A bad day at work!

[Goody]

Means a good evening of carving. 10hr days, layed off half our shop, found out they are cutting our benifits again, and I think everything in the plant broke down at least once today. Went out to the carving shed picked up a paulonia Santa blank and in about 15 minutes wasn't worried about work anymore. Those problems will still be there when I get in the morning. Right know Im going to carve. Started this guy at 7:15 and just came in from the shed at 9:45. Great Stress relief!!!
Goody

[Just Carving]

Sorry to hear about your work Goody. But glad to hear you've got a release in carving. Maybe I should follow your lead--work has been a bear. Seems all I hear these days is "Bob I need...." And it's more work fr me to do. And of course everybody's job needs to be done yesterday so they can go home early, go on vacation or do whatever is more important to them than anything else. The usual... Anyway sorry to digress, but I find anything related to carving relaxes me. That's whyI'm always checking this message board whenever I can.

Hope work is better for everybody...

Bob

[Kenny_S]

Had the same proble a couple of years ago but then, I beat them to the punch and took early retirement. Haven't regretted it yet. Of course, they paid me to leave also. Made for a win win situation for both Company and myself. Then the called last year and wanted me back on contract, but, they didn't like the contract> Me glad. Yeper, carving sure do relieve the stress, but then, I don't stress out like i use to either. Well, when the little bride keeps adding more things to the honey do list. Don't get many of them done ,but then, I am retired.hehehehehehehehe

[wade clark]

Great Santa, as well as great stress relief! He looks like he carries the weight of the wish list of every kid in the world on his shoulders and mind! I guess he's carrying yours too!
Great work!
Wade

[squbrigg]

Santa looks like he's carrying a heavy burden, life can be like that! Carving is a great reliever of stress, they should make it manditory for doctors to perscribe it for therapy! "Carve two Santa's and call me in the morning!". I am sorry to hear about your job woes, tough old world out there and it never gets any easier keeping hearth and home together. Been there, done that, couldn't afford the Tee shirt. Smile Life does go on , differently than before, and involves more carving. Good luck.

Bob

[Callynne]

Sounds like you have a healthy attitude about how to handle stress, Goody. And Bob's prescription is perfect! I totally agree, nothing brings a smile and takes me away from everything like carving.

I hope things improve for you in that 'other area' of your life very soon! Callynne

[BasketballJones]

Goody,

I feel your pain. I've been waiting for the bomb to drop for the past few months. Too many cuts freezes. I have days when I wish it would just happen so I can get to the next hurdle. It's frustrating when you interview for a job and the person is 10 years younger than you and you have more expeience then they do and could do their job. I know right then I'm not getting the job. They don't understand it's not their job you want but a job. A lot of us would be in trouble without carving. Good Luck.

[Kenny_S]

My apologies Goody for rattling on in my last post and not posting what I thought of your Santa. Nice carving and the expression does show a lot of stress in his upcoming Christmas Run. Will you paint it or stain it?

[Goody]

He will be painted. My wife paints all my santas and she usually waits to I have about a half a dozen carved. We found we like the paulonia as it is an open grained wood. When we antique them the open pores wick in the antiquing medium and you can see all the grain of the wood. The pine santas look "ceramic" or like a casting. Thats ok but people seem to like the look of seeing the grain thru the paint. No problem on the rattling Wasn't taken that way. I was just surprised that I carved that guy in 2 hours for as madd as I was when I first picked up the blank.
Goody

[Lightningbolt]

That's a really nice Santa which made me get up and take a closer look at one of the first Santas' that I carved back in the mid 1990's and it's amazingly similar in design to yours. It was from an issue of Wood Magazine back when they used to put a carving project in each issue.

Mine is sort of plain-Jane looking as compared to yours and it's carved from pine so it has that ceramic look that you mentioned. Yours has much more waving motion in the cloth overcoat and I really like that in your Santa! I went through a Santa carving phase several years ago and I know that it's something that I definitely want to get back into at some point so thanks for keeping the spark alive!

Concerning carving therapy I can only say that I probably wouldn't be alive without this perfect stress relieving activity. People probably think that I'm crazy (partly true) when I say that carving gives me a very good reason to wake up another day. You do seem to be dealing with your situation in as positive a manner as possible and by sharing your Santa with us helps more than you might think. I know that when I'm experiencing a period of uncertainty in my life... by still going the extra mile to reach out and find yet another way to "give" does me more good and gives me more hope that all the psycho-babbling "sofa-therapy" in the world.

With that said, Thanks for sharing this great Santa and giving me a reason to reflect back on an old Santa of my own. Hang in there and keep sharing with others despite how bad things appear on the outside. It does make a difference.