Weekly Editorial
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Nothing Like an Old Fool
With our April Fool’s eZine effort behind us, I would like to say thank you to all the folks who liked our effort, and to direct you to the Feedback page, where some of your own humor is on display. To those of you who did not find my editorial funny and/or had some questions about the piece, here are my responses.
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Woodworking Is for the Birds
Thank goodness that Spring has officially arrived — although it is always more of a concept than a reality for those of us who remain suffering from cabin fever here in the frozen North. Still, that concept has us thinking of days to come when the snow will have fled and the grass will be green, and the birds will return from the warmth of the South.
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Woodworking Wood Freaks!
Last issue I asked you to tell me what your favorite hardwood might be. Great shugga-bugga, you folks really like hardwood! Nearly 250 of you sent in your selections, and what a diverse lot you are. There were 39 species identified as faves, with selections ranging from obscure (jatoba) to bland (poplar). There were, of course, the class clowns who had to raise their hands to say things like “free!” or “veneer,” but I must confess I found those answers amusing. (It takes a wise guy to appreciate a wise guy…)
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My Favorite Hardwood
While the question “what is your favorite hardwood” might seem like one of those silly magazine cover lines (What is YOUR workshop I.Q.?), I am actually serious in my curiosity. Why, you ask? Well, because if you had asked me three or four years ago what my favorite was, I would have answered without hesitating – cherry lumber, specifically, curly cherry. But if you asked me today … the answer would be different.
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Brave New (Social) World
As eZine aficionados, you are probably hip to the world of social media (or at least you’ve heard the term…). Woodworker’s Journal is fully engaged in this new world and wants to make it easier for you to find the woodworking Facebook pages, Twitter™ feeds and YouTube videos that are becoming an important part of the online woodworking community. (And we’re not stopping there… there are also blogs, Flickr® photos, message boards – and the list continues to grow!)
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Woodworking Projects Galore
As I stated recently, there is no time like right now for getting into the shop and getting busy. Which brings you to the woodworker’s eternal question: “Which project should I start next?” Personally, I solve that question by starting a whole bunch of projects at once. Which leads me to the next question of: “Will I ever finish a project?” But of course, that’s just me…
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No Time Like Now
The holidays are past, in my neck of the woods it is not fit outside for man nor beast, and my social calendar is woefully empty: what a great time to do some woodworking! This is truly the best time of the year to get into the shop and make some sawdust. Distractions are few, and the winter stretches out in front of us without apparent end. For some, this can be depressing; for us woodworkers, it does not get much better than January and February in the shop.
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Yankee Heading to ‘Bama
As I write this missive, those of us in the North Country have just weathered our first severe winter storm. Many inches of snow, winds exceeding 40 miles per hour, followed by below-zero temperatures. No big deal … just life on the tundra. And in truth, this sort of weather makes me feel invigorated. But at the same time, I just can’t help remembering my wife saying to me, “You know, there are places where the words snow and shovel are not combined to form a noun.”
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A New Year of Woodworking
Well it’s happening again — we are about to put an old year to bed and plunge into a new year full of hopes and expectations. I personally am looking forward to 2010 with a goal of making the most of every opportunity that comes my way. But before I move furiously into the future, please allow me to take just a few moments to thank all of you who regularly read the eZine (and the print magazine, too, for all to whom that applies).
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Speeding to 2010
For some reason, I am surprised that the last month of the year is here. For me, December always arrives with a mixed emotional impact. For example, on a personal level, I cannot get 2009 into my rearview mirror fast enough – it was a lousy year. On the other hand, December not only contains the regular run-of-the-mill holidays (which are great) – but also contains my birthday (December 11th, for those of you not yet my Facebook friends).
