A little girl two houses down saw an unusual doll house on
one of our trips to a hobby/craft shop a few months ago. It
was a four story "tree house", with pulleys and winches to
get stuff from the first floor to the top floor, ladders,
a crows nest on the top and various beds and other pieces
of furniture, along with six wooden dolls, grandpa, grandma,
mom. dad, son and daughter. It was all wood, ply floors
and dowels for trees, railing etc.. She was really fascinated
by the thing and did the "I sure wish I had one of these."
things kids do twenty times in each trip to any store that
has anything that remotely could be a toy.
I checked the price, in the $125 dollar range, and told her
that was a lot of money for some plywood and some dowels.
She did her pouting look and then raced down the aisle to
see what other neat things she could find, and perhaps
persuade me to get her - and her older sister. Kids will
gang up on you you know.
Well time went by and Christmas approaches. The little
girl has that tree house doll house on the top of her
Christmas list. So the mom takes her out to the hobby/
craft store to see what it is she has in mind. Naturally
the price tag rules it out, they have been having some
tough financial times and money's kind of tight.
While hanging out in the shop her older sister mentions
that the tree house her sister really, really, really
wants for Christmas won't be under the tree this year."I
bet you could make one .. . one of these days. You can
make anything out of wood." she said, making sure the
hook was set good.
And that began my apprenticeship as an elf.
The "older" sister (9) and I made a run to the hobby/craft
store, with paper, pencil and a pad of paper. Needless
to say, a store employee wasn't too thrilled about us
measuring one of their more expensive toys. To pacify
him we bought the six dolls for the tree house - I'd
need them for scaling things anyway.
So now, after three full days of shop time, a half sheet
of baltic birch ply, 20 or 30 feet of various size dowels,
every flat surface above the ground covered in tools,
parts, scraps of ply, a pile of dowel cutoffs and an
assortment of clamps, the four foot tall, two foot wide,
sixteen inch deep tree house rises above the clutter.
Bug spitted (shellaced) wood catches the light, the carved
dowel "trunk" looks sort of like a tree trunk and the
little beds, one a bunk bed for the kids, the table and
some chairs are making it look rather homey. One crows
nest to make, the branches and leaves to put on and
it'll be done.
This one was definitely not like making furniture but
just as challenging and even more fun. Christmas
eve or morning is going to be very interesting.
If you get the opportunity, I higly recomend having a
go at being one of Santa's elves. The hourly wage is
in units you can't get at a bank and the interest on
the investment in time will certainly beat The Market
or any bank.
Every day we have the opportunity to create memories.
This one's going to be one of my fonder memories and
hopefully one of a little girl's fond memories long
after I'm gone.
charlie b
John Carlson wrote:
> What a wonderful story.
>
> I'd love to see a post-Christmas photo of the project and its owner on
> abpw
So would I, but I'd be afraid to post a picture of my own kids, let alone
the kids four houses down. I used to have pictures of my kids all over my
web site until I became friends with a detective whose cases sometimes
include kiddie porn. They don't have to be nudes to excite those malignant
disease organisms that pass among us pretending to be human beings.
Different people can make up their own minds, and I don't expect anyone to
subscribe to my particular paranoia just because I said so. Consider it
food for thought.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
John Carlson wrote:
snip
> I'd love to see a post-Christmas photo of the project and its owner on
> abpw
>
Most of the pictures I've taken of her are blurred. This kid
doesn't stay still for a moment when a camera is aimed her way.
Maybe she'll be so tired waiting up for Santa that she'll
slow down enough to be visible, if only for a moment or two.
The Dynamic Duo are in the thrid image on this page. The
recipient of the tree house is in the foreground. If her
sister didn't have a firm grip on her I assure you she'd
be blurred in the picture.
www.wood-workers.com/users/charlieb/!M&T/CBbench20.html
charlie b
You did good Charlie, we all have the opportunities but sometimes we
just don't see them. Merry Christmas.
--
John, in Minnesota
On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 13:30:52 -0800, charlie b <[email protected]>
wrote:
>A little girl two houses down saw an unusual doll house on
>one of our trips to a hobby/craft shop a few months ago. It
>was a four story "tree house", with pulleys and winches to
>get stuff from the first floor to the top floor, ladders,
>a crows nest on the top and various beds and other pieces
>of furniture, along with six wooden dolls, grandpa, grandma,
>mom. dad, son and daughter. It was all wood, ply floors
>and dowels for trees, railing etc.. She was really fascinated
>by the thing and did the "I sure wish I had one of these."
>things kids do twenty times in each trip to any store that
>has anything that remotely could be a toy.
>
>I checked the price, in the $125 dollar range, and told her
>that was a lot of money for some plywood and some dowels.
>She did her pouting look and then raced down the aisle to
>see what other neat things she could find, and perhaps
>persuade me to get her - and her older sister. Kids will
>gang up on you you know.
>
>Well time went by and Christmas approaches. The little
>girl has that tree house doll house on the top of her
>Christmas list. So the mom takes her out to the hobby/
>craft store to see what it is she has in mind. Naturally
>the price tag rules it out, they have been having some
>tough financial times and money's kind of tight.
>
>While hanging out in the shop her older sister mentions
>that the tree house her sister really, really, really
>wants for Christmas won't be under the tree this year."I
>bet you could make one .. . one of these days. You can
>make anything out of wood." she said, making sure the
>hook was set good.
>
>And that began my apprenticeship as an elf.
>
>The "older" sister (9) and I made a run to the hobby/craft
>store, with paper, pencil and a pad of paper. Needless
>to say, a store employee wasn't too thrilled about us
>measuring one of their more expensive toys. To pacify
>him we bought the six dolls for the tree house - I'd
>need them for scaling things anyway.
>
>So now, after three full days of shop time, a half sheet
>of baltic birch ply, 20 or 30 feet of various size dowels,
>every flat surface above the ground covered in tools,
>parts, scraps of ply, a pile of dowel cutoffs and an
>assortment of clamps, the four foot tall, two foot wide,
>sixteen inch deep tree house rises above the clutter.
>Bug spitted (shellaced) wood catches the light, the carved
>dowel "trunk" looks sort of like a tree trunk and the
>little beds, one a bunk bed for the kids, the table and
>some chairs are making it look rather homey. One crows
>nest to make, the branches and leaves to put on and
>it'll be done.
>
>This one was definitely not like making furniture but
>just as challenging and even more fun. Christmas
>eve or morning is going to be very interesting.
>
>If you get the opportunity, I higly recomend having a
>go at being one of Santa's elves. The hourly wage is
>in units you can't get at a bank and the interest on
>the investment in time will certainly beat The Market
>or any bank.
>
>Every day we have the opportunity to create memories.
>This one's going to be one of my fonder memories and
>hopefully one of a little girl's fond memories long
>after I'm gone.
>
>charlie b
Charlie
I for one would love to get a follow-up report after Christmas on the little
girl's reaction, expression etc. I bet this will be a Christmas both you and
she remember for a long long time.
Great job.
Woodpecker
"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A little girl two houses down saw an unusual doll house on
> one of our trips to a hobby/craft shop a few months ago. It
> was a four story "tree house", with pulleys and winches to
> get stuff from the first floor to the top floor, ladders,
> a crows nest on the top and various beds and other pieces
> of furniture, along with six wooden dolls, grandpa, grandma,
> mom. dad, son and daughter. It was all wood, ply floors
> and dowels for trees, railing etc.. She was really fascinated
> by the thing and did the "I sure wish I had one of these."
> things kids do twenty times in each trip to any store that
> has anything that remotely could be a toy.
>
> I checked the price, in the $125 dollar range, and told her
> that was a lot of money for some plywood and some dowels.
> She did her pouting look and then raced down the aisle to
> see what other neat things she could find, and perhaps
> persuade me to get her - and her older sister. Kids will
> gang up on you you know.
>
> Well time went by and Christmas approaches. The little
> girl has that tree house doll house on the top of her
> Christmas list. So the mom takes her out to the hobby/
> craft store to see what it is she has in mind. Naturally
> the price tag rules it out, they have been having some
> tough financial times and money's kind of tight.
>
> While hanging out in the shop her older sister mentions
> that the tree house her sister really, really, really
> wants for Christmas won't be under the tree this year."I
> bet you could make one .. . one of these days. You can
> make anything out of wood." she said, making sure the
> hook was set good.
>
> And that began my apprenticeship as an elf.
>
> The "older" sister (9) and I made a run to the hobby/craft
> store, with paper, pencil and a pad of paper. Needless
> to say, a store employee wasn't too thrilled about us
> measuring one of their more expensive toys. To pacify
> him we bought the six dolls for the tree house - I'd
> need them for scaling things anyway.
>
> So now, after three full days of shop time, a half sheet
> of baltic birch ply, 20 or 30 feet of various size dowels,
> every flat surface above the ground covered in tools,
> parts, scraps of ply, a pile of dowel cutoffs and an
> assortment of clamps, the four foot tall, two foot wide,
> sixteen inch deep tree house rises above the clutter.
> Bug spitted (shellaced) wood catches the light, the carved
> dowel "trunk" looks sort of like a tree trunk and the
> little beds, one a bunk bed for the kids, the table and
> some chairs are making it look rather homey. One crows
> nest to make, the branches and leaves to put on and
> it'll be done.
>
> This one was definitely not like making furniture but
> just as challenging and even more fun. Christmas
> eve or morning is going to be very interesting.
>
> If you get the opportunity, I higly recomend having a
> go at being one of Santa's elves. The hourly wage is
> in units you can't get at a bank and the interest on
> the investment in time will certainly beat The Market
> or any bank.
>
> Every day we have the opportunity to create memories.
> This one's going to be one of my fonder memories and
> hopefully one of a little girl's fond memories long
> after I'm gone.
>
> charlie b
What a wonderful story.
I'd love to see a post-Christmas photo of the project and its owner on
abpw
On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 13:30:52 -0800, charlie b <[email protected]>
wrote:
>A little girl two houses down saw an unusual doll house on
>one of our trips to a hobby/craft shop a few months ago. It
>was a four story "tree house", with pulleys and winches to
>get stuff from the first floor to the top floor, ladders,
>a crows nest on the top and various beds and other pieces
>of furniture, along with six wooden dolls, grandpa, grandma,
>mom. dad, son and daughter. It was all wood, ply floors
>and dowels for trees, railing etc.. She was really fascinated
>by the thing and did the "I sure wish I had one of these."
>things kids do twenty times in each trip to any store that
>has anything that remotely could be a toy.
>
>I checked the price, in the $125 dollar range, and told her
>that was a lot of money for some plywood and some dowels.
>She did her pouting look and then raced down the aisle to
>see what other neat things she could find, and perhaps
>persuade me to get her - and her older sister. Kids will
>gang up on you you know.
>
>Well time went by and Christmas approaches. The little
>girl has that tree house doll house on the top of her
>Christmas list. So the mom takes her out to the hobby/
>craft store to see what it is she has in mind. Naturally
>the price tag rules it out, they have been having some
>tough financial times and money's kind of tight.
>
>While hanging out in the shop her older sister mentions
>that the tree house her sister really, really, really
>wants for Christmas won't be under the tree this year."I
>bet you could make one .. . one of these days. You can
>make anything out of wood." she said, making sure the
>hook was set good.
>
>And that began my apprenticeship as an elf.
>
>The "older" sister (9) and I made a run to the hobby/craft
>store, with paper, pencil and a pad of paper. Needless
>to say, a store employee wasn't too thrilled about us
>measuring one of their more expensive toys. To pacify
>him we bought the six dolls for the tree house - I'd
>need them for scaling things anyway.
>
>So now, after three full days of shop time, a half sheet
>of baltic birch ply, 20 or 30 feet of various size dowels,
>every flat surface above the ground covered in tools,
>parts, scraps of ply, a pile of dowel cutoffs and an
>assortment of clamps, the four foot tall, two foot wide,
>sixteen inch deep tree house rises above the clutter.
>Bug spitted (shellaced) wood catches the light, the carved
>dowel "trunk" looks sort of like a tree trunk and the
>little beds, one a bunk bed for the kids, the table and
>some chairs are making it look rather homey. One crows
>nest to make, the branches and leaves to put on and
>it'll be done.
>
>This one was definitely not like making furniture but
>just as challenging and even more fun. Christmas
>eve or morning is going to be very interesting.
>
>If you get the opportunity, I higly recomend having a
>go at being one of Santa's elves. The hourly wage is
>in units you can't get at a bank and the interest on
>the investment in time will certainly beat The Market
>or any bank.
>
>Every day we have the opportunity to create memories.
>This one's going to be one of my fonder memories and
>hopefully one of a little girl's fond memories long
>after I'm gone.
>
>charlie b
-- jc
Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net
"RWM" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "David Babcock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:yZJFb.619049$HS4.4524740@attbi_s01...
> >
> ><SNIP>
> > My 11 year old son took an interest in the game of chess and made it into
> a
> > passion. As soon as he is done with his homework he is at the computer
> > playing against it, or studying moves from a book. I much prefer that to
> > time on a video game.
> >
> <SNIP>
>
> I am interested in why you prefer you 11 year old son to play chess on the
> computer, or to study moves from a book, than time on a video game.
>
> Bob McBreen
I would guess it depends on his definition of video game. IMHO, chess
would be infinitely preferable to crap like GTA, or first person
shooters. The kid is 11, this is the time when parts of the
neuroanatomy related to judgment and moral decisions is being
finished. This is not a developmental stage that can be re-done --
you only get one chance. Chess is a game that relies on and fosters
the development of judgement. Video games by and large tend to be at
best amoral.
Sounds Like a Master Card Commercial to me... Priceless
"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A little girl two houses down saw an unusual doll house on
> one of our trips to a hobby/craft shop a few months ago. It
> was a four story "tree house", with pulleys and winches to
> get stuff from the first floor to the top floor, ladders,
> a crows nest on the top and various beds and other pieces
> of furniture, along with six wooden dolls, grandpa, grandma,
> mom. dad, son and daughter. It was all wood, ply floors
> and dowels for trees, railing etc.. She was really fascinated
> by the thing and did the "I sure wish I had one of these."
> things kids do twenty times in each trip to any store that
> has anything that remotely could be a toy.
>
> I checked the price, in the $125 dollar range, and told her
> that was a lot of money for some plywood and some dowels.
> She did her pouting look and then raced down the aisle to
> see what other neat things she could find, and perhaps
> persuade me to get her - and her older sister. Kids will
> gang up on you you know.
>
> Well time went by and Christmas approaches. The little
> girl has that tree house doll house on the top of her
> Christmas list. So the mom takes her out to the hobby/
> craft store to see what it is she has in mind. Naturally
> the price tag rules it out, they have been having some
> tough financial times and money's kind of tight.
>
> While hanging out in the shop her older sister mentions
> that the tree house her sister really, really, really
> wants for Christmas won't be under the tree this year."I
> bet you could make one .. . one of these days. You can
> make anything out of wood." she said, making sure the
> hook was set good.
>
> And that began my apprenticeship as an elf.
>
> The "older" sister (9) and I made a run to the hobby/craft
> store, with paper, pencil and a pad of paper. Needless
> to say, a store employee wasn't too thrilled about us
> measuring one of their more expensive toys. To pacify
> him we bought the six dolls for the tree house - I'd
> need them for scaling things anyway.
>
> So now, after three full days of shop time, a half sheet
> of baltic birch ply, 20 or 30 feet of various size dowels,
> every flat surface above the ground covered in tools,
> parts, scraps of ply, a pile of dowel cutoffs and an
> assortment of clamps, the four foot tall, two foot wide,
> sixteen inch deep tree house rises above the clutter.
> Bug spitted (shellaced) wood catches the light, the carved
> dowel "trunk" looks sort of like a tree trunk and the
> little beds, one a bunk bed for the kids, the table and
> some chairs are making it look rather homey. One crows
> nest to make, the branches and leaves to put on and
> it'll be done.
>
> This one was definitely not like making furniture but
> just as challenging and even more fun. Christmas
> eve or morning is going to be very interesting.
>
> If you get the opportunity, I higly recomend having a
> go at being one of Santa's elves. The hourly wage is
> in units you can't get at a bank and the interest on
> the investment in time will certainly beat The Market
> or any bank.
>
> Every day we have the opportunity to create memories.
> This one's going to be one of my fonder memories and
> hopefully one of a little girl's fond memories long
> after I'm gone.
>
> charlie b
Now that's cool!!
Rob
--
Remove CC for email and please visit our web site:
http://www.robswoodworking.com
"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A little girl two houses down saw an unusual doll house on
> one of our trips to a hobby/craft shop a few months ago. It
> was a four story "tree house", with pulleys and winches to
> get stuff from the first floor to the top floor, ladders,
> a crows nest on the top and various beds and other pieces
> of furniture, along with six wooden dolls, grandpa, grandma,
> mom. dad, son and daughter. It was all wood, ply floors
> and dowels for trees, railing etc.. She was really fascinated
> by the thing and did the "I sure wish I had one of these."
> things kids do twenty times in each trip to any store that
> has anything that remotely could be a toy.
>
> I checked the price, in the $125 dollar range, and told her
> that was a lot of money for some plywood and some dowels.
> She did her pouting look and then raced down the aisle to
> see what other neat things she could find, and perhaps
> persuade me to get her - and her older sister. Kids will
> gang up on you you know.
>
> Well time went by and Christmas approaches. The little
> girl has that tree house doll house on the top of her
> Christmas list. So the mom takes her out to the hobby/
> craft store to see what it is she has in mind. Naturally
> the price tag rules it out, they have been having some
> tough financial times and money's kind of tight.
>
> While hanging out in the shop her older sister mentions
> that the tree house her sister really, really, really
> wants for Christmas won't be under the tree this year."I
> bet you could make one .. . one of these days. You can
> make anything out of wood." she said, making sure the
> hook was set good.
>
> And that began my apprenticeship as an elf.
>
> The "older" sister (9) and I made a run to the hobby/craft
> store, with paper, pencil and a pad of paper. Needless
> to say, a store employee wasn't too thrilled about us
> measuring one of their more expensive toys. To pacify
> him we bought the six dolls for the tree house - I'd
> need them for scaling things anyway.
>
> So now, after three full days of shop time, a half sheet
> of baltic birch ply, 20 or 30 feet of various size dowels,
> every flat surface above the ground covered in tools,
> parts, scraps of ply, a pile of dowel cutoffs and an
> assortment of clamps, the four foot tall, two foot wide,
> sixteen inch deep tree house rises above the clutter.
> Bug spitted (shellaced) wood catches the light, the carved
> dowel "trunk" looks sort of like a tree trunk and the
> little beds, one a bunk bed for the kids, the table and
> some chairs are making it look rather homey. One crows
> nest to make, the branches and leaves to put on and
> it'll be done.
>
> This one was definitely not like making furniture but
> just as challenging and even more fun. Christmas
> eve or morning is going to be very interesting.
>
> If you get the opportunity, I higly recomend having a
> go at being one of Santa's elves. The hourly wage is
> in units you can't get at a bank and the interest on
> the investment in time will certainly beat The Market
> or any bank.
>
> Every day we have the opportunity to create memories.
> This one's going to be one of my fonder memories and
> hopefully one of a little girl's fond memories long
> after I'm gone.
>
> charlie b
"David Babcock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:yZJFb.619049$HS4.4524740@attbi_s01...
>
><SNIP>
> My 11 year old son took an interest in the game of chess and made it into
a
> passion. As soon as he is done with his homework he is at the computer
> playing against it, or studying moves from a book. I much prefer that to
> time on a video game.
>
<SNIP>
I am interested in why you prefer you 11 year old son to play chess on the
computer, or to study moves from a book, than time on a video game.
Bob McBreen
"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> A little girl two houses down saw an unusual doll house on
> one of our trips to a hobby/craft shop a few months ago. It
> was a four story "tree house", with pulleys and winches to
> get stuff from the first floor to the top floor, ladders,
> a crows nest on the top and various beds and other pieces
> of furniture, along with six wooden dolls, grandpa, grandma,
> mom. dad, son and daughter. It was all wood, ply floors
> and dowels for trees, railing etc.. She was really fascinated
> by the thing and did the "I sure wish I had one of these."
> things kids do twenty times in each trip to any store that
> has anything that remotely could be a toy.
>
> I checked the price, in the $125 dollar range, and told her
> that was a lot of money for some plywood and some dowels.
> She did her pouting look and then raced down the aisle to
> see what other neat things she could find, and perhaps
> persuade me to get her - and her older sister. Kids will
> gang up on you you know.
>
> Well time went by and Christmas approaches. The little
> girl has that tree house doll house on the top of her
> Christmas list. So the mom takes her out to the hobby/
> craft store to see what it is she has in mind. Naturally
> the price tag rules it out, they have been having some
> tough financial times and money's kind of tight.
>
> While hanging out in the shop her older sister mentions
> that the tree house her sister really, really, really
> wants for Christmas won't be under the tree this year."I
> bet you could make one .. . one of these days. You can
> make anything out of wood." she said, making sure the
> hook was set good.
>
> And that began my apprenticeship as an elf.
>
> The "older" sister (9) and I made a run to the hobby/craft
> store, with paper, pencil and a pad of paper. Needless
> to say, a store employee wasn't too thrilled about us
> measuring one of their more expensive toys. To pacify
> him we bought the six dolls for the tree house - I'd
> need them for scaling things anyway.
>
> So now, after three full days of shop time, a half sheet
> of baltic birch ply, 20 or 30 feet of various size dowels,
> every flat surface above the ground covered in tools,
> parts, scraps of ply, a pile of dowel cutoffs and an
> assortment of clamps, the four foot tall, two foot wide,
> sixteen inch deep tree house rises above the clutter.
> Bug spitted (shellaced) wood catches the light, the carved
> dowel "trunk" looks sort of like a tree trunk and the
> little beds, one a bunk bed for the kids, the table and
> some chairs are making it look rather homey. One crows
> nest to make, the branches and leaves to put on and
> it'll be done.
>
> This one was definitely not like making furniture but
> just as challenging and even more fun. Christmas
> eve or morning is going to be very interesting.
>
> If you get the opportunity, I higly recomend having a
> go at being one of Santa's elves. The hourly wage is
> in units you can't get at a bank and the interest on
> the investment in time will certainly beat The Market
> or any bank.
>
> Every day we have the opportunity to create memories.
> This one's going to be one of my fonder memories and
> hopefully one of a little girl's fond memories long
> after I'm gone.
>
> charlie b
My 11 year old son took an interest in the game of chess and made it into a
passion. As soon as he is done with his homework he is at the computer
playing against it, or studying moves from a book. I much prefer that to
time on a video game.
So this Christmas I put together a chessboard made from 1/4" thick squares
cut from some teak I bought on ebay glued to MDF backing board, alternating
grain and light and dark pieces.
After buying some conventional chessmen I decided to see if I could put an
old lathe to use and make some of my own. I got double the enjoyment when my
son asked if he could learn about what I was doing. He helped me turn some
one inch stock of poplar into rods, at which time he asked if he had done
enough. Little did he know he helped make his chessmen.
I anticipate this Christmas morning as you do, the smiles, the hugs, and the
"oh cool" will be my payment.
Now to finish the Paduak box I'm making for my Daughter.
Dave