A Double Whammy Surprise!

[Kathy Marshall]

This time the surprise is on me!

Apparently my postal carrier dropped of a couple boxes while I was in the shop today. A storm blew in just before I finished up in the shop, so in the rush to get in the house without getting soaked, I failed to notice the boxes. It wasn't until I remembered that I left the sprinklers on and went to turn them off, that I saw the boxes.

The first one I opened was from Scott Hackler. It was a big chunk of Osage Orange! Thanks Scott! This is a really nice piece of wood with some great color, and I can't wait to put it on the lathe. I'm thinking a nice big bowl or maybe another chip and dip bowl. I've never turned Osage before but I'm sure looking forward to it!
Thanks again Scott!

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The next box was from Doug Thompson Tools. I got an order from him last week and my 1st thought was that he sent the order out again by mistake, so I opened the box to look at the invoice but I couldn't find one, so I figured I'd just ship it back to him on Monday. Luckily, my curiosity got the better of me and I unwrapped the handles and tool just to see what they were.

It wasn't my previous order duplicated and then I saw my name on the handles. Well you could have knocked me over with a feather!
Some awfully fine people at SMC sent me a gift and it looks like Doug and Pat added a gift of their own!
There's a 12" handle and a 3/8" detail gouge and a 14" handle that says "Thanks from Doug and Pat" on the other side. These are just perfect! I've been wanting the 3/8" detail gouge and also another handle for my 1/4" detail gouge.
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To Doug and Pat and all my friends at SMC, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! The generosity of turners is amazing!
An Awesome bunch of people have given me an Awesome day!

[Tim Thiebaut]

Congrats Kathy!!!! And well deserved to. Good on Scott for sending you some wood, that looks like a great piece! I hope you enjoy your new tools and get many years of use out of them!

[John Keeton]

Great gifts for a fine lady!! Congrats, Kathy, and may you use them to produce some more of those beautiful turnings you do.

[Steve Vaughan]

WOW! Now that's a treat! Congratulations!

[Donny Lawson]

Congrats on the new tools and wood. Looks like the new tools can be used right away.

[Cathy Schaewe]

Enjoy! You deserve a little something special!

[Doug Thompson]

Remove the end cap on the handle we sent... look inside.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on the wood and tools Kathy. Very deserving.

[Mike Cruz]

Now that's what I call a good day. May you have many more just like it... Hmmm, does that mean I need to send you some wood?

[Doug W Swanson]

Doug and Pat are really special people. My daughter, Abby, and I talked to them quite a bit at the AAW symposium. They were VERY generous with Abby and even with my son Nate. The summer sports season, vacations, etc has gotten in the way of shop time with the kids but when our schedule calms down this fall I hope to have the kids put their Thompson tools to use. Heck, I may just have to make a sweat shop in the basement and have my kids crank out the projects!

Many thanks to Doug and Pat!

Also, Kathy: with your generosity you deserve something nice in return!

[Scott Hackler]

Glad the box(s) made it there intact!! Kathy if you havent ever turned osage orange (hedge), its pretty stable and great to turn when its wet as long as you tools are sharp. Not as much fun if you let it dry out completely and re-turn. It gets just about as hard as anything around. I have turned a couple smaller bowls to 1/2" thick and after several weeks just sitting on the shelf they haven't moved at all!!

Doug and Pat are awesome. Thanks guys for your help and generosity.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Some awfully nice people frequent this site.
faust

[Kathy Marshall]

Remove the end cap on the handle we sent... look inside.

Thanks Doug & Pat!! WOW! Very Cool!
This is what I found neatly packed inside the handle...

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3/8" skew, 3/8" bowl gouge, 3/8" spindle gouge, 3/8" detail gouge, all the perfect size to fit inside the handle to easily go wherever I want to take them! :D I am at a loss for words! All I can say is all of you have given me one big case of the warm fuzzies!

Thank you!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Toys and Wood to go play with!

[Tim Thiebaut]

That is awesome Kathy, I am so happy for you! What a treat to find inside like that!

[Roger Chandler]

Pretty awesome, Kathy.........nice gesture Doug!

[David E Keller]

You know, they say what comes around, goes around... I can't think of a better person for this to happen to! Kudos to Doug and Pat Thompson for demonstrating the same kind of generosity that likely got you this 'double whammy' to begin with, Kathy!

[Michael James]

Very nice! Apparently, what goes around, does indeed come around. Have fun, Kathy.
Michael

[Greg Bender]

Kathy,
without ever meeting you it seems like you deserve everything good that comes your way. And if it happens to be something related to turning then can it get any better. That is a great looking piece of Osage Orange and we all know you cannot go wrong with anything that has the name Thompson in the return address area. I need to get me some of those handles to go with my Thompson Tools.
How far are you from Prescott Valley? ,I have family there and we are planning a trip to see them when the temps get down to 3 digits.It would be great to visit some Creekers in the area when we get out there. Well ,enjoy the goodies and post that OO when you get it turned.
Greg

[Rick Markham]

:D It seems what goes around, comes around. :D It's getting good now! Scott is right Osage is awesome to turn. Doug and Pat are class acts for sure!!!

[robert raess]

I'm always amazed at the graciousness i encounter on this forum and generally on SMC. Kathy tell us what you found when you took off the end cap to the handle......Rob

[Jon Nuckles]

Kathy, Between the packages you send out and these nice ones you received, you are keeping the shipping companies in business! Very nice people all around. Congratulations.

(Rob, check post #13 in the thread for Kathy's reveal of what was hidden in the handle.)

[Doug Thompson]

It was the guys here that started it and paid for the tool and handle... Guys do you care to step forward an be counted. We just slipped the another handle in the package.

My hat is off to the people on this site.

[Bill Bolen]

Your story sure warms my heart. Great to see your generosity to all the folks of free turning wood being returned to you and then some. You sure fit the "good soul" description...Bill...

[Baxter Smith]

Good wood and tools to turn it with. Doesn't get any better... unless it comes from friends!

[Jeff Nicol]

Just what a friendly, happy, good hearted soul needs to keep there turning passion going forward. Great wwod from Scott, I have a bunch too that I need to get busy with, and the Thompson tools with personalization are great.

Have fun,

Jeff

[Steve Kubien]

Nicest ballast I have ever seen inside a tool handle! Have fun.

Hey Doug, ya done good.

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks Guys!
Had a great day today, The block of osage orange is now a finished piece (will post in another thread) and got to use some of my new tools!


Kathy,
without ever meeting you it seems like you deserve everything good that comes your way. And if it happens to be something related to turning then can it get any better. That is a great looking piece of Osage Orange and we all know you cannot go wrong with anything that has the name Thompson in the return address area. I need to get me some of those handles to go with my Thompson Tools.
How far are you from Prescott Valley? ,I have family there and we are planning a trip to see them when the temps get down to 3 digits.It would be great to visit some Creekers in the area when we get out there. Well ,enjoy the goodies and post that OO when you get it turned.
Greg
Thanks Greg!
I'm in Wittmann, about 2 hours south of Prescott Valley. If you get down to the Phoenix area give me a shout and if you make it to my place you can pick out some wood to take home.

[Rick Markham]

You don't waste any time Kathy ;)

[Don Alexander]

gratz on the new tools couldn't have happened to a nicer more generous person