A Boy And A Girl

It all started rather suddenly a while ago, actually a long time ago. Things have changed along the way, some more obvious than others, yet many things have stayed the same. Back before kids and bills and mortgages, before stress and family and work, a boy met a girl.

The boy and girl met, talked and something in them let them know that this was good, that they were good, good for each other. This was a long time ago. The boy fell in love with the girl as she fell in love with him too. They have never really spent any time apart from one another in all of this time, rather choosing to spend as much time together as possible. Times were good, days were carefree and hours spent with one another were the best hours spent. And still a boy loved a girl.

As the days slid past, and the months turned to years, the girl helped the boy start his dream, a business, and the dream was fulfilled. The company grew, and the love the boy had for the girl grew as well. Soon plans were made to marry the girl and start a family so they could share their love. A baby was born, and still a boy loved a girl.

The baby grew, and soon the boy and girl wanted another baby to love as much as the first one. And so a house was sold and a new one bought, in a neighborhood not their own. The boy and girl and baby moved and soon welcomed a new baby. And still a boy loved a girl.

The babies are no longer babies, and times are not always so good, yet the small family does its best to love one another and help each other out when they need it most. Kind words, a helping hand, or just a gesture of thanks, small things go a long way in the family. And still a boy loved a girl.

Along the way the boy and girl have grown into new people, different people. These new people are not that different from the people they used to be, just perhaps a bit smarter. More aware of the needs and wants and desires of those that matter the most. And still a boy loved a girl.

The family will continue to grow and change, but one thing will never, a boy will still love a girl.

Leading By Example

Scene: In the car after picking Abbie up from school

Abbie: Daddy, did you know Earth day is tomorrow

Me: Really? (acting surprised) What should we do to celebrate?

Abbie: Hmmmm... how about we take a walk around the neighborhood and pick up all the garbage we see.

Me: That sounds like a great idea! (in a bit of shock at how mature she has become)

Abbie: I think we should get me some gloves so my hands don't get dirty.

Me: When should we do it?

Abbie: Tomorrow

How could I say no to that? My little girl sometimes blows me away with what she says and how she thinks. Her compassion for others is humbling at times and her awareness of the Earth and the environment is something to behold. She wants this to be something that we do every week, and I would be thrilled to do it. I think the future will hold lots of community based projects as well as volunteer days for her, as well as for our family. I just didn't think that my five year old would be the one leading by example.

So True

Creating

There is a strong desire in me to create things, to take one object and transform it into something completely different, to change its shape, or its function into something new and hopefully beautiful. That is why I choose woodworking as a creative outlet. The wood that I work with is beautiful in its own right, and hopefully when I am done the it will be even more spectacular. I usually have a few projects going at the same time, and this time is no different. I am currently working on a cabinet for the shop to hold all of his unusual cycling curios gathered over the years for all to see rather than have them tucked away in the back. I am also in the late stages of commission piece for a client. The client lives in a California Style Bungalow on the west side of the city and I am fabricating a radiator cover for her kitchen using hard maple that will match her cabinets down to the last detail. Now how is that for custom?

Woodworking is something that was never taught to me, but rather something that I gravitated towards on my own. True, I come from a lineage of talented craftsmen that have gone before me, and have also put their hands to work for them. And I, like them strive for a level of craftsmanship that is daunting at times. As a young child I was taught the basics of proper tool use, and I have never looked back since. Much to my parents chagrin, I would wake early, make my way down to the basement, and create something, anything, just to further test my skills. I learned the value of a quality tool and how to maintain it from my father who knows perhaps more than anyone that with a vision of what you want to create, the desire to create it, and the time to do so, will always yield a quality result. A result that you can be happy with, and the confidence to tackle something even larger or perhaps more complex the next time.


I look forward to the times when I can go into my shop without any preconceived notion of what I am hoping to accomplish, and exit with something that has my heart and soul buried within it. I put everything I have into the work that I do, and I believe it shows when the piece is delivered. From the hand tooling, to the painstaking attention to detail, to the hand applied finishes, I aim to create a masterpiece each and everytime, and I hopefully succeed.

Bzzzy At Work

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What's Next?

First the economy implodes, then the AIG fiasco, now this!


Manufacturer Recalls Hollow Point Bullets That Fail To Explode Inside Targets

1212 W. Lake St.

I drive past these doors everyday, sometimes several times a day and I have to look at them everytime, no matter what. To me these doors speak of an era that is long passed, of a time when men were honorable and they worked with their hands and made things that lasted, things that could not be destroyed by time, but perservered and stood against time so that they outlived the men that created them.