James Nolan
12-31-2007, 8:19 AM
Hello all,
When searching for quiet and solitude I often find myself putzing around in the comfort and saftey of my home shop. (quiet and safe?, that's a whole other story) Early this morning I found myself there straighting up, organizeing, and sorting through a corner I haven't been near since this time last year. Usual junk, couple of milk crates with things is various forms of brokeness, repair, or unknown and the inevitable pile of wood in the same disarray, length, types, condition, and the what's this/what happened?. Any way, my mind wondered while playing with the lumber and the trip brought me to thoughts about the trees that gave us this gift. How strong, mighty, and adaptive. Trees easily adapt to much of the junk we put in their way, sidewalks, underground pipes,tree forts, wire lines, and fences. Thought of adaptability, growing through a chainlink fence, taking that fence in an continuing to survive, grow, and thrive led me to some thoughts about myself and the new year. I guess I'm gonna try to be like a tree and be more adaptive so I can grow and prosper. No matter how we try wood will shift, swell, shrink, bend, or do something else we never intended(dare I say split). Aged string instruments improve with age, so will furniture if cared for properly. My conclusion to this rambling post is very simple and has led me to believe I have taken a giant step in my understanding of this craft. I've honed my technique and tools I own nows the time to understand the soul of the wood I work with. Only took me 20 years!
That's how I'm gonna try to view things this new year. Hope you all have a great, safe, and prosperous one for yourselves and family. Hope you get those chisels sharp, just the way we like em, your planes true, and those dovetails perfect. Thank you all for freely sharing your gifts and knowledge, guinesses are like that, generous with there talents, and Harry I think you might be the next buddah. Ciao, james
When searching for quiet and solitude I often find myself putzing around in the comfort and saftey of my home shop. (quiet and safe?, that's a whole other story) Early this morning I found myself there straighting up, organizeing, and sorting through a corner I haven't been near since this time last year. Usual junk, couple of milk crates with things is various forms of brokeness, repair, or unknown and the inevitable pile of wood in the same disarray, length, types, condition, and the what's this/what happened?. Any way, my mind wondered while playing with the lumber and the trip brought me to thoughts about the trees that gave us this gift. How strong, mighty, and adaptive. Trees easily adapt to much of the junk we put in their way, sidewalks, underground pipes,tree forts, wire lines, and fences. Thought of adaptability, growing through a chainlink fence, taking that fence in an continuing to survive, grow, and thrive led me to some thoughts about myself and the new year. I guess I'm gonna try to be like a tree and be more adaptive so I can grow and prosper. No matter how we try wood will shift, swell, shrink, bend, or do something else we never intended(dare I say split). Aged string instruments improve with age, so will furniture if cared for properly. My conclusion to this rambling post is very simple and has led me to believe I have taken a giant step in my understanding of this craft. I've honed my technique and tools I own nows the time to understand the soul of the wood I work with. Only took me 20 years!
That's how I'm gonna try to view things this new year. Hope you all have a great, safe, and prosperous one for yourselves and family. Hope you get those chisels sharp, just the way we like em, your planes true, and those dovetails perfect. Thank you all for freely sharing your gifts and knowledge, guinesses are like that, generous with there talents, and Harry I think you might be the next buddah. Ciao, james