The Dan Benarcik Chairs

                               


Sometimes I get an idea in my head and I can be rather "persistent" about it (others may say that "obnoxious" is a better word).

Several months ago I saw Dan Benarcik, from Chanticleer, demonstrating the construction of his Adirondack chairs from Chanticleer on Sean Conway's show, Cultivating Life.  It was at that moment that I decided I needed to have THOSE chairs for my not shed.  Many people suggested many absolutely beautiful alternatives, but none were the ones I wanted.

I entered every conceivable phrase into Google to see where I might buy them, I recorded (twice) the episode of the show to make sure I didn't miss any details, and I managed to find an on-line copy of the demonstration, as well.  It was clear I would never be able to buy these.

And then one day my friend Chuck made the (now infamous) mistake of saying, "Show me the video, and I'm sure I can make these for your birthday".  Chuck is a rather accomplished woodsmith, and has done lots of the construction around the Stepchild Garden, including the building of the Not Shed.

Well, after a few months of screeching from Chuck's workshop late at night ("Does your new BFF Dan know they don't even sell wood in that size??" "Why don't I just pull measured drawings out of my butt??", "There is no friggin' way that angle is correct!" etc., etc.), as well as some new names for Dan Benarcik and Sean Conway that I can't even publish, combined with Chuck's adamant refusal to give up, the chairs are done.  And they are freakin' perfect!

Wait until he hears what I'm picturing suspended from that old Sweet Gum in the backyard.........

The Non-Potting Shed

While I spent the afternoon mangling my arthritic hands (slamming empty wine bottles down into the ground), Chuck spent his afternoon working on the tin roof of my new "Not Potting Shed." It's still very much a work in progress, but it's starting to take shape, and the windows and door have been located (in the backroom of the local antique store).

If you blow up the middle picture and see the slight scowl (and WTF look) on Chuck's face, it's because that's the moment when I asked, "You remembered my terra cotta birds need to sit on the ridge of the roof, right?"......how easily he forgets that fashion comes before function!