Artisman

Hammer & Thread: Growth Ruler

2011-12-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

During some down time in the cabinet shop, Gregg followed a suggestion from a sister-in-law and made a couple of maple growth charts that look like a ruler from my pencil box of grade school days. He engraved each number and inch mark, and then painted the groves. We used to mark the yearly growth of our girls on the sheetrock wall. Now we can mark the growth of our grandchildren each year with this classy ruler.

These handmade growth rulers are for sale at our new etsy shop "Hammer & Thread" here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/89036097/wooden-growth-ruler

2009

2009-12-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

2009-

Its been a very unusual year. Actually it started in Nov of 08. Our cabinet shop had a major fire that totaled the building. Fortunately the building, being of stout timber frame construction withstood the forces of the fire and remained structurally sound.

We decided it would be best to convert the shop into a 6-plex apartment building. At the same time we planned to build a new cabinet shop just north of the original. It has been over a year now and we are still not done. I did not think it would take this long! It has been a year of many challenges, for everyone involved. Brenda has been an unfailing source of support. My crew has stepped up to meet many new challenges and learned to do many new things.

I had to learn a lot myself too. I have a good background in construction so a lot of stuff was not completely new, but I was continually amazed at the unending decisions and problems that needed to be solved. It was very stressful. Not all bad stress though. It was very fulfilling to solve problems, to learn new things, to see a plan come together.

We bought a skid loader in the spring to do dirt work on the job and to use for snow removal for the apartments later. I dug a LOT of dirt with it. My brother Ross hauled approximately 50 side dump loads of dirt away. I have cleaned snow now several times with it too. So far I have learned that it takes about 2 1/2 hours to clean 6" of snow. Today is Christmas ......the 3 day storm system we are in has been called the storm of the 1/4 century.

It was a relief to have the skid today!

I was scooping snow around 6:30 this morning and a 3 car convoy of Mexicans got stuck on the road just east of us. I went and scooped them out and then they got stuck just west of us.

I had to get a chain and pull the lead car out of a drift. Feliz Navidad!

The new shop is very nearly completed. We need a spray room filter, some electrical hookups, a freight elevator and some creative storage spaces. The layout is pretty nice but with only 2/3 the SF of the old shop some things are tight. Things will need to be lean and mean in this shop!

Sometime ago we acquired the old bleachers from the old SC high school (see earlier post)

One of the first things we are doing in the new shop is cutting and milling that wood into millwork for the basement apartments. Also way back when...only several days before the shop fire we had purchased 3000 BF of quartersawn sycamore; we are now cutting that up for millwork. Since the day of the fire all that wood has been stored in our garage. It seems like that half of the garage is always being used for something other than a car. Now the plan is to park the skid loader there and keep my work truck in stall seven of the new garages.

That way when it snows I can just hop in and push snow!

This year we became grandparents! It seems babies don't let their arrivals be determined by fires or any other business in peoples lives...good thing they don't! Tobias is super cute and can really shriek. We went to visit Nate and Hannah at Tobias' baptism and had a nice time there.

Heather got engaged early this year to Jon. They plan to be married May 15 2010. Heather graduated from Dordt in the spring and started school in the fall at Creighton university in Omaha. She is studying physical therapy.

Holly has been very busy studying nursing at Dordt and St Lukes in Sioux City. She comes home with friends for dinner quite often and it is nice that she is around.

Both girls helped out when they could on the apt. work this summer and other times when the could. Heathers' Jon worked for me full time this summer and part time this fall and winter.

We did make it to SD a couple times this year. One time we shot clay pigeons. We had planned to go for Christmas but the weather was too bad.

Earlier this year I sang in the Sioux County Oratorio. We performed some selections from the Messiah. I really enjoyed that. I had wanted to do it for some years. I also sing in the church choir and really enjoy that.

I have been too busy to really spend a lot of time playing guitar. I look forward to the time I can return to a more normal routine.

Tobias Gerrit Vander Wilt

2009-08-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

The Bleacher Project

2008-09-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Another mid-life crisis? Another project? We now have 5 sections of bleachers from the old community center/high school setting in our front yard. We are not doing this because Gregg is nostalgic about his high school years, or so he claims. For a few nights, they were a great place to sit and look at the stars. We're planning to recycle the wood into some beautiful pieces of furniture or use some in the spec house. After the bleachers are dismantled, we'll store the wood in the garage in hopes of using it soon.

Abundant Harvest

2008-08-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with an abundant harvest of fruit from our trees this summer. We borrowed a fruit press and made gallons and gallons of juice from apples, pears, grapes, and plums. Gregg took measurements of the press in case he wants to build one for ourselves before the next bumper crop.

Land Speculators

2008-08-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

Now that we are empty nesters again for the school year, we needed something more to fill our time and to use our brain power on, so we bought a lot in a new subdivision on the east side of town. It is about 2 miles from home. We are planning to build a spec house on the lot. Gregg would do the designing and the shop would supply the wood products. It might sound like we are going through a mid-life crisis, but we are not near old enough to be having one of those . . . yet. Stay tuned and see what develops.

Pahoja Camping

2008-08-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Holly talked us into tenting at Lake Pahoja for the last weekend of her summer break. It was beautiful weather. We took our new bikes along and made a lot of trips around the lake on their bike trail. We went swimming during the heat of the afternoon. We rented a canoe and paddled around the lake one morning. And Holly got our full attention because she was the only girl along.

Heather Leaves for Australia

2008-07-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

We took Heather to the Omaha airport this morning. Heather plans to study in Australia for 4 months. We're not used to saying goodbye for such long periods of time, and 4 months seems like an awfully long time right now. May God bless her and bring her home safely in November.

2008-07-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Who Says $$$ Doesn't Grow on Trees

2008-07-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

I guess it's not so bad to turn 50. We celebrated with about 60 family and friends coming over for angel food cake, strawberries, and ice cream. It was a warm and humid afternoon so the buckets of water balloons that Holly prepared were a big hit. I found out that money DOES grow on trees, if Grama Feenstra is involved. I found out that Pam has a good memory when it comes to the poetry we made up during our childhood. She framed a poem from our hay-baling days. I found out that sister-in-law, Debbie, has a very good memory when you compliment her on her jewelry. I said I like her bracelet about 1 1/2 years ago when she was giving me a ride to a radiation treatment. So, she GAVE me her bracelet for a birthday gift. Debbie, you have such a big heart.
Gregg's comment about my age: "I never thought I'd be attracted to a 50-year-old woman!" (How can I NOT love that man.)
Heather & Holly's comment about my age: When we bike, I am often at the back of the group. When I was at the front of the group recently, they said it must be because everything is downhill for me now.
Thanks to all of you who celebrated with us.
I am thankful to be 50 and feeling so good. God is good, all the time.

2008-06-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Gregg caught a mild case of either Frustrated With Map Reading, Too Many Women in One Cabin, or Beaver Fever.

2008-06-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Later in the week it got warmer and we no longer had to wear 6 layers of clothing to try to stay warm. We saw a lot of beautiful mountain vistas like this while hiking.

2008-06-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

2008-06-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Idaho Vacation

2008-06-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here we are on our first hike after arriving at the cabin near Fairfield, Idaho. We have already survived a night of tenting in Yellowstone in the rain with snow all around us and temps in the low 30's. We have survived snow last night and this morning while we were hiking. Only one of us has fallen into the creek (so far). No one has sore feet or wounds from scratchy undergrowth from hiking without trails (so far). We are all happy to see each other and are optimistic (so far) that we can survive for a week out in the 'wild' with minimal contact with other humans.

2008-05-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

After a NISO concert

2008-05-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Brenda has been making the most wonderful sourdough bread.
Actually she is now making sourdough pizza crust too...Yum!

2008-05-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

giving Sarah's kids a lift!

2008-05-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Doing pushups with the girls!

2008-05-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

One of our lovely daughters. Just hangin around playing a few tunes.

2008-05-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

This is a fairly typical TV center made of Cherry. The picture does not really do the beautiful
cherry wood justice. There was originally a smaller TV. The customer bought a bigger one so we had to carefully cut out some of the inside wood of the TV opening in order to fit the new one. It just fit!!

2008-05-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a closeup of the top.

2008-05-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is an entertainment/curio cabinet we made recently for a customer. It was quite a challenge. The top center part consists of 2 shelves that rotate very slowly. So slow you almost don't notice. A small motor turns it. It was very difficult to make it quiet. The cylindrical cabinet back acted like an amplifier and every shim and vibration was magnified. Sort of like those dishes in parks where you can whisper and the other person 300 ft away can here you.
Another major challenge was the curved crown moulding over the top center cabinet. It was made by laminating multiple pieces together and then using the CNC machine to rout the profile in multiple passes.
Also the right hand cabinet and one not shown on the other side of the fireplace had to be scribed (carefully fit) to the rough stone fireplace.
The customer loved it. It was shibui...a Japanese term that means ...something that fits just right, like it was made to to be there and only there. We do a lot of stuff like that and I like the feeling of filling that special spot with just the right thing for someone.

Apron Strings

2008-03-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I (Brenda) have been sewing aprons this winter, using some as gifts and selling some, too. I am just finishing up the 29th and 30th ones. It was great to have an easy project to do at night while Gregg serenaded me with his guitar. I've had a lot of fun sewing them, but maybe it's time to move on to another project. Maybe like sewing a dress for Kirbee to wear to Michelle & Jason's wedding! The material and pattern came in the mail today. I'll see if I can add some pictures at a later date.

2008-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today my cool nephew Mitch Hooyer came and job shadowed me. We had lots of fun, even though Mitch did not like starting at 6 AM. Actually I did not like it either! I thought I should prove that I am not dead so therefore the entry. I am trying to learn how to do pictures with the help of my beautiful wife. She knows it all!-Gregg

This is a stained glass window in our house that I like.

2007-07-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is my alarm face--SMOKE!!! Fortunately the steaks were still safe.

Joke for Anne

2007-07-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

Question: How many doctors does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: 100.....because "Many hands make light work"

My first post

2007-07-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

Actually I am just doing this because my Sis in law Janet did it.
I feel like I am wasting time, so I will post this and then quit.
Do I say goodbye??

November 20, 2006

2006-11-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

Heather's Golden Birthday! She turned 20! She is a Joy and a hoot, a brain and a ditz, a sensitive and caring soul. We are so blessed to have her as a daughter.
Since this comes before Gregg's first post you can tell that it was added later, but we're just learning yet so please cut us some slack.

Old picture of apple picking day

2006-09-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Gregg and Brenda picked apples from their Harlson tree in September, 2006. We filled the pickup box with buckets of apples.

The Feenstra Clan in Aurora Center

2006-09-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

We doubled the population of Aurora Center for the day.

A Day in Aurora Center

2006-09-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Aurora Center, SD, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brenda's parents. It was a beautiful day and so we took many photos outdoors. We had a great time with family. It was the weekend that my hair was falling out in a major way, and the first time I wore my wig in public. It was the first time I saw most of my family since my cancer diagnosis, so it was definitely an emotional reunion.