Maintenance team member and resident SCH renaissance man, Joe May, catches a case of #FiredUpFridays and recently sparked not just one, but two interests: table-creator and mushroom-maker.
It started with an unwanted cherrywood picnic table that needed adjustments. While planing the table top, an idea caught fire. (Cue: YouTube, epoxy resin, and mica powder!) Experimenting with colors, layers, and heat, Joe discovered the art of wood-epoxy furniture. After sharing photos of finished products, just like that…it caught fire and sold some of his creations!
While foraging for live-edge table material, Joe noticed mushrooms growing at the base of these PA trees. (Cue: spores, a Martha tent, temp-controlled closet, and YouTube.) Not only a table-maker, but also an experienced chef, Joe cooked up oyster, shiitake, reishi, and lion’s mane mushrooms that he successfully cultivated from spores. Makes sense living so close to the Mushroom Capital of the World!
♦ ♦ ♦
Our 2021-22 social media campaign, Fired Up Fridays, pays tribute to the message engraved in the stone mantelpiece above the fireplace in the Henry Library that reads: “Kyndle yr awne ffyre” (Kindle Your Own Fire). Each Friday we will shine a light on members of the school community whose passion runs deep for a particular interest, activity, class, or hobby. #FiredUpFridays posts on Insta and Facebook, so be sure to follow along!