You got that right Richard. My time in the Coast Guard made some life changing habits for me as well.

Strumella, My dad used to say, "everything has a place and everything in it's place". OH! he had the messiest shop I ever saw. 

When I was in the Army, I was fortunate to take advantage of the wood craft shop on base. Check the tools out, use them, clean them and check them in and clean your work area before you were allowed to leave. That went a long way in helping me learn to keep by tools put where they belong and my shop somewhat clean and organized.

It's way more fun to work on our fun projects than to clean up after them, for sure!

Sorry to hear about your wife. Hopefully she's on the mend and back to normal. Prioritize is the key. You did well. Many of my projects a wife (working on 62 years) related. Organization is another important focus. There have been times that finding a tool or material would take longer than the job I need it for. I spend much of my time between jobs to organize the shop. Yes, if I am working on a project and all of a sudden I look up and it's "dark 30" I leave things where they are knowing I'll be back tomorrow. A retirees motto, "tomorrow's another day" (because everyday is Saturday). 

All of my work on building musical instruments goes on in my basement workshop. Last year after my wife's hip replacement surgery and a fall that sent her to the regional trauma center, three weeks at a residential physical therapy facility, plus cataract surgery, I didn't spend a lot of time in the shop. I did build a couple of instruments and had eight or so dulcimers and two guitars come in for repairs. I didn't take much time clean up after working and had tools and supplies all over the place. I am slowly getting things cleaned up and reorganized. I hope to get a guitar finished before the end of October and complete the building of a machinists chest to hold my luthier tools. If I get those done I have a few mountain dulcimers builds I want to tackle.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks Ken, My Dither project has taken a back seat for a while. I'm waiting for some wood to dry out before making the panels. Between the kids and wife I get multiple projects going at once (thus the "shopdad" handle). I'm in the process of some major shop changes. It's time to do some clear outs, deep cleaning and rearranging. Even though I do most of the dirty work on the outside workbench, the inside gets pretty bad.

That looks like a really fun project. Very creative. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Right now it's on the dinning room wall. As soon as I get the hooks solid enough on the outside wall, in the courtyard, it will hang out there. It has several coats of poly so the weather shouldn't be too rough on it. Hanging on the wall won't let it turn in the wind but I will change it occasionally myself. It's solid enough to be around long after me.

Well that's pretty cool.  Is it going to turn in the wind?  Where will you put it?

The Betsey Ross 250 anniversary flag, Just finished in time before the end of July. The torch-burned center piece makes it appear old and tattered. The solution for a decision, 250 or USA.

Betsey Ross 250.jpg  •  213KB

Betsey Ross flag center turn.jpg  •  212KB

Betsey Ross USA 1.jpg  •  230KB

I usually enjoy making something in my shop to express or celebrate any occasion. I made a Betsey Ross flag for the 250th celebration.

Oops! its a video too large to attach. I'll send pics 

Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote "America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great."  Seems to me that this might come true, as we celebrate our 250th birthday as a country.

Thankyou John, Hats off to your dad and I salute him for his courage. Yes, and I believe the best is yet to come

My father spent his teen years growing up in the Polish underground, fighting both Nazis and Communists... I think we could solve our energy & air conditioning problems if we could somehow harness the energy from his spinning over in his grave over current events.....

  To him, (and myself) America has ALWAYS been the greatest nation on the planet. Let us endeavor to keep her such.

Happy 4th to all FOTMD friends. I'm loving the comments. Let's keep them going. God Bless America and America the beautiful sound great on my Cedar Creek dulcimer. Anyone else playing patriotic music today? In 1976 we only had two kids at that time. My wife and I just celebrated 61 years of marriage. Blessed to raise my 4 kids in freedom. I'm a US Coast Guard veteran and proud to serve this great land.

Yay... America's founding fathers and founding principles.
I was 22 and living in NYC during our country's 200th birthday celebration in 1976. It was amazing, everyone seemed united together and happy. The historic tall ships (tall sailing ships with multiple masts) all sailed into New York Harbor, a beautiful thing to behold alongside the Statue of Liberty... it was a wonderful celebration.
We certainly live in a great nation... happy 250th birthday America!

Happy 4th everyone. Stop and think about the greatness of this nation, its founding principles, and its past statesmen and heroes. And be thankful for all of our blessings.  God Bless America. Let Freedom ring.