Top drawer: Woodworking tools exhibition

Woodworking tools exhibition

Have an interest in woodworking? If so, head to the N.C. State University Craft Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today to learn about traditional hand tools and techniques.

Woodworkers will help demystify the world of hand tool woodworking and focus on skills such as sharpening, tool setup, use and joinery.

Woodworkers of all ages and skill levels are invited and will have the opportunity to ask questions and get hands-on experience.

The show is free and sponsored by Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, a U.S. manufacturer of heirloom woodworking tools. Learn more by visiting tinyurl.com/7v7gwqd.

The Craft Center is at 210 Jansen Drive, Raleigh.

Nature photography workshop

Join renowned nature photographer John Shaw for a two-day photography workshop that will teach basic and advanced principles of nature photography and the digital darkroom.

Shaw will lead the weekend sessions at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 28 and 29.

Cost is $250 for the general public; $200 for Duke Gardens members. The fee includes all handout materials as well as lunch and break refreshments. Call 668-1707 to register.

Duke Gardens are at 420 Anderson St. in Durham.

For more information, visit www.gardens .duke.edu or www.johnshawphoto.com.

Keep socks together

I was fretting over losing my umpteenth sock to a load of laundry over the weekend when a friend mentioned a simple remedy. She suggested giving each family member a different colored mesh lingerie bag that they could toss their dirty socks into at day's end. (You can often pick these up at the dollar store.) On laundry day, collect the bags and throw them in the wash. Sock pairs will emerge clean and together, and you can simply return the bag to its owner.

In the garden

The Orange County Master Gardeners say January is the ideal time to prepare the vegetable garden for spring by adding compost and working it into the soil. Plant asparagus crowns when the soil is dry enough to work. Prepare to sow beats, carrots, peas, lettuce, radish, mustard, spinach, Irish potatoes and turnips in early February. Grow cold-tolerant leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach and collards. Some may be killed by frost, but it's worth the risk to have fresh greens for salads.

Store plastic bags

Reuse a wet wipes container or empty tissue box to store plastic grocery bags. Tuck them in the pantry or under a bathroom cabinet to use as wastebasket liners, to discard food scraps or to return to the grocery store to be recycled.

Keep apples from browning

Stop cut apples from browning in your child's lunch box by reassembling them into a whole around the core and securing with a rubber band.