This is odd, I suppose, but I would like to review a can of stain.  My life has a fair amount of stress and refinishing furniture is one way that I work that out.  It is kind of a prayer/zen/meditation thing.  You can't boil in anger while you sand, strip and stain.  It is also one of the few things that I start and have a seeable, tangible result.  Once in a while you really find a gem in the rough. This is a 90 year old table that had 5 coats of paint on it.  The original finish was seafoam green and either lacquer or enamel.  I don't like to use stripper but it was a necessary blessing here.  This table now resides in my office as a work table.  IT has a granite top but the wood came out so well that I don't want to cover it up.  I finished it yesterday.

I have used Minwax and Formby products for a long time.  They work well and are readily available.  This time I need a true penetrating stain and I bought stain and urethane from Cabot.  They are a bit thicker but have great control and I got a great final finish in two coats.  (With steel wool buffing between)  Check out  Cabot products for your next meditation/refinishing project.

Getting Started............

The publishing business is nuts.  Both real and ethereal bookshelves are crammed with every subject imaginable.  Many books are duplicated and they seem to all run together after a while.  This is my first shot at the blog-thing and I would like to share thoughts on what I am reading with others who are thoughtful about what they are reading.  I am a Christian and a pastor.  You can sort out your baggage on what that means to you.  I don't fit neatly into anyone's box but don't apologize about my faith or its impact on my viewpoint.  My tastes are varied though I do read mostly about leadership, spiritual formation, history and biographies.  Some times trashy fiction sneaks in every now and then.  I don't fear discussing things that are different or even provocative to what I believe-though I loathe mindless pokings from the controversies of the day.  I hope to dialog about things that are interesting, whether new, old, downloaded or dusty shelf sitters.  I would like hear about things from recreation and hobbies too.