A lot happens in my day

It’s richened by people, I know that. It’s not lonely, that’s for certain. If you’re lonely when you come, it won’t last. Friendships happen when tools cut mistakes and someone next to your bench cracks a joke that jerks you out of what you just did. You’re serious about what you just made, smile, look around, and someone catches your inspiration and joins your smile with theirs. Atmospheres change throughout the day and this time is no different and creativity becomes slowly infectious, a smile jumps from first one to another and then another and everyone stands smiling with one another. We begin to laugh and soon, in a heartbeat, everyone is laughing with you not at you. Sharing time of work with others is really quite unique. Here you are working and you share your working day with people you never knew before and suddenly you have something well worth sharing. It’s work that’s not like any work you ever did before. How amazing is this thing called culture that somehow takes the mundaneness out of the mundane and makes it so valuable. It’s a gift!

I was fine teaching and sharing. I think this may have become what I do best. I am glad to share from my life working wood and not being just a teacher or an academic type. I like being a workman really. I always have I suppose. A lot of woodworking teachers didn’t make it as craftsmen so they taught. I wouldn’t be without my years designing and making, selling and building and being a lifelong joiner and furniture maker. I’ve sold every piece I ever made. It’s been a wonderful life and I still make and sell my pieces.

I made a knife from some ebony yesterday and today and then started another using part of a bandsaw blade. On yesterday’s knife I used one of the Stanley knife blade spares I like so well. It worked fine. I made it the same size as the Stanley knife I use in my everyday work. The second knife came from the bandsaw blade I made the ‘other’ poor man’s beading tool from last week. I’ll be showing you how to make a good knife soon, perhaps.

The day was indeed mixed with laughter, relief, interest and chats at the bench with my demonstrations. We had cups of tea and coffee with biscuits (cookies) and responded to the fire alarm that was a test we knew nothing of.