Green Wood Spoon Maker

You might think this is a little cordoned-off section of a museum, but this is “the woodshop corner”, where I make things. This big old 1970’s Nashua wood stove warms the small 16’x16′ building fairly quickly. There is no electricity, just a 100′ extension cord running from the house. We bought the materials to build it, and I built it mostly myself, with some help from my brother-in-law, lots of free windows (one big one a neighbor helped me hoist). It’s a balloon-frame, with an upstairs, and a little side shed/porch. On the south side by the fallow garden is a lean-to shed plumb full of the detritus of the “savers” that we are. To the north is the proud “North Shed”, a larger lean-to, with ambitions of being organized in the future, but for now, keeping some machines and wood dry. Because I was hasty, “The Woody” as it is known by the kids sits on large rocks on grade, and one side has sunk a bit, or, the other has come up, not sure which. It’s a good experimental building, studying how long an unfinished thing can last in the elements. I take up about half of the first floor with my little spoon operation; the rest has for some time been the per view of the kids, who have played in, lived in, stored things in, and otherwise utilized the space. Guests have stayed upstairs, baby chicks and mice have spent time. Several people have joined me here to make things together over the years; for a while in the beginning it was music, then wooden things. Oh and I collect bicycles which make their way in and out.

I could go on extoling the many virtues and tales of the Woody, for I haven’t mentioned yet that it is likely built atop of a historical dump known privately to the descendants of an old nearby farmhouse, and to various waning record keepers of this town, a dump which was then covered over by the mysterious “fill” that included large chunks of concrete, one the size of half a VW, probably parts of local derelict bridges, and filled over on top of that with gravel and enough soil for tough native plants to take hold. This all of course settled over many years so that when we arrived, this patch was hard as a rock and no shovel could disturb the ground. Highly suitable for building, with a nice southern exposure. But as it goes with time and dumps and four seasons, around the edges, a steel can, an engine hose, some broken plastic, trees forcing themselves around the concrete chunks, a moss-covered tv, an unmistakable “man-made” mound.

I don’t remember when I adopted and adapted the Japanese practice of December cleaning into my life. With much veneration for the cultural tradition, I feel there is no shame in saying that I am inspired by other cultures and their practices, and wish to bring them into my life. You can read up on Ōsōji . A good thorough cleanout sounds like just what we need.

After a hard and sad year, I look forward to 2026. I plan to take the year off from leading workshops to focus on finishing unfinished projects, building, and healing.