How to Carve a Menorah

David Miller celebrates his initial Hanukkah in Patagonia, though initial he needs the menorah.

Cutting cantonera. All photos by Lau Bernhein

Raw Material

START CUTTING an old fenceboard. (Down here they call it cantonera, severe cut Douglas fir.)

Dont bear down upon the saw. Feel the saw-teeth doing the work.

Cut through the initial in. of wood. Think about names. Pino Oregn. Its not unequivocally pine. Its not unequivocally the fir either.

Keep sawing as your daughter comes over. Dont let her feet get as well tighten to the blade.

Were creation the menorah. Si! Una menorah.

Is it masculine or feminine?

Carving I

Pull out the steel file. Sharpen your chisel.

Dont get as well tighten baby, we dont wish this metal to get in your watermelon.

Chisel out the wood. Collect the shavings as tinder. Visualize them starting tonights fire.

Let the form indicate itself. Leave the single part higher for the shamas. Think about this in the context of symbols.

Feel the little long familiar emotion during the suspicion of the single thing being above all else.

Leave the little bark, the little sign of origins. Notice how the form becomes boat-like, the craft, something with the hull, the planing surface, something which can boyant as well as carve. Imagine the lit menorah running the small cascade as well as staying upright but any candles going out.
________

candle used to light other candles in the menorah, as well as regularly stands tallest. Also the word my dad used to use for the temples janitor.

Taking the break

Say hola to Adela opposite the fence. Stop chiseling. (Down here projects regu! larly st op for neighbors.)

Yeah, the tomatoes are unequivocally growing. Have we been sacando los brotes? No? Of course. Pas. Layla, can we open the gate for Adela?

Bend down with her over the tomatoes. Watch her hands.

These branches which dont have flowering plants quita la fuerza. Pick them off. This ones unequivocally thick. Do we have the knife? These leaves are quemadas. When we H2O the plants only H2O the raices. Now youre getting it. All the ones which dont have flowers.

Move to the beds.

Yeah everythings all packed together. Layla helped me with the seeds.

Watch her pull out the kale as well as transplant it in an open space. Imitate her hands.

There. Pack it in tight so it doesnt dry out. These weeds need to come out too. See here? This ones great though. Its called 7 veins. Es diuretico.

Working in garden

Tell the girls youre creation another bed for the unfeeling garden. Saw 4 some-more pieces of cantonera. Shovel out the weed in the yard. Borrow the dumpcart from Carolina. Pass by the wood-chips from the Menorah.

Fill up the initial bucket of tierra negra. Look for worms. Think about how its only piled here upon the corner. Good for creation jumps. Think about people claiming dirt. Think about worms. Everyones inside for siesta though the gringo.

Dump the initial load. Notice insects rising out of the spilled dirt.

The kale transplanted with Adela looks dried up already. Water it.

Get 4 some-more dumpcart loads. Smooth the mud with your hands.

Finish transplanting the lettuce as well as kale. Tell Layla we need help.

Carving II

Go behind to the menorah. Keep chiseling. Make it some-more boatlike.

Re-saw the cr! awl as w ell as stern. Asymmetrical is fine. Ignore passing thoughts which juxtapose perfect angles as well as concentration camps.

Stay focused upon the cut point, right where the timber curls away. When we take your eyes off the indicate we hammer your thumb.

Sanding

Start sanding. Take down any sharp edges. Go with the grain.

Think about how sanding makes it look some-more water-like. Realize this was maybe the form we saw in your head. Driftwood. Can something be the vessel if it isnt piloted?

Look during the brand brand new unfeeling bed in the sun: all the leaves prosaic upon the ground, desiccated.

Drilling

Line out your holes. Wheres the tape measure?

Amor, have we seen it? The cinta?

Remember afterwards which we let Adela borrow it. Dont ask for it back. Just start drilling.

This is gonna be shrill nena. Yeah, go inside for the second. Shake your conduct during trying to cavalcade timber with the masonry bit. Keep hogging out the holes.

Finishing

Remember which we can regularly sand more. Find the place to stop which feels great enough.

Finish it with oil. Something from the kitchen, linseed or olive oil. Something which feels great upon your skin. Let your daughter reason the brush some. Finish it together.

Oil right over the weed stains. The idea isnt hiding the story.

Lighting instructions

Light during dusk after going to the stream as well as swimming with your daughter.

Tell her the story of the temple getting destroyed as well as afterwards having enough lamplight to start regulating it.

Dont be concerned if its the brand brand new story. Kids understand wanting light.

Talk about the denunciation of the people behind then. Sing the little of it if we remember. Light the sham! as. Let your daughter reason it too. Light from right to left.

After cooking light the backyard fire. Use the shavings from the menorah.

Dont get as well tighten nena. See how easy it lights?

Inventing brand brand new ceremonies

Go behind out as well as sit with the glow after everyone goes to bed. Look during stars as well as satellites. The southern cranky over where the Ruta 40 climbs out of the valley.

Listen to the smoldering coals. Visualize the earth as round as well as the stars surrounding it upon all sides so which youre not only seeing them as above though in all opposite directions together with down.

Notice the grassed area in the lights from the house. The plants in the brand brand new bed starting to rise.