Big pieces smaller

The wag refers to woodworking as the process of making big pieces of wood smaller, and as I was spending a small amount of time in the shop messing about on a project over the weekend, the aphorism seemed particularly apt.

The procedure in question is making dowel pegs.  In cabinetry, these are traditionally used to pin mortise and tenon joints.  The joint is actually drawn together and held by the dowel pin.  The pins are best made when the wood is still green.  Straight grained wood is a must, and usually wood like oak is used.  In this case, the pins are for a piece I'm building using cherry.

Flash back two weeks, when I took down a small decorative cherry tree for a neighbor.  The tree had died so I offered to remove it.  I sawed the six-inch diameter trunk pieces into firewood lengths and tossed them on my pile.  The other day I stood at our kitchen window, just above the firewood stack, admiring the yard.  I looked down and noticed that one of the pieces of cherry I'd cut was straight as a rod and didn't have any knots in it.  Dowel stock!

The process is to split (rather than saw) the still-green wood to allow the length of the piece to carry the strength inherent in the grain of the wood.  So, I work from the back of the above picture to the front.  It begins with the froe and maul.  The froe is that L-shaped tool in the top right.  This cleaves the wood in half, in successively smaller pieces.  Next is the drawknife- the blade with two handles right in the middle of the picture, which I use to get the stock roughly round and roughly 1/2" in diameter.  The finishing tool in the process is the dowel plate in the lower right of the picture.  This is a piece of tool steel in which I've drilled successively smaller diameter holes.  The stick of green wood is beveled at the end to get it started in the hole, then pounded down through, peeling it like a banana to that diameter.  Those three next to the dowel plate are just about finished.  Once done, they'll be allowed to dry completely before being used to pin the 14 or so mortise and tenon joints on my bookcase project.

Commencing and Parading

It has been a busy early June here at Chez Claspy, with all kinds of festivities and end-of-school celebrations.

First up was the senior award ceremony at the high school.  Anna graced the stage a few times- as a National Merit commended student, as a graduate with honors, as a Ohio Department of Education Award of Merit student, and as a recipient of the President's Award for Educational Excellence.

Next up, Senior Prom!  Our graduating scholar and her date Peter looked happy to celebrate!

Then graduation itself.  Held in the historic downtown State Theater, the 480+ graduates in their robes and mortar boards queued up to cross the stage, shake a hand, and get their diplomas.  Here is Anna getting hers.

After, here is the scene in the opulent theater's lobby.

On our way home, a beautiful rainbow showed Anna that her dreams are RIGHT OVER THERE.  (Does it seem to be pointing to France?)

Later in the week, 8th grade promotion and farewell to middle school for Maggie.  She was also recognized during the event as outstanding instrumental musician (no surprise to those who've heard her play!) and honor roll student.

This past Saturday we enjoyed one of Cleveland's best arts events, the wonderful and colorful Parade the Circle.  We made the trek with friends along for Maggie and Anna.  Sam, of course, makes friends wherever he goes.

One hallmark of this parade is that it is all people-powered.  No motorized floats.  Also, there are usually excellent musicians in the parade, including steel drums.  Sammy's reaction to the music can only best be captured on video.

Spring Music

We've had a busy and musical spring.  The fast-approaching end of school, AP exams, college decisions and practicing for recital has kept all of us busy, not just the teenagers!

Anna's big news is her selection of a college to attend in the fall: the College of Wooster.  We're all very excited by her choice.  She'll attend a registration event in June, then student orientation just before classes start at the end of August.

Warming up for Mother's Day, Sam and Kim had a good time playing at our faculty-parents group picnic at CWRU's farm.

Sam has been out cruising the driveway in his new convertible.  He has to know how to get to his Princeton eating club, after all.

Anna performed in her final piano recital.  She has studied with her teacher Sara Smith since she was 7.  Here are student and teacher before the performance.

And the performance itself!

Maggie had both a concert with the Cleveland Institute of Music Prep Orchestra, and her own solo recital.  Here she is performing her solo piece:

Easter 2012

We were a threesome for Easter this year, and the Bunny himself took advantage of some fine weather to leave a few droppings, er, I mean Easter Eggs in the yard for Sam to find.  Sam enjoyed the hunt very much!

There were an even dozen in all that Mr. Hippity Hoppity secreted away in the yard.

They contained sweet goodies as well as a few Matchbox cars.  Later in the day we enjoyed watching the professional bicycle racers ride from Paris to Roubaix, took a somewhat shorter ride ourselves, and had a yummy dinner and rhubarb pie for dessert. Hooray for Easter!

Birthday celebration

Here are a few photos from the last week or two, including from my birthday!  My dad used to say having a birthday beats NOT having a birthday, so I figure best to celebrate.  And why not enjoy time with friends and family at the same time.  Besides:  PRESENTS!

We had some crazy warm weather at the end of March.  Sam usually doesn't care for hats unless they are strictly necessary (why hide that beautiful mane of hair, after all?) but decided that a cap with a brim, like a ball cap, can be useful on a sunny day.

It was so warm, that suddenly snow boots just don't seem to make sense.  Unless you've lost your pants, at which point the footwear choice becomes obvious.

Maggie and Sam enjoy story time.

Maggie rehearsed for seven weeks with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights middle school honor's orchestra, and they had their performance at the end of March.  Another stellar performance!

My birthday landed on a Sunday this year, so we had a great day together celebrating.  French toast and bacon in the morning, and an early dinner out with friends at the Market Garden Brewery.  They even gave us a private dining area in their basement pub room.

 Maggie and Anna deciding what to order for dinner.

Here's Princeton-boy getting ready to help with presents.

Can I help, Mommy?

Sure thing!

Making a wish.  What a great day!  Thanks to the family and friends who helped out, and I'll see you all again next year.

Birthday weekend with Jane

We had a wonderful weekend visit with big sister/aunt Jane this weekend.  She recently had a big birthday and decided to come for a Cleveland visit as part of the celebration.  Fine by us!  We talked about past birthday trip celebrations, so it must be a sort of a tradition, right?

Friday Sam and I took Aunt Jane to the special Rembrandt exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  In the evening the nieces and nephew took her out to dinner.

Pizza at Deweys!

And a birthday celebration wouldn't be complete without some cake and singing.

Today we continued the celebration with a trip to the new Cleveland Aquarium.  Our campus parents group had arranged the visit, so it was perfect that Jane was in town to join us.  We enjoyed seeing all of the fish, especially the tank of lobsters which one views from below (where's the butter?) and the walk-through hallway in which sharks and rays swim around and above.  Cool!  Another fine meal out for lunch rounded out the weekend.  Thanks for coming, Jane!

Seattle getaway

Just a couple of photos from our 36 hour long date night in Seattle this week.


Sadly it was lashing rain on Monday night, so I did not get photos of our supper meal at Le Pichet.  The bourguinonne sauce on the root vegetable main dish Kim had was life changingly good.  I had a super tasty selection of charcuterie as a starter and ling cod main dish with pistou sauce that was very tasty.  And wine, most notably a chewy red from Bergerac.  Super dinner.  No pictures.


I did take a few photos on Tuesday.  Mostly food.


Our lunch at Serious Pie was a no brainer.  Their yukon gold/rosemary pizza is to die for.  That's a 3.14 Ale next to it, a joint project between Serious Pie and Elliot Bay Brewery.  3.14?  Pie?  Get it?

We strolled through Pike Place Market- how couldn't we?- and just had to stop at Beecher's Cheese.  Here's just one portion of their selection.  You might notice a dark, grape ash Tomme (goat's milk, soft cheese) in the middle there made by Quillisascut in Oregon, and redolent of some that I enjoyed in France with Anna last summer.  Yep, that's the one we got.  Very delicious.

And here is a festive holiday arrangement of peppers by another vendor.

We did non-food things too: strolled the massive REI flagship store, and even popped across to Feathered Friends, from whom I bought my down sleeping bag some 15 years ago.  Took in a movie at the fantastic Cinerama Theater.  Our favorite Hotel Ändra kept us comfortable overnight.  Cool and modern stationer Paperhaus had some tempting wares.  And we saw the new (to us) location of Elliott Bay Books, no longer in Pioneer Square but near Broadway now.  Finally, coffee with Kim former schoolmate, house mate and dear friend Sara before catching the ferry back to Bremerton.

We had a super time!