It all started with a kid pounding nails in boards on an Iowa farm. We had lots of nails and scrap boards around. But the nails had to be straightened first. You see everything was saved on a farm in the 50's. Any time something was torn apart, you saved the screws, nails, and boards for the next project. In fact, I was 16 before I realized you could actually go to a hardware store and buy a box of brand-new straight nails! So, I really loved the industrial arts shop courses in school (although few schools still have them). I wish that I could have taken more, but kids on the 'college prep' curriculum in the 60's didn't have time for such courses (too bad). Going to college, getting married and raising a family while making a living didn't leave much time for creative woodworking - only the necessities were made - a workbench, a simple shelf, a small bookcase - but I always enjoyed the time spent in those activities. Eventually I got myself into an educational administrative position, more for the school's need than my desire. I didn't like it at all! After one particularly trying week, I came home and decided to make the decorative shelf my wife had been asking me to build. I first had to uncover the old table saw in the corner of the garage. And what happened next was surprising to even me. As I began to create the shelf, the stress of doing work I didn't really enjoy began to leave my body as if someone pulled a plug at the bottom of my feet. I realized that I didn't have to meet with three other people to decide about the size of the shelf, I didn't have to fill out an evaluation instrument to determine if I liked the shelf, and if I cut the board a half inch too short, by golly the shelf was going to be a half inch short! I determined then and there I would do what I could to shorten my stay in a position I didn't like and begin building a shop and acquiring tools to do what I really liked. It took me several years, but I finally accomplished what I set out to do - make quality furniture and furnishings at an affordable price. I hope that people appreciate my work. Les Thede, Ada, OH