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Making the most of 'making do'
By TERRY JONES LARGO -- Edna Rosenberg knows the importance of making do. It's the philosophy that gave birth to some of her richest talents. Rosenberg, 77, also learned a few lessons from illness, death and bigotry. The Rosenbergs, Arnold, Edna and their three children, were living in Brooklyn, N.Y., when the oldest daughter developed asthma. Her doctor suggested the family move to St. Petersburg; that was 1957. "I thought my doctor was trying to send my family to Russia," she said. "I had never heard of St. Petersburg, Fla." The early years here were fun for the family. "Most of my time was centered around temple and social activities. I wrote and directed plays and for the most part it was a happy time in our life. Then I got the nasty phone call from someone who hated Jews and that was scary." In less than two months after the threatening phone call, the family moved from their neighborhood. The move cost them money because they had to sell their home quickly. Later, her husband developed heart problems, and so did she. Illnesses brought family finances to a low point in 1962, and Mrs. Rosenberg noticed their home furnishings were looking worn. That's when her artistic talents started to bud. She began refinishing furniture, making over rooms and landscapes. "My bed was nothing but a box spring and mattress, with no headboard," she said. "I took the ornate backs of the chairs of an old dining room set, removed them from the seats and bolted them to the wall for a bed headboard. It really looked nice. Not to waste anything, I put tops on the bottoms of the chairs and turned them into small tables. Everything looked quite attractive; it cost very little, and I realized I had talent." After several years of illness, her husband died. "I can't forget the day," Mrs. Rosenberg said. "It was Christmas day, 1993." In 1988, she underwent a double mastectomy and, in 1994, heart bypass surgery. "When I woke up from the heart surgery, I looked and realized the scars from the two surgeries formed a cross on my chest," she said. "I said to my doctor, that could be a problem, because I am Jewish. We laughed together." After a short period of healing and exercise, Mrs. Rosenberg eased back into her regular active routine. Over the years, she has built and renovated four homes in the St. Petersburg-Largo area. Her current home, about 1,800 square feet, was purchased five years ago. Already she has completely remodeled most of it. She purchases used furniture and breaks it down, sands it, replaces and adds pieces of wood and ornamental materials, until she creates something that pleases her. One such piece is a chest she purchased for $8 at a thrift store. With some nails, screws and beads she "created" a new piece of furniture. Mrs. Rosenberg has also tiled floors, redone her kitchen and bath and completed a garden project that included more than 200 patio blocks. She never thought she could do any of these projects, until she started. When she isn't busy on a new project or working out, she works in sales three days a week at Mindy's Gone To Pot, a home expressions store owned by her youngest daughter. "I take my time with all my projects," she said. "Wherever I am, I want to make the building an extension of me. All the activity helps keep me going. When it is cold I stay inside and enjoy my home and now that it is getting warmer, I will spend more time sitting on my patio reading or just watching my dogs. That is until I see another project to do, and I will get busy on it."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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