Spinning Wheel -- Part Two

Today I am going to tell you the story

of my second favorite

spinning wheel....

When I was turning 50 years old 

my husband said he would like to give

me a special gift for my special day.

He asked if I would like a diamond ring, 

or some kind of jewelry....

I didn't....

I told him I would give it some thought 
and let him know.

We were living in northern North Dakota 
at that time. We were close to Minot, ND  and 
every year they have the North Amercia's Largest

Scandinavian Festival called the Norsk Hostfest.
(FYI -- I am 100% Norweign)

We went and the strangest thing happened to me.

Mike was off looking at one thing and 
I was a little ways off  looking at something else.  
All of a sudden this women fixed her eyes on

me and started walking towards me.  
I didn't think anything of it as I didn't know her.

She came up to me and said
 "you need to go to this building" 
(I can't remember the exact name of it)
and she walked away.  
I was taken by surprise and 
didn't know what to do....

I didn't think fast enough to say WHY?  
Mike had seen this and came

up to me and asked who the woman was 
and I told him the story.  
We kind of laughed it off and

kept looking around.  
After awhile we came to the building 
she had told me to go to and I said to Mike 

well here it is....

We walked in and there were people 
weaving but nothing out of the ordinary.  
We just kept looking around....
all of a sudden we went around this
 corner and there sat an older gentleman 
spinning on the most beautiful spinning wheel.  
My eyes opened WIDE!  
I said to Mike -- I want that wheel for my birthday!

So he said he would go and talk to him.  
When he did he found that the gentleman was from 

Norway and didn't speak English very well. 
 They talked quite sometime and Mike asked if he 

could purchase the wheel.  
The man chuckled and  said 
"Oh no, it is one of a kind.  
It was hand made by a gentleman in Norway."  
Mike asked if this man was still making them.  
He was told the gentleman was 87 years old 
and he didn't know if he would make any more or not. 
 So Mike got the information to contact 
the person in Norway and we went on with our day.

When we got home I wrote a letter to 
this gentleman and after a few weeks 
I got a letter from this man's son.  
He said his father didn't speak English and 
 all correspondence would be through him.  
He said that his father  agreed to make a wheel for me.  
But it would take a year to do.  
He said that his father was a retired ship builder 
and had started making wheels after he had retired. 
   

As the year went by I prayed 
that he would stay in good health 
and that we would be able to get it safely.
  

As was promised, a year later it arrived in 
a large box from Norway.  
It was all hand made. 
 Every piece made separately.  
Only two places with hardware.
  His son told me that it was 
the last wheel his father was going to make.  

I LOVED IT!

This is Mr. Heldal and the wheel he made for me...

Here is another eerie fact....

In corresponding with his son I told
 him about my great grandmother's wheel.  
He asked where she lived in Norway....

I asked my cousin MarLynn, who had that information,
 and she gave me the name of the 
town my great grandmother came to the states from....

and much to my amazement 
she lived in the same town 
that Mr. Heldal lives.

Oh my!  It was so strange....
I got more information from my cousin 
and Mr. Heldal's son and I tried to 
find people with great grandma's maiden 
name but no luck.  After all it has been a while
since she was there....ha ha....

This made the wheel even more special to me.

No, Mr. Heldal isn't the man that   
 made great grandma's wheel but

to think that is was the same town....

I am honored to have this beautiful 
piece of art made by the 
hands of this talented artist.

I think of him when I spin on it and
wish I could have met him....
but somehow I feel like I know him.

 (he even signed it)

I cherish this wheel as much as
 I do my great grandma's.

Needless to say it was the BEST birthday gift 
I have EVER received!

Oh and yes, it spins beautifully!

I guess who ever that woman was that 
came up to me was sent by "someone"
up above that wanted me to have this 
beautiful gift....
maybe I'll find out someday....

Happy Spinning!

Beth

By the work one knows the workman.
Jean de La Fontaine