole new world that's opened up.... with ebay... hmm I feel like some drug addict that's in need of a fix, and the fix for us, is that old kit that holds a special memory of our youth, or something similar. Before you get it home, you're a bit of a wreck, and when it finally arrives, you have this stupid grin on your face, and you give up a big sigh of contentment. Am I right?

The friends. Modelers are the best friends, I know, I've said it before, and it's true. Like you said Dave, I've also made many new friends on different modeling forums. Our swedish, and this one, and the other place - you know which one..... that I don't visit very much these days. Before internet, it was down to writing letters, and I sent pics of my models to Street Rodder. They published some of the pics in their first installment of Modelers Corner, and two years later a whole page of my stuff.... Wow, I had no idea! That led eventually to a trip to the US in 1981, where I met Tim Boyd. And it was like meeting an old friend, since we "spoke styrene" So cool to meet somebody on the other side of the world, and connect instantly! At the time, I used to write about models in Wheels, a swedish "hot rod" type magazine, and I did a story about Tim's models. At this year's NNL in Toledo, a swedish friend of mine attended, and met Tim, and he sent me a greeting through my friend who told me on our swedish forum.

When I've been to a model contest in the US, and here in Sweden too, it's always a friendly atmosphere, and whatever troubles you may have, disappear right away! Puts a big smile on your face.

Tonight I visited another modeling friend. He had a resin '58 Pontiac that I wanted, so I went for a drive in my El Camino to pick it up.... pun not intended... That was nice also, +5C and dry streets. But now I have to fix the Volvo....

[Nick F40]

Dave, I also feel the same way about this hobby! Since I got my new computer, and found my way out on the 'net, there's a whole new world that's opened up.... with ebay... hmm I feel like some drug addict that's in need of a fix, and the fix for us, is that old kit that holds a special memory of our youth, or something similar. Before you get it home, you're a bit of a wreck, and when it finally arrives, you have this stupid grin on your face, and you give up a big sigh of contentment. Am I right?

The friends. Modelers are the best friends, I know, I've said it before, and it's true. Like you said Dave, I've also made many new friends on different modeling forums. Our swedish, and this one, and the other place - you know which one..... that I don't visit very much these days. Before internet, it was down to writing letters, and I sent pics of my models to Street Rodder. They published some of the pics in their first installment of Modelers Corner, and two years later a whole page of my stuff.... Wow, I had no idea! That led eventually to a trip to the US in 1981, where I met Tim Boyd. And it was like meeting an old friend, since we "spoke styrene" So cool to meet somebody on the other side of the world, and connect instantly! At the time, I used to write about models in Wheels, a swedish "hot rod" type magazine, and I did a story about Tim's models. At this year's NNL in Toledo, a swedish friend of mine attended, and met Tim, and he sent me a greeting through my friend who told me on our swedish forum.

When I've been to a model contest in the US, and here in Sweden too, it's always a friendly atmosphere, and whatever troubles you may have, disappear right away! Puts a big smile on your face.

Tonight I visited another modeling friend. He had a resin '58 Pontiac that I wanted, so I went for a drive in my El Camino to pick it up.... pun not intended... That was nice also, +5C and dry streets. But now I have to fix the Volvo....

Fix that Volvo

Yeah, it's like a drug fix for me too, il ove it becuase you guys understand me....ever since my dad and I joined the clubs and ModelCars....it just escalated from there. Buddy's i met, the shows, the meetings, everything, great freinds and a hobby to hang around with. I probably spend more time with you guys and guys from the meetings than my school friends. Personally i'd rather hang out with them, the older then me folks are more entertaining and the stories are awsome. Sorry Dub, the younger ones who actually understand me and can relate and talk to and what i'm into, I like to hang out with too.

[E St. Kruiser50]

DAVE I HOPE I CAN SPEAK FOR SOME IF NOT MANY , ON THIS SITE THANK YOU FOR SOME OF THE WORK AND THE COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE GAVE US . I FEEL YOU HAVE GAVE SOME GREAT ADVISE AND BELEAVE YOU WILL BE AROUND AWHILE . LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MANY MORE GREAT LOOKING MODELS . THANK YOU !!!!!

Thank so much ricky12 Very kind words.

I am very, very passionate about this hobby and the friends it brings into my life.

There is always such joy when I look around my home at all I have been blessed with when it comes to this incredible hobby, that I am so blessed to be a part of, and when I enter my "Building Cave" that I mentioned, and the close friends I have, are just amazing.

One of the best I just lost two weeks ago, BOB PAETH, will forever be in my heart, as someone I loved dearly.

I hope to be around awhile too, thank you for believing in that, and hope to continue getting better at my building skills. All of you help me a lot with that. I hate being stagnant at anything.

I still have some pretty outragious goals in life, and what is life without goals?

One is, I want to live another 42 years, in good health, 'till I'm 107, and that means I will have been building models for 100 years. To me that's an outrageous goal, but gives me such energy to think about, and make plans for new things to work on. I have at least 10 scratch-building projects yet to start on for the near future, and more far beyond that. I've always been energetic, and felt like I was twenty years old, especially when my last child of five moved out -

Always been a planner and dreamer too

Right now, I think I have enough models and projects to go the distance, and that goal is a good excuse to buy even more kit's LOL

Can we ever own enough ????

Thanks again ricky - Hope I can live up to your kind words - Dave

Edited November 5, 2008 by Treehugger Dave