Christmas # 2

  This week while working in the shop,  I was listening to a radio program that was talking about November being the month with the holiday of Thanksgiving.    This program was saying that Thanksgiving is the day when most people stop to reflect on things going on in their life that they should be thankful for.  The radio program was suggesting that rather then focusing on that one holiday - Thanksgiving - as being the one time that we give our thanks, we should practice to try to have more of an attitude of appreciation every day.   So the suggestion was that this year for the whole month of November one should practice taking some time everyday to give thanks for those individuals and those blessings around us that we tend to so often overlook.   We need to express some form of appreciation for the things that they do.   Acknowledge the good things that make us smile.  Not only that, we should try to stop sharing our complaints, aches, misfortunes and try to share the good things that are going on in our lives.    And as we do this we will mentally start to feel better ourselves as we realize that each day is a good day.

The Wife's Cat

   I know this is something that I personally need to work on so here goes:
   1.   I appreciate the aroma of fresh cut cedar as you walk away from using your litter box stationed in my shop.
   2.   I'm so thankful that you are the only cat that lives in our house.
   3.   You give me a warm fuzzy knowing that part of my social security check goes towards your vet bills.
   4.    I love you most when I am walking down the stair steps carrying stuff and you kindly weave in and out of my legs.  
   5.   I always think of you when I find a little barf hairball next to my pile of shoes.

    (There!    That radio program was right.   I feel so much better when I focus on the positive things going on in my life. )

   This week I continued to saw, plane, and size away more boards that will be used towards building Christmas gifts this year.   I was hoping to progress a little more than what I had, but I am trying to be on the positive side of things and will say that it is going great.   For me the best part of working in the shop is taking some old rough cut lumber and trimming and sawing away - trying to end up with a finished board.

    I still am a little concerned about the cedar wood that I have on hand was from a tree that was dropped this spring.  I do hope the moisture level is to the point of being on the dry side.  I have turned all those rough cut boards to the dimensions that I need.  I have them stacked on a table in the basement and hope that they will reach that desired moisture content.  

   As I said before, I do have five projects in the works and I do have a start on number one.   I have built this one a couple times before so it should come together easily.  

  We will have more on that next week.

   Life is good.   God is good.   Take time to say thanks.