3rd February 2026
I picked up John from his home as usual, I don’t think it was one of his best days, his conversation was disjointed, and difficult to follow. I want the conversations to continue, as silence is uncomfortable. I ask him simple things, like what he did at the weekend, the answers are all over the place, but I persevere, eventually I break through a bit, I find something he can talk about. This is about his barn and how he rebuilt it, he remembers a lot about that, the people that helped, and the problems he faced. I’ve heard the story many times, but that is when his eyes light up, and I know he’s in a time that he can’t forget.
When we arrived, the back panel that was clamped up on Friday was still on the bench.
I had a list of pieces I had to cut and thickness, and rather than involve John, I asked him to sand the back panel, which he set about, but only after a coffee and a slice of pumpkin bread.
I wanted to cut and glue timber for the new legs.
I wanted to change the ones on the chair that is at the upholster, this entailed increasing the height by two inches. I managed to find some thick pieces of white oak to cut down.
John helped with the glue up, then he continued to sand the other side of the pack panel, and by the way he did a brilliant job of it.
It is amazing how tired I get, I am working non stop whilst I’m there, and I’m always disappointed by the small amount I’ve done.
My target is to finish it by the end of February, as there are other projects waiting their turn.
Another Lifetime to go 