For the love of type at The Pressroom

WAITSBURG - What a dream-my grandies and their mom were arriving from Portland for a weekend visit that included Valentine's Day and a 14th birthday.

They love being at our Milton-Freewater farm-ranch, officially called "The Franch." 

The donkeys entertain, the cows embody bovine contentment, and Grandpa gives the youngsters driving lessons on the ATV and tractor. There's plenty of room to spread out, play games, and cook meals together.

But a visit over four days with two celebrations calls for a little "extra" fun.

I'm out of practice finding kid-friendly activities. My grandkids benefit from their mother's excellent parenting. As a former teacher turned social worker, she keeps them engaged through field trips and adventures, plentiful in Portland.

Never one to discount the Walla Walla Valley, I found plenty of experiences to try on for size. When I spied a post about learning to make Valentine's Day cards on an antique press in Waitsburg, the yes vote was unanimous.

Our little group can present some challenges, however. My grandies are in middle school, so activities can't seem "babyish" but not so complex that the fun is lost.

The twins, Alistair and Cyra, are 12. Ali, who has Level 2 autism, is easily overstimulated, frustrated, and exasperated by fine-motor tasks. His communication also requires extra time to understand. 

Cyra, the other half of the twin combo, was born with art in her blood. Her artistic vision often leaves the rest of us feeling we're not measuring up.

Sheila Hagar

Cyra is designing her card.

Their older brother, Malcolm, is a very serious 14-year-old, whose gaze is now fully inward. He has the soul of an engineer and the brain of a gifted mathematician. His world leaves little room for adult error.

There have been times in the past when we've had to end activities due to these family dynamics. It can be very painful.

Walking into the Pressroom at Duke & Remington to make our cards started off well. The shop has a sense of stepping through a time portal.

Sunlight flooded through large windows, glittering with dust motes, washing over stained glass, warming old metal and wood.

We felt as though we'd entered a children's book from 300 years ago. 

We had stepped into the world of owner Suze Wood.

I'm making the bold assumption that most folks in Waitsburg know Suze, so there is no need to describe her joyful spirit. But you may not have witnessed it the way we did.

Suze first gathered Malcolm and Cyra, putting them to work picking letter types that fit their imagination. Gloves and trays in hand, they were free to pick through every tiny drawer to collect the tools for their masterpieces. 

Cyra became one with the shop and Suze. She immersed herself in the environment, completely at peace as she recognized an artistic soulmate in Suze.  

Mac dove in, choosing the perfect metal type from the many fonts in Suze's collection. He also attempted to display a superior knowledge (there wasn't any) to his sister.

Suze brought Ali to the old-style treadle press. The C-P Pilot was set up to print a simple card, using red ink on heavy cardstock to spell out "LOVE."

Suze was unfazed by our boy's traits; instead, she embraced Ali's joy in trying new things. Suze patiently explained that she would demonstrate and that he must keep one hand behind his back when he applied pressure.

She trusted Ali to know what he wanted and communicated directly with him. This is unusual, as most people are fearful of not understanding him and usually rely on us to interpret.

Even better, Suze spent every clock tick it took for Ali to ensure our boy would be proud of his work. After all, his card was going to his amazing teacher, Mrs. Bright.

On a side note, Mrs. Bright loved her card.

Suze returned to the pre-press activities in the other room, gently taking Mac out of his self-imposed authority and establishing who was in charge. 

Suze helped our grandkids create beautiful cards on the old press. The cards proclaimed a Valentine's love even higher than the hunger for bacon.

Sheila Hagar

Love greater than bacon expressed in type.

There was no hurry or rush to steer us out. All the time spent with Suze and her helper has woven a forever memory for our family.

My daughter said, "It was a bespoke and golden childhood moment. We were all apprentices, not just in letterpress, but in a past chapter of history."

Waitsburg, thank you for all you do to support businesses like this. This was historic for us, an experience pure and free from issues. We will treasure it forever.