what it takes to play ball.

I was talking with a friend yesterday about the notion of keeping one's eye on the ball, and how things work connecting the body with intellectual pursuits and interests. It is fascinating, that with batting practice you simply keep your eye on the ball and let your body do its thing without restraint. Are intellectual pursuits like reengaging the hands in American education in the same ball park? You tell me. I suspect that many interesting things can also happen when you take your eyes off the ball and allow the universe greater participation in desired outcomes. The difference between pushing and pulling a rope is often a matter of timing. And so there is a window. You certainly don't swing (if you are practiced) before the pitcher does his wind up. You scratch your feet in the dust, align yourself in a good stance and maintain a good practiced grip on the bat. Only then, as the pitcher winds up, do you raise your eyes to the ball, and then follow it unceasing on its journey to the bat. You won't watch it go out of the park because you are too busy running toward base.

Reader Larry sent this article from the Atlantic,
The Complicated History of Baseball Stitching Machines It seems that there are still a few things best done by hand, and the video above is about how professional baseballs are still made.

The Mad Hatter Ball last night was a tremendous success, raising money for the Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

Today I am installing knife hinges, which can be a delicate operation requiring a plunge router and chisel. I use a guide block to establish the position for stop blocks to control the travel of the router, and rely on the router table fence to control the distance from the edge and then the router's depth control for how deep the hinge fits into the wood.

We had a strategic planning meeting for Clear Spring School today, and one of the things we talked about was that each and every child become resilient and unfailing in the face of failure. One must be tested beyond one's limits to expand those limits. One of the things we learn from the child as craftsman model is that failure is an important aspect of development, learning and growth.