God Keeps our Hands Busy

We are really loving retirement.  For the moment, cancer is leaving me alone.  I couldn't be more thankful!  

Tom and I (ok, it might have been more me than Tom...) decided that we needed to work on a project together so we pulled all the walnut boards that we had bought last year out of the attic. The first board you see below has a lot of issues (too warped and bent to even think of straightening out with the jointer and planer) so we set it aside to be dealt with last. (If at all.)

So, what are we making?  I've been begging for some cabinets for my breakfast nook area and Tom had already created the design to build them.  When it is done, it will have 3 bays and, if all goes according to plan, it will be 104" Wide X 40" High.

The first thing we had to do (yeah, he let me play with the wood some too!) was cut the first pieces down to a general size and then run them through the jointer and the planer.  Sounds like nothing, right?  At the end of the first day (about 5 hours of work) we only had 3 'stiles' done.  These stiles were each 2' wide by ~38" long.  (When the final cut is made on them, they would only be 36.5" long)  They looked so pitiful sitting by themselves on the blue moving mat.  I didn't get a picture of that but we were like Jimmy Stewart in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" when he is dancing around with two one dollar bills telling them to make babies.

The next day (about 3 days later, since we have other obligations to take care of also) we got the rest of the stiles and rails done for the front face frame.  This was 7 pieces of wood cut, jointed, and planed in one day.  We we VERY excited to see all those little pieces lying together.  Below are the six rails completed.

Today, Tom used the router to put the grooves in for the floor and the corner pieces that go on the top front.  After that, came the gluing and screwing together of the rails and stiles.  We actually ALSO got the Front Face Frame put together.  Below are some additional pictures of the process we went through today.

We just HAD to drag it into the kitchen and see how it was going to fit.  :)  Loving the variegated walnut colors.  Can't wait to see how the doors come out.  Raw wood is so fun to work with.

 

The "Max" for today is for my husband and I.  I won't say that the 'building' of the front face frame was easy when we started the project but it developed into a rhythm of love.  It has been years since we did a project together and we are both leaders so there is always a bit of pull and push in the beginning but Love Bears All Things.  I love you, honey, and I'm so thankful to be here doing a project with you (and for your patience with me as you teach me about woodworking!).

"Love Bears All Things
by Max Lucado

Wouldn't it be great if love were like a cafeteria line?  It would be easier.  It would be neater.  It would be painless and peaceful.  But you know what?  It wouldn't be love.  Love doesn't accept just a few things.  Love is willing to accept all things!  In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Paul says, "Love bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  I envision the leathery-faced saint pausing in his dictation.  Checking off his fingers, he reviews his list.  Let's see...patience, kindness, envy, arrogance.  We've mentioned rudeness, selfishness, and anger; forgiveness, evil, and truth.  Have I covered all things?  Ah, that's it--all things!   Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.   Every single one!"

By Grace Alone...