Philosophical musings...

Sometimes life throw big curves into your best laid out plans...
and it forced you to revisit a few things.
Here's the reality: I am not getting any younger and not aging very well.  I must plan ahead.

Me in 1957, blind as a bat but don`t know it yet.

If I could live my life again, I`d make the same mistakes, 

but I`d start sooner :-)

Just how long do I plan on keeping my shop?  I cannot take it with me when we finally move into a retirement community.  Lets say, we stay in our current house for the next 10 years, before selling everything and moving on.
In those few years I want to treat myself with everything I got so I can enjoy that satisfaction.  Just like in woodcarving, you get along for the most part with very few tools, but whenever you need it, it is nice to have that special gouge or knife to reach in easier without bruising the wood.  And of course the type of carving you are doing, dictate different tools.  That's why carvers tend to accumulate a large collection of gouges, many of which are rarely used.  But they sure are nice to have at hand when you need it!

Me and Heather in 2000 carving a Moose together 

at my carving club.

So in the mean time, it would be nice to be able to open all these boxes I had in storage all these years and set up my shop so I can finally enjoy it!

Home is where the Airforce send you.

Carleton Place, Ontario 2003.

Somewhere in there there is a shop...

This is why I am in the process of setting up shop in my basement, and using mostly open tills versus closed cabinets or chests, in order to be able to see all my tools and admire them when not using them.

Sound a bit whimsical?  Well consider this; I have been collecting, studying and using antique tools for a long time, but rarely had the opportunity to see them all.
Some had been stored away between numerous moves around the country for a while.  It is more than grand time they see the light of day, so I can enjoy them.

Inspired by Chris Anarchist Tool Chest and his minimalist tool kit, I am also in the process of downsizing my coll...err I meant assortment of tools.  Yes, I am not a collector, just a user with a large assortment of tools to choose from :-)

While doing so, I am slowly replacing some of my tools with better examples.
May as well enjoy the ride while I still can...

And in case you are wondering, NO, I am not dying, that I know of, but living IS a terminal disease, we will all die from it someday.  I am just being realistic and learning to live with whatever life is throwing at us, that's all!
And YES, life is often way too short to waste it, be kind, be nice to people.
Whenever you can, commit acts of random kindness, just because you can...

This old military man has seen enough of life misery in some god forsaken places on earth, I wishes for peace on earth in our life time.  Real long lasting peace that we can ALL enjoy...

Bob, stopping to smell the roses.. or was that rosewood :-)
I leave you with this song