Again, it is a day to compete with the Chinese, and believe me, I'm not complaining. It is wonderful to have a day of work to take my mind off the election and as I await further instruction on my photographs for the book.


Hand work has a bad reputation in America. It is considered drudgery, boring, demeaning, and for some reason, those who don't do it or haven't done it have little sense of the joy that comes with it. But it is there for us, even when we do something we have done many times before.

In fact, we have a tendency to repeat that which brings us success and joy, so with all the new voters streaming to the polls to support Obama, this will be a very sad day for the Republican party. They have maintained their position of power by sustaining a sense of powerlessness and despair amongst a large portion of the potential electorate.

Today I am inlaying small products to fill orders. So each of the things you see in the photo above will, when released from clamps, sanded and finished bring money to pay bills and support my family. There is joy in that, too. People have this idea that life is about getting ahead, as though it is a race. And yet, it is really to be savored, each moment, lest it pass quickly and without full appreciation.