Venture Horizon Creations

Venture Horizon 8 Drawer Nouvelle Dresser

The 8-Drawer Nouvelle Dresser features clean, crisp lines in an elegant, contemporary design. Sturdy construction will provide long lasting durability. Spacious drawers (metal Euro Drawer Slides) with matching cup handles, boast plenty of room for your clothing and valuables. Available in black, cherry, oak, walnut and white. Measures 52½” w x 31″ h x 16″ deep.

Clean & Simple with a Bold Look
You can’t have too much storage space. So, what better way to acquire what you need while making a significant decorating statement than Our Nouvelle Chest Collection. The Venture Horizon 8 Drawer Lowboy dresser is our flagship dresser. They have contemporary look: clean, crisp lines, with perfect lateral and horizontal balance. Yet they exude the warmth and feel of traditional bedroom furniture. A unique symmetry between form & function and beauty & perfection.

The spacious drawers measure 22¾” wide x 12¾” long x 5½” deep with plenty of room for clothing or blankets. Unlike most drawers that stop 6 inches short of really open, forcing you to bend over with a flashlight to see what’s inside. Our drawers are equipped with metal Euro Drawer slides. You won’t have to guess what’s in the back or bang your head trying. Matching cup style handles made of durable metal like plastic seems to flow naturally from the drawer front panel.

Each streamlined chest, incorporates solid corner posts over 2 inches thick that double as legs. They not only add stability but also an appearance that gives it an heirloom quality. All Nouvelle Chests are crafted from durable, stain resistant, laminated wood composites, that includes *MDF. Available in 5 rich finishes: black, cherry, oak, walnut and white. They are made in the USA and assembly is required.

*MDF, is a man-made fiberboard consisting of wood fibers and resin binders. It is known for its strength and stability. It is uniform in consistency and is knot free. It is structurally more stable than medium weight hardwood and it will not crack. Finishes adhere well to it, which results in a smooth end coat.

Key Features

• Deep, roomy drawers- with metal Euro Drawer Slides
• Solid Corner legs
• Assembled Dimensions: 52½” W x 31″ H x 16″ D
• Drawer Dimensions: 22¾” W x 5¼” H x 13″ D
• Ships Ready to Assemble, with instruction booklet
• Available in 5 finishes: black, cherry, oak, walnut, white
• Proudly manufactured in the USA
• 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty on parts

Hello,

Like everyone I too have strong opinions about the state of international affairs these days. However, what strikes me now is how we have conducted our debates. So here is what I think about:

Civility. Important during difficult times.

Soon, barring the unforeseeable, we will be at war with Saddam Hussein and his armies. These are indeed tumultuous times. The United Nations Security Council in protracted and at times tortuous diplomatic maneuvering is attempting to stave off what many consider to be the inevitable. Americans as well as others around the globe are engaged in spirited, often heated and at times hostile debate over the wisdom of sending American troops into harms way. Battle lines among non-combatants are now intractably drawn. War or the talk of it has a galvanizing force pitting those for against those opposed. Few if any of us will change our opinion of what is the morally right thing to do. Yet we will try. There is no lack of passion in our attempts to convince others that we are right and they wrong. What is noticeably lacking however in the tone and tenor of our pleading is…civility. Along with it a diminishing respect for the opinions of others. There has been an unprecedented attempt by both sides to vilify and demonize anyone with differing opinions. We may carry signs proclaiming undying support for the concept of free speech but that is not what we practice. We extol the benefits of diversity but condemn those that may offer us legitimate differing opinions.

Those on the right take a decidedly different view of how to achieve stability and peace among the world’s peoples than those on the left. They tend to view freedom and democracy as hard earned; special rights that must be vigilantly protected on a daily basis perhaps even minute by minute. Evil is not something that withers away of its own accord they argue. You cannot negotiate with terrorists. Instead, we must fight and destroy those that would destroy us. The rights we enjoy should also be extended to others around the globe. After all, we believe them to be inalienable and universal. We cannot leave it to our children to endure the consequences our own laziness. The costs in taking action now far outweigh the long-term costs of appeasement. And on it goes. These are not evil people. George Bush is not Adolf Hitler. Our cabinet and military leaders are not “jack booted thugs” hell bent on ruling the world.

Those on the left have an arguably more optimistic view of the human condition. Hussein although evil can be contained. The costs of doing so far out weigh the risks of a potential Armageddon. Human life is precious and taking it must be done only as a last resort. Let the inspections continue. Time is on our side. These people are likewise…good people. They are not communists, traitors or naïve simpletons.

Common among both positions yet surely to be denied is that we all at the end of the day share a common goal, that of peace. We simply differ on how that is to be achieved and maintained. Our differences are glaring, our convictions steeled. Remember however, that we have been here before and we will be here again. When it is all over and the world has moved on to the next crisis we will still be here. Living with one another. Friend and foe alike. In order to make that bearable we must now renew our commitment to conduct ourselves in a more civil manner.

When we choose to belittle those that disagree with us we not only weaken our argument but we lose our credibility. Stooping to character assassination is a sign of desperation. We fear that we may lose the argument so we utilize this tactic as a means to preserve our position. As though it were some misguided form of consolation. Impugning the integrity of others is indicative of weak debating skills and perhaps a sign that we are not fully understanding of our own ideas. Worst yet perhaps, we are simply jumping on a band wagon. Feeling as though we belong to something even if we are not exactly sure what that something is. Hurray for our side.

The end result of behaving in a non-civil manner in the heat of debate is that we become what we most fear…bigots. Spewing anger and venom toward anyone with whom we disagree. Name calling will not succeed in changing opinions, influencing governmental policy or achieving peace. If anything, the opposite is true. It will further entrench us and those with whom we disagree not with the forces of righteousness but alone swaddled in self pity and hatred.

We are judged by how we conduct our selves under pressure, when the chips are down. Let us all rise to this moment and earn the pride we will feel having behaved honorably when the going got tough.
So, let the debates continue. Be honest, be forceful be spirited but above all else …be civil.

Paul

Excerpt from my father of the bride wedding speech:

A wise man once said that in between all our planning…life happens. You get off the plane, the train or the bus, exit the parking lot at work or just walk out your front door in the morning, and you take a left turn instead of a right. You might meet the man of your dreams or your new best friend. Or you might run into a streak of bad luck or even break your ankle. So much of life is left to chance.

One thing we can control, however, is our behavior. How we interact with one another and how we treat the ones we love.

Cameron…Natalie. You’ve been best friends since high school. You’ve come a long way together. You have a wealth of shared experiences and have already begun building a life together. Trust me, though, when I say you have taken your relationship to a whole new level.

You have stood before all of us here today and announced to the world that you have given each other your hearts for all eternity. You have no secrets and you tell no lies. You completely surrender yourselves into each other’s care. There is no greater feeling, no greater exhilaration and no greater comfort.

There is also no greater responsibility because by completely trusting in one another you stand exposed and vulnerable. For at the very moment you, Natalie give your heart to Cameron, and Cameron you give your heart to Natalie, you also give each other…a dagger metaphorically speaking and the ability to hurt one another. This is both the beauty and the challenge of love and marriage. You will need to trust in one another more than ever, and this is where the behavior comes into play. So, Be kind. Be gentle. Be loving. Be fair. Be all these things. But most importantly, be open and be honest. You can’t go wrong, and you’ll be ok.

And now, with all the powers and abilities vested in me as father of the bride and with all of the love and support of your family and friends and especially everyone gathered here we send you on your married way.

We wish you nothing but the very best and a long life together. Make us proud, give us children but above all else… live happily ever after.

Paul Tolejko
Father of The Bride
July 15, 2006

I had a dream.

I tried to keep this dream to myself, but as it turns out, it is burning a hole in my pocket. Since I cannot share it with the world then I hope you will allow me to share it with you.

I have had bits and pieces of this dream occur in the past but this time it came to me full length and in Technicolor.

You were out in the side yard on the lawn with 5 or 6 children all around 10 to 12 years old. Sitting at two separate tables were a few boys and a few girls. I could not hear any of your voices as you quietly, gently made your way from one student to the next. Your hair was up and elegantly mussed and you had a large warm smile on your face. You were obviously in your element.

This side yard was not at any school but actually part of a home. A home that apparently you and I were sharing or more probably owned together. It had that feel. This home sat at the edge of a wooded area, perhaps a forest and beyond lay mountains much like those surrounding Santa Barbara. Although, the vegetation and tree cover felt somewhat like the Rockies or more likely, the Sierra. Bright sun blankets the home but was softly filtered through a small grove of trees before it reached you and the children.

It had a lovely garden in what is most likely the French style with winding paths a few small ponds and loosely structured groupings of the most colorful flowers and plants I had ever seen.

Inside this home we shared were offices for each of us. Mine had high cathedral ceilings, just like the rest of the house. Large glass doors opened onto the backyard with a view of the woods and a peak of the mountains. Yours was a few doors down the hallway. Although, it’s ceilings were slightly lower, your office had a much warmer and friendlier feel than did mine. Your views included a small pond containing a boat hitched to a wooden dock. The dock was experiencing some movement that lead me to believe this smaller body of water was somehow connected to a larger body, probably a lake.

I was on the telephone, I believe speaking with someone at my “real” office, when the children left and you made your way to the house for a change of clothing. Task completed you made your way to the garden and tended to your creation. You spent a goodly amount of time there and occasionally I could hear you humming or singing. There was no doubt as to your happiness.

It was approaching late afternoon as the sun was now behind the trees, when I made my way down to the now still waters near the dock. I stood there on a slight incline admiring the view that included a few ducks and glistening, dancing rays of sun. Through the muted rays on the other side of the pond was a doe taking a drink of water, fully aware of my presence but unconcerned.

I was there a few moments when I heard footsteps coming up behind me. I did not turn around to see who it was because I knew. You placed your arms on my shoulders and allowed them to slide up and around my chest. A nice warm embrace that felt as natural as our surroundings. A comfort and sense of fulfillment enveloped me as we stood together just staring ahead at all this beauty.

That we had a past between us was obvious; a past that partly included turmoil. It felt however that we both knew one another at a deeper more powerful level. Each of us was more aware of our own as well as each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Shortly after we were seated at a long table in our backyard, you at one end, me at the other separated by approximately 12 to15 friends and family. Everyone was sharing in good food and Red wine as laughter and spirited conversation filled the air. This scene slowly zoomed out and the table and our home grew smaller against the forest. The mountains now dominated my view and the sun grew orange as it set over what now was clearly a majestic looking lake. It was not too big nor was it small.

Life is good.

Paul

Unscheduled Blessings

Hello Deborah Ann,

The process of making copies of our treasured photographs involves more effort than I originally thought. The special paper used in the reproduction process is fairly expensive, so it is necessary to group the photos 4 to a page. Sounds easy enough but each photo must be scanned in separately, one at a time. It therefore takes approximately 10-15 minutes per page. So, at the end of an hour I end up with 16-24 pictures that must then be trimmed to size. I actually do not mind the process, as it affords me an opportunity to relive some of the joys surrounding the events preserved on these tiny color images. Many of them are literally bursting with emotion.

Working with the relatively small but powerful machine that is replicating my past has other hidden benefits. One special event occurred last week during my second trip to Kinko’s.

I had just scanned in the first of four photographs that would make up my initial run for the morning. As I began to slide a second image onto the glass, I felt the presence of someone standing beside me, patiently waiting her turn at “my machine”. I glanced over and could see that she was clutching a few miniature sized photographs. She held them tightly, close to her heart and stared down at them lovingly. For an instant I felt hurried but quickly knew the right thing to do was to offer this maybe five-foot tall woman an opportunity to make her copies first. After all, I was going to be there for at least an hour and possibly longer. And besides, her task would only take a few minutes.

I turned again and told her that it would be all right to jump in and make her copies now. She smiled and in a thick somewhat broken European accent sheepishly said; “no, no thank you, please, you finish first, I will wait. It is okay”. At that point I glanced into her warm eyes and could see that her purpose for being here was more important than mine. As she averted her eyes from me back onto the photographs, I again made my offer this time with a firm insistence. She again smiled and told me that she was holding pictures of her only child, her son. She then began to cry. Not heavily but with a controlled sadness as one would do in a public place. Before I could even speak, she offered further that her son Dimitre was killed in a diving accident near one of the islands off the Santa Barbara coast. He was 19 years old. Instinctively my hand reached out and placed itself on her shoulder. I told her that I was sorry. “What a terrible thing to happen”. My heart sank. She thanked me and said that she had come from Moscow just last week to bury him. The photographs she held were the only pictures she had of her son. In addition to making copies she also wanted to enlarge them, I surmised to make them more life like. They were after all perhaps only 2 inches square.

I stood there a moment with her, my hand still on her shoulder and felt a strange connection. Perhaps it was the bond created by the compassion one human can have for another at a time like this. Maybe it was the son in me identifying with the pain felt by a mother. I’m not exactly sure. I do know that at least for the next hour my priorities had changed. At this point all I wanted to do was help her achieve her goal and offer whatever emotional support I could.

She had been there the day before and felt comfortable working with one of the young technicians that roam Kinko’s offering various kinds of customer support. He came over to assist her as best he could but it was obvious that he also needed to attend to several other customers as well. Since I was now somewhat of a veteran, I made the enlargements for her. As predicted, it only took 20 minutes. But during this brief moment in time I had the special opportunity to share a small part of someone else’s life. Yes, for this small Russian woman this was a tragedy. But where is it written that we should only share in the joys of strangers. I truly feel that on that hour of that day last week in Kinko’s, I was blessed. I was given a chance to reach out and do a little good. It felt big. It felt wonderful.

I can’t think of anyone with whom I would rather share this story. This is the next best thing to one of our walks along Butterfly beach where stories like this are exchanged. So, thanks for listening.

Your buddy,
Paul

Click here to view a pdf file of the Model # 3017 Product Assembly Instructions.