Author Archives:
A Trip to the Mailbox: A Thanksgiving Story
Harry swept the burnt umber oak leaves away from the door with his foot. The swirling wind of autumn piled them against the door as quickly as he moved them away. Shutting the door behind him, his cane tapped the wooden floor as he made his way across the room. He smiled as he slowly […]
How Many Hungry People Can We Feed With This Tree?
No, I’m not going to try to feed this actual tree to hungry people. Instead, I will create bowls, pens, wine stoppers, cutting boards, carvings and a variety of other items that, if people want them, they can make a donation to The Outreach Program to help pay for meals to feed hungry people. And Outreach meals are only .25 cents a […]
What Do You Do With a Burly Log? Part 1
I have a thing for wood. We fell in love with each when I was in high school and first caressed the fine grain of a piece of walnut. For four decades of my life, I’ve never been too far away from wood. I’ve built houses, worked in a sawmill in Idaho and built furniture for […]
The Gift of Words
I wrote a poem for my first grandchild, Cailyn Joy McNary, and read it to her last night. She’s snuggled her seven-year-old body beside me on the couch and I began to read. (She the one on the right) She came into my world one day With skin as soft springtime air A special gift […]
5 Lessons I Learned With a New Hobby
My son, Isaac, told me I would really enjoy turning wood on a lathe. I told him no; I didn’t need another hobby. It turns out he knows his ol’ Pap better than his Pap knows himself. After several months of turning him down, he arrived one day with a lathe and a set of tools. “Let […]
