Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

So often in the past I have come out here with a hand full of lists
and a head full of plans - trying to fill the 'unforgiving minute'
with more than its alloted sixty seconds.

The press of making a living made being in the shop an experience too
often governed by the cares of money and time.

Even though it was work that I thoroughly enjoyed, it was still work -
in that it had to be done according to the rules of time and money.

Tonight I came into the shop, after a day of haggling and whining over
money and time at my current and still new job - and found the shop to
be what it has not always been before - a place of refuge.

I cleared the workbench, as I had always done first thing when getting
in the shop - but this time it was only to make space for the laptop -
to read the newly filtered and blessedly tranquil newsgroup that has
so often been a friend to me.

There was enough space left over to place a beer - so crisp and cold
that one more degree less would have begun to freeze it.

I dusted off a few of the machines and visited the wood rack, for the
first time in a long time - thinking about what sort of things might
be made from this good stuff.

My daughter needs a desk and I found myself sketching out a rough
design. Maybe I'll draw it up and make the cutlist - and maybe I'll
just wing it.

The second beer found me standing idly and looking at the sun set and
how it played on the waters of the creek behind the shop.

I felt my shoulders drop below the level of my ears, for the first
time this day.

I was thinking to myself - this is what the shop feels like to a man
who does his woodworking for the simple joy of it.

I liked that feeling.



Regards,

Tom.

Thomas J. Watson - Cabinetmaker, ret.
tjwatson1atcomcastdotnet (real email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

You said it so well, Tom.

My shop is a studio apartment (400 sf) and after a day dealing with tenant
problems and maintenance this is MY domain in the evening, don't bother me.
Sometimes I have a project for the wife or our many Grandchildren (25), some
time I just relax and clean getting ready for the next project. A beer,
YES, time to unwind.

I too have a laptop in my shop where I check out the latest problems and
solutions on the wood newsgroups. I have learned so much from the novices
and pros on this group and others, some very nice people. Oh, so relaxing.

Just finished a jewelry box w/music for a Granddaughter graduating from HS
(4.0), next year 2 more. Not sure what to make for them but I have time to
think about something unique for each. Both boys. It's amazing what our
minds can come up with when in our shops, looking at pieces of wood from all
over the country seems to inspire something new to create.

Yes, my shop is my place to get away, relax and create whatever. I
inherited that from my Father and I hope our Sons will get that from this
old man.

Just rambling,
Al in WA


Tom Watson" wrote in message
...
So often in the past I have come out here with a hand full of lists
and a head full of plans - trying to fill the 'unforgiving minute'
with more than its alloted sixty seconds.

The press of making a living made being in the shop an experience too
often governed by the cares of money and time.

Even though it was work that I thoroughly enjoyed, it was still work -
in that it had to be done according to the rules of time and money.

Tonight I came into the shop, after a day of haggling and whining over
money and time at my current and still new job - and found the shop to
be what it has not always been before - a place of refuge.

I cleared the workbench, as I had always done first thing when getting
in the shop - but this time it was only to make space for the laptop -
to read the newly filtered and blessedly tranquil newsgroup that has
so often been a friend to me.

There was enough space left over to place a beer - so crisp and cold
that one more degree less would have begun to freeze it.

I dusted off a few of the machines and visited the wood rack, for the
first time in a long time - thinking about what sort of things might
be made from this good stuff.

My daughter needs a desk and I found myself sketching out a rough
design. Maybe I'll draw it up and make the cutlist - and maybe I'll
just wing it.

The second beer found me standing idly and looking at the sun set and
how it played on the waters of the creek behind the shop.

I felt my shoulders drop below the level of my ears, for the first
time this day.

I was thinking to myself - this is what the shop feels like to a man
who does his woodworking for the simple joy of it.

I liked that feeling.



Regards,

Tom.

Thomas J. Watson - Cabinetmaker, ret.
tjwatson1atcomcastdotnet (real email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

....and I miss it. Thanks for that Tom...you took me back and reminded me of
a goal....Y.A.S. (yet another shop!)

Rob

--


http://www.robswoodworking.com

"Tom Watson" wrote in message
...
So often in the past I have come out here with a hand full of lists
and a head full of plans - trying to fill the 'unforgiving minute'
with more than its alloted sixty seconds.

The press of making a living made being in the shop an experience too
often governed by the cares of money and time.

Even though it was work that I thoroughly enjoyed, it was still work -
in that it had to be done according to the rules of time and money.

Tonight I came into the shop, after a day of haggling and whining over
money and time at my current and still new job - and found the shop to
be what it has not always been before - a place of refuge.

I cleared the workbench, as I had always done first thing when getting
in the shop - but this time it was only to make space for the laptop -
to read the newly filtered and blessedly tranquil newsgroup that has
so often been a friend to me.

There was enough space left over to place a beer - so crisp and cold
that one more degree less would have begun to freeze it.

I dusted off a few of the machines and visited the wood rack, for the
first time in a long time - thinking about what sort of things might
be made from this good stuff.

My daughter needs a desk and I found myself sketching out a rough
design. Maybe I'll draw it up and make the cutlist - and maybe I'll
just wing it.

The second beer found me standing idly and looking at the sun set and
how it played on the waters of the creek behind the shop.

I felt my shoulders drop below the level of my ears, for the first
time this day.

I was thinking to myself - this is what the shop feels like to a man
who does his woodworking for the simple joy of it.

I liked that feeling.



Regards,

Tom.

Thomas J. Watson - Cabinetmaker, ret.
tjwatson1atcomcastdotnet (real email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

What a bunch of dreamers. Just got back from great north , Gloucester Mass,
happened to live in the real one much of my misspent yute.

Was dremin of eating my weight of lobsters ,so did it instead of
dreamin............mjh

--
http://members.tripod.com/mikehide2
"Rob Stokes" wrote in message
news:zORvc.11254$DV4.3967@clgrps13...
...and I miss it. Thanks for that Tom...you took me back and reminded me
of
a goal....Y.A.S. (yet another shop!)

Rob

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 20:55:15 -0400, Tom Watson
wrote:

So often in the past I have come out here with a hand full of lists
and a head full of plans - trying to fill the 'unforgiving minute'
with more than its alloted sixty seconds.

.... regretfully, and respectfully snipped
how it played on the waters of the creek behind the shop.

I felt my shoulders drop below the level of my ears, for the first
time this day.

I was thinking to myself - this is what the shop feels like to a man
who does his woodworking for the simple joy of it.

I liked that feeling.



Regards,

Tom.


Tom, you need to submit short bits like this to the woodworking
magazines. That was very well stated, you captured the essence of the shop
for those of us who do this as a hobby. It is a place and a chance to
create something substantial and useful, yet without (most of the time) an
imposed or arbitrary deadline and without the dependence upon others to
provide inputs or products at exactly the right time.

The sun on the waters for me last Saturday was watching a family of quail
foraging in the desert behind the shop. The youngsters were about 6 inches
tall. Fun stuff.

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

When you take the equation TIME = MONEY and remove
MONEY everything changes. Sometimes, when everything
synchs up, even TIME goes away.

It might be that being at the point in life where "earning
a living" is no longer an issue, being a parent has pretty
much been done (though your kid(s) will always be your
kid(s), regardless of his/her/their age), being the son
or daughter has passed and perhaps being a spouse is
also gone, one finally has, maybe for the first time, the
opportunity to do whatever you want to do.

I've wondered where in life one has the fewest constraints
and the most options, along with the physical abilities to
pursue an option. It seems that the time after high school
or college and before marrying and "settling down" the
first window of opportunity opens - a brief time when
running away and joining the circus can happen. Then
that window closes. Twenty five to thirty five years
later another window opens and you can run away and
join the circus if you want,but are wise enough not to.
This window stays open a lot longer - if you're health
stays good and you choose the right options.

This Metal Period -gold teeth, silver hair ( if you're
lucky) and lead butt if you stop "doing"- is the best of
times. And if you happen to fall into working with
wood, well you'll never run out of things to do or things
to learn.

Truly the best of times.

Enjoy the hell out of it Tom and I look foreward to
the stuff you come up with just because you wanted
to. You will post pics right?

charlie b

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 03:57:25 GMT, Mark & Juanita
stated, with eyes & arms akimbo:

On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 20:55:15 -0400, Tom Watson
wrote:
-snip again-
I was thinking to myself - this is what the shop feels like to a man
who does his woodworking for the simple joy of it.

I liked that feeling.

Regards,

Tom.

Tom, you need to submit short bits like this to the woodworking
magazines. That was very well stated, you captured the essence of the shop
for those of us who do this as a hobby.

I'll second that suggestion.

--
Vidi, Vici, Veni
---
http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

Something I have comed to learn over my 51 years. If your want to ruin
your pasion for a hobby, try to make a living off of it!

Tom Watson wrote:

So often in the past I have come out here with a hand full of lists
and a head full of plans - trying to fill the 'unforgiving minute'
with more than its alloted sixty seconds.

The press of making a living made being in the shop an experience too
often governed by the cares of money and time.

Even though it was work that I thoroughly enjoyed, it was still work -
in that it had to be done according to the rules of time and money.

Tonight I came into the shop, after a day of haggling and whining over
money and time at my current and still new job - and found the shop to
be what it has not always been before - a place of refuge.

I cleared the workbench, as I had always done first thing when getting
in the shop - but this time it was only to make space for the laptop -
to read the newly filtered and blessedly tranquil newsgroup that has
so often been a friend to me.

There was enough space left over to place a beer - so crisp and cold
that one more degree less would have begun to freeze it.

I dusted off a few of the machines and visited the wood rack, for the
first time in a long time - thinking about what sort of things might
be made from this good stuff.

My daughter needs a desk and I found myself sketching out a rough
design. Maybe I'll draw it up and make the cutlist - and maybe I'll
just wing it.

The second beer found me standing idly and looking at the sun set and
how it played on the waters of the creek behind the shop.

I felt my shoulders drop below the level of my ears, for the first
time this day.

I was thinking to myself - this is what the shop feels like to a man
who does his woodworking for the simple joy of it.

I liked that feeling.

Regards,

Tom.

Thomas J. Watson - Cabinetmaker, ret.
tjwatson1atcomcastdotnet (real email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

In article , Phil
wrote:

Something I have comed to learn over my 51 years. If your want to ruin
your pasion for a hobby, try to make a living off of it!

Probably true, but today I had a chat with my daughter who enters high
school last year and has a knack for wooddorking. I propesed that we
could formalize a domain I bought a while back (woodenwabbits.com) and
set up a company. For an income, she could work for the company
building consumer goods like adirondack chairs, and other Paddy
O'Furniture, planters, etc, as well as the small turnings she loves to
do, and if it works she could avoid the "summer job search" that high
schoolers have to do every year, and maybe develop a real business.

Granted she wouldn't make a "living" per se, but as an alternative to a
"do you want fries with that" summer job....

djb

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

"Tom Watson" wrote in message
...
SNIP

I felt my shoulders drop below the level of my ears, for the first
time this day.

I was thinking to myself - this is what the shop feels like to a man
who does his woodworking for the simple joy of it.

I liked that feeling.



Regards,

Tom.

In the stillness of the shop I feel my destiny
In the dreams of what I can do I feel my pride
In the sounds of the tools I feel my strength
In the end I find out who I am.

Roy Neudecker

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

"royneu" wrote in message
In the stillness of the shop I feel my destiny
In the dreams of what I can do I feel my pride
In the sounds of the tools I feel my strength
In the end I find out who I am.

"Nine finger" Ned?

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/15/04

Refuge - Thoughts On Being In The Shop This Evening
 

who are you, Roy?

dave

royneu wrote:


In the end I find out who I am.

Roy Neudecker