There seems to be this shift.

People, from villages to suburbs to cities across the country, are realizing how much local contact they have lost. Subtle it has been, but the repercussions are unmistakable. There was a time when folks were more interested in the size of their front porch than their fenced in backyard. There was a time when you went to more than one place to buy your meat, vegetables, medicine, bread, and candy ( the five main food groups). I’m not a total nostalgist, but there is some intangible value in this sort of lifestyle.

The thing is, people have realized it is gone, missing.

So why does this begin a blog about craftsmanship and woodworking? Well first of all, read the full name of the blog – life and liberty also factor in here. Second-of-ly, this slow realization that is sweeping the nation is leading to a renewed interest in doing stuff for oneself. The value that people are finding in going to a butcher or farmer’s market, or in connecting with their neighbors through BuyNothing, for example, this is the same value that is awaiting within the process of making things with your hands. Whether it is pallet furniture, using new stock lumber, or even getting some lovely reclaimed wood, a desire to create is arising. Perhaps it is just this that has brought you here. Perhaps you’re a master looking to critique other guy’s ideas. Perhaps you’re a family member of mine who I begged to check out the new blog. Whatever the case may be, welcome.

And let us pursue Life, Liberty, and Craftsmanship, together.