Upside

[Aterra@zzzzzzz]

    My apologies to Mr. Daedalus and the cat-hole parade.
    I am old fashioned and believe in order to know your trade you need to
know it in your hands and your mind.  As a member of this stone list since 1999,
I have learned a great deal from it and feel compelled (perhaps unjustified)
to question and suggest on occasion.
    I learned stone masonry from a Master Mason with 60 years experience.  He
learned from a Master Mason with 70 years behind him.  I've only been at it
21 years.  An experience trail extending back to the 1800's in Italy.  Not only
did they know their trade and how to talk about it, they knew how to teach
and enjoyed watching apprentices learn.  "Ya got about 3 more years, boy".  We
never talked about linseed oil, nor did we ever think that once a stone breaks
a bond with-in a wall would it re-set itself.  We did talk about the troubles
with efflorescence and if linseed oil helps prevent that, then there is
something.
    This list is such a great value to everyone interested in stone.  The
nature of stonemasonry is that of secrets about the trade.  Sharing those secrets
and a little wisdom is what I turn to this list for.
    Sorry, again, for my questions and suggestions on spelling.  I'll just
ignore those mis-spellings from now on.  I'll attempt to ask questions in a less
direct way.  The upside is more people now know how to spell and pronounce
masonry (The mass part of the work).  I got that going for me.

Patrick Healy