July 2018

I began July with a camping trip to Beaver Creek State Park in Southeastern Minnesota. One of the things that I love about spoon carving is that it has to be the most portable form of woodworking. I can take my craft camping and on other trips because the kit required is so minimal. We … Read more

June 2018

East of me, west of me, full summer. How deeper than elsewhere the dusk is in your own yard. Birds fly back and forth across the lawn looking for home As night drifts up like a little boat. from “After Reading Tu Fu, I Go Outside to the Dwarf Orchard” by Charles Wright Summer, sweet … Read more

May 2018

April was a crazy month. I was pulled away from carving by an unexpected work project and it was pretty amazing how empty I felt without it in my life. Carving grounds me in the same way that I expect that meditation does for other people. I can’t sit and meditate, but I can drop … Read more

April 2018

April was a long busy month. I took some time off at the beginning of the month. I made a few mallets before escaping to the farm in Wisconsin to start restoring the apple orchard. In between snow storms, we pruned eight of 150 wild apple trees. The added bonus was a carload of apple … Read more

March 2018

It’s been a good month. I was elated to interview Ben Strano and get his thoughts on spoon carving. *** I purchased Jögge Sundqvist’s book Slöjd in Wood published by Lost Art Press. I can’t wait to get this book and read it in April. *** Speaking of Jögge Sundqvist, I was bummed to miss his talk in early … Read more

December 2017

It’s late, but I am happy to say that I carved all night while listening to Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper. It’s a good story. My carving went well. I hewed four spoons and carved two applewood spreaders. The carving is going more smoothly. Looking back on the year, I’m elated that I wandered back … Read more