Since Feb. 1 when I got in the car to drive down to Highland Woodworker, this has been a year of non-stop travel on three continents. It’s been a great year – I was nearly bit by a poisonous spider in Australia, I used Chris Vesper’s “toilet” and I built more tool chests than I care to remember.
But at 12:46 p.m. today, I officially ran out of urgent things to do. I finished building a project for Popular Woodworking Magazine (the nail cabinet above) that was a round-the-clock affair since last Monday. I paid my estimated taxes. I answered some urgent e-mail.
And it’s a good thing I had a moment of peace. Tonight John Hoffman and I get on a plane for a week in England. We’ll be doing research for my upcoming book on campaign furniture at sites both public and private. And we’re attending the European Woodworking Show at Cressing Temple Barns in Essex.
On Saturday we’ll be in the booth for Classic Hand Tools – Mike Hancock’s outfit. If you are at the show, please stop by and say hello. On Sunday, we’ll be walking the show as plain old woodworkers in an effort to catch up with a bunch of people we haven’t seen in a long time.
And on next Monday we return with fake British accents, pocket squares and ascots.
I have two projects to build for the campaign furniture book during the next four weeks. The leather is ordered. The mahogany is waiting. The drawings are complete.
So if I’m not answering your e-mails promptly during the next seven days, you know why.
— Christopher Schwarz