What makes a great dive?

Linda and I have eaten at some amazing dives all over the country, and beyond.  Although we've dined at some wonderful fine dining restaurants over the years, the awesome hole in the wall , locals spots are the ones we seem to remember.

My number one rule of what makes a great dive:

1)  the owner is the (or one of the) chef(s).  There are great restaurants and dives that don't qualify here.  But, typically, to me, this is the first tell-tale I look for when I'm accessing a potential new dive to try out.

Pictured here is one of several memorable dives on Kapahulu in Honolulu.  We came sooo close to moving to Honolulu a few years back, and one of the top reasons (excuses) was the food.  Several choices serving fresh fish cooked to perfection, within just a few blocks of almost anywhere in on the island.  You don't have to be a kamaiina to eat like a local.  And, it rarely cost over $10 - many times for both of us!

Linda's fav local restaurant - why she starts cooking at 3:30 am

Here a little video clip of the owner of Linda's favorite local restaurant, explaining why she gets started each morning at 3:30.  We've been dining with them since we moved back to the area in 2001, actually, add a couple of decades if you count her previous restaurant.

Anybody recognize this place?

walnut table "pairs" will be heading to Des Moines this Spring

Getting started on a new line that should be lots of fun.  This natural edge walnut slab is being cross cut for a 72" console table top and one leg.  Should be seeing more on the "pairs" concept as it progresses this Spring.

heavy sassafras timber bench

Andrea brought his brother-n-law in to help with the manhandling (can I say that?) of this massive sassafras timber.  Here it is dwarfing my 2000lb 20" jointer.  Andrea is guessing it's a ton.  I laughed, until I gave them a hand.  .  .  Not so funny, really!

Here's the holey part

holey oak desk

Here's a pic of the single slab oak desk we completed last week.

Seth Godin's Blog

I must admit, although I blog, I don't follow any blog's (religiously).  But I do check marketing genius, Seth Godin's blog now and then, and when I do I almost always find some really good stuff.  Today's post is another gem about sprezzatura (I had never heard of it either). 

ok, it's going to be a (natural edge) coffee table

Working out the leg detail and balance on what will be our largest (and oldest) natural edge coffee table to date.

Just found the matching slab for the legs of the oak slab table in the works

This week we got started building our first table from the old tree that provided shade to the parishioners of the St. Luke MB church in Athens, Al.  I've been looking all over for the rest of the matching oak slabs from this tree.  Found the smallest slab, one of the first cuts, to make the matching legs out of.  My carbide tipped planer is only 20" wide.  Anything larger has to be planed outside.  No complaints.  So glad to have it.  But it's lots slower.

feels like a tractor seat

Here's one we made sometime early last year.  It was really just a test run, of an idea I had to make some benches with a tractor seat shape & "feel".  Used this piece of antique heart pine that come from a grain mill in Columbia, Tn.  Well, I never got around to making the benches (yet), but this piece is still sitting on the floor in my office.  I haven't been able to fit it yet.  Whenever I find someone low enough to the ground, the butt is too small.  

two oak slab tables ready for a tung oil rubbing

Urban Forestry & Horticulture Conference

This was my first time I've been invited to exhibit at the (15th) Annual Urban Forestry & Horticulture Conference, and I had a blast.  These guys certainly seem to appreciate what I'm doing, and generally understand the beauty of nature.  There were some great educational conferences going on all day.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to give the event my undivided attention, having to leave the conference a couple of times throughout the day.   (If you look closely, just to the left of Mayor Irons, sits my 220 year old oak slab from the m.b. church in Athens).

oak slab desk no. 2 in the finishing room

Last week we completed the construction of this oak slab desk, and applied four hand rubbed coats of our tung oil/linseed oil mix to the bottom.  This morning turned it over.  Soon as it warms up (with the little heater) to 55 or so, we'll start rubbing the top.

Oak slab table in the works this morning

Started sanding the natural edges of the oak slab table top.  We usually start with an angle grinder, then move to a pneumatic sander, and we'll be finishing with 0000 steel wool (probably sometime next week).

any trackers out there?

Woke up to another beautiful white, snowy morning.  Reminded me to find this pic I got last week.  The redhead is Mattie, our 65 pound golden retriever.  The small tracks are hers.  I'm curious what the larger track is??  (It was taken 50 yards up the road from the house).

keeping the Faith

Here's a pic of our dear friend Mary Ruth Edwards, who we don't get to see nearly enough, along with a local that stopped by the booth for a brief visit.   Ok, now I'm going to stop acting so cool.  We were quite pumped (to say the least) for the two minute visit we had with Faith.  surprisingly normal.  Very nice.  Down to earth.  Now, how do I un blah, blah, blah her from a couple of posts back?

Last day of Nashville Show

Although these shows are always hard work, Linda and I are having lots of fun, making lots of new friends, and a few customer's as well.  This new friend and customer lost her home during the 2008 tornado.  This past summer she completed the rebuild, right on the same lot.  We are designing a console table made out of a walnut tree that also came down during the storm. 

1 more day

Of the Nashville antiques & garden show. Dealers from London, Paris, ny, & Florence al.

no Faith, Martina or Gwinneth, but . . .

I think every exhibitor (of the 150 up here) but me saw Faith, Gwinneth and Martina strolling the isles yesterday.  Gwinneth's doing a movie here, working on a singing career, staying with Faith and Tim blah blah blah.  But Ryan Gainey (and his perky entourage) hung out for a while with us last night at the booth.  He's one of the featured speakers here at the show, and invited us to do a showing in Atlanta this Spring.  Ryan, if you are serious, I'm game.

Booth next door almost sold out already

Nothing but porcelain breakables right behind the banner