A few years back

My best guess is that this photo was taken in 1980-81.  Jeri was in her "Amy Grant bangs" phase; Dad was in his "Look like I have a comb-over, even though I don't" phase; Mom just looks great; Jill was in her "Cute as a button" phase; Lisa was in her "How deep can I make my dimples look" phase; Julie was conflicted with her "come hither" shoulder strap, combined with her "birth control" glasses; and I was one strong wind away from taking flight with those long collars.  Yep, that was one handsome family.

Mom and Dad 2007

Can't help myself from posting this picture of my parents.  They've been at this for over 50 years!  Don't worry, they have a license.

Markwood Products Inc. AKA: How The Siblings Came To Be

The photo at right was a screen shot of a fun conference call that took place Christmas day 2009.  In the photo, clockwise from the top right is Lisa, Julie, Jill, Jeri and yours truly, Scott.

Lisa and I live in the High Point NC area, Julie lives in Minnesota, and Jeri and Jill live in the Denver area.

To really understand us you need to know a little bit about where we come from.  We are all products of a sweet couple whom we lovingly refer to as "Markwood Products Inc.", which would make us all "Markwood Products". 

Mom and Dad have been "Having and Holding" since November 1958!  We all had the pleasure of watching our parents love each other and each of us through our countless struggles, joys, heartaches, highs, lows, loves, losses, and all along the way they were solid anchors that we knew without a shadow of a doubt would always be there for us.

Even more important to our growth was (and still is) their steadfast faith in Jesus.  Sure they've had days and periods of absolute suckyness, but they continue to teach us that no one ever said life here was going to be fair.  To quote my son:  "Never let your setbacks determine your destiny. We're called for greater things, & life's too short to dwell on the past."
   
I hope you get a chance to meet my folks someday, but if you don't I hope you'll see them when you meet one of us.

Meet Lisa and "Lake Awesome"

Lisa, aka "Lysol", is the second sibling, and she was blessed with a mind that sees no boundaries.  When she gets something in her mind there is no stopping her.  Like what you ask?  Well, Lisa's son Max comes in the back door one day with a buddy and a shovel and announces that he's going out back to build a lake!  A lake?  Yep.

Fast forward and Lisa has the entire family in the back yard excavating what is well on it's way to becoming "Lake Awesome"! The arrow on the pic at right points to the "lake" before Lisa got into it.

The bottom photo shows the current state of the lake. 

So, in typical Lisa style she did a bunch of research on designs for pond filtration, plant life and fish.  From there she generated a design that would offer the most shoreline, without eating her entire back yard.  This is the same back yard, by the way, where she built a fence, a fire pit, an elevated fort with zip-line, and a new MASSIVE swing for her grandson.

Lisa is a woodworker and has created many of the furniture and decorative pieces in her home on her Shopsmith Mark V.  She also made an impressive closet and pantry organization system from scratch.  Not only is Lisa gifted with the stick-to-it gene, but she has an excellent eye for style and design.

Lisa has taken a few stabs at selling her crafts online, but I think she's more content building things for her home and for her family.

The quite man on the left in the photo at right is David, Lisa's husband since 1982.  David was my best friend when we were in Jr. High School; though that all came to an end when he had the audacity to fall in love with my sister!  YUCK! 

More on David later.

UPDATE: Sept 2012
I've got a Lake Awesome update for you.  After some time off and a little flip-flopping as to the fate of Lake Awesome, Lisa and David have been encouraged by their four year old grandson Jonas to press on and finish Lake Awesome!  Here's a current pic from Google Maps:

Final update: June 2024

This one is long overdue. About four years ago Lisa and David sold their home and moved to another town outside of High Point, NC, and in preparation for that they filled Lake Awesome. On a weird side note, the new owners of the property have added on a MASSIVE addition to their home, which is what now draws the eye when I look at this current arial pic. Even so, I can still make out some of the outline of Lake Awesome, but for the most part all that's left is our memories of it. 

Meet Julie Markwood Nordine

Julie, or "Pulie" as we call her, is the fourth sibling, and is probably the most recognizable of five of us.  Julie is a professional glass bead maker!  No, seriously.  If this is new to you like it was to me, then the fact that they call themselves "Lampworkers" is even more odd.

I'll let Julie explain it:
Lampworking is an ancient process which originally used wax or oil lamps to melt glass... hence the name LAMPWORK. Today’s bead artist has replaced the oil lamp with a fuel & oxygen torch and each bead is created from the inside out, by first carefully heating the colored glass rods to temperatures up to 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. Molten glass is then wrapped around a steel rod called a mandrel, color by color, layer by layer, beads are formed, decorated and finished in  the  flame, then placed in a high temperature digitally controlled kiln to anneal and cool slowly for many hours to ensure strength and longevity.  

Julie's business is called "Credit River Art Glass", which is an odd name until you understand that she lives with her family in Credit River Minnesota.

Julie can be found all over the USA visiting and showing at Lampwork shows and if ANYONE has a lamp burning she'll be there encouraging and learning.  Julie is essentially a glass sponge! 

Julie's web site is www.creditriverartglass.com and you owe it to yourself to drop by and look through her galleries.   I also encourage you to visit her BLOG at creditriverartglass.blogspot.com

We're proud of you Pulie!

Click here to find Books on Lampwork

I finally got Julie to sit down in front of the camera for an interview. This video is posted on her Youtube channel, where she has shared dozens of her lampworking techniques. 

Let me introduce you to Jeri

How can I say this politely...  Jeri was around before any of us were siblings.  (How's that Mom?)
Like most first children Jeri was always the model for the rest of us.  I know that she is both proud and burdened by that fact, but all in all I think she's worn it well. 

Jeri studied Art, Computers and Freebies at Ohio University and is uniquely suited to sell closet organization systems in Colorado. 

Jeri is the mother of two wonderful kids and when she's not spending time with them she is obsessing about all things silver.  In fact, I would be willing to bet at any moment in time that her body weight is approximately 43% sterling silver.

Update, Nov 2017

After a years-long battle with cancer, we lost Jeri on Nov 22, 2017. 

Meet Jill

Jill, (AKA "Jill-Pill" or "Pill-Butt" as she is better known in our house) is the youngest of the siblings, and like all of my sisters she is incredibly talented.   As you can see from this photo from my daughter's wedding, Jill's main gift is in the area of cosmetology.  Despite being tiny and trim, Jill is the proud mother of four!  

Meet Me

This is a bit surreal.  I write quite a bit about a variety of subjects and people, but not much about me.  I suppose it's partly because I'm a private person, and partially because of shyness.  Many who think they know me think that's a joke, but I assure you it's not.  A recent 10 question survey on Face Book reveled that all but my wife and kids failed answering the questions as they thought I would answer. 

In Earl Nightingale's "The Strangest Secret" he points out that a man becomes what he thinks about, so just for fun here are a few things I find myself thinking about:

• My bride, our children, our 9 grandkids and my extended family
• Training and selling skills
• Three wheeled cars
• Business ideas, names, marketing plans
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  
• Woodworking and woodworking tools
• Corn cob pipes
• Wooden gear clocks
• Youtube videos supporting Shopsmith tool users
• Food, restaurants, names, marketing plans
• Music, trivia
• Happy movies, movies with disturbing endings (Arlington Road)
• Disc golf, and how bummed I am that I haven't been able to play since I ripped my shoulder a few years back)

That's not all, but that's enough.  How's that Julie?

A Markwood reunion.

It's been four years since we were all together, and last week my family descended upon the High Point, NC area as a surprise for our sister Lisa's 50th B-day.

From L to R:
Dad (Cal), Mom (Peggy), Lisa (Lysol), Jill (Pill), Scott (me), Jeri (Jeritol), Julie (Pulie).

Taken April 18, 2012

A few of us are hanging out on Youtube.

This video is of my little sister Julie Nordine showing our big sister Lisa how she makes glass beads.


In this video my two little sisters and I are installing some public artwork in Littleton CO.


This video is of my little sister Jill and our parents as we repair some public artwork in Littleton CO.


Here's my Aristocob corn cob pipe Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Aristocob
Here's my "Tool-Hunter" Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MrToolhunter
Herw's my brides and my Corn Cob Pipe website: http://www.aristocob.com