Mantle “Capper” Project Complete & Installed

[Jerry Olexa]

Jim, reading your description of your home makes it sounds interesting and appropiate to the Bucks County area. I see lots of authentic history and character in your home and your project adapts well to it! You have stories to tell about the different sections of your home. We've moved 8 times in our corporate lives and generally gave in to "newer" homes. Less maintenance but usually a bit predictable. As always, great job by you. I envy the charm/history of your home! (We Penn Staters are not so dumb!)

[Rich Konopka]

Nice Job Jim and congrats on the adoptions. Once the kids show up your time in the shop will diminish.

However, it is well worth it!!

[Frank Pellow]

The mantle top really fits in well Jim. And, as usual, it reflects well on your good design and workmanship.

But, whats all this you snuck in about needing more space becuase you are adopting siblings from Russia?

[Jim Becker]

But, whats all this you snuck in about needing more space becuase you are adopting siblings from Russia?

No sneaking, Frank...I've mentioned it a number of times in the past couple months. You can learn more at http://a-j-adopt.blogspot.com .

Jim, are we to gleen a hint about your next project from your wording?

Jason, I actually really do need to do some of that spinny thing...it's been far too long. I actually put something on the machine two weeks ago to start and just never got to it. Bin Pho is the demonstrator at tonights Bucks Woodturners meeting, so that should put me in the mood to get back in the, umm...swing...of things.

Jim, reading your description of your home makes it sounds interesting and appropriate to the Bucks County area.

It's interesting, Jerry, that the stone work on the oldest part of our home was done by a particular mason that did a lot of work in the area in the mid-1700s. A young lady stopped by here a few years ago to inquire about getting a few pieces of stone from the walls in our woods as she and her husband were renovating their own home just up the street. She had been doing a bunch of research, actually knew the name of the mason and the characteristics of his work and even pointed out some interesting things about our building that we hadn't noticed before. There is a private golf club across the street whose club house is a 1700s era stone structure done by the same mason...they fondly like to say they have the oldest clubhouse in the nation!

Our property was originally part of a land grand made by William Penn to a family named Paxton. This was apparently a huge grant! The last remaining Paxton (that I know of) died a few years ago and the remaining properties sold for an aggregate of about $7 million...and fortunately it is all preserved and cannot be developed. (It remains used largely for horse farming and nursery stock) There are some outstanding structures on those properties!

[Frank Pellow]

No sneaking, Frank...I've mentioned it a number of times in the past couple months. You can learn more at http://a-j-adopt.blogspot.com .

Thanks for the pointer Jim. I don't know why I missed the previous references. I do remember you saying something about trying to learn Russian, but that's all.

I read everything at the referenced spot and will now check in from time to time to see how things are going. For Margaret and I, having children was the thing that changed our lives the most (even more than marriage) and 95% of that change was for the better. I wish you and Alison, and your (future) children all the best!

[Martin Shupe]

Very nicely done, Jim. It looks great and adds to the fireplace.

[Ted Shrader]

Jim -

Very nice. It fits well with the motif? of the stone surround. The hand cut dovetails are big and rugged, yet elegabt enough to have that original feel.

Well done,
Ted

[Alan Mikkelsen]

Jim, great work, wonderful house. What a sense of History. There wasn't even a European structure in Montana in the 1700's!

[Dan Forman]

Looks grand! The doveltails are a nice feature.

Dan

[Darren Ford]

Jim, about 6 years ago, some friends of mine with 3 kids already, decided to adopt from Russia. As the process went on, they became aware of sibling girls who were available for adoption. Afraid the two would be split up, they decided if they were planning on 4, whats one more. My friends went to the doctor for checkups and shots before they went to Russia to pick up the girls, at which time found out they were expecting another. So within a few months they added 3 new kids to the family.

Those little girls were about 6 and 3, and within just a few months they were speaking English almost as well as their peers. I believe it was mid or late spring when they came to the states, and the next term were in school along with my kids.

I'm saying this because you probably won't ever learn any Russian once you get them. They will be speaking English so fast that you won't have a chance.

One other interesting note, after the girls had been with them for quite a few months, I'm thinking 8 or 9, another friend, of Russian descent, visited and tried to speak to the girls in their native language. He basically got out a couple of words when the girls freaked out, began screaming and ran. It took awhile to get them calmed down. This was something that was a total shock to the adults who thought the girls would enjoy it.

[Jim Becker]

I'm saying this because you probably won't ever learn any Russian once you get them. They will be speaking English so fast that you won't have a chance.

We are actually leaning some Russian to both provide for easier interaction when the kids are here for two and a half weeks in the summer hosting program as well as being respectful for folks when we are traveling in their country later on to complete the adoption process. It is a difficult language to learn...there are many sounds that just don't exist in "our" latin-based language, there is what I'll call "sound abreviation" when speaking in phrases and sentence structure, including gender references, are often applied in interesting ways.

It's very true that the kids, once settled here, will pick up English quickly and lose their Russian. The only way they generally can retain it is if they live in a home that speaks the language regularly and consistantly.

But this is a subject for a different place! Thanks for sharing your friend's story...it sounds like they have a wonderful family. We hope we will be just as lucky, but know we will be no matter what.

[Jerry Olexa]

Jim, In my zeal to comment on the interesting nature and character of your home and area, I forgot to mention how much I liked the mantel project itself. I especially like the handcut dovetails (to me a sign of craftmanship). Great results!

[Gene Collison]

Jim,

Nice job! I have a similar project to do when I get time.

Gene

[Steve Inniss]

Jim,
Nice design and execution. Looks great in the room - I'm sure even more so in person.
You'll have to, as part of every tour, go up to the loft and have folks admire the 83 buck piece of plywood. -Steve

[Jim Becker]

Steve, the "50 cent tour" always takes the back stairs up and the loft/library down, so that the gread room is spread out in front of the "tour-ee" for effect...