"Stir the pot" - Aussie-ism?  Nope - used also in the US and UK.  Just
spent an unproductive half hour trying to find its source without luck, but
"stir" has Old English roots from a German word meaning to disturb so the
phrase likely goes back a long time.

Back to old tool content - what did you use to reduce your logs into
boards?  I see the results, but not the method.  I'm guessing a handsaw
which makes my old shoulders ache.

Also - your pics of stools brings to mind the "staked" furniture that
Christopher Schwarz is ranting about lately.  At the most fundamental, its
tapered tenons in tapered mortises just driven together - no wedge or
glue.  I don't have a link for a good summary, but this gives you the idea-

http://blog.lostartpress.com/2015/01/25/naked-
necessity/">http://blog.lostartpress.com/2015/01/25/naked-necessity/