The first of many made with my new machine

Sunday night a neighbour arrived back from a trip back to the UK.It was arranged that i send a parcel to my friends house for them to bring it over for me. I had already agreed to make a Dolphin board but what i think will happen is this will become a piece of wall art.
The shape has been cut but there is still lots more to do before it's finished but i have all the time in the world to complete this my first job.
After this my next job is to make a cutting board in the shape of the state of Wisconsin.

My Friend Ashley

Last night i received the news my Mum had passed away. At the moment my sister emailed me i was talking to my great friend Ashley. Ashley had been asking about my Mum and i was telling him what i knew from the last time i called the care home. While we where talking i received an email I said to Ashley to shut up something i would never treat a friend like that but i was reading about my Mum passing.

Ashley was the first i told but of coarse so many people ask how my Mum is many have only got to know Me on my Blog. Many of those who called or sent messages are people i know . The first message i received was on my Blog.

It shows the kindness when people who have never met me send such kind remarks.

Thank you too you all

R.I.P Mum

We all say we have the best Mum and today the Best Mum i could have ever had passed away. She is now with my Dad and elder brother Brian in heaven.

29th September 2019 Irene Maud Calder R.I.P

All i ask it that readers of my Blog spend some time to think of there own Mum after all you only get one Mum.

My machine is on it's way

Some time ago at a woodworking club i got myself a Fret saw machine. From the picture above you can see some of the cutting boards i make. But i wanted to do more something unique.
Someone i met at one of the markets i go to asked if i could make a cutting board in the shape of the state in the USA that she comes from. This only came about because i mentioned about the machine i was waiting for.

This is not my machine but it is similar and can do all i want.

Now this was the challenge i took on and when my machine arrives i will make a cutting board from this line drawing.

This dolphin is a replacement for one i offered to make for a friend.


















But where do you start first you need to put the image onto the chosen piece of wood but how, The journey started in China of all places. But before China i remembered a job in my youth i had to write out an invoice but first was the carbon paper. Carbon paper transferred what you wrote on one sheet of paper and copied it to a second piece of paper.
I went onto Ebay to find some carbon paper and the best price including delivery was from China so i ordered 100 sheets.

Here is a sample i did of an Dolphin. I transferred the picture i made and copied it to a piece of wood. Now that i am happy with the finished copied image when my machine arrives next week i will make my first board. The wood you see is Walnut but i expect i will use Chestnut but we will wait and see.

It's now about 6 years

I started my kitchen about 6 years ago and i installed LED light 12 X 4w bulbs. The lights have worked perfect till no and over about a week 5 have failed.  At the time my electricity charge was an average of 80€.
As i worked thought the house i replaced every light with LED's now i pay an average of 40€ that's a saving of half. It's the way forward and i buy mine from Ebay and buy packs with 10 bulbs for less that €20 a pack.

This is my new sink, When i ordered my sink i also ordered, Carbon paper, Fish safe silicon, 50mt fibre optic cable, Food grade mineral oil, A pair of reading glasses and a pair of driving glasses. If i had each item posted individually the postage would have been more than i was happy with. I used UPS again and paid only £23.50.

Progress may be slow

Progress may be slow on making my fish tank. This week i had the task of putting up the ceiling boards. The plaster boards for the ceiling are very heavy and due to there size difficult to lift above my head and screw them into place.

This was a major part of the building of the tank. Now this is done i can get on with half filling the tank so i can put some wood in that needs to get water logged so it sinks to the bottom when i want to start to use the tank.







I have the pipework that i am going to use to make my solar hot water system so u can keep the room warm. To use heaters to warm the water would cost to much. A solar panel will keep the water at the temperature of the room.

I have solar panels to make the electric to power all the heaters, filters, lights ect.

More countries reading my Blog

Czechia
Turkmenistan

The above are just 2 of three new countries to have been reading my Blog. The third country i forgot i make a note but it was in the area of  Turkmenistan. I am now over 80 countries that i have had someone read my Blog The story of my Life in Portugal.

As i checked my Statistics i have just seen a ready for Ghana so that's another new reader and if they see this then welcome to yourself and all new readers. 

What a selection

A friend of mine wanted to sell her things she makes at the market i went to today. At first they where just cakes and biscuits but these are not just your normal cakes and biscuits. These cakes and biscuits are Gluten, lactose and some egg free.

Today more and more people are being found to have problems with there diet. I was lucky to have tried some of the delights shown in the picture below. It was after i tried them that i found they had no Gluten, Lactose or egg in there ingredients  and they where as good as cakes and biscuits make the traditional way.





I hope to enjoy the company of my friend and her amazing produce at many markets to come.