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#1 ·
Saint Croix 2010 November

Saint Croix
MaFe on tour November 2010

A good friend of mine called one Wednesday and asked me if I was ready to go to Saint Croix newt Sunday!
I asked what was the story, and he reply that he just thought it could be nice.
I explain about my health and economy, and he said that I did not have to worry for the pay, and that he was aware of my fragile health, so if I was ill when we were there, I could just stay in my bed, and get better!
So no catch, nothing I had to do, just to enjoy and get to breathe better!
My friend was there to work since his family have the hotels King Christian and Company House Hotel there, so he warned me that I would be alone a lot since he would be working. That meant I would have time to do things in my own speed, and this is quite a lot slower and not so stabile due to my health (retired due to a bad neck and operation).
Now that is a offer I could not resist, so even I was full of worry if I could handle it, I said yes, and started packing my suitcase. Wauuu, I'm a lucky guy to have a friend like that.

Nervous but with a big smile I decided to go.

So we took off from Copenhagen, landed in London - a plane to Miami, where we spend an evening and sleep in a wonderful hotel.


Here the view from the hotel room, looking at Miami Beach (Not bad at all).
I wish I had the time to pass Dr. Ken, but not this time, perhaps in the future…

- Next morning up and off to the airport, and a flight for Saint Croix.

I left Copenhagen I snow and below frost temperature, so it was like to enter Paradise when we arrived at Saint Croix, 30 degree Celsius / 86 degree Fahrenheit, hmmmm.

So from here I'll just give you a few photos out of the 1000 I took there.
I have no 'tourist' shots, it's all details, all the things I sucked in, on my daily walks in the city Christiansted, where I walked with my camera and my little sketchbook.


At the fortress, 'blinded and hooked'.


At the fortress, 'light meets profile'.


At the fortress, 'repetition'.


At the fortress, 'birdland'.


At the fortress, 'wheels under fire'.


At the fortress, 'Match-box, boxing match, dovetails at war'.


At the fortress, 'bark on wood'.


At the fortress, 'elegant'.


At the fortress, 'as simple as that'.


At the fortress, 'earth meets sky'.


At the fortress, 'sky meets earth'.


At the fortress, 'love story'.


Nature, 'bark, paint'.


Nature, 'fireworks'.


Nature, 'like rings in the water'.


Building by the sea, 'no exit'.


By a church, 'Wauuu'.


By a church, 'even more Wauuu'.


Where it all ends, 'eastern most'.


In the city, 'detour'.


In the city, 'just around the corner'.


In the city, 'once more'.


In the city, 'the corner'.


In the city, 'the same, and then again'.


In the city, 'close enough'.


In the city, 'stay out'.


In the city, 'open closed / closed open'.


In the city, 'broken, grass'.


In the city, 'straight up in the sky, no flow'.


In the city, 'falling grass'.


Nature, 'try copying this'.


In the city at night, 'tall men, wooden legs'.


In an abandoned building, 'been there, did that'.


Does it matter where, 'the truth of our friend'.


By a church, 'just hanging out in front of the church'.


In the city, 'nature claims back'.


In the city, 'time travel'.


In the harbor, 'waiting for the wind'.


In the city, 'captain hook'.


A church, 'reach up'.


In that church, 'sit down'.


In that church, 'flames of'.


In that church, 'room for all'.


In that church, 'oriental siluette'.


In that church, 'time for reflection'.


In that church, 'perhaps to clean'.


On that church, 'no one the same, and yet so homogeneous'.


In that church, 'lines, curves, light and mahogany'.


In that church, 'is that for real'.


Detail on that church, 'balance are not always in the center'.


Detail on that church, 'twisted hold'.


Detail on that church, 'twist again'.


Fence at that church, 'shadow magic'.


Fence at that church, 'magic light'.


Fence at that church, 'light, shadow and no magic'.


House in the city, 'closed open'.


Another house in the city, 'open closed'.


Detail from another house in the city, 'waves'n angels'.


Detail from another house in the city, 'hat's'.


Detail from another house in the city, 'as the wind blows'.


Space and view from another house in the city, 'a place to grow old'.


Detail from another house in the city, 'get the picture even little things are missing'.


Detail from another house in the city, '-even when a big part is missing'.


Detail from another house in the city, 'let's end with an opening'.

Admit it was not a tour in the family album, but I hope it was at some inspiration.

I had a wonderful week there with my friend, he worked hard all day, I enjoyed hard all day, sometimes we took the car out to look at things, and I followed him for some meetings and so, we eat together in the evenings, and sometimes for lunch, talked, laughed, had time for friendship.
It was very intense, I really felt I got Saint Croix under my skin, the smells, the nature, the soul, so I would love to get back.

(My health was generally fine and my eyes were so much open that I was able to leave my body many times, and with plenty of rest a slow pace the days was over even before I knew it.
So it was back to the snow in Copenhagen, but also back to the people we love.
Thank you my friend Christian for this wonderful tour, it was sure able to give me a break away from the everyday repetition, the winter, the always present health, and of fighting for my right to a pension against a government who seems to think it's clever to spend enormous amounts of time and money on concluding I can't work due to my health, and then after totally ignore the same fact…
But now I'm back with some new energy, ready to fight for my right, even it seems sometimes so hopeless to have to fight for the right to be sick, when all you wish for is not to be sick!).
So as I say; 'I smile, and as long as I can do that, I'll not fall'.

Best thoughts, and a thank you from my heart to Christian,

MaFe
 
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#2 ·
That was quite a blessing Mads pity you have to suffer I have a damaged back which caused me to collapse on my table saw I fell & pushed my hand past the blade & lost the middle two fingers on my right hand pain is not good but life is. There is still so much to be thankfull for like your free holiday thankyou for the pictures it's cold in the UK but now I feel like I had a holiday too
Best wishes
Trevor
 
#3 ·
wow mads

what a great story book
and such a nice friend to have

glad you got to
air your soul
and thank you for sharing this with us

i will have to look at this again
i know i missed the pipe lol
 
#7 ·
Mads,

You have the eye of an aritist/architect. I see it more everytime you post something. These images are terrific. I see the Luther Rose. A wonderful story all by itself. My brother and I worked together to create such an image to bring to Sanct Bartholomaus-Kirche in Kirchwalsede, Germany, where my family came from. In honor of my ancestors and father in particular who never got to see his homeland.

Then the textures and patterns of things you see….. They are beautiful in their own way, but in the context of where they exist, even more beautiful. I was in Germany about 12 years ago, my first visit to the homeland, and I visited some very fascinating places (to me). I remember crawling on the floor in some wonderful building of this magificent room with the most incredible parquet wood floor of walnut. It was in every way complex, huge, and simply beautiful. It was simply amazing , and then to realize that it was made in the 1600's by hand. I had to salute those Holz Arbeiters (unknown as it was) for their meticulous work. Good work is timeless, even if it does not last forever.

I would have loved to have seen you, but I wouldn't have wanted you to miss an opportunity to see what you did.

Wonderful photography.
 
#8 ·
Mafe my FRIEND, what a great post! I'm so happy for you that you were able to enjoy this and what a great buddy you have. I loved the pictures as I was looking at them I challanged myself to look for what you took it. Very cool, Got to run need another drink. LOL
 
#10 ·
it was really great to read this and how much of a break it was for you and the refresher it was to your fighting spirit…you have a wonderful friend who gave of himself and you got to spend some wonderful time together…nothing can beat a wonderful friend…i pray for your success and hope your country will let you live in peace and not make you fight for being sick…i to have been disabled for some time and had to go through the process of getting what was rightly mine…and your so right …when all we want is to be well we sometimes have to go though hell just to live….but your never alone mafe….any time i can ever be helpful …just pm me…grizz
 
#11 ·
Mad's that is a super tour

great photos

"Waves & Angels" that gives me a great idea for a picket fence.

Jamie
 
#13 ·
Now I can say that I have seen St. Croix through an architects eyes. Lots of interesting thoughts there Mads. I especially liked your comments on unlike things being homogeneous. Thanks for sharing your photos and observations with us and telling us how much you value your friends.
 
#15 ·
As Martyn said Mads, you have a good eye for photography. My wife and I took a cruise in April of 2010 from San Juan to St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Kitts, Dominica, Barbados, and then back to San Juan. I booked the trip the day after a friend had a heart attack and died. It makes you put things in perspective.

Thanks for sharing
Jerry
 
#17 ·
Thanks for sharing your enjoyment Mads. I know very well how hard things can be when you have been hurt like that, it is the same for me, same injured area with surgery that is not in any way near to being successful, the same fight for help even though I paid for it etc. A true blessing to be able to get away from it for a little while! Keep up the good fight!
 
#19 ·
Paris National Conservatory of Arts and crafts - a lumber jerk in Paris

Paris National Conservatory of Arts and crafts
a lumber jerk in Paris

Some of you know my French history.
Also that my wonderful Paris love story sadly ended.
Was actually back in Paris not so long ago, but Paris was under the dark, so I went back fast and have closed the book with peace in my mind, but a little sadness my heart.

But my love for Paris are still there, especially for the way the French celebrated the crafts, the love and respect they have as a historic tradition for the crafts.
They have managed to bring the crafts with them in to the academic world, to exhibit and celebrate - what in my country Denmark in the same period has become something people looked down at, but now slowly are starting to ask 'where did it go'.
I hope and pry for a revolution in this, that more people will gain back the respect of the craft of the hand.
So with this post I celebrate the arts, crafts and send my love and thoughts to her who were the reason I got the chance to see all that; may your life be full of joy.

The pictures date back to 2011.


Ok, we start in the streets of Paris.


Ok, this is not wood working, but man is that a wonderful beast!


I can see me on this.


Nice a..


Like going into orbit.


Look up MaFe.
Look in the beautiful sky of Paris.


Perhaps this is more me…
At least you will get dry at work.
It's BMW!


Ok this one was mine.
The one on the right…
The bicycle I mean.
It's true!
For four years it brought me all over Paris.
Now it's sold.


Looking back up.
This was where I was going.
Sorry for the little detour.
But this is really Paris!


This also…


Life just seems to run by.
We are too busy to even see the once suffering in front of us.
What are this world coming too?


We are still in Paris.
No ********************!


I think he is trying to tell me something…
'Get I to that museum MaFe'.
Ok, I'm going sorry, I get so easily distracted.


Now that's a box!
I love it!
Actually a tabernacle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_tabernacle


Ok, here we are back n my little work shop.
Sorry I got lost again…
On my second travel to Paris, with the mother of my child, eleven years ago, I bought one of these in antique store and brought it back home to Copenhagen.
Ever since that day I have wanted to make one so it was really a eye opener, to kind of see it again.


What is it with the French and that wine!


Now that's a chess table.


Miniature door model.


Here is something for the delicate turner.


A box is not just a box.


Not in France.


A real man need a place for his cigars.


Another scale model.


Who is the guy in the reflection…


Ahhh ok we are looking at the craft of frame making and adding gold leafs.
In French doreur.


What do you think of this!
I actually own one.


With this you can tell the time at any time of the year, like a sundial.


Old rulers.


Some funny boxes, I think for a kind of heat.


The art of measure.


Imagine all this was made by hand.
No cnc back then.


Clock box


Shape box.
This one is also on my list of want to make.


It's absolutely amazing.
Magic.


What do you think?


As an architect this goes straight to my heart.


Talk about creativity!


Wohooo.


Simple joints become art.


Less simple also.


Patience must be the word.


On a curve.


Corner.


Kapow.


Locked.


Lovely crisp.


Try find the match.


-


-


-


-


-


-


Back to reality.


Now we get into the combination of wood and mechanics.
Making fabric.


Here it starts to become impressive.
even the wood becomes secondary.


Talk about woodworking.


Carpenters tools.
Look what amount of pride the owner must have had.


Ok a collection of carpenters tools…


Files and gouges.


-


Frame saw.
As simple as it gets.


Typical French hand plane shape.
I have a few my self, they are lovely to work with and make me think of a meeting between the Japanese and the German.


Less is more here.


-


-


-


Stairway to heaven.


Makes m think of Escher.


How they raised the Egyptian obelisk from Luxor, on Place de la Concorde, back in the days where wood workers were needed for that.


This one think many of you US guys will find fascinating.
I did.
This I a model from the workshop, where it was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty


-


Notice how they slowly scale up.


-


-


-


Does it ring a bell here?
Shave sure know this type of bench!
The Roubo bench. (actually Roubo did only make a drawing of it, so it's all wrong he gets the credit).


-


Now for the metal working.


Notice how they are hammered in shape.


Rivet holes.


Amazing.


-


-


Here we say goodbye to her.


Just another box…


Ok, not just.
The smallest most sexy dovetails I have ever seen.


Some apparatus…


It's all in the details.


Bow lathe!
This I love.
It's so simple you can piss a drawing of it in the snow.


The bow, laminated up.


-


Push board.


The heads and rest.


-


Lovely!


This must be tool porn.


Here a challenge for our wood turning friends.


-


Starting to sweat?


It gets worse!


-


-


-


-


Talk about ornaments.


Mechanic doll.


Scale model of lathe.
This one takes a helper to run the wheel I guess.


Look how beautiful the lathe are put into the table.


This one almost made me cry.
A grease box!


Scale model workshop.


Notice the side wise.


-


-


Just like the book binders.


-


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Sharpening station.


Never get tied of all the details here.


This vice must be brilliant for leather working, perhaps a version could be made for saw sharpening.


-


Here the whole model.


Drawing of the old shops.


That's what I call a sharpening stone.


So now we go to the aero part.


-


And I will say goodbye here, with the thoughts of me leaving Paris one last time few months back.

Thank you for joining me, those of you who had the patience to take the full tour, down my memory lane.

The best of my thoughts,
Mads
 
#65 ·
Turkey adventures - a new dawn, a new day a new life

Turkey adventures
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good


South west coast of Turkey.
Yes life for me are never at a still stand, life keeps opening up new paths and bringing smiles.
It has also brought loads of crap… but I choose to focus where I feel the smiles.
This winter was tough on me, lots of nerve neck pain, muscle pains and tensions, so I have not been so active at LJ as I like to be, feel I let down many old friends here by not having time to respond to all their posts, have more than 500 unread messages in my notifications from LJ, guess with a big friend list it grows fast.
But no one are forgotten, life have just been guiding me in different directions, a new day - every day, a new dawn - feel I get better at being retired, a new life - my daughter living full time with me now as she goes to high school, and Filiz who generously share her life and love with me in so many ways. One of these ways are that she was born in Turkey and so we spend a holyday there six months back and on this journey we slept on a small beach where we the next morning fell in love with a house, found out it was empty, drove up a kilometer high mountain to find the owner and made a deal to rent it.
This resulted in us going there to get the house in working order and for me to enjoy the benefits of a warmer and more peaceful climate for my pains and tensions, we will use it for holydays when possible, otherwise life will go on as usual here in Copenhagen in my small apartment and hours of joy at the work shop.


This is our house under the mountain.


The view from the house, a bay by the Aegean Sea, always new light, new color, a living painting.


As I said we went there to get the house in working order, it had been left for years, so it needed love and we needed households and other essentials.


Shopping in Turkey can be really colorful.


Even at the hardware store.


But also Turkey seems to have held on to traditional ways and tools and this was manly what we went for.


Like here at a local carpenters shop.


Handmade and by tradition and factory made in a mix.


But all wood here.


In order to enjoy this, we needed to set up quite a bit, buy stuff, clean and fix.
(To be honest I was tired after this last visit, but next time we will go just to relax and enjoy life).


We became friends with our neighbor Ismail, he is one of the most lovely men I meet in my life, a pure heart and soul along with a wonderful mood and a river of love.


Also we meet up with many of the locals, they all seem to be related and everyone are open hearted and making us feel welcome.
Down there they still care for the family, they help each other and so the whole family meet to help our neighbors planting beans for the season.


They asked me to try planting and this I could not resist, even I only managed half a row and then had to stop since my neck and arms started aching, I did get my retirement for a reason I was reminded… but it was the most wonderful moment and now I will follow the growing more carful as the summer passes on.


I see strong woman with a peaceful mind and a soul that follows the rhythm of life.


As I said, life here are about keeping it simple, local food, fish caught by harpoon in the sea, cooking and eating by the fire.
(The neighbor told us the whole willage could smell my cooking).


Meet up with the local carpenter, here he is working on a small table for me.


Lovely heavy machines and the smell of sawdust, so I felt really home there.


Filiz are closing down a deal with him on some furniture's for our house.
So wonderful that this is still possible in a country like this, happy to not support IKEA. ;-)


At the matrass maker… Yes cotton mattresses, hand made and in the most amazing quality, this at the prize of a IKEA foam mattress.


Not much woodworking, patch working perhaps, made a floor for the toilet.


You cant imagine the joy of listening to the sea, smelling the mandarin tree and saying hello to a frog as you go there, this is a wonderful kind of luxury when you grew up in the city and live in the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen.


I did bring a few tools, so I could make us a cutting board to start with.


Woodworking with a view.


A little box of basics; a block plane, knifes, spoon knife, folding saw, chisel and sharpening gear.
Guess I know now what are the basic tools you need.


Scrapers, more for sharpening, a few unfinished spoons and the new spoon knife I just made the week before.


The locals use hatched for the firewood so I bought an axe and one of the traditional hatches for compare.


The hatched are with no compare the best tool, I simply love it, even I got blisters and will remember to use gloves in the future (city man), I will put the axe in the back of the car for collecting wood.


I smile.


Also bought Kermit the ugly dugly for house repair.


And saws for wood and metal.


Some how refreshing to start all over.
To feel again the overwhelming joy of getting a simple hammer.


Workbench are some old bee hives we will use for clothes storage in the house.


Less can be so much more.


As long as you are warm and not hungry.


Just the basics. ;-)


A table.


And the moon over the sea.


Neighbors that bring you fresh green and fruit.


And makes you feel welcome.


A carpenter that can make you simple beautiful furniture's.


Did I mention tools and sharpening gear… laughs.


Food…


Oranges and mandarin from your own trees.


I feel I found the end of the rainbow.


And will enjoy every moment I will be given at that place and feel grateful that life have so much to offer me, even it at other times have seen so dark, that I could only glimpse the lights of it as stars in the midnight sky.

Thank you for joining me a brief moment here.

Hope this post can bring some light, perhaps even hopes to where they are needed.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#93 ·
Turkey adventures - summer 2016

Turkey adventures
summer 2016

It has been a wonderful summer this year, a long one, spend most of it in Turkey, in our little place by the sea, woodworking has not been there too much, partly because we were busy settling in and playing in the water or hanging out in the hammock with good books and a cold beer.
But I will share a little of the joy along with the little woodworking and inspiration.


This is the hide out, a stone throw from the sea in South West Turkey.
We have rented this place for a couple of years and enjoy the locals company and kindness.
It is situated in a small village of thirty houses or so.


View from living room.


Here our house, with the 1 kilometre mountain behind.
The trees are orange and mandarin and you might see our little kitchen garden in front of the house.


I made drawings for some simple farmers furniture, inspired from the locals we have visited and these were made from a local carpenter from local wood, just in my spirit.
Here it is the kitchen frame where we added a marble section recycled from some old steps that were trashed in a nearby village.


The local carpenter, it was a joy to work a little with him, I felt he really liked getting this strange Dane as a client, to make things as they were used to be made and in the old houses spirit.


For me this is to respect the house and place.


Bedroom is same song; less is more than enough.
Old local bee hives as chests for clothing.


In the living room a traditional divan, made in three pieces so it can become three guest beds or a spare double bed.
We had the mattresses and pillows made from Bedouin tent fabric and cotton filling as they make it traditionally here.


He also made us the little table and the dinner table outside, after my drawings inspired from old traditional furnitures here.
All in all I am really happy, my fear that it would become seventies with all the wood was put to shame. I feel it has become light, timeless and respectful to the house and local tradition.


Ok, let's forget about the house and focus on life and dead… after all a house is only a machine for living!
The death of this beautiful octopus after meeting me with a harpoon, is a dinner worthy of a king for me.


Ok…
Here the old dinner table, the wood beetles here are serious!
There were practically no wood left in that leg, so I made a quick fix, so it could be used outside by the toilet.


Just a simple lap joint after cutting of the worst part.


Then some footworking.


Was lucky to find a piece of trashed wood that I could use for the repair.
Just nails and wood.


Have to admit it was not all fun, here I am at the local barber, please notice our faces, as he is pulling out hair from my ear, with warm wax.


Some people don't believe in miracles, I have seen them!
Every day we woke up the locals had left us green and fruits on the porch.
Imagine two months we had this stream of fresh food in the kitchen and fish from the sea.
Yes I am a blessed man.
Thank you.


Here is one of the locals, he is a neighbor two houses away, Ahmet, this day we brought him with us to the marked and when I looked in the mirror he were sitting on the back seat laughing with one of my hats on my head.


Nature are also close when you live here and nature seemed to be interested in our world also.
Wonder if it were looking at the tree.


Here we are at one of the farmers markets, this day we bought some garden tools, a few axes and other stuff for the house. You can buy ******************** from China, but you can also buy traditional Turkish handmade tools really cheap and for a tool fool like me it is always interesting to buy and use tools from different cultures.


Here a man selling wooden things, while carving a traditional Turkish spoon.


Always a joy to watch a man working with skilled hands.


Ahmet were interested in things for his wife.


Perhaps selling carpets are not a bad business…


Kayaking is also just what you need on a hot day.
Here on my way out to look for fish in the basket trap.


Or together up coast, just for the joy of it.


Ohh yes while we were there, there were a coup d'état in Turkey, so I got a message from Tayyip Erdogan…
To be honest we almost did not feel the coup, air planes over flew the area once or twice a day, a few road blocks since some of the soldiers were hiding in the woods close to our house and a few police officers checking out the area. But the locals were quite affected and spoke a lot about it. In turkey most people seems to take it as a blessing since it will mean that the military power over the government since 1923 are finally history, even the same people at the same time see Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as the country's father. All this is complex but not hard to understand if you read the history of Turkey. Personally I hope this will become a chance for Turkey to become a real democracy and that Erdogan will work on a free and open Turkish democracy from now.


Ohhh yes sometime nature comes really close, as when I caught this rat on the toilet…


Every day a new image when looking at the sea.


The hairdresser invited us to his sons wedding.
It was a wonderful evening, my daughter and her friend were with us, since they came for holidays.


Here four generations of woman dressed for the wedding.


Filiz and I with our landlord. She can smile from the heart and are so happy that the house are again full of life.
She live with her husband and family on the mountain, so it is a drive one kilometre up hill, on narrow gravel roads to visit them.


Also had time for trying out some old motorcycles.
Kind of fell in love with this 1969, IZH Jupiter 2, a 350cc 2-stroke made in Russia by the Kalashnikov Concern, but some vital parts were missing and so it was not possible to know if we could get it in order and if something broke to get spares from Russia were hell.


Then a ride on this IZH Planeta 5 sidecar motorcycle but this was not for me, I have chronic pain in my arms and riding this was like riding a angry bull…


Finally I saw a old Jawa, in Turkey this is like a Vespa for a Italian, it was hugely popular for many years and was affordable, so it became the workers motorcycle.
But either they were too expensive, or they were in too bad condition, so we kind of gave this one up.


So back to the IZH.
1980, IZH Planeta 5, 350cc 2-stroke made in Russia by the Kalashnikov Concern.
Kind of like driving a tractor in a good way. they told us this was like a horse and used to be the favourite of the farmers.


Hmmmmmm not easy to let the sidecar go, liked this feeling of adventure!
MaFe goes Indiana Jones…


So time to distract the brain.
Here back to the mattress man.
He is cutting foam for a mattress for a divan and it is also made to fit our trunk in the car for tour purpose.


I build this divan out of pallets on the top of the roof, like this we could sleep there at night and just hang out when it's not the hot summer months.
We also bought the beautiful old wedding chest you see on the photo, it was used to deliver newspapers in, in a nearby town and the owner seemed happy we would pay next to nothing for it.
I will post later about the pallet divan project.


Here my wonderful mother in law hanging out, she were sleeping there on the days she came to visit us.
(She have a family house in Turkey, 9 hours drive from where we were).


Woodworking inspiration, this is a traditionally old kitchen 'cabinet', that used to be a common wedding gift.
We bought it on the roadside from a farmer selling oranges, that had it hanging in his little place and also here the owner were surprised that someone would buy it, even we paid less for it than the oranges.


Different friends of Filiz came for visit, here from Istanbul and we enjoyed to have the house full of life.
The fabric with stars in the back is our shower, we shower outside by the kitchen sink and our guests all loved to have a evening shower while watching the stars.


Breakfast and reading the Koran.
I have read the Bible and so I thought it would be right to read the Koran, when I have now decided to spend time in Turkey. Also I bought this Koran some years back out of interest in the Islamic culture.


As a part of this trying to understand, I also went with my neighbours and other locals a few times for friday prayers.


This is the local mosque, a simple building in a small village up the hill.


So what did I learn?
Understanding, respect, compassion.
But to explain here in short words would not be fair, so I will make it short and say that what the media is trying to tell us is far from the truth. There are NO blood thirsty Muslims to be found in the local population, just as you don't find soldiers with bomb drones when you visit the West, what I see is peaceful, loving and caring humans, that wants peace and who brought us food without ever asking anything in return. I meet open minds and souls that were strong in their believes often due to the fact they were used to struggle for a living and so they were helpful to one another.
Also I learned that the Koran and the Bible have much more in common than I knew and to be honest after reading both books I have become less and less religious…
I believe in that there are something bigger than us, I fell that in the wood when I do woodworking, let's call it God, but this is not something that would ever kill to be spread, so any one calling them self religious while wanting others dead, don't believe in the same as I do.
Ok, hope I don't start a war here now, please just read my words as mine and don't argue if you don't agree.
Peace.

The The wrote the song, Slow Emotion.
The more I see
The less I know
About all the things I thought were wrong or right
& carved in stone
So, don't ask me about
War, Religion, or God
Love, Sex, or Death
Because….
Everybody knows what's going wrong with the world
But I don't even know what's going on in myself.
You've gotta work out your own salvation.
With no explanation to this Earth we fall
On hands & knees we crawl
And we look up to the stars
And we reach out & pray
To a deaf, dumb & blind God who never explains.
Every body knows what's going wrong with the world
But I don't even know what's going on in myself.
Lord, I've been here for so long
I can feel it coming down on me
I'm just a slow emotion replay of somebody I used to be.


I had the luck to have the local Imam working on the field next to our house, this meant we had weekly talks about religion, being a human, love, compassion, temptation and much more. Further more it was wonderful to be able to question while reading the Koran, since I often felt confused and found double meanings just as in the Bible. The Imam is one of the kindest and most modest men, one of his first words to me when I told him I were reading the Koran was; 'if I had grown up in your country, I would have been a Christian', this made me calm and made me realize he had no intention of pushing me in any direction. So yes I feel I got a good understanding now about what it is to be a Muslim, that just as I as a Christian don't follow the Bible blindfolded and word by word, then a Muslim don't follow the Koran like this also. But yes extremists comes in many forms, confused Christians that ride horses with red crosses killing anyone that will not become Christians, Muslims with bombs strapped to the body, school kids with machine guns killing other students, people with white hats killing people with black skin and so on, crazy people will always exist, but we should never make them as an example of a whole population.


So let us leave the religion here and watch the sun go down with hope and love on our minds.


A good reason could be that we love our children, here my daughter and her friend hanging out in the hammocks. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed their visit.

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
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Ok my sweet daughter Mathilde had to visit the hospital after she came too close to nature…


This scorpion kissed her foot as she were walking in the dark.
I got it and will post how it got a box later.


Luckily most animals were more friendly, some so friendly that you could feel their personality.


These are kind of my favourites.


And it was the first time I saw the crickets that sings so wonderful.


Sadly not all of them were alive, like this sea turtle that washed in.


Ohh here he is again Ahmet, here with his horse.


The richness of Turkey.


Passed this fine workshop.
He were working on a turning.
But as you can see he are working on all kinds of woodworking.


Also these wonderful birdcages.


I have to admit I loved his order.


The Jawa were following us like a ghost!


Talking of woodworking…


Two Muslim girls, hand in hand, walking to the beach.
Some how this is a good image of what i was talking about.
Difference don't need to be a problem, it can even be beautiful.


Nature and food came right to the doorstep.


Making tea the traditional Turkish way.


Serving it for and sharing it with some of the locals.
We enjoyed so many wonderful moments like this this summer.


Ohhh yes and while Filiz mother was visiting us, she were spreading her wonderful happy and relaxed mood, here laughing over a small cake.
Also she had heard I were looking at motorcycles and she said; 'buy the best one, buy the Jawa, I will pay'.


So that made the choice!
We had stumbled across this wonderfully restored one at a local restaurant, the owner had a heart operation and could not drive it. He had just three years ago had it restored for three times the prize I ended up paying for it, so I were more than happy, even though it was a long process to get the papers done and it had a broken generator that needed to be fixed before I were able to give it a good ride.


Do I need to say I love it?
1968 Jawa 250, at its heart, an air-cooled, two-stroke, 246cc, parallel twin powerhouse paired to a four-speed manual transmission, and can produce 17 horsepower.


Had some wonderful rides and Filiz love it also.
It's a small motor, but plenty of life for the little mountain roads here and the sound is nothing less than wonderful.


Filiz mother love sea food, so I was happy to shoot some octopus and catch some fish for her, to make her a wonderful thank you dinner.


You want dinner?


Did you ask for walrus?


Here from another day with fish on the table.
we came to love a fish with poisonous spines, so I had to be careful when catching and cleaning them, since I learned the hard way that it was like a mild bee sting when it happened…


Grrrr Ahmet again, now with my glasses…


Also time to see some of the ancient story of Turkey.
Amazing these carved out buildings.


And Turkish local food.
(Ok perhaps not all local).


Did I mention I bought a Jawa?


Building site sign.
Guess it means: Scream with dirty hands!.


Building site sign.
Guess it means: Work only with stylish hat!.


Building site sign.
Guess it means: Tom Jones tell you this!.


Ok I have to admit I love my new Jawa.


Beauty of nature and dinner.


Evening fire just for joy.


Shopping in a nearby town. Mügla.


Prince MaFe of Turkey going to the Turkish bath.


Like a new painting every day in front of the house.


Fitting handles for garden tools, that's kind of woodworking or?


Ok cutting a hole then to fit a box on the back of the Jawa then?
No as I said, not much woodworking, but sometimes working some wood.


Sewing some leather sheaths for some knife I made back home in Copenhagen.
While having Turkish coffee and a brandy.


The results.


Ahmet again, now with my Stetson…


Evening on the terrace.
Diamonds on the sea.


I smile.


Did I mention a Jawa?


Our house, grapes, orange and mandarin trees, Jawa, old table by the toilet, kayak, hammocks, roof divan, corns in front and olive trees behind.


Well the summer came to an end and we had to pack up.
The owner will put a extra window in the bedroom, so we had to cover for dust.


Ahmet.
This guy is the one to ask if you want to know what it is to live a honest life and never compromise.
He walks several hours with his horse two times a week to pick up water from a spring, this even though he have a water tap in his house, only because he only wants his family to drink the best water, direct from nature. He sleeps on the floor in a barn, to give room for his children and grand children in the house. He grow food in his field and walk to the coast to give some of it away for free to people passing by, just because he have learned from the Koran that you must share and because it feels good to him. This man have a clean heart and we are so many that can learn from this.
Also we had so many laughs together and talks of what it meant to be a good man.


The moon kissing the sea.
With this I will say thank you if you read this blog, it means that you have patience and that you unlike most people still have the ability to read a longer text and not just headlines.
Perhaps, that you like I enjoy many facets of life and therefore know, we have to learn to let go and just be.


Did I mention my Jawa?

(Shut up MaFe).

Hope it can inspire, perhaps bring some light, smiles and understanding.

The best of my thoughts,
Mads
 
#94 ·
Wrote this while I was in Turkey, trying to explain my thoughts.

Friday prayers under state of emergency.

Turkey at this moment.
Mads Felding, Tournavalle, Mügla, Turkey.

Reporting directly from Turkey, while the coup has been beaten and the Erdogan government now are trying to wipe out resistance and gain power, reports from Istanbul tells soldiers are beaten by the public, 1500 wounded, 250 killed, 60.000 judges, policemen, teachers and academics fired, 3000 put to jail for questioning. Here in our local area photo planes are crossing the sky, coast guard on patrol, soldiers searching the woods and road blocks are set up to check all cars coming in and out to look for the ten runaway soldiers that attempted the coup. All this and not only all this… also death sentence might again become a reality and this will end the hopes of Turkey as a part of the EU. Yes in many ways the arrow points in bad directions, but also this could end up creating a stronger and better Turkey, at the end of the day only time can tell if Erdogan will use this to strengthen the country of himself, personally I always believe in the best, so I see a bright future for Turkey might be ahead but will sleep with one eye open and advise to make no investments in Turkey before Erdogan have had his chance to show what he is made of…

Back to Friday prayers.
This morning started slowly after a few days of intense neck pain and migraines, two long drives and sleeping in a car were more than this retired architect could handle. So a slow start, dark Nutella on egmeg (bread), coffee, loads of water and a smile from my beloved Filiz.
While having the breakfast, I enjoyed the local Imam and his kind wife work in the field, while their Intellectual disabled daughter was entertained by our neighbor's wonderful granddaughters. As so often before the wife came to our table with a big bag of vegetables and asked if we needed something… We asked her to come and sit, but she insisted to sit on the staircase but was happy to have a cold glass of Ayran (buttermilk) served and said 'this is our drink' with the most wonderful smile on her face. Soon her daughter joined us, her parents have a wonderful way of involving her in everything, the talk about her being Intellectual disability are no secret and this don't make her less of a human, by the way she would only drink Ayran if the mother thought it was a good idea, where a candy were more easy to talk her into and she had the most wonderful smile as a thank you. At the start of summer I took a picture of her sitting in the field and the parents were really happy for this, since now she have teeth's… Reminds me how our neighbor Ismail took his out and showed them around last night and we all laughed - but that's a different story.
After the breakfast I started cooking a local dish, inspired by Ismails daughter in laws cooking yesterday, while we had popcorns, water, laughed and finally this wonderful dish of hers. I will post the dish at a later point, for now I can just tell it was a joy to cook it while remembering her moves and ways as she prepared all the vegetables. Just as I was close to having the dish done, Ismail stood on the door step asking if I was going to join him for the Friday prayers. Had to listen to my neck and it told me; 'yes you can', then to ask Filiz if she could cook the potatoes and close the fire once the dish was done simmering and she said 'yes' also. So no time to waste, changing clothes and getting ready in few seconds and then drive up to the local mosque. Well not just going there, Ismail insisted we should gather water at the local water spring, where I was challenged by having to open a tap where loads of wasps and bees were sitting and being allergic to these fellows I have to admit it tested my limits, but someone held his hand over me, it might have been Ismail, so nothing happened…
Well no more talk about water, we drove back to the mosque where we meet with a kind old local man and sat on the bench for a long talk, me understanding absolutely nothing but we enjoyed it and laughed a lot together. Soon we were 3-4-5-6 and 7 on the bench, all old men, even I'm close to 50, they called me really young, guess all is relative. Time went on, think we sat there for more than an hour, the Iman should have been there but something must have come up and no one seemed to care even though some of them looked at the watches once in a while and said the word Imam. Once he arrived he was completely relaxed, smiled with his deep and kind smile, telling the old men to take it easy, that he would not start the prayers until in a few minutes, the impatient men then started going for the wash room, the rest stayed and talked. The Iman sat next to me, gave me his welcome and as always we both put our hands on the heart to show our love and respect.
(Last week when we had a talk about religion on my porch, this because I am reading the Koran now in my attempt to understand the people I am with here, just as I read the Bible to try and understand the once back home, have to admit both books makes me less religious and more interested in who the people are who follow the religions instead. Filiz were taking part in the conversation and translating for us, he said the words that made me realize he was a man with the heart put in the right spot; 'if I were born in your country, I would have been a Christian - in my eyes all beings are Gods creations but only Jesus was his son'…).
Like this we all sat for a while then he left for calling out the prayers and Ismail said 'bak bak' (look look), so I followed him to the wash area, here we washed in a specific pattern, hands, arms, mouth, nose, ears, head, skull, feed and lower legs. Like this we were allowed inside the mosque but stayed outside for another fifteen minutes listening to the prayer songs and resting under the olive trees, drinking water from the spring.
Once Ismail thought it was time, we went inside the mosque with our other neighbor also named Ismail he's married to the beautiful old lady we call the mouse. Ohh yes and Ahmet who also came from out of no were as he always seems to do.
Perhaps I should explain the scene, a house, just a house, white walls, tile roof, size of a villa, olive trees, white wall around the ground, crickets singing in the back ground, now 11 old men, 1 imam and me. Inside a smaller room first, carpets all over the floor, the a second larger room carpet all over the floor, some wood panels, simple decoration in form of some plates with text, a niche in the wall with a neon light over and two spiral low energy light bowls on each side and a small stool / table in front for the imam to rest the book on, prayer beds laying casual by the side of the walls and next to the imam, two prayer bed strings lined up, then a flyswatter and again a prayer bed string but this one more casual put, also a staircase in the right corner behind a curtain, where the Turkish flag are hanging where the staircase ends at the top… We are now 17, two young men and a few middle-aged has arrived also.
The imam sitting in the niche, same clothes as in the field, praying, reading from the book, scratching his nose calmly, looking who is calling when his cellphone rings but not answering and still praying as it happens - all this in the same wonderful calm way as when we sit and have a talk.
Now we are 21 and that's it, guess it's not bad when the village have 15 houses, I know the faces of app half of them, no one looks at me in a strange way except a man I know from a small road 'café' he seems in a coma why I am there, then we look in each other's eyes and then continues his prayers as if nothing happened and smiles to me.
I don't remember all rituals, but I participate in them all and Ahmet makes sure I do it right by pushing me and showing me what to do when I do wrong, Ismail always do things his way even the prayers so he sit on a stool (bad knees and hips), he don't seem to mind if I do it all right but smiles with his warm smile once in a while, making sure I am ok. Not sure I really understood the pearl counting thing, but it was a way to practice my skills with the prayer beds, I like to use them for anti-stress purpose.
Part of the ritual was the imam changing clothes, now with a white dress and a white hat with some red in it, again casual, the dress open so the normal clothes are visible and the imam had no change of face after wearing this, just his normal kind self and reading glasses half way down the nose.
Before we ended we were down to 19 and no one looked strange at each other if one came late or went early, everyone seemed to be with them self but also with an open mind towards each other.
For a man baptized as a Christian even I'm not calling myself religious, it is not the usual stuff to put my head in the ground for God, but it was actually not strange when I first started and soon it felt even nice, kind of made me think of my yoga class and how it would be nice in a Christian church to move some more not just sit there on the rows, looking so dead serious.
Don't know how long it took, but it took three hours from I left home before I was back, making me think of how this must be a wonderful pause and way to start a weekend for the hard working nomads here. Also the social aspect stroke me, everyone gave each other hands, said hello, if they had meet me before they gave me a warm hug. Suddenly I understand why everyone in the town knows all about Filiz and I, even what brand of air-condition we bought; 'because they meet each other.'! Also because they care about us, they care if we are well and feeling welcome, they care of us as human beings and they don't care about if we are religious or what religion we believe in, even I wear a tattoo of a cross on my arm, no one ever asked me.
Yes, this makes me think of how we welcome people from other cultures and with different religions in the west but I will let you make your own thoughts on this now…
After the Friday prayers we all said goodbye, I went back and thanked the Imam, then picked up Ismail and Ahmet to take them the one kilometer back to the coast in the car (thank you Selcuk), on the way we saw the other Ismail and picked him up, even he had to sit on the floor in the back of the van since I took out the seats… but the old man just smiled and gave me thumbs up and a warm hug as I drove him to his house.
Back home Ahmet, Ismail and I walked back to our houses - me with a light heart and a smile - kissing Filiz as we meet and saying; Aleykümselam, then we shared a little of the dish I made in the morning and I put some aside for the imam and his wife to taste if they show up on the field tomorrow.
Ahmet, the laughing man with my hat, came to Filiz in the evening and said; 'He is a Muslim now!'. I will not correct him, I can be whatever people want in their hearts as long as I am allowed to be me and they don't start telling me how to be. In my heart he is the kind little man with the bad manners and the wonderful laugh, who sleep on the neighbor's roof just to see if he can get a glimpse of Filiz and I if we sleep on ours - not because he is curious, simply because he wants to be a part of the joy. If only we could all keep that child intact inside us.
 
#126 ·
Knife sheaths (Turkey adventures)

Leather work
A few sheaths I made in Turkey this summer



I did say I did almost no woodworking, but I did mange to make a little leather working in the shadow during some of the warm days, besides making the divan.
Of course I had time for Turkish coffee and good cognac, especially when I could share it with my better half.


Brought with me a few knifes with me to Turkey for the holiday, three of them needed sheaths and before I left Denmark, I made the leather part and pre drilled the holes so I only needed to bring sewing gear and a few other things.


So it was just to get going with the sewing.
As so often before I use my favourite clamp.


Also found out that a dustpan is a super cool holder while sewing.


Like this both hands are free for double stitching.


That's it three knifes got sheaths.


Same idea, different ways.


To make a perfect fit to the knifes, the sheaths were soaked in warm water with a wee baking soda.


Patience and coffee.


The blades are given a thin layer of grease and then wrapped in cling film.
Like this they will not rust and the wood not be damaged by the water.


Then fitted in the sheath.


Yes they all fit fine, even they are tight now when wet.


Now time for more tobacco and compressing the leather.
This is hard work.


Please notice how I sweat!
Working in this heat is quite a challenge.


I use a home made tool, made it from a piece of antler, this is hard but not too hard and then smooth.


The leather are compressed and pushed into the shape.
Patters can also be made like this.


The backside also.


The more you compress the stronger and stiffer a sheath.


Pause.
Now they just need to dry, in this heat that's not a big issue.


And I can cool down with a gin tonic.


Now dry and I guess it's clear to see the difference from before the compressing.


The sheaths now get leather grease, this will protect them and keep the leather alive.


I also like to give them hardener, this makes then get this wonderful crisp sound, almost as if they were made of wood.


Even here in the summer, it can be handy with a flash light.
Perhaps dear Filiz should hold the light and not the camera…


But no complaints when she brings tea.


That's it!
Three knifes got sheaths.


Not all happy with the drilling I did for the stitching but it's ok.
The sides will be trimmed on a sander back in Copenhagen.


This one I call: small fish.
Made a knife for Filiz in the shape of a fish and then this one as I was at it.


This one is: The pirates knife: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/107604
A replica of a knife my forefather the pirate made.


Finally the: Stanley 5.5 blade knife: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/103520
This one I made when I visited Jamie in Scotland, his friend Ron and I had a great time together, transforming a old Stanley blade into knifes.


So thanks for watching, perhaps not a real wood blog, but making these sheaths are a important part of the knife making and therefore I think it is worth sharing.

By the way I'm back in Turkey soon, just for a short visit, wonder if the Jawa missed me…

If you want to learn more about my process of making a knife and sheath, you can hit this link:
http://www.felding.net/7knifemaking1.html

Hope this can inspirer or just bring a wee smile.

The best of my thoughts,
Mads
 
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