Day 6
12/07/23 22:22
July 3, 2023—
Post Six:
As creatures of the Great Depression, our parents embodied an attitude of “do it yourself”. They rarely hired people to help them, until they both were too old to do things by themselves.
Having grown up on a farm in Nebraska, Bernie was a “handyman extraordinaire”. The Porter children witnessed up close and personal what an incredibly hard worker and problem solver he was. In spite of the fact that his regular job was office related—he was a business systems supervisor for thirty years in the payroll department at the Marine Division of Westinghouse in Sunnyvale—he managed to build three homes in his adult life, as well as a cottage on their property in Los Gatos and a beautiful addition in the Santa Cruz mountains to the home of two close friends. Rhoda and Bernie even took trips across the country to visit their daughters and their families, and brought along in their truck projects to do in their daughters' homes—tile counters, cabinets, even hand-made furniture. He was quite skilled in masonry, electricity, plumbing, cabinetry, carpentry, and welding.
Rhoda participated fully in Bernie’s building projects and more. She was his design advisor and assisted in much of the labor. Even when they were both long retired, the two would regularly take trips to Handcraft Tile in Milpitas and Stonelight Tile in San Jose to buy “seconds” (slightly defective tile) in the company yards. The people who worked at those tile businesses got to know Bernie and Rhoda so well that the employees would say hello to them by name when “those old folks” would walk in the door. The Porters would also take regular trips to Johnny’s Little Baja, a roadside stand in Moss Landing. There, they would buy iron fames for eventual tile-top tables that they would make for themselves, friends, and family members. In the early days, Bernie set the tile and Rhoda did the grout work. To this day, Karen, Susie, and Kent still cherish Bernie’s and Rhoda’s signature tile table creations in their own homes.
Porters, Bruces, and MacQueens—Rhoda’s and Bernie’s 50th anniversary party at Los Gatos House—1995
Kings Beach Lake Tahoe Cabin in Winter
Bernie and Rhoda in their living room at Christmas
Rhoda visiting at Kent’s, Cyndi’s, and Megan’s Ukiah house
Ukiah House, two walls thick with steel reinforced concrete in between. 10,000 bricks were laid by Bernie and Kent.
Los Gatos House, after 5 months of building—1st wing early 1947
Rhoda and Karen in Los Gatos Kitchen at Thanksgiving
Tile and cabinetry work at Karen’s and Dave’s New Jersey House
Bernie and Rhoda helping with tile floor work, Ukiah House 1980/81
Kent, dripping tar on nail holes for roof tile, Ukiah house 1983/84
The builders (Kent, Bernie, and Rhoda), Ukiah House—seven years in the making
Kent's and Cyndi's home in Ukiah, 2020
Thanksgiving extended table in Los Gatos
Hallway in Los Gatos in late 1950s
Living room in Los Gatos
Archway and stairs, Los Gatos
Living room and bookshelf, Los Gatos—exposed late 40s redwood beams, paneling, and ceiling (very good quality from that time period) throughout the Los Gatos house
Kent and Bernie installing lintel beam at Helen’s and Genevieve’s house addition in the Santa Cruz Mountains—adobe brick walls to go between the redwood posts, and large window to go below the beam
Helen and Rhoda admiring Bernie’s hand-made arch and window
Post Six:
As creatures of the Great Depression, our parents embodied an attitude of “do it yourself”. They rarely hired people to help them, until they both were too old to do things by themselves.
Having grown up on a farm in Nebraska, Bernie was a “handyman extraordinaire”. The Porter children witnessed up close and personal what an incredibly hard worker and problem solver he was. In spite of the fact that his regular job was office related—he was a business systems supervisor for thirty years in the payroll department at the Marine Division of Westinghouse in Sunnyvale—he managed to build three homes in his adult life, as well as a cottage on their property in Los Gatos and a beautiful addition in the Santa Cruz mountains to the home of two close friends. Rhoda and Bernie even took trips across the country to visit their daughters and their families, and brought along in their truck projects to do in their daughters' homes—tile counters, cabinets, even hand-made furniture. He was quite skilled in masonry, electricity, plumbing, cabinetry, carpentry, and welding.
Rhoda participated fully in Bernie’s building projects and more. She was his design advisor and assisted in much of the labor. Even when they were both long retired, the two would regularly take trips to Handcraft Tile in Milpitas and Stonelight Tile in San Jose to buy “seconds” (slightly defective tile) in the company yards. The people who worked at those tile businesses got to know Bernie and Rhoda so well that the employees would say hello to them by name when “those old folks” would walk in the door. The Porters would also take regular trips to Johnny’s Little Baja, a roadside stand in Moss Landing. There, they would buy iron fames for eventual tile-top tables that they would make for themselves, friends, and family members. In the early days, Bernie set the tile and Rhoda did the grout work. To this day, Karen, Susie, and Kent still cherish Bernie’s and Rhoda’s signature tile table creations in their own homes.
Porters, Bruces, and MacQueens—Rhoda’s and Bernie’s 50th anniversary party at Los Gatos House—1995
Kings Beach Lake Tahoe Cabin in Winter
Bernie and Rhoda in their living room at Christmas
Rhoda visiting at Kent’s, Cyndi’s, and Megan’s Ukiah house
Ukiah House, two walls thick with steel reinforced concrete in between. 10,000 bricks were laid by Bernie and Kent.
Los Gatos House, after 5 months of building—1st wing early 1947
Rhoda and Karen in Los Gatos Kitchen at Thanksgiving
Tile and cabinetry work at Karen’s and Dave’s New Jersey House
Bernie and Rhoda helping with tile floor work, Ukiah House 1980/81
Kent, dripping tar on nail holes for roof tile, Ukiah house 1983/84
The builders (Kent, Bernie, and Rhoda), Ukiah House—seven years in the making
Kent's and Cyndi's home in Ukiah, 2020
Thanksgiving extended table in Los Gatos
Hallway in Los Gatos in late 1950s
Living room in Los Gatos
Archway and stairs, Los Gatos
Living room and bookshelf, Los Gatos—exposed late 40s redwood beams, paneling, and ceiling (very good quality from that time period) throughout the Los Gatos house
Kent and Bernie installing lintel beam at Helen’s and Genevieve’s house addition in the Santa Cruz Mountains—adobe brick walls to go between the redwood posts, and large window to go below the beam
Helen and Rhoda admiring Bernie’s hand-made arch and window
