Frame Works of Life

In my history of learning many things, I learned how to be a professional framer - picture framer. I own some pretty amazing equipment for that including a very excellent mat cutter and a multi-purpose cutter for glass and foamcore called a Fletcher 3000. When I mention I own one of these to people who know what they are, jaws drop and the beginnings of drool appear. Fletcher wall cutters are pretty amazing. But to work properly they need to be adjusted properly and yesterday I found out that moving it to several different locations over the years has not been kind to my equipment and I'm not very happy about that.

The Fletcher 3000 is a premium wall-mounted cutter of paper products
and sheets of glass. I love my Fletcher. It's an amazing piece of
equipment, well designed, and works beautifully.

The key with the Fletcher is that the bottom, where the glass or foam core rests, must be set at an exact 90 degree angle to the cutting blade. Basic, yes? Well, I needed to cut glass for a broken window yesterday, and DH and I discovered that the bottom rest is off true by 3/16 of an inch. Not a lot, but when you're trying to fit an exact space, it's pretty major. I'll have to try and find some time within the next week or so to clean the area from all of the broken glass pieces and settle down and re-calibrate so that the blade is once again perpendicular to the bottom rest. Then what I cut will be accurate.

Crooked is not always bad. This is the beautiful Crooked Forest in Poland. 

Looking at the future retirement angle of my life, I have no idea where I will put my Fletcher. The possibility exists that I should just sell it and my other equipment. I have boxes of foam core, conservation glass, frame stock, the mat cutter and the wall cutter as well as wood putties in more than 40 colors and a variety of smaller, hand tools. When I first opened my business, I was much more of a gallery than a craft store and I did a lot of custom framing of art work as well as framing everything we sold from our walls. I've shifted my focus over the years and now rarely do any framing. I loved doing it, but things change, life goes on, and not everything should be held onto for perpetuity (which rarely works out anyway). I probably should look into selling my larger equipment. I doubt I'll be using it again. Maybe I'll discuss it with DH - maybe next year or the year after - LOL.

Happiness in Perpetuity by Paul David Bond
What a great picture and concept. 

Looking at the date, I have to get myself in gear on a story due next week. I've started it twice, but it still just isn't quite clicking. Today I'll push myself at the laptop to get this pounded out.

One view of the cemetery at Terezin. This "model" concentration camp
was originally a city of 7000 people who were evacuated. The city was
then made into a ghetto and a model camp where international agencies
investigating the very disturbing claims of mass murder were taken. It was
a showcase. My aunt, my father's sister, was in Terezin and managed to survive.

And last,, a shout out to my half-cousin Alex who phoned me yesterday morning. We had a delightful hour catching up. The last time I saw him was in 1972 - many years ago. He has been teaching at the University in Maine for many years now and I've been doing my own thing, yet we clicked on many levels. I can't imagine many people enjoying a conversation about the Holocaust, Auschwitz and Terezin at 8:30 am, but it was a great conversation. So thanks, Alex. It was fun and we really need to work on continuing our contact.

My cousin Alex teaches History at the University
of Maine. We haven't met face-to-face since 1972. I think
it would be fun to finally meet again.  Follow the link
for his faculty information page. 

Happy Friday, everyone!