Friendship

This we built with our hands

This we built with our hands →

Published 4 Days Ago  ·  All posts on May 27

This is a massive wood crib for stacking and drying firewood.

I have two smaller versions of this at my house where I stack up green, split firewood. A friend of mine wanted one as well. This was such a fun project. I started with a pen and paper sketching what I’d built nearly 20 years ago. Then discussions about the size he wanted. I came up with the buy-list and break-down list, and took all my notes on a long car ride. The next day we headed into town and loaded up on lumber. We carried the materials to the spot, and as we considered the exact layout, he asked, “What if we just made one big crib?” Well, I agreed that was an even better idea.

The best part: Midway I said, “I love this project! I’m not doing anything except helping.”

“That’s funny,” he replied, “all I’m doing is helping you!”

Much later it struck me: That might just be the best definition of a good day’s honest labor.

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Scheduling is the important thing →

Published April 15, 2025  ·  All posts on Apr 15

Set a recurring date on your calendar to get together. And then stick to it.

Some people might find this tactic a little soulless and formal, the same way that some couples deride the idea of scheduling sex. Yet when your life is ruled by your phone and nothing gets done unless it ends up on a to-do list, booking repeat friend dates is practical—a way to carve out real time not just for errands and work, but also for engaging with the people you love.

~ Serena Dai, from The Easiest Way to Keep Your Friends

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I once had a long-running dinner with a few of my cousins and our spouses. We all liked to have dinner in, rather than out… but we couldn’t settle on a strict schedule. So instead, we made sure to start each gathering by having the “when do we next meet” discussion? :) Sure it took time to do that, but it has the advantage that everyone is in the room. We’d end up planning 4 or more weeks out, but it got on the calendar every time. And yes, we stopped because the last time we met up, we didn’t plan the next time.

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