Make Do
Desk becomes kitchen work table: Born in the depression years, frugality is ingrained in
me. I try to ignore this fact; my best friend used to say that my middle initial, P, stood for
Plastic. When your father picked up a discarded bicycle and refurbished it for one of his kids.
Took the last God-awful looking Christmas tree on the lot and made it look O.K. by adding
branches to the trunk, you kind of picked up the inventive spirit. I also worked at my
father's side when he did-it-himself. My big brothers were too busy borrowing the car for
ates and all that nonsense. After that the war took them elsewhere for a while. I really
enjoyed being my Dad's apprentice and helper and I know he was proud of me.
Recently, before the bottom fell out of the housing market, I had intentions of downsizing.
Sell this big house and buy something I can handle. The work is getting to me, inside and
ut in the garden. I cleaned out, packed, shuffled things around for staging. In the Kitchen,
there was a rolling cart under a 48" wide cabinet we put up on the wall. Cart was too
small, so I moved that out to the porch. When I got rid of one computer and a few lethargic
printers, I had a computer desk left over. On the Cape, we have a place called the Mill Store.
Mostly unfinished furniture. Some really nice oak pieces...but to get back to the table.
The computer desk was finished and simply constructed (and on sale). 22x42". It has a
keyboard drawer which is open at the front. But if you pull it out, it has a 12x26" wooden
platform. I was going to ask my neighbor to build a drawer onto the platform and place a
4x28" panel on front of the drawer to close it in. I would pay for the wood and construction.
One day while scrounging around for a baking pan, I discovered something. A cookie
sheet with a scratch on it. 12x19" with a raised edge. Perfect! All I need now is a similar
pan 7-8x12", a few small pieces of molding to hold cookie sheets in place and a front panel,
which I can cut myself and paint.
I can use the wooden knife holder from the small rolling cart if I trim it down. It has
simple three-piece construction and lays up against the side of the cart, leaving a small
slit to house carving knives safely. One knife I acquired from a butcher's granddaughter,
scares the Hell out of company when I cook a roast. It is like a machete but has a
beautifully made blade. I had an even longer one but gave it to a caterer acquaintance.
Enough already.
How you do think of old days at this time in life. But it does not Drive Me Crazy. I know
Dad would still be proud.
12/22/07: I may have written somewhere on this blog...the improvised kitchen table has
become my "workbench" for making bread. I keep The Breadman machine on the table
and tools in the drawer...just bread making tools in one section and thermometers in the
other. With the exception of a turkey baster and a pair of sheers, that is all. It is so nice
to be uncluttered.
One person's trash...Our town disposal area has an exchange building where one
can leave still-good items and pick up used books, you name it. Until recently, you could
exchange small pieces of furniture until someone decided they wanted that part of the
building for snow removal equipment. That was the story, anyway. It is a shame, as the
I was lucky in that I found a large solid wood cabinet, once used to house a television
set. I brought it home in my SUV and removed the sliding shelf, the decorative molding
and a dividing panel, leaving me with a very large box, basically. I then primed and
painted it white, added sturdy wheels to what was once the back of the cabinet. I flipped
it over and now use it as a bin which I slide under a work table in my studio. My spare
canvases have never been happier.
If you are interested in art work, I will be starting a new section shortly. There will be
tips I have gleaned from other painters. Maybe some of my own. The majority of artists
I know get out and sell at shows.
11/7/07 Apologies for not coming up with the Art Tips just yet. I have done some of the
research at hardware stores, etc. Advice must be understandable in prose. I would love
to sketch these ideas for you.** That is why it all has to be written. Speaking of which,
I must get to filling out a form for the State for our non-profit Yarmouth Art Guild. This
should be a tedious;I have procrastinated...too long. Gotta go now.
**
11/27/07: Recently did a few rough specification drawings while gallery-sitting. I will
trace them shortly and scan into computer for the Art Zone. In the meanwhile, I have
been on the hunt for something I packed for moving. I need this for a small works
painting to be placed on a Christmas tree. The tree is one of several to be auctioned
off early December. Feel like the Mad Hatter.
12/22/07: Recently visited a small hardware store, which is part of a chain. They had
redesigned the entire store and in the process did away with the good old stuff, pretty
much entirely. Everything is packaged and neat and up in price. It wasn't broken, fellas.
Why did you fix it? A few years ago, you could order from their catalogs if you could not
find it in the store. I hadn't been there for a while because they promoted the only guy
who knew his stuff to another branch. (He has become grouchy, so I don't even want to
go there.) And why do I want to buy at the local one? A senior discount? I do better
down the block price wise and they haven't fixed the store yet.
1/21/2008: Neglected to tell you. Had bought a small sewing machine last year and
could not find a suitable table for it. Went to my favorite furniture place, the Mill Store,
for an unfinished piece. I lucked out! Found a quite small printer table with shelves
made from strips of wood. I removed several of these so I could get my feet under
and raised the table by putting wheels on the legs. It is perfect for my needs. There
is enough shelf left for several cookie tins to store thread and such. There is a small
drawer...and the best part? It was finished and on sale!! That could driveucrazy in
a nice way.
2/15/08: Here's a tip to help you avoid credit card theft. Trust me, I get nothing for
mentioning any product or service. My credit card is a Citibank Dividend Platinum Select
MasterCard. They allow you to use your own photo on the card. It is a virtual card,
i.e., when you buy on line, a number comes up that is not your actual number. If you
feel the sale is taking too long, you can change the number with a click. Some sellers
on the internet are not clued into the process. For instance, Amazon. It kept changing
my preference for a new card into "Open an Amazon account" but a few phone calls
straightened them out...at least for a while.
With the Dividend Card, you get 1% back on purchases, 2% for gas, pharmacies, grocery and convenience store purchases. They will send a check when you reach $50 in perks.
me. I try to ignore this fact; my best friend used to say that my middle initial, P, stood for
Plastic. When your father picked up a discarded bicycle and refurbished it for one of his kids.
Took the last God-awful looking Christmas tree on the lot and made it look O.K. by adding
branches to the trunk, you kind of picked up the inventive spirit. I also worked at my
father's side when he did-it-himself. My big brothers were too busy borrowing the car for
ates and all that nonsense. After that the war took them elsewhere for a while. I really
enjoyed being my Dad's apprentice and helper and I know he was proud of me.
Recently, before the bottom fell out of the housing market, I had intentions of downsizing.
Sell this big house and buy something I can handle. The work is getting to me, inside and
ut in the garden. I cleaned out, packed, shuffled things around for staging. In the Kitchen,
there was a rolling cart under a 48" wide cabinet we put up on the wall. Cart was too
small, so I moved that out to the porch. When I got rid of one computer and a few lethargic
printers, I had a computer desk left over. On the Cape, we have a place called the Mill Store.
Mostly unfinished furniture. Some really nice oak pieces...but to get back to the table.
The computer desk was finished and simply constructed (and on sale). 22x42". It has a
keyboard drawer which is open at the front. But if you pull it out, it has a 12x26" wooden
platform. I was going to ask my neighbor to build a drawer onto the platform and place a
4x28" panel on front of the drawer to close it in. I would pay for the wood and construction.
One day while scrounging around for a baking pan, I discovered something. A cookie
sheet with a scratch on it. 12x19" with a raised edge. Perfect! All I need now is a similar
pan 7-8x12", a few small pieces of molding to hold cookie sheets in place and a front panel,
which I can cut myself and paint.
I can use the wooden knife holder from the small rolling cart if I trim it down. It has
simple three-piece construction and lays up against the side of the cart, leaving a small
slit to house carving knives safely. One knife I acquired from a butcher's granddaughter,
scares the Hell out of company when I cook a roast. It is like a machete but has a
beautifully made blade. I had an even longer one but gave it to a caterer acquaintance.
Enough already.
How you do think of old days at this time in life. But it does not Drive Me Crazy. I know
Dad would still be proud.
12/22/07: I may have written somewhere on this blog...the improvised kitchen table has
become my "workbench" for making bread. I keep The Breadman machine on the table
and tools in the drawer...just bread making tools in one section and thermometers in the
other. With the exception of a turkey baster and a pair of sheers, that is all. It is so nice
to be uncluttered.
One person's trash...Our town disposal area has an exchange building where one
can leave still-good items and pick up used books, you name it. Until recently, you could
exchange small pieces of furniture until someone decided they wanted that part of the
building for snow removal equipment. That was the story, anyway. It is a shame, as the
I was lucky in that I found a large solid wood cabinet, once used to house a television
set. I brought it home in my SUV and removed the sliding shelf, the decorative molding
and a dividing panel, leaving me with a very large box, basically. I then primed and
painted it white, added sturdy wheels to what was once the back of the cabinet. I flipped
it over and now use it as a bin which I slide under a work table in my studio. My spare
canvases have never been happier.
If you are interested in art work, I will be starting a new section shortly. There will be
tips I have gleaned from other painters. Maybe some of my own. The majority of artists
I know get out and sell at shows.
11/7/07 Apologies for not coming up with the Art Tips just yet. I have done some of the
research at hardware stores, etc. Advice must be understandable in prose. I would love
to sketch these ideas for you.** That is why it all has to be written. Speaking of which,
I must get to filling out a form for the State for our non-profit Yarmouth Art Guild. This
should be a tedious;I have procrastinated...too long. Gotta go now.
**
11/27/07: Recently did a few rough specification drawings while gallery-sitting. I will
trace them shortly and scan into computer for the Art Zone. In the meanwhile, I have
been on the hunt for something I packed for moving. I need this for a small works
painting to be placed on a Christmas tree. The tree is one of several to be auctioned
off early December. Feel like the Mad Hatter.
12/22/07: Recently visited a small hardware store, which is part of a chain. They had
redesigned the entire store and in the process did away with the good old stuff, pretty
much entirely. Everything is packaged and neat and up in price. It wasn't broken, fellas.
Why did you fix it? A few years ago, you could order from their catalogs if you could not
find it in the store. I hadn't been there for a while because they promoted the only guy
who knew his stuff to another branch. (He has become grouchy, so I don't even want to
go there.) And why do I want to buy at the local one? A senior discount? I do better
down the block price wise and they haven't fixed the store yet.
1/21/2008: Neglected to tell you. Had bought a small sewing machine last year and
could not find a suitable table for it. Went to my favorite furniture place, the Mill Store,
for an unfinished piece. I lucked out! Found a quite small printer table with shelves
made from strips of wood. I removed several of these so I could get my feet under
and raised the table by putting wheels on the legs. It is perfect for my needs. There
is enough shelf left for several cookie tins to store thread and such. There is a small
drawer...and the best part? It was finished and on sale!! That could driveucrazy in
a nice way.
2/15/08: Here's a tip to help you avoid credit card theft. Trust me, I get nothing for
mentioning any product or service. My credit card is a Citibank Dividend Platinum Select
MasterCard. They allow you to use your own photo on the card. It is a virtual card,
i.e., when you buy on line, a number comes up that is not your actual number. If you
feel the sale is taking too long, you can change the number with a click. Some sellers
on the internet are not clued into the process. For instance, Amazon. It kept changing
my preference for a new card into "Open an Amazon account" but a few phone calls
straightened them out...at least for a while.
With the Dividend Card, you get 1% back on purchases, 2% for gas, pharmacies, grocery and convenience store purchases. They will send a check when you reach $50 in perks.
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