Built my first project in 1969, a whelping box for the dog. It was square (sort of) and it was heavy. I didn’t know how to rip a board but sometimes mistakes are pure genius! The higher sides went to the back and the lower sides to the front. She used it, so I guess it passed muster. Once the pups got a bit bigger, flipped the box around and saved another week or two of repurposed lumber. Great lessons learned all around. Love does not use criticism, may not extoll, but accepts you.

I still have the hammer that my father taught me to use, it was his father’s or so the Blarney story goes. Just never can tell with that man :) But the hammer always brings a smile to my frustration and it’s already broken in! Dad also taught me that you can’t have the first beer until you’re done for the day, you’ve earned it or it’s noon, and it’s usually noon somewhere in the world. God Bless the Irish!

The electrician was here today to give an estimate on my humble shop. 16 X24. I finally get to move out of the cellar. I’ll have four lights over head, outlets every four feet and one in the middle for the table saw, couple lights for the outside…and at my age with the humidity – I wish for air conditioning! One thing about the cellar, it always stayed cool. As soon as the electric goes in, I’ll start putting up the insulation and the 3/4” T&G strip maple flooring that if I told you what I paid for it, you’d cry :) The flooring will take a good while, there may not be any projects until winter. I have a job that pays for what I love to do.

Again thanks for the warm welcome, I look forward to learning from all of you :)