Woodborg wrote:
Robert
I am very touched by your story and it was very well written.

Thanks - sometimes I get inspired to share something that seems to me
important. Such a small thing on my part to mean so much to someone
else was too much to leave alone. I am often inspired by the work and
efforts of others, and that is what I was hoping to do when I typed all
that out.

I resolve to make more christmas presents next year. I used to think
that making something against buying something was not as good, mainly
as the wood was free out of the firebox.

Most of the people in my life that I care about have received handmade
gifts from me starting literally when I was a child. I guess it was my
Mom that started me on that. She always felt that soemthing that
someone took the time to make was much better than something you could
walk over to a shelf and purchase. She alway emphasized the uniqueness
of my gifts, and I can assure you that in my youth some of my gifts
were the type only a mother could love. After all these years,
unbelievably enough, both of my sisters have gifts I made them 40 years
ago... take that department stores!

I resolve to remake the fairy for the top of the tree. I made mine 2
days before xmas in about 1.5 hrs, a very scary looking tree
decoration.

I think most of us busy with work, family, and all the other things
that the season brings wind up turning until the last minute. And no
pun intended, but the lathe is the perfect last minutes solution to
tree ornaments, planned or not. You will probably be turning until the
23rd as long as you turn! I hope you read Joe Fleming's resolutions
above about turning in June... I am adding his to mine and Arch's.

I resolve to have made some toys for our first child before its born in
may.

You have to do that. You must. I turned a rattle for my nephew's
first Christmas (he was about 6 months) and hollowed it out and put
about 5 little wooden balls in it for the rattle noise. I carefully
wrote in indelible ink "My first Christmas, December 25, 2000" and his
name on the other side. Since he was tool old for a rattle by the
second Christmas, I drilled a small hole in the handle and put a hanger
in it, and it now is a Christmas ornament that my sister is very proud
of hanging every year. Those simple, thoughtful things given as gifts
just seem to be the best.

This will do for now, have a happy new year and please all keep your
advice and wisdom coming for us newbies

Mark

There are a lot of really good folks that hang around here, and there
is a lot to be learned from everyone that participates in this NG. I
would love to see more folks voice their opinions and experiences as
this has always been a different kind of NG. Most of the time the
folks are more pleasant, moret thoughtful, and more patient.

As I have said before, years ago when I started turning, this group and
its people inspired me a lot more than anything else in the local
turning community, and thankfully a couple still participate regularly,
and some from way back still drop by now and again.

Post away with any of your questions and thoughts Mark. Glad to have
you on board.

Robert