Mondays.

Mondays are busy days in the Clear Spring School wood shop. I start out with the lower elementary students grades 1-4 in the morning, and then have the middle school and upper elementary in the afternoon. My students are working on a variety of projects, ranging from a little free library in the middle school to bridges and toys in the elementary school. My middle school students also want to make mail boxes so they can join in the exchange of mail started in the elementary school.

In my own shop over the weekend, I prepared box parts for hinging and installing lids on 88 boxes.  Assembly comes next.

Yesterday on facebook where you can also receive the posts from this blog  https://www.facebook.com/pg/dougstowewoodworking/posts/  a reader took offense at my making a comment as to the killing of Jews in Pittsburgh and its relationship to political rhetoric practiced by the current administration. The reader's point was that he only wanted to read about woodworking and would not be back.

However, woodworking for me has never been a disconnected arm hanging useless in space. It is deeply entwined in the rest of reality. It is a connecting point, that leads to greater things. And if it did not, what would be the point?

Yes, it can be used to isolate oneself from the world, hanging out safely and alone in one's own wood shop. Or it can be a practice through which one attempts to be of greater service to family and humanity. It can go one way or the other.

For me, it has been a way to learn and practice core values. Craftsmanship, Creativity, Compassion, Connectivity and Forgiveness. If that offends a few, I feel empathy and prescribe some time in the wood shop. Attempting to make beautiful and lasting things from real wood is a great way to practice one's forgiveness.

Make, fix and create...