American Heirlooms - January 2019

American Heirlooms - January 2019

302-653-2411

JANUARY 2019

SURVIVING A HOLIDAY MISHAP TO CELEBRATE WITH FAMILY

“That’s it,” I remember thinking. “This bus is dead.”

Bethany and I had loaded up our three sons and two daughters into my brother’s minibus- turned-RV, and away we went on our 15- hour trek to central Illinois to visit Bethany’s family. Hours later, in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day, we heard an explosion coming from the vehicle’s engine. Immediately, I began thinking the worst — imagining the bus being towed and spending days with sleepy, upset children while we waited for repairs. Nervously, I monitored pressure gauges and other engine vitals as I coaxed the bus into the nearest truck stop. In an effort to get some answers, I checked the oil dipstick, only to find that it was bone dry. Aha! Thinking this was a problem we must solve immediately, I dumped an entire gallon of oil down the fill tube. Much to my confusion, though, instead of flowing smoothly into the engine, it immediately reappeared, spilled on the concrete below the bus. What is this!? A “helpful” truck driver passing by assured me that “When they’re like this, it’s really bad.” Thanks! While Bethany and I tried to calm our exasperated children demanding to go to Grandpa’s, I texted Winfred (my brother) to let him know his bus was a goner. To my surprise, he wasn’t as quick to write a death certificate for the bus. “It’s okay,” he texted back. “You just have to take off

the engine cover below the dash, reach in, and re-fasten the hose — this has happened before. You also need to stuff some aluminum foil into the port where the oil fill tube is supposed to go.” Relieved that it may be a simple fix, I shifted gears from a simple bus renter to a greasy-handed mechanic. I followed Winfred’s directions, borrowed some tools from a kind maintenance man at the truck stop, and got the bus running smoothly again. Excited to be back on the road, we loaded the children back into the bus, and off we whizzed to Thanksgiving in central Illinois, ONLY to have the same hose pop off — AGAIN — somewhere along Interstate 70. This time, Winfred said we wouldn’t hurt the vehicle if we drove very carefully. So we slogged along on our path at a slower pace, braving the semi traffic breezing past us. We finally arrived! Between holiday traffic and roadside repairs, our trip took over 17 hours.

Fortunately, Bethany’s nephew, Brendal, is a mechanic. He was able to replace the faulty hose at our destination. After a long weekend spent chopping wood, replacing the hose, and creating new memories for our children, our family of seven loaded back up into the mended bus. We cruised home, praying this trip would be uneventful. God must have been looking out for us on the way home, as we managed to avoid the winter storm that stranded many Midwestern travelers. We may have returned to a muddy and somewhat soggy Delaware, but we were happy to make it safely home with every piece, parcel, and person we had brought with us.

–Ethan Zimmerman

302-653-2411 • 1

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The month of January kicks off by welcoming the new year — there are countdowns, fireworks, and of course, the ball drop in a freezing-cold Times Square. But why? Why do we start our calendars when much of the U.S. is in the dead of winter? Why January? The short answer is Julius Caesar and Roman politics. The calendar had long been a political tool in Rome. Depending on who was in power, Roman pontifices would add or subtract entire weeks from the year, manually adjusting the term limits of elected officials. As you could imagine, this caused a lot of chaos, because months frequently slipped out of time with the changing seasons. After becoming emperor, Julius Caesar brought about some much-needed reforms. Inspired by the Egyptian solar calendar, Caesar fixed the Roman year at 365 days and instituted the leap year to keep months aligned with the solstices. He moved the new year from the spring to the day that elected officials traditionally began their year-long terms, Jan. 1.

new beginnings? Under Caesar and subsequent rulers, the Roman Empire expanded its reach, carrying its calendar with it. While much of Europe adopted Caesar’s calendar, New Year’s Day remained a hot-button issue for centuries. Thanks in part to the spread of Christianity and to the colder conditions in Northern Europe, there was a lot of resistance to the January start date. Religious leaders saw it as a pagan holiday, and much of Europe chose to restart the calendar on March 25, during the Feast of Annunciation. Much of Catholic Europe officially recognized Jan. 1 as the start of the new year after Pope Gregory reformed the solar calendar again, correcting certain mathematical errors made in Caesar’s day. There were still holdouts, however. In fact, England and its American colonies continued to celebrate New Year’s Day in March until 1752. So there you have it — we were very close to having our fireworks celebrations in lovely spring weather. Ultimately, the ubiquity of the Gregorian calendar won out, as the demands of our increasingly interconnected world made a shared calendar a necessity. So if you struggle to start your New Year's resolutions this winter, blame Julius Caesar.

This choice carried spiritual significance, since January was named for Janus, god of doors and gates. What better month to celebrate

Each craftsman in our shop is a talented and valued member of our team, so when one leaves for a new opportunity, it’s like saying goodbye to family. To honor them, we have begun to celebrate their time with us and wish them well on their next adventure. In early October, our shop spent time recognizing one of our skilled worker’s last days with us. To celebrate Lester and to respect his departure, we did what any group of craftsmen would do: We hosted a nail driving contest. There aren’t many rules, but this contest always elicits plenty of excitement. Three nails are slightly hammered into a chunk of wood for each participant, and when it’s their turn, each contestant is tasked with hammering the nails completely into the wood as fast as they can, while being mindful to not bend the nail. Should the nail bend, the participant must straighten it out before continuing.

The contest is relatively simple in concept, but that doesn’t make it easy. The game compels each player to toe the line between being forceful and accurate, because they have to hit the nail just so and with the right amount of power to push it as far down as it needs to go. Lester went out with a bang! He outdid us, hammering in all three nails in 9.42 seconds and placing first out of 14 competitors. Willie Girod proved to be Lester’s biggest competition, clocking in at just under 10 seconds. It was the perfect way to end our chapter with Lester, and we’re pleased to have built some memorable pieces of custom furniture with him. Lester, you will be missed.

—All your friends at Kenton Chair Shop

2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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How do we measure nails? How was your chair formed? What keeps a table together? To the average person, answers to these questions may not be obvious, but they’re common for craftsmen. Get into the head of a woodworker by learning more about their common terms below. Penny Nail: For the origin of this term, we go all the way back to 15th century England. According to Woodworking Network, at that time, the smallest unit of money was the penny, and the penny was abbreviated with the letter “d,” which came from a Roman word for coinage, denarius. Nails were also marked in stores by the number of pennies it would cost to purchase “long 100” nails, which actually totals to about 120 nails. If something was marked as 20 penny or 20d, it would cost 20 cents for 120 nails. Today, nails are labeled by their length, and you’ll often see “d” next to a number on a box of nails, describing its length. Mortise and Tenon Joint: Joints are a necessary part of nearly every wood project, and there are none more reliable than the mortise and tenon joint. This joint style connects two pieces of wood

together by inserting the carved, smaller end of a piece of wood — called the tenon — into the mortise, which is a hole on the second piece of wood. Either piece can be carved by hand or with power tools, which would take less time. Saddling a Seat: This one might seem obvious, but its methods vary. When you hear a woodworker talk about “saddling a seat,” they are often referring to making the seat of the chair comfortable and form-fitting to human behinds. Saddling a seat by hand takes time and care for each chair, as the depth and shape have to be just right. However, many craftsmen utilize power tools to help them perfect this method. At our shop, we use a saddle seat dishing machine and a saddle seat sanding machine to help us get just the right curvature on our chairs. Our craftsmen use these expressions and many more every day at our shop. To learn more about the products we can make and the terms we use, give us a call at 302-653-2411.

O God, Thy pow’r is wonderful, Thy glory passing bright; Thy wisdom, with its deep on deep, A rapture to the sight. I see Thee in th’ eternal years In glory all alone, Ere round Thine uncreated fires Created light had shone. I see Thee walk in Eden’s shade, I see Thee all thro’ time; Thy patience and compassion seem New attributes sublime. I see Thee when the doom is o’er, And outworn time is done, Still, still incomprehensible, O God, yet not alone. O little heart of mine! Shall pain Or sorrow make thee moan, When all this God is all for thee, A Father all thine own?

Inspired by Bon Appétit

INGREDIENTS

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1 blood, cara cara, or navel orange, sliced 1/8-inch thick and deseeded 1 Meyer or regular lemon, sliced 1/8-inch thick and deseeded 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

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1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 bunch arugula

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1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 1 avocado, cut into wedges Salt and pepper, to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. In a rimmed baking sheet, toss citrus slices with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast citrus until lightly charred and caramelized, about 10–15 minutes. Let cool. 3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine onion and lemon juice. Season with salt and let sit for 5 minutes. 4. Add citrus, arugula, and mint to onion mixture. Drizzle with remaining oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss thoroughly. 5. Add avocado, combing very gently to not crush avocado.

302-653-2411 • 3

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Brought to you by Kenton Chair Shop Builders of American Heirlooms and Penns Creek Furniture The Swiss Craftsman

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

P.O. Box 280 • Kenton, DE 19955 • Phone: (302) 653-2411

Inside this Issue

On the Road Woes Page 1

Why Start the New Year in Winter? Thank You, Lester Page 2 Understanding Craftsmen Terms Citrus and Avocado Salad Page 3

Have a Cold? Recover Faster! Page 4

During the winter months, colds and the flu can spread like wildfire. Getting sick at least once during the season can be hard to avoid, and once you are sick, you want nothing more than for it to be over and done. While there is no way to completely avoid getting sick, there are ways to speed up your recovery. Next time you’re suffering from a cold, try these remedies to get back on your feet a little bit faster. Elderberry Syrup Also referred to as elderberry extract, this syrup is made from a plant called European elder. It can be purchased at many health food stores or made at home (but use caution when doing this, since raw and undercooked elderberries are toxic). Many people are certain of the berries’ ability to ease congestion and relieve a number of other cold symptoms. Plus, elderberry syrup is known for having anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, making it an ideal tool for fighting the common cold. Some research even suggests that it can shorten flu symptoms by up to three days. Eucalyptus If you’re suffering from congestion or can’t stop coughing, eucalyptus may offer the relief you’re looking for. Available in several different forms, including syrup, oil, and dried leaves, eucalyptus

can be used as an expectorant or as a way to relieve a sore throat. When you’re at home and sick, try adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the water in a humidifier. The results are remarkably soothing! Zinc While many people turn to vitamin C to hurry through a cold, that’s not the supplement you should be focusing on. In fact, an overwhelming number of studies show that vitamin C does absolutely nothing to help shorten a cold. Instead, take zinc. You can find it as a nasal spray or lozenge, or even as part of a vitamin C supplement. One study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that those who took zinc reduced their recovery time from a cold by half. Cold symptoms among those taking a zinc supplement lasted about four days, while symptoms among those taking a placebo lasted about eight days.

4 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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