Tag: cabinet maker

Hands On!

Jennifred Jones

My heritage were the ‘hands-on’ folk. We made stuff! Good stuff!

It didn’t all start out as good stuff. As we learn the stuff goes through a progression from bad to better to pretty good to ‘that’s great’!

Mom’s side had the wagon master in her lineage. There were produce gardeners, writers, musicians, decorators, shop keepers, sewers.

Dad’s side were cabinet makers, craftsmen, painters, metal workers in casting and tools even on the railroad.

Mom became an interior designer doing anything to help make your house a home. Dad became a professor teaching shop class, metal work, drafting, slide rule (what’s that?) and at home helping in the cabinet making department for mom’s business.

My older brother had his own hobby shop for years. Now with 2 college degrees, he chooses to work with his hands in maintenance…electricity, plumbing …steam heat is his specialty! Get him down there with the boilers, radiators and pipes and he’s in his niche!

Younger brother took up cabinet making and makes his living restoring old houses, boats and furniture. Beautiful work!

Both brothers are deep thinkers, avid readers and good problem solvers.

Now my own flock of kids – all grown – are hands on entrepreneurial sorts as well.

The wonderful thing about hands on, hand made, is you are looking at what you make as you make it. You see its flaws and promises. You adjust as you go, and it will be unique! That’s what we people want!

So to all you hands on peoples out there…keep up the good work. Share your skills so we don’t lose your craft. Keep growing and improving. The world needs what you have to offer. What you are doing may seem small in your eyes, yet every nut and bolt is needed to hold the bridge up.

What can I make better today with my very own hands?

The Money-Tool

Jennifred Jones

For some of us, (me included) we need to rethink one of the tools in our toolbox…..MONEY!

Dad was a cabinet maker with all sorts of tools in various sizes, shapes, types, and each one produced a result by the work of his hands.

He used his tools to make many, many enduring pieces which our family still has and uses today.

Back to money. It is a tool in our hands to be used to make and shape things.

This tool can be used to build structures, organizations, fund projects or fund your own family.

We need this tool. We need to learn how to hold it in our hands and use it to begin a helpful idea or venture… use it to grow and develop something worthy that another person started, but needs help with their money-tool…so we come alongside with our toolbox and help them out….think modern day barn-raising.

Money, like any other tool, is neither good or bad. It all depends on how the craftsman decides to use it.

Our world needs money, we have a lot of people with lots of needs. We need money (our way of bartering) to meet these needs.

Let’s all (me included) take whatever time we need to figure out how to use this money tool…get it out of our toolbox, sharpen it up and start using it to build up.

Let’s not despise this tool, but take full advantage of it.

Think together with me….have I been misusing this tool, have I left it alone in the toolbox afraid to touch it? Have I been letting someone else use my money-tool that doesn’t know how it works and diminished its value? The tools in my toolbox are my responsibility.

What do I need to do today to take better care of and get more use out of this much needed tool?

Inspiration Lost!

Jennifred Jones

If only I’d written down the thought/idea when it came to me!! Now I can’t remember what it was !?!

How many, many times have I done this??? Today it happened at least twice!!

My brother is a cabinet maker and often gets ideas in the middle of the night, so he keeps a pen and pad of paper on his nightstand–to be prepared.

My notepad is in my purse, safely tucked away, where too many times it stays, because I ‘know I’ll remember’ that thought when I get back to my purse …wrong again!

Today ended up better. I lost two good thoughts that should have been notated, but I gained three, which I did notate.

Progress! Three out of five!

I grabbed my “Things I Need to Overthink” pad and put it on the counter with the pen. I am ready for the next good thought!

How do you like to remember your inspirations?

…on your phone, on a pad of paper, scrawled on a post-it-note?

Don’t lose your next good idea!