Wow! Did we have a ball. The folks over at Old Salem let the kids run free in the candy store. They open the doors at both the beginning and the end of the furniture museum, posted a docent in each room and and then let us wander around as we wanted. They opened drawers, turned things up side down, they even let us take pictures.
Can you say heaven.
Oh yeah I was wandering around the museum with folks who know their stuff and who didn't mine being asked questions. Ii got to wander around with some of the presenters. It was great.
They have a display room at the Rockingham Community College, where the conference is being held and people were invited to show pieces of their furniture. Alf Sharp brought a Sherridan chair that made my mouth drop. A guy brought a set of knife boxes that he made, and someone brought a set of walnut rocking chairs that not only looked beautiful, but were oh so comfy.
Ben Hobbs brought a version of the Perquimins county (edenton,NC) arm chair. Masterfully done. He is going to be doing a two day seminar on chairs at Old Salem in the fall or maybe it's January. His carving matech the one in the collection perfectly. I wonder if he teaches that chair in the classes that he teaches.
In amongst all of this I got brave and took the buttermilk colored blanket chest. I am afraid of being critiqued by furniture makers and I figured what better place to get over my fear. The fact that it was made with hand tools, might have saved me from being blown out of the water by the pie crust tables. I think that a number of the average (nonprofessional) cabinet makers are a little intimidated to bring their stuff. I hope that I start a trend. we will have a slide show tomorrow.
Oh yeah the folks at Old Salem and their museum of early southern decorative arts (MESDA) will be having a symposium on three prominent piedmont NC furniture makers on I think Sept 30th. I know one family of cabinetmakers is from Alamance county, another is from perhaps Davie county, and I can't remember right now where the third guy is from. I ws told that the conference is filling up fast. If you are interested check their web site and sign up. I'll see you there.
That's it for now I am due back up there at 8:30
tommorrow so I guess I had better make an attempt to get to bed.
Jerome Bias
Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile 
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