Something you may not know about me...

When I was in high school, I discovered one of the greatest joys of my life. You see when I was in high school I took shop class. You are probably chuckling to yourself right now, but you must understand that the shop class that I was in was no ordinary shop class. Most shop classes are filled with rednecks, pot heads, and losers; but ours was not. You see we did not do the regular things that shop classes do. There were no pinewood derby cars, or spice racks, or even gun racks. It was not an easy A, in fact; most people found it hard to pass. No, in my shop class we made furniture, and fine furniture at that. My teacher, David Roberson, was an excellent furniture maker, and passed his talents on to many of us. He would stay after school, and teach us better techniques, and advanced woodworking skills. He taught us about differing styles and schools of woodworking, and then we would make our own furniture. We had woodworking shows at our school showcasing our work, and we sold much of what we produced.

For four years I stayed with Mr. Roberson, and made some wonderful looking furniture. I made my sister a hope chest, my Mom and sister some beautiful cherry candlestands, and made myself an armoire. I also made a few mission style beds for Mr. Roberson.

All the while I fell more and more in love with working with wood. Sometimes in my head, I still hear the saws slicing through the cherry wood, the singing of wood planes over maple table tops, and the scubbing of sanpaper over oak legs. I can still smell fresh cut pine and cedar mixed with hide glue and laquer. I miss the splinters and being covered in fragrant sawdust. I miss the slow but certain pace of the work, the hum of the tools, and quiet of soul that comes with woodworking. Sometimes I get lost in the memories of it all.

I do not get much of an opportunity to do much furniture making in my little hovel here at the seminary, but I hope to one day have my own shop back behind the house. So you had better put your orders in now for what you want. I have a nice list of projects already in my head that I want to make.

So, there it is, something you may not have known about me.