12 words that explain so much.

Uke #2

The following is from a letter Amelia Earhart sent to her sister in 1937:

"Given a little power over another, little natures swell to hideous proportions."

As you can see I have another ukulele in the works. This one has a longer neck and larger body for a deeper tone. Like the first, it has a cherry neck, back and sides with a western cedar top.

I've also begun attaching necks to box guitars, and have a boat load of work to do at school to be ready for the end of the school year, and the launch of ESSA classes.

In addition, I have an editor coming from Fine Woodworking for a 3 day photo shoot in June. I'll spend some time next week cleaning my own shop to get ready and may have to suspend guitar and ukulele making for other things.

The quote from Amelia Earhart is useful to explain the current political situation in the US. We have an enormous number of folks who are out of touch. Crafts, on the other hand, can be a humbling experience. If you get carried away with yourself, mistakes in your work bring you back to reality. While politicians can surround themselves with those who slavishly agree with every foolish whim, those who work in closer relationship to reality are granted no such license for delusion.

Time magazine columnist Rana Foroohar has a new book about capitalism called Makers and Takers, the rise of finance and the fall of American business. I hope it sheds some light on an important subject. Our society places great power in the hands of those who would gladly take it from us. Does Donald Trump come to mind?

Today in the CSS wood shop, my students will be finishing their projects to be ready for the end of the school year.

Make, fix, create, and extend to others the love of learning likewise.