What the world hands us...

There are those who believe in destiny, and those who feel we make our own path. I am not so sure the two are any different. Each day we make choices, but each day 'life' brings us unexpected events too- some of these offer a choice within, while some events simply need dealing with, without regard to choice. The terms 'destiny' and 'path' only describe what has and what will happen to us.

I have not worked for pay for over 14 months. I spent the Summer and Fall of 2008 working diligently to complete 'Dana's Cabinet' and created 'Nora's Chair', Mindi's soap cabinet, and my 'Hops' demilune table. By Winter, I was burned-out I think...

This Spring, I got in touch with a friend, Kelly McCargar, who is a Professional Land Surveyor. We spoke a good deal about his profession, and he even allowed me to shadow him during one of his easier projects near the Columbia River, north of Bend. I then took the steps of contacting a Nationally recognized Land Surveying school, right here in Oregon. After being accepted to Oregon Institute of Technology in their Geomatics program, my wife and I began to consider where and how we would live in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

We decided that we would try and find a house to buy and live in while I was in school, and pay rent to ourselves. It took two trips to K.Falls for us to find a place... a home built by a home-builder and lived in by him since 1964. The home is small at 990 sq. ft., but this is the same size as the home we have in Bend, so at least we're used to tiny. The lot is large, .33 acre, and fenced for our dogs, Stigr and Daisy. And now for the part that relates to destiny... at least as much as leaving Bend to pursue schooling and a career in Land Surveying does.



This home includes a working shop, complete with woodworking tools!

Imagine what I must have felt when I realized what was available- a chance to go to school and learn a viable career, and a chance to enjoy my hobby while doing so. I remain aware that school is my #1 priority, and I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that school will present. But I am also ecstatic at the thought that when I need a break, or to let off some steam, the chance to create something beautiful is still there for me. Even the opportunity for skiing is available regionally, albeit a couple hour's drive away...

One of the toughest things about this upcoming adventure is the prospect of leaving some very dear friends, here in Bend. I don't keep a large cadre of friends... I operate best with just a few people who I care about most. Leaving will be very tough, but with luck, an opportunity for work in Land Surveying will be available once I am through with school, and I can return to Bend.

Below are some additional photos of the house, yard, and shop. The best I can do now is to immerse myself into my newest task, work hard at school and in making professional contacts, and keep touch with those who mean the most and who I am leaving as part of this venture. Please wish me luck!



A Swiss-style chalet... small inside, but very well built



The shop is 26 x 40, and includes a 12 x 16 office at the front



The home is small, but cozy, and the focus won't be in lounging around and doing nothing... we will both be busy, with school, soapmaking, jobs, dogs, and maybe some woodworking too!



The large yard will suit Stigr and Daisy to a tee, and this well-built garden shed is perfect for storing yard implements too!





All of the wood, stationary machinery, tools, jigs, and even original blueprints from 30+ years of homebuilding are included! This is nothing short of a dream for a guy like me, who respects and values the honest, quality work of those who came before me. I only wish I had had the opportuniy to meet the man who built all of this with his own hands- needless to say that the antique panel saw that he had plasma cut across the blade with the words, "Uncle Grant's Shop", will remain hanging in full view upon the shop wall while I am caretaker of Grant's shop...

Nora Sweeney Really Rocks, and Toots

I've added a new blog to my list of blogs that I follow... Sweeneys Make 4. The link is available in my blog list along the right-hand side of my page. The Sweeney's are Ralph, Ann Marie, Nora, and Bean... Ralph was the first friend I made when I returned to Bend from college in Montana. Ann Marie is his beautiful wife of several years, Bean is their handsome, yellow Labrador Retriever, and Nora is their beautiful daughter, and the recipient of 'Nora's Chair'.

If you follow the link to Sweeney's Make 4, you can see Nora rocking in the walnut, cherry, and ebony chair I made for her- and she also offers an audible 'toot' while busy rocking. (Babies are really good at this)

The Sweeney's leave tomorrow, June 3, (one blogger's 38th birthday) for the Scandinavian country of Norway, where Ann Marie's brother, Jaime, is living for a time while he teaches English in the city of Stavanger, in very South-Western Norway. Interestingly enough, I had just returned from my first of two trips to Norway, in 1996, when I moved to Bend and met Ralph! Needless to say, I am jealous of the Sweeney's adventures to come!

Guitar-making is woodworking

This evening I was updating my iTunes, making new playlists, etc. and I came across one of my favorite artists, Ben Harper. I started listening to his 'Fight for Your Mind' LP and reading about him on Wikipedia.org. Recalling that Ben plays an unusual instrument, the Weissenborn, I checked-out a link that lead me to an amazing woodworker... and luthier. Christian Druery is a New Zealander with a beautiful web-site that offers a glimpse of the skill this guy has! The instruments he makes are stunningly gorgeous, and must play equally well, I can only imagine. Within his web-site he offers a quote, meant for instruments, but that I feel suits those of us who work with wood to make beautiful, long-lasting treasures:

I was alive in the forest,
I was cut by the cruel axe.
In life I was silent,
In death I sweetly sing.

These words seem especially true and meaningful. I have created a link to Christian's web-site at the bottom of this page, under 'Notable Links'...

Inspiring Artist

Tonight, while watching 'Antiques Roadshow' on PBS, I decided to try to locate some of the furniture makers that I most am drawn to, on the web. On the first try, I was successful!

Peter Turner lives in Maine, and creates amazing furniture pieces that are truly form-functional. I have included Peter's blog address as a link among my blog list. I hope that each of you will take a moment to view Peter's blog- additionally, by selecting and viewing his profile, you can find a link to his website, which features many photos in his portfolio.

Were it not for Peter hosting a blog, I would surely provide a link to his web-site, along with the other furniture and cabinetmakers I have listed.

Making friends and 'pop-ups'

This past weekend my wife and I attended the Central Oregon Home and Garden Show at the fairgrounds in Redmond, Oregon. The show was smaller than in years past, and more vendors appeared to offer services for homeowners content with where they're living, as opposed to the decade-worth of boom-time vendors looking to reap the rewards of an uber-hot real estate market here in Central Oregon.

We were rewarded for our attendance with the opportunity to visit with several vendors, neighbors really, who we really felt lucky to run into. Chief among this group was Marty Santor, owner and operator of 'Vermont Yankee Woodworks'. Marty brought 4 or 5 free-standing cabinets to the show, as well as a folio of his work already installed in customers' homes. We had a bright, energetic discussion about his business, this blog, and peoples' opinions of furniture and fine carpentry.

Marty provided me his business card, which included his website, but I found that the link didn't work:

www.vermontyankeewoodworks.com

I have already emailed Marty about this, so when the solution is found, I'll be sure to post the correction.

Interestingly, Marty found himself bombarded by 'pop-ups' after clicking on the link to Mindi's blog, 'Ms-In-Between'. Mindi looked into it straight-away and found nothing wrong, but we are hoping that Marty can guide us to the bad link so we can fix it.

Anyone else having problems stemming from links posted on this blog? Please let me know if you are, so that I can quickly fix any problems that exist!

Mirror Image Demilune Tables

This past Fall, just after I completed my 'Hops' demilune table, I began design and construction of two more of the same type of table. These two, however, are to be exact mirror-images of each other, and stylistically will be Federal Period furniture... without any contemporary flair to them at all.

The wood I chose was African Cherry, or Makore- not a species commonly used for Federal Period furniture, but I had some excellent, flitch-matched and very wide boards that I wanted to use, so I decided they would work. Accent woods that I used include Ebony, European Holly, and Tiger Maple, and I may still throw in some African Bloodwood for some aspect of the inlay.

One difficulty I've run in to is that early-on I decided to use as little machinery as possible in the construction of these tables. That has lead to many, many hours of tedious hand-work, that I am just not certain is 'worth' it. I fashioned the tools I used according to time-tested methods, but the work is insanely monotonous, and the toll the work takes on the tools is apparent. Another issue is the fabrication of the banding to be used on the tables... this is a process that takes time, patience, and attention to detail in order to fabricate a quality banding.

Currently, I'm struggling to complete the grooves for the inlay in the eight legs, to complete the final stage of the banding in preparation for inlaying into the lower portion of the apron, and deciding on the best layout for the table tops themselves. One wouldn't think that these items would cause so much consternation, but getting it 'right' is a one-shot deal... no take-backs are afforded here!

Here are some photos of what's been happening so far: FYI, if you 'double-click' the image, a larger set of photos appears in a new window; Close the window to return to the main page.

Spring already?

Okay gang, sorry for the LONG delay. But, when Winter hits, and one has a ski pass... what else is one to do but ski? My season was fantastic, and included many epic days of great snow, awesome turns, and great fun! My wife, Mindi, did remarkably well for her first season of effort at telemark skiing, but slightly injured her knee in the process. That's not unexpected, and most telemark skiers have some degree of soreness or strain in their knees...

My friend Kellie has grown her telemark skiing ability by leaps and bounds this season- only her second true full-length season. That girl in the link in the previous post?... Kellie skis like that, is that confident, and has no inhibitions about attacking any slope! Great job Kellie! We had many days covered in deep powder, just like the other photo in my previous post... the guy in the Wasatch Range, taking a body-shot and powering through it!

I also worked on a project a little bit this Winter- twin projects actually. More on that, including photos, in the next post.

Happy Spring to you! Don't plant your garden too early!