happiness is a beach full of pebbles

the other day i went to loews and looked at lumber for a long time. i left without buying any (although I bought a rasp and some other things). on the way home, i found this dresser, minus any drawers, on the curb.

i wedged it into my trunk and drove slowly home. later, i pulled out some of the pieces and repositioned others.

here it is with some shelves roughly in place. when it is done the shelves will be custom-fit and wider. a traditional bookshelf isn't usually this deep. this makes me think it might be better used as storage, perhaps for pots or other items.

i'd like to put it on wheels. i might even put in more shelves. i'm debating removing the back panel.

i have yet to rent a space for working in. i've found that if i restrict myself to working with hand tools, there is no problem doing this in my bedroom. my room is large, and i try to keep the sawdust away from the bed.

i'm psyched about the possibilities of working almost entirely from reclaimed materials. since i'm a beginner, it's good not to be spending much on supplies. keeping the overhead low means that i don't have to stress too much about the puny amount of work i've been doing.

oh yeah, and i used a vacuum today. it did the job fabulously. sigh.

in support of low-tech

brooms:
cost about $6 (a vacuum costs more than $100)
do not consume electricity
are easier to use (even a child can use one)
can be beautiful; do not need to be hidden in a closet
can be made from natural materials, not plastic
you could make one by hand.

if a hand-made broom were bought from a craftsman for $40, an artisan and his trade would be supported. instead of a factory worker supervising machinery, you'd cast your vote for a person who uses their hands to create something beautiful from wood and dried plant matter.

a broom is difficult to use on carpet, although if the carpet is not thick it can work. i kept a carpeted apartment clean with a broom for a year. it was a workout, though.

this is beautiful

these creations are from live wire farm. i want to make some myself.




what a vast improvement on a metal or plastic toilet paper dispenser!

i've been photographing some of adam's art. he paints on wood, sometimes on the back and sides as well.

I just bought this book, and am so eager to get it. Here is an article about the author, a yurt builder and simple-life-seeker. He, like me, believes in low-cost, natural housing.

today i bought a table saw and a chop saw, used. i'm hoping they work well and help me to move ahead. my other big tool purchase was this:

i took this photo, deliberately forcing my camera to blur this image. it seems more beautiful to me this way.

cubbyholes

black bean dip

last night i came home tired...and knowing i needed protein. i also need to make my lunch for the next day, since my income doesn't allow for buying deli sandwiches like my boss does.

black beans & rice--so easy:

2 cans of black beans
1 t paprika
1 t cumin
1 t (or less) chili powder
salt & pepper
olive oil

i blend all that in the food processor. (i probably use more seasoning than that...i just tip the spice jar and guess.)

i put some in a mason jar for later and had some for supper, with rice (wholegrain).

this dip is also handy for making burritos. Add cheese and salsa. Or with fried eggs & salsa. and there's no need to cook it.

we ventured out into a cold wet evening to see the darjeeling limited yesterday. it was full of earnest absurdity and poignant awkwardness, as well as being a visual feast of hues and textures.

another intensely colorful treat is the music of peruvian yma sumac. surprising. november can be bleak and gray...things like these are bursts of sorely needed color.

embracing imperfection

photo by nihito

i've been thinking about what i find beautiful, and why so often it is something worn, with a history. there is much that is new and perfect in the world. but i prefer to see the touch of human hands, the traces of time's passing, and nature's movement.

so much in carpentry and remodeling is about perfection..flawless finishes. yet it is too stressful to live a life where denting an object ruins it. i have made the choice to embrace scratches and stains as the truth of the history of an object. including the beet juice that dripped on the blue t-shirt i am wearing.

a sunday walk in the woods

more inspiration, this time from Mary Oliver

(photo by me)

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.

from Howard Thurman

Give me the courage to live!
Really live – not merely exist.
Live dangerously,
Scorning risk!
Live honestly,
Daring the truth –
Particularly the truth of myself!
Live resiliently –
Ever changing, ever growing, ever adapting.
Enduring the pain of change
As though ’twere the travail of birth.
Give me the courage to live,
Give me the strength to be free
And endure the burden of freedom
And the loneliness of those without chains;
Let me not be trapped by success,
Nor by failure, nor pleasure, nor grief,
Nor malice, nor praise, nor remorse!
Give me the courage to go on!
Facing all that waits on the trail –
Going eagerly, joyously on,
And paying my way as I go,
Without anger or fear or regret
Taking what life gives,
Spending myself to the full,
Head high, spirit winged, like a god –
On…on…till the shadows draw close.
Then even when darkness shuts down,
And I go out alone, as I came,
Naked and blind as I came –
Even then, gracious God, hear my prayer:
Give me the courage to live!

Thomas Merton speaks of silence

We talked about this article tonight. I'm thinking about how to put more silence, peace, into my life. Time to stare out a window and just be.

Yesterday I attended a Quaker meeting for the first time. A group of adults sat for nearly an hour in quietness. It was...good. Although...I really wanted to know what people were thinking about. However, maybe they've learned to be still, and think a little less. I was busy trying to read the titles of the books on the shelf across the room.

to me, this is beautiful.

third week of october

i've been working with a local contractor. my commute is about 6 minutes. he's well-educated, does beautiful work, and is interested in energy-efficient improvements in houses as well as restoration and fine cabinetry. i'm learning tons and working hard.

unlike my last two positions, this one feels somewhat secure. i can focus on trying to learn stuff rather than worrying about whether i will have a job. there is a great deal of stress involved in trying to do good work, and not take too long. i have to make myriad small decisions, and most of the time i don't know if i made the right one. i can ask about everything, but after a while it gets tiring to me as well as my boss. something as simple as whether to put a tool away. if i leave it out, he might ask me to put it away. if i put it away, he might need it.

coiling cords that tangle. trying to find an outlet to plug a tool into. finding the right case (among 10 similar plastic ones) for a particular power tool.

however, it's not all bad. i'm learning, even if i usually learn the hard way. i'm starting to be able to foresee what tools will be needed and bring them ahead of time. yesterday i did some work patching holes and insulating in a basement to save the homeowners on their energy bills. we will also be replacing windows and weather stripping doors. earlier, i scrubbed mildew off a bathroom ceiling, then scraped, spackled, sanded, and painted.

i'm trying to eat enough protein so my muscles can catch up to the demands placed on them. i found some books and magazines at the library and am trying to cram in more knowledge. i plan to start investing in some more significant tools. i'd love to have a workshop to mess around in, maybe try to make some simple furniture. i know i eventually need to have a truck so that i can buy lumber and carry more tools. it feels a little premature to invest in that, although maybe if i was bold and spent the money, it would pay off.