here's the empty bowl I came home with

This little bowl is really beautiful.  I know every bowl is unique, and they don't let you choose, just handing you one as you are leaving.  I have to think the Salvation Army Auxiliary could double their $35,000 one day (or one year depending on how you look at it) take.

empty bowl luncheon - wonderful fund raiser

At the Marriott yesterday, we ran over to attend and support the Salvation Army's annual Empty Bowl Luncheon.  I think this is the 14th year or so.  It's certainly grown each year.  And, this has to be one of the best "deals" for contributors I've run across.  For $12 in advance ($15 at the door), you get to choose from 40 or so local restaurants selection of soup.  You can try one of each if you want.  I wasn't really hungry.  Tried three soups.  They were all really good.  My fav was a she crab soup that was as good as I've had in Beaufort, Hilton Head or even Charleston.  And, to top it off, on the way out, each attendee gets a hand made, glazed little bowl, made throughout the year by local artists, and many new bowl artists.  I'm really blown away with this wonderful event.

New website this morning!

Now, when you point your browser to robinwadefurniture.com, you will arrive at the new website.  We lost the music and slide show, but overall I hope it's an improvement.  I started tweaking this morning, and have screwed up the home page. .  .  Better get back to it!

working on the new gallery/showroom

Of the 1800 sq ft gallery space:

Should be nice, but it's looking rough this morning.

All of the old interior walls are down.

We've moved all of our furniture over to one side of the room.

We are washing all the walls down, will start filling the holes in the concrete blocks.  

This is looking like it's going to take a while.  Maybe a couple of weeks??  

foggy tuesday morning on the creek

I always enjoy waking up to a wonderful deep fog in the morning.  There's usually a crisp brilliant blue sky not far behind.  On my routine morning walk with the pups this morning, we knew the creek was down the hill to the north, as it always is.  We could hear it.  There's no question that it's there, although we couldn't see it.  

16' oak slab conference table

Last week we planed and started sanding these two 16' long oak slabs.  This morning I'm trying to wrap my mind around this massive table design.  Looking like our first conference table should seat close to 20.

New beginning for Wilson Park oak

Friday we had brilliant blue skies and a high of 70 or so, so .  .  .  without really discussing it, we found ourselved drawn outside to do some sawyer work that was overdue.  We spent the day flitch cutting and stacking these oak slabs which previously provided shade and beauty for many locals at Wilson Park.  It had been located on the North corner of Wood Avenue, right across from the library for as long as I can remember, and probably much more.  I really hated to see it's life come to an end, but I'm pleased that it didn't get buried at the landfill, like so many.  

Low oak slab table in the works

Continuing to make progress on this oak slab table.

Why we plane these massive slabs

Lately, I've been getting a few questions about some of the "why's" of my process.  Why do we plane the slabs after they've been kiln dried.  When we are flitch cutting the lumber, why do we cut them so thick.  Above is a pic of a 16' long slab we are in the process of planing today.  With the Lucas sawmill, we cut it into this piece of organic edge lumber several years ago.  During the drying process, the oak slab went through a tremendous amount of stresses, as the moisture was removed, and the slab moved and shrank.  Each slab, tree, species reacts differently.  This pic shows a 1 inch buckle down the middle of the three inch thick slab.  We will plane it down flat, on both sides today and probably end up with somewhere between a 1.25" and 2" thick.  

What makes a great dive - my rule number 2

Customer's regularly line up, out the door to get a table.  If I'm ever driving thru a small town (and haven't done my homework to get local insights thru Chowhound.com) my best results are usually from looking for restaurants with packed parking lots, or, even better, customers lining up out the door.  Linda and I love Asian food.  We also detest buffets, and the standard southern chinese restaurants with all you can eat enticements.  I can't tell you how thrilled we are with Maggie and Jason Lin's Rice Box Restaurant.  Their food, service, even bathrooms are always exceptional.  Jason is the head chef (rule number 1).  There are usually lines out the door (rule number 2).  --  What the heck am I doing here with rules??  I hate rules!  We LOVE the Rice Box (pictured above).  Oh - it's no DIVE.

chisel work on a walnut and sassafras bench

We almost completed this bench made from a massive sassafras timber.  I'll post pics, hopefully next week, of the completed piece.

Interesting book discussion at the library Thursday night

We were entertained by Neil White Thursday night at our downtown library.  He shared memories of his kiting schemes and resulting 18 month stint in a Louisiana prison/leprosy hospital.  He's on a book signing tour, promoting "In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir."  Quite interesting to say the least.  Neil resides in Oxford, Ms.

My world was better

This week, we lost my dear Aunt Betty Debaryshe (my Dad's older sister) as well as Pulitzer prize winning photo journalist, Charles Moore.  The loss of friends and loved ones continues to surprise me with the continuing reminder that this is the natural way.  Our world is better thanks t0 these two friends and loved ones.

Plinth & Chintz interview March interview

For an outgoing antisocial personality, I almost always have mixed feelings about interviews.  My accountant thinks getting the word out is a good thing.  My ego agrees, but doesn't want to come across as an idiot.  Well, I woke early this morning to rumblings of the thunderstorm that just passed.  And was pleasantly surprised to see Laura MacDonald Stewart's (ASID, IIDA, LEED, AP) interview in her interior design industry's hip online magazine, Plinth & Chintz.  Thanks Laura!

Dalai Lama quotes (HisHoliness) is now following your tweets on Twitter.

I just received a Twitter message from His Holiness!  Well, it was just an auto reply, but it looks like he is following my tweets now??  Just in case, I think I had better be more thoughtful, patient, understanding, and maybe even conscious (if I can) on my future tweets.

Catching up @ whole foods mountain brook

Today I'm appreciative of laptops, wifi, and whole foods market. Setting up an office away from home with a good cup of coffee,

some Greek olives, and a nice quiet office to get caught up on some "desk work".

Weston Smith, discusses lessons learned as HealthSouth CFO

Last night, UNA accounting alumni Weston Smith returned to our campus and taught what I believe might just be one of the best "lessons" some of our accounting students may receive during their education.  During a brief stint in a Montgomery prison, Wesley seems to have more than learned these lessons the hard way.  Wonderful to see him turn a big mistake into an (obviously difficult) gift of knowledge and sharing back to the community.  Quite amazing.

Sassafras and walnut modern bench in the works

Here's a Google Sketchup 3-D detail along with the sassafras timber for this modern bench.

The sun's out - great day to work outside.

Andrea talked his brother n law, Arturo into helping on the sawmill today. I have four of five more of these massive one piece  slabs to plane.  Looking forward to completing our first conference table.

Downtown Florence First Friday is back

It was great to see a few of the heartiest artists back on Court Street showing their latest creations. Here, one of my favorites, master turner, Dave Coker shares his thoughts about the proposed $10 fee.