Musings

Coming Distractions

As I continue plugging away at the book manuscript, reviewing and editing the Gragg video, and pinstriping the Gragg chairs in the studio, I have a number of disruptive smaller(?) projects to refresh my mind.

Though not really “smaller,”  since we have had lows approaching freezing it is time to finish off the firewood tasks for the upcoming winter.  I’ve pretty much got the barn situated, with only another hour or so of work left to do.  Actually I got so much firewood there I need to move the pile and put a fireproof barrier between it and the stove.  I’m about 1/3 of the way with the cabin woodpile, so have set aside this entire week to finish splitting and stacking the firewood we will need for a severe winter.  We’re hoping the winter will be mild, but nevertheless will be ready if it is not.

Long ago I started to make a set of stacking octagonal boxes to be another experiment in my quest for faux urushi, and they are sitting on my finishing bench patiently awaiting my artistry.

I’ve got a silverware box I picked up somewhere along the road to serve as the foundation for another faux urushi experiment.

I am determined to finally finish fabricating my invention for an “off” eye rifle scope.  The alternative is to learn to shoot left-handed, which I can do as demonstrated by the dead groundhog that had been sniffing around Mrs. Barn’s garden, but I am right handed and have shot that way for the past 50 years.  I’ve ordered the last little pieces of material necessary and can resume that project any time now.  If the first prototype works like I think it will I will make a similar device for all the relevant tools.

Finally, I need to shim and re-hang the barn’s basement door, build the doors for Mrs. Barn’s clothes cabinet, refinish the dining chairs, finish hanging the remaining doors for the library book cabinets, repair a broken upholstered chair frame for a friend, and begin preparations for next year’s “Build A Gragg Chair” workshop including moving a coupe workbenches up to the fourth floor.  The list is never ending.  I’m 65 and “retired” and still do not have enough time and energy to get everything done.