almost finished project

Back in about 2002 I decided that I wanted to take a carpentry class that was being offered at night by our Industrial Arts teacher. I had always wanted to do that kind of thing. I decided that I wanted to make myself a china hutch. The first night I went to the class the teacher told me that I needed to pick out my wood. Who knew there was a difference in wood? I went home and told Terry that I was supposed to pick out wood. I asked him if he knew there was a difference. He decided that he should take the class with me. So we set out to build a china hutch together.

The one time Terry didn't go to class was the time that I messed up with the table saw and sent a board sailing across the room. I was lucky that I, or someone else didn't get seriously hurt. Terry never let me go alone again, and I have been a little leery of power tools ever since.

Anyway, we didn't get finished before the class was over so we took everything home to finish. Well really we took it home to take up room in the garage. Later, I can't remember how long but it was more than a year my brother came from Arkansas. He does woodworking for a hobby and is very good so he agreed to take it home and finish it for us. Last year before Thanksgiving he brought it back finished except for the final sanding and staining. It went in our garage again.

I can't really remember why except that the thing is extremely heavy we decided to have the guys who were here for Thanksgiving help Terry carry it in the house where it wasn't right in the middle of the floor but almost. Chris said to Terry "I want that moved before I get home for Christmas." Which of course meant he wanted us to finish it. As Chris was driving into the driveway at Christmas Terry moved it a couple of inches.

So, there it sat. This summer Chris called and asked if he and Robin could finish it for our Christmas present. Of course they didn't realize that Christmas was going to be so bitterly cold. The hutch made another trip to the garage for sanding and staining. Chris and Robin, bless their hearts almost froze out there sanding, staining, and varnishing that thing. It took several days and the weather didn't warm up.

After they left and it had time to dry a friend helped Terry carry it back into the house. Today I got it loaded with the stuff that I took out of the entertainment center we had been using. (Which of course is now in the way waiting for a new home.) It doesn't have handles yet because there were not any in Leoti that would work. I hope to get some next weekend when I hope to be in Lincoln. The top doors are not on because we didn't have the right size screws to put in the "glass holder in things".

So here is the almost finished project. I am very excited!