The Part II Foundational Course is progressing nicely and we now have shelves together. Few mistakes, learning experiences in progress, faintheartedness, fears, aspirations met and failed. Different pressure, lots of fun, pressure release, freedom happens – creative freedom. The pressure returns but this time it’s somewhat less and a certain new level of confidence has replaced anxiety with excitement. The unknown is difficult for us all but together each draws on the efforts, successes even failures of the other. Friendships don’t occur so much as unfold with a gentleness, mostly through vulnerability of one part and the care of another. It goes beyond the workbench, the brass backs of tenon saws and the smoothing plane, climbs over failures and into successes. It’s marvellous in my eyes. Tomorrow we fit and fettle the cross rails and make the protruding tenons fit the mortise holes. That would make a good YouTube video when I think about it. I am working on an article, “In praise of pine”, where I show the worldwide value that pine has played in the world of woodworking. We are working in pine because it’s such a wonderful wood. It’s not cheap to buy, just cheap in the eyes of those who don’t really know pine and all it’s virtues.
