The Glenlivet Zen Craft


“The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, or gives you a sense of meaning, joy, or passion”, says Terry Orlick, the author of “In Pursuit of Excellence”. I knew that for my better half, Anil, this pursuit was Sports, but often joked around that his finer taste in the Spirits was contending for the top spot. In a surprising turn of the tide over the past few years, a new “Zen Zone of Woodworking” has taken a lead, with the latest sensation being the Glenlivet Bird Feeder. I had seen the signs of this pursuit scattered over the past few decades, never imagining this underdog to charge to the forefront, victorious! 

The pursuit of this zen craft started innocently with assembling furniture, a need for every new migrant. It took another small step when our son chose “woodworking” as a summer camp hobby, and then picked it up again in junior high, when we started assimilating some tools. Our daughter was involved in a building intensive extra curricular activity called Destination Imagination, and the scope of Dad’s toolbox grew a little more. The little handy projects around the house turned more sophisticated as the Dad-Son duo built a stylish, mirrored liquor cabinet in the basement bar. Finally the projects turned even more ambitious, and reached new heights with a completely-from-scratch (yes, some parts were built by joining 2x2s), “The Poker Table”. What started as a week-long, December break project took eighteen months to complete, despite some help from a friend. Well, ok, there were many weather or material related gaps, and it wasn’t like there was work going on for the whole eighteen months, AND there were design changes, AND it also included refinishing fourteen chairs. The result is sheer beauty! The table, with its modular design, pull-out personal drink holders, and custom table top logos, and LED lighting is a masterpiece!!

Behind the jaw-dropping creations, is an activity that helps calm and de-stress. Though not an artist myself, I was familiar with woodworking since an early age due to my brother, a talented artist who went on to be a Designer. Another woodworking enthusiast, my cardiac surgeon cousin says, “Woodworking puts me in a special place mentally. No matter what’s going on otherwise at work or home, I just feel bliss when I’m in the shop working on a fun project”. I can relate to every word as I have seen Anil spend hours focusing on precision cutting and sawing, sanding and painting, joining and finishing, and in case of the Poker Table, sewing! It also exercises the mind in another dimension, requiring some design and engineering skills as one plans the more complicated projects.

Since the poker table, the projects have continued. There was a temple he made on his Mom’s and my behest. With the experience of the other long drawn projects, we wondered if the temple would ever see the light of the day. We were thrilled to see the finished product, with special lighting that illuminated brightly even on the darkest days! Not to take credit away from the able crafter, North America has the advantage of having many types of prefabricated, decorative moldings available for woodworking, which can aid in some difficult projects.



This Mother’s Day brought me a special gift. Inspired by the fascinating pictures of a neighborhood friend’s bird feeder, I had expressed an interest in getting one for the summer. Anil brought together his passions, and hand-crafted a bird feeder using an empty Glenlivet bottle! I wonder, what was the motivation - to build the bird feeder, or empty the Glenlivet and immerse himself in the Zen Craft of Woodworking... 

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