Day 8: Three Feet Flat on the Table

The rabbi's instrument is officially done! I got the feet on it today. Now I just have to wax and polish it again. Val is making a custom strap. And I'll play it for a couple of weeks to make sure I love it. Then I'll send it down to FL!

The day started with me cleaning up the shop. It is a normal process for me to do this after I finish an instrument. It is so I can move onto the next instrument.

So clean I did.

I have three areas where I work. The place I do the dirtiest of work. The place I do most work. And the place where I do the finish work. They all get dirty, respectively. So the most cleaning comes in the garage, where I do all of the resawing.

Since Val and I are going to be coming and going so much, I went to the pet store to get enough food and litter for the boys. They eat and poop. And eat and poop. And nap. Nap. Nap. I saw a truck there who is very set in his eating habits.

So the boys are set.

Then I had a date with some of my favorite Maryville persons! I went to the Liles Acres Organic Farm. We cleaned out two beds of weeds before the the lightening drove us inside, where we had some soup and grilled cheese.

Then, after dinner we played music. There were some pretty harsh four legged critics, but we had so much fun!

Bill Taylor came over and helped in the garden, and then he jammed with us. Plus, he played the rabbi's dulcimer. He gave it two thumbs up! And he made it really sing.

Then I had two tele conference calls. As some of you know I'm a lifetime member of Veterans for Peace. The people in it and the organization itself helped me direct my anger, shame, and will to atone in a positive direction.

I'm a member of the Zinn Fund Committee, which offers money to Chapters who are acting for peace and justice. We're working with a group who is working towards making systemic change within an organization. Impressive? Yep. I'm really happy that they've made us a part of their project.

My thoughts from the conversation:

Demographics of Resistance     Service and Resistance Go on Forever Together

In terms of art as a teaching tool, what does the dialogue of the crusty old white vets look like coming from the same number of young black women. How does the power shift?

How do I bring people into an awareness of their own struggle, as well as those of others? Culture is about struggle. How culture can be a strategy for maintaining empathy—leave space for other cultures to empower them. Cultural expression vs. cultural exchange.