I haven’t blogged lately. Everything is okay. It’s not that there haven’t been things to talk about, it’s just that I’ve been a bit busy lately. Although this is a gardening update, in my mind I have a post brewing about why Boris Johnson is unfit to become Prime Minister. Regardless of that, back to the garden update….
Everyone needs a multi-skilled project
At the bottom of our back garden we have had an unfinished and scruffy corner. After much debate we are going ahead with a timber project as being easier than hiring a pneumatic drill to break up some concrete underneath.
Now I’m far from being an expert carpenter but I do like having a go at these things. I had previously enjoyed building the shed from scratch and doing some other decking. This time I’m being a little more ambitious.
Not only is the end result pleasing (hopefully) but the actual construction is a pretty positive experience. Or at least it would be if everything went to plan! The lovely thing about the process is how it involves so much….
- imagination, somehow I like to imagine what it’s going to be like in the end. These things are rarely anything like the original idea
- getting the order of things right
- persuasion, negotiating, with Rachel and my neighbour. These things need diplomacy
- scoping, design, visualising the finished result
- functional mathematics, measuring, numeracy, estimating
- strength, lifting, sawing
- balancing, hanging on to the edge of the fence and lifting a huge piece of wood, perhaps foolishly
- dexterity
- twisting
- stretching
- hand/eye coordination
- communication
- pacing, timing
- and some first aid!
One of the nice things about this is being able to take my time and see things evolve and adapt as the project develops. As an example, we have agreed to adapt the pagoda overhead by adding more horizontal beams in quite a brutal architectural way. I do like this. Also we have added some trellis either side – this is partly decorative, it will provide a framework for a vine to grow up and also the vertical posts help support the added weight.
And thanks to my daughter Becky for lending a hand. This was a lovely tender thing to do and sharing such nice times with each other. Also thanks to my good friend Dave for lending me his enthusiasm and muscles. Some of the long timbers were just too heavy for me on my own. Last but not least, to Rachel for her good cheer, encouragement and endless cups of tea!
A bit like my career?
I think there maybe a parallel here. I might come up with a general direction and a little preparation but then things change. Different ideas come along, problems and snags crop up. How are these handled and managed? I enjoy navigating my way through these things and I don’t like to over plan things either – that boxes you in, doesn’t allow for spontaneous ideas or opportunities. There’s arguably no right or wrong way, thank God we are all different from each other as this helps our society tick along alright.
I will blog again about this, once I have the finished result to show you.
