This weekend, I lost myself in two favorite pastimes: woodworking and gardening. Both activities are a balm, lifting me out of whatever mental morass I'm stuck in and setting me in a flow, bordering on fixation. Time flies equally when I'm playing with a 20 V Max Lithium Ion cordless impact driver or a shovel. … Continue reading Wood and Flowers
little free library
Be Still, My Quilted Heart

To those of you who would say the world is going to hell in a handbasket, let me offer you a rebuttal: Today, when I checked the little library in my front yard, I found a quilted heart. Yes, a heart that is quilted. Apparently, I'm not the only person in the world to find … Continue reading Be Still, My Quilted Heart
Mint to Share

Last summer in construction class, I built a tiny (really tiny) house to serve as a neighborhood library. I installed it in the perennial border at the end of my driveway, where at any given moment it holds an assortment of fiction and nonfiction, young adult novels, doggie poop bags for neighborhood canines, and a … Continue reading Mint to Share
The Library is Open

The Erma Bombeck book that we designated as our canary in the coal mine weathered the storms unscathed, so, satisfied with the waterproofing on our Little Free Library, we finally cut the ribbon. We still haven't got our official designation from the Little Free Library nonprofit, but that's simply because I still have too much paint … Continue reading The Library is Open
Library Project Almost in the Books

Big news: I finally finished the Little Free Library I've been building for months. This weekend, I attached a pane of plastic and all the brass hardware that I bought at an estate sale. I used my circular saw to fashion a stand out of a salvaged 4 x 4 post, and I finally conquered … Continue reading Library Project Almost in the Books
Check This Out: I’m Building a Library

While the guys in construction class build concealed gun cabinets, Big Green Egg grill tables, and a deck for the back of a renovated ski boat, I am neck-deep in the construction of a Little Free Library. To be precise, I suppose I should say I'm neck-deep in the construction of a Generic Front-Yard Book … Continue reading Check This Out: I’m Building a Library