James Brown?? Hey I heard you were dead!

On Apr 18, 2007, at 3:19 PM, James Brown wrote:

>   I recently joined this group, and have already gained useful  
> information
> from it.
> I am 68 years old, married with 2 sons and a daughter, and 3  
> grandchildren.
> I was
> born in Indianola, Iowa, and my Father, Grandfather and Great- 
> grandfather
> were all
> carpenters. Although I spent a lot of time working with Dad, I  
> strayed from
> the fold
> long enough to get a B.A., an M.S. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D in
> Biochemistry. I
> taught at the university level for a time, then went into research  
> at a few
> companies
> here in Keokuk. I eventually worked my way to management (perhaps  
> an example
> of
> the Peter Principle in action), and gradually came to the  
> realization I did
> not work
> well for others! In 1988 I turned my woodworking hobby into a job,  
> and began
> doing
> antique restoration as a business. I had found perhaps the only  
> person I
> could work
> for (me), and best of all, there were no staff meetings. In the  
> period since
> 1988, there
> has not been one day I had to look for work. I did have to find  
> another
> hobby or two
> though, since I ruined my first one. I now buy old tools, make them
> presentable, and
> list them on ebay.
>     My favorite personal project grew out of my passion for  
> Bluegrass music.
> I coulded
> afford a Gibson Mastertone, so I decided that was a good thing to  
> try. It
> came out well,
> and I used to do a lot of jamming at festivals.  Haven't played it  
> in many
> years now;
> kept making the same mistakes over and over. Maybe I'll try it  
> again, now
> that I'm
> semi-retired.
>    Anyway, that's a brief summary of my several lives over the  
> years. I look
> forward to
> delving into this group. So far seems like a great bunch.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> --
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> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
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------------------------------------------------------------------------

  I recently joined this group, and have already gained useful information
from it.
I am 68 years old, married with 2 sons and a daughter, and 3 grandchildren.
I was
born in Indianola, Iowa, and my Father, Grandfather and Great-grandfather
were all
carpenters. Although I spent a lot of time working with Dad, I strayed from
the fold
long enough to get a B.A., an M.S. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D in
Biochemistry. I
taught at the university level for a time, then went into research at a few
companies
here in Keokuk. I eventually worked my way to management (perhaps an example
of
the Peter Principle in action), and gradually came to the realization I did
not work
well for others! In 1988 I turned my woodworking hobby into a job, and began
doing
antique restoration as a business. I had found perhaps the only person I
could work
for (me), and best of all, there were no staff meetings. In the period since
1988, there
has not been one day I had to look for work. I did have to find another
hobby or two
though, since I ruined my first one. I now buy old tools, make them
presentable, and
list them on ebay.
    My favorite personal project grew out of my passion for Bluegrass music.
I coulded
afford a Gibson Mastertone, so I decided that was a good thing to try. It
came out well,
and I used to do a lot of jamming at festivals.  Haven't played it in many
years now;
kept making the same mistakes over and over. Maybe I'll try it again, now
that I'm
semi-retired.
   Anyway, that's a brief summary of my several lives over the years. I look
forward to
delving into this group. So far seems like a great bunch.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

James Brown of Keokuk wrote:

> ...then went into research at a few companies here in Keokuk.

Whoa!!!
I was born and raised in Keokuk.  Moved away when my Dad was
transferred 40 years ago and I was going into high school.  I haven't
been back since 1980, although I keep threatening my wife and kids
that we will go there for a vacation some time.

Welcome to the porch!

Best Regards,
Ted
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welll, all right then, since the south eastern Iowegians are coming out 
of the woodwork, I'll have to confess that my aunt taught Social Studies 
in Keokuk for about 40 years and I grew up and lived about 27 miles 
south of Keokuk in Canton, Missouri.  Anybody else out there?  We 
probably should do this off list....

Bruce Z.
Kearney, MO

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ted Shuck" 
To: "oldtools" 
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 10:24 PM
Subject: [OldTools] Re: Biography from a new mamber

> James Brown of Keokuk wrote:
>
>> ...then went into research at a few companies here in Keokuk.
>
> Whoa!!!
> I was born and raised in Keokuk. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just trying to remember the poet who wrote about  the Yukon who talked about 
Keokuk in one of his poems...Robert Service  perhaps?

Welcome to the porch  James.

Cheers,
John

ted.shuck@g... writes:
> ...then  went into research at a few companies here in Keokuk.

Whoa!!!
I was  born and raised in Keokuk.

John M. Johnston,
"There is a fine line  between hobby and mental illness." Dave Barry  

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