Fortune Cookies, Prophetic Script or Lucky Guess.

  A few weeks back on a night that it was my turn to cook dinner, I suggested Chinese.
My wife agreed.

Off we went to our local Chinese food restaurant. All you can eat. I am more of a kook than a cook.

  After we ate all we could, (ever notice you are hungry again after about an hour with Chinese food?) I paid for our meal and we each received our coveted fortune cookies.

  Shannon's was something along the lines of how lucky she is to have such a great and loving husband who dotes on her.................... well that's how I read it.

Mine on the other hand stated that I would soon receive a valuable inheritance.

     Oh goodness, my aunt must have taken a turn for the worse.
Any valuables here would be some of her wisdom handed down to me.

Why is inheritance immediately associated with a death. Probably because most often it is.
There are other ways to inherit things as we soon shall see.

  Come forward three weeks at our BBQ party. My cousin was present and told me my aunt is doing very well. In fact making great recovery since I saw her last in the spring time. Better than ever she told me.

  This is great news. But this still leaves a specter among us.

There were many old friends and new at the party and I was conversing with as many of them as possible during the afternoon. One of my childhood friends approached me, it was Richard Dunn. The weather was taking a turn for the worse and he had to leave as he was on his motorcycle and hoped to beat the rain on his way back home.

Winter of 1963 edition. Is this what started it all for George.

  Before  leaving he asked if I would be interested in coming by his parent's place and looking at some woodworking tools that his father, George, had accumulated over his lifetime. Maybe you could put them to use. "Most definitely," I said.

  "Do you have a dollar value on them", I asked.

  "Just make something for me", he said.
It was not all that unusual. I often barter for tools in this way and get the enjoyment of creating something just for them.

  During the week I made an appointment to meet with him on Saturday and we would go over the tools and he told me take what ever I could use. Man was I excited. I could add a few more tools and that would be helpful to my future plans.
 
 I have a large  24 x20 wood working shop which I will be expanding soon. So this would come at a most opportune time. You see I not only want to make furniture for people but I also want to offer one on one instruction or small workshops to help others discover how great it is to make something with your own hands. It is a lost practice these days. A shame because it makes you feel very human. It is very calming. It is very humbling.
  In order to facilitate such classes you need to have small sets of hand tools available so students need not share tools as they work on their projects. Everyone moves at a different speed and waiting just kills the flow and ruins the experience. I am not talking a room full of people here. I am thinking 1 to 3 students at a time for simple items and one on one for teaching higher skills.

  I believe I need to explain here that in November of last year I landed on disability due to Post Traumatic Stress. That is a problem explainable only in a blog of it's own. At some point I shall, but for now my hope is to find my way back through woodworking. "Mindfulness through Woodworking" as my shrink says. Sounds like a good book.

 Well Saturday showed promise of rain. I don't have a cover on the back of my pickup truck so I towed along my enclosed trailer just to keep dry the few items that I might pick up today. "Just make something",  usually implies that the bounty will be a small one. But I am happy to accept in any case.

Richard met me at the driveway and said just back her in. I told him the trailer was to keep things dry not that I was expecting to fill this thing. He said the trailer may be more important than you think.

Richard led me into the shop.

I could not believe my eyes. This should be on Ripley's Believe it or Not. They could call it 'George Dunn, a Lifetime of Tools'.

Canadian pickers could make a six part series on this room alone. I am serious.

   I felt like Carter entering Tut's tomb finding all that treasure. It was so amazing I didn't want to disturb it. There was a bit of a reverence to the whole thing.

I joked with Richard that he should send an email to Canadian Pickers and tell them he sold all this to a guy for five hundred bucks and ask them if I got a good deal?

Then Richard came up with, "how about I tell them I paid a guy fifty bucks to take it all out of here."

We were having a good laugh down there. But it was time to get down to business. I opened a drawer and angels sang as an unknown light shown on it's contents. It was tool nirvana.

While we had ascended to a higher level Richard and I spent about four hours taking down stuff from the walls, ceiling, out of drawers, behind cabinets, whole cabinets. Carrying out a few machines. Carrying out wood and loads of hand tools and clamps. Never have enough clamps.

We put so much in there I can't even remember what it all was but it was all very good.

 When we were finished loading his sister and mother asked my plans for all the tools and I told them my plans to use it for teaching others and making beautiful things. They were very pleased and said that George would like that very much. His collection would have new life and be appreciated by so many others.

 All of this might not have happened without a little help from another long time friend Brent Mullins. He had talked to Richard about me and my plans for getting through my self imposed hell.

 This generous offering has given such a boost to my plans. It would have taken at least five years buying tools every day to gather the number of useful tools he passed to me.

 The fortune cookie was right. A valuable inheritance. More valuable than a truckload of money.
An inheritance from George and his family. The chance to give others enjoyment using George's tools. His legacy to the woodworking community.

Famous people are often remembered for what they have done for themselves.

But I think much more important is what the average person leaves behind.

 George entrusted all his collection to Richard to have and do with what he will.
I am sure George would be extremely proud of Richard's choice to help another person with his inheritance. Besides I can still make what he needs and we all get to enjoy the fruits of George's labor.

 I pulled into the On Route near Port Hope to grab a coffee. I had to do something, I was so full of feelings I thought I might tear up. I stood outside enjoying the warm feeling thinking about childhood friends.

Childhood friends, from the sandbox playing with hot wheels cars. Running around the school yard at recess acting silly to impress the girls. Riding bicycles in the hills on weekends. Swimming in the lake in summer. Tobogganing in the winter. Exploring the construction dump by the Hydro station. First box of beers. Oops.

 I feel so good that even over all the years of our distant relationships, Richard and Brent still believe in me, still feel that I am a good person. Lending help at a most important time in my life. With friends like this I know I will succeed.

To friends. Lest we forget.

Thanks for reading
Ken

Made by Hands.

  I just wanted to post a link to a video I watched today. It tells two stories.

  One is the importance of a good learning process. So much is lost today to our youth. Their learning environment is often restricted to observation and the thinking process. Many struggle and are pushed through the system and come out with next to nothing from it. Ever notice how many younger people(not all mind you) will give up after one try? Tell them try again and they look at you like you are crazy. "I just tried and I can't do it, why bother again".


  The learning experience must be complete. Where is the active experimentation and the concrete experience that leaves one feeling great about their achievement?

  Easiest example I can come up with is someone ties your shoes, tells you about it, you think about it but don't try yourself. After a lesson like this I bet seventy five percent will be walking around with shoes unlaced or shopping for slippers. Velcro straps anyone?

  The second story is how a man used his hands to deal with his problems. He used the doing and feeling part of the learning process. This gave way to his reintegration with society and is now able to use observation and the thinking process as well. The latter two processes have allowed him to come to grips with PTSD he suffered from over 45 years. The regret in that man's eyes about those lost years is palpable.

Everyone must be subjected to the whole learning process in order to deal with life's problems.
When you are missing a piece you cannot deal with it on your own. I used the whole learning process and still had a very difficult time with PTSD. I just felt I had no time to stop and help myself over the past 17 years. Now I know I was wrong and have changed things for the good. It is like a whole other world has opened up and I like it. Others like it as well.

Please watch this very interesting 10 minute documentary.


http://vimeo.com/78788086 
click on the above link to see the video

Enjoy

And thanks for reading.

Funeral for a Friend Cremation Urn

   My friend's father died a short while back and his mother asked if I would build a nice urn for them.

I agreed. I would be honored. I liked Roger, he always had a kind word for me and a smile.

  Last I saw him he was at his cottage this past summer. We were up to go see a show in Calabogie that night and we were going to spend the night afterwards.

  Roger was getting ready to put some masking tape on his boat to touch up the paint. I offered to help. Roger had been battling cancer and tired easily. I could see how much he wanted to get this done. I am glad I helped out that day. That turned out to be the last time I spoke with him.

  The celebration of life is this weekend and I had been throwing around ideas for about a month.
Inspiration was not coming easy.

  I found a nice piece of flamed maple and cut some sides out of it and dovetailed them together a couple of weeks ago. Incidentally the wood comes from the maple we cut down a few years back in our yard. There were also some pieces with black colored spalting in the wood. Spalt is caused by fungus that invades the wood as is begins to decay. The spalting always leaves interesting patterns in the wood grain. I like to think they are the spirits in the tree that are exposed by the fungus. Some times they are ugly, sometimes beautiful.

  I was in need of some clear thought. I find classical music can help your mind quiet down and helps to arrange your train of thought. Apparently it has a lot to do with the symphonic. All the instruments working together to create harmonious sound. I cranked up the stereo and the room filled with music. My mind began to focus. Blocking out things like, is the mail here yet. What day is it? Will the Simpson's be on for another season? Maybe I should have a nap?

  I dug around in my box of resawn spalted wood and found a book matched pair that made something that looked like a moose head. After some planing of the wood the moose changed a bit but still had a spiritual look to it. I glued the two haves together and stared at it.

  While Beethoven Piano Sonata Opus 27, No.2 know as Clair de Lune in French wailed on the stereo the spirit panel flooded me with thought and placed the finished piece in my mind. I could see it. I drifted into the zone feeling the rush. Every move I make will bring me closer to the end result.

  I picked up some walnut. That will make a nice contrasting frame edge for the top panel and trim for the bottom. After some machining and hand work things really started to take shape. I love that feeling, right into a flow where the shop is my world. Nothing matters but here and now.

I shaped the spirit panel to best show it's composition. Oh ya, that'll do it.

  The dovetailed box gets a bottom put in, then the walnut trim goes around the base. The top frame accepts the spirit panel. Yes, were humming now. Next to make are the transition pieces between the spirit panel and the walnut frame.

  I spy some cherry burl in the corner. Oh I have been waiting for you cherry burl. This will make an excellent transition between the maple and walnut. The burl is very brittle but I am in the zone and I take care with it and coax it to yield.

  The tree spirit walks with me.

  I smooth the wild grain on the box sides with skill full strokes of the scraper cards. I let the wood lead me. Passing the card in any direction that doesn't give resistance. Soon it is smooth and ready for finish that will pop out the flame characteristics in the maple.

   A coat of oil varnish is applied to all parts of the urn. The wood comes to life. So much grain, colors, depth and chatoyancey. Time for dinner and let it dry. Enjoy the pictures. Click on them to make them bigger.

 Nice flaming on the sides.

All hand cut dovetails for strength and looks.

You can see the cherry burl transition surrounding the spirit panel.

The mitres on the lid have pieces of maple set into them to add strength and looks nice.

  When I returned to the shop after dinner I was shocked when I looked at the box. It was like I had just seen it for the first time. Maybe the tree spirit built this and I was just it's hands. Nah. Maybe?

Thanks for reading
Until next time
Ken

Circles

   Spring is here and the honeydew list is long. Lots of cleanup around the yard. Finish putting up firewood for next winter. Bringing out the mowers and putting away the snow blower and shovels. Cutting up the trees damaged during this winter's ice storm. Cleaning out the garden pond. Putting new mulch on the gardens. Refinishing a trailer load of furniture as well as little plumbing and electrical fixes all around the house. Easter dinner for the whole family at our house. Birthday parties and hockey playoffs to catch as well. Most importantly was finding time to erect two steel sheds for storage space. All the lumber I have collected over the years is being moved into one of those sheds as I plan to expand my shop space later this year. The other shed will house whatever is left of our hoard.

       Busy with no end in sight, running in circles......

 Running in circles. Just an expression used when it seems nothing is getting finished.
Is there a way out of a circle?

Lets take a look at the circle in this expression. What is a circle?

   It's obvious to those in the math club.

  Whilst sliding glasses back up on the bridge of their noses they will inform you a circle is really made up of many short straight lines. These lines have a beginning and an end.

   I donned my beanie with propeller and hypothesized; "if each line were to be lengthened each time around the circle the segments should become longer and create one long line with a beginning and an end."

  So to apply this theory to the real world situation I would work on each job for a while and then head to the next all within the period of a workday. As each job completed, those sections, or jobs would start to break out of the circle as straight lines.

  Therefore as I ran in circles I completed some short jobs sooner and the longer ones where allowed more time during the days that followed.

Eventually the circle came apart and merged into a straight line with an ending.

  So next time you are trapped in the circle, slow down work on the problems and solve them one at a time and before you now it your problems will come to and end.

But enough pontification, I also have some woodworking for you to look at.

   Here is a butcher block top I put together for the neighbor to cover the kitchen island.

We left an overhang so some stools could be set up on that end for morning coffee. The cabinet will soon be the same color as the rest.

And I also put together Shannon's dream green house this spring.

Here are the drawings I worked from if you want to build your own. It's quite straight forward.

If you are looking for the door you enter from inside the shed.

 
    I'll post more pics of the green house as I finish the shelving and potting bench inside. Every window opens in an awning style. All the windows were recycled as is the roofing steel and the floor on the inside is covered in beach stones with a drain in the centre so she can water in there till the cows come home.

  I am planning on setting up the red drum on a stand for water supply. The eaves will get some troughs that will pour into the drum to replenish the supply. I'll put a tap and line at the bottom of the barrel and let gravity do her thing.

 While building the green house that mind of mine began to think what a nice place to sit in with screens over the windows to keep the mosquitoes out.

 Damn you brain!!!!

Instantly my mind was filled with a vision of a post and beam style pavilion on the east side of the willow tree. Twelve by fourteen feet in size built with white cedar and complete with circular fire pit and steel hood to allow the smoke to chimney out the roof.

Oh I am going to be busy this year.

As always thanks for reading.
Ken