I just want to let folks know how I’m doing and what I’m up to.
The back surgery in early July went well, and my initial recovery was surprisingly comfortable and easy compared to others I have experienced.
After about six weeks, I was able to do some very light work in the shop, and currently, I am able to work at the bench for a total of two or three hours spread across the easier days.
Physical therapy is helping my body, and being able to do some work in the shop is helping my mind and heart.
That’s about it for now. Fall has arrived here in Michigan, and I can taste Winter coming soon.
You can see current work in progress by following me on Instagram.
As many bloggers have faced, there comes a time when coming up with something of interest worth posting does not come easily, so this blog has been quiet for several months. In addition, my day-to-day work and related action shots have primarily migrated to my Instagram account, as they don’t often require a lot of verbal content to get the point across. I am looking into ways of having Instagram posts automagically become blog posts.
But life has not been quiet, so I’m taking a moment to catch up on some fun and frolic that has occurred during the last several months.
The biggest news was that my wife Cynthia and I traveled to England and France for three weeks during this past May and June.
Going to the UK for a musical adventure is something I have wanted to do since I was a teenager, and this was a wonderful reason to finally cross the pond. I had gotten to know a few people in the UK dulcimer community via social media, but primarily a Mr. John Crocker, who is the man seated on the left in the front row of the photograph. John and I have been corresponding for around 15 years or so and has become someone I felt very close to, and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to have him harass me in person!
Some members of the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club quickly became friends from the moment my wife Cynthia and I were met at the airport. I refrain from mentioning them all, but it is difficult to imagine being more warmly embraced and cared for by any other group of people. I miss them.
The rest of our trip was centered around visiting friends in the UK and France, and through them, we had the opportunity to meet and play music with some other great folks I look forward to getting to know better.
On returning home about three weeks ago, I spent the first week recovering from the trip! The past two weeks have been primarily about getting my ducks in a row prior to a back surgery I will be having tomorrow. Congenital health issues keep life interesting! This will be back surgery number 4, and I plan on asking the hospital if they offer punch cards like coffee shops do, though I’d rather have a free coffee or pastry than another back surgery as my reward!
Here is my latest MRI. You know I must be feeling off because I’m playing hammered dulcimer but forgot to bring my hammers!
Though I don’t look forward to having surgery, I do look forward to being able to stand, walk, and work with greater ease following recovery. About a year ago, new symptoms appeared, and non-surgical treatments helped some, but not enough, and the limitations greatly impeded my ability to spend time making dulcimers, which is why I have not had many up for sale this past year. I am thankful for those who were patient and understanding while waiting for a dulcimer, as well as those who are still patient.
I have no complaints. Life unfolds, and I follow, and try my best to enjoy the ride!
This post isn’t about the various tools or materials I use when making dulcimers. It is about working with the body I have to work with.
I was part of a panel discussion last week about how disability affects one as an artist or artisan, and before the event, I was interviewed by a local public radio station.
Since I last posted, I’ve spent a lot of time resting, which is contrary to my nature, but combining that with lumbar injections and physical therapy has helped the game of Jenga taking place in my lower back recover well enough to let me return to working at the bench sporadically.
I have to be careful and not push myself too far, which is also against my nature, but slow and steady wins the race.
During the downtime, I rearranged the shop to make working easier, and in the process, I discovered some tools and parts that had gone missing as well as some I had no memory of ever bringing into the shop!
The people waiting for dulcimers have been wonderfully understanding and patient, and I appreciate that immensely. I made it clear that I am working slowly and sporadically and that I can’t give a firm deadline as to when their dulcimer will be ready, should they need or want to get a dulcimer elsewhere and sooner, but they all chose to wait.
So that’s the news from here. I hope you are all staying safe and doing well.
This is a quick post to say hello and let you know why I haven’t posted much lately.
I’m dealing with some lumbar issues once again. Why? Because everyone needs a hobby!
But seriously, I have congenital issues that cause problems with my back, and I have had to rest my back for the last 2 months. The good news is rest has been helping and symptoms have become milder. I had steroidal injections a few weeks ago and will get another in 3 weeks. The hope is that rest, combined with injections, will work well enough to avoid having another back surgery. So far, so good.
Folks waiting for dulcimers have been very understand, and I appreciate their patience. The dulcimers in the above photo have been patiently waiting for me to get back to them, and that will be the first thing I do when I get back to work. I appreciate dulcimers that wait patiently; sometimes they can be impatient and rude when not getting enough attention!
Only kidding. Or am I?
I’m not a person who is wired to sit around and do nothing for extended periods of time, so during a break from making dulcimers, I have been working on the design of a new model of dulcimer. I’ll share more about that when I am able to start work on the prototype.
Another project has been rearranging things in the shop as I am able to help prevent my having to twist and bend as much while working on dulcimers, as that will make it possible for me to get back to work sooner than later.
I miss working in the shop; it is my happy place. But life is big, and life is full, and I am enjoying the ride.
I hope you are doing well and that you are happy and safe.
I make blog posts about the adventurous life of being a dulcimer maker far less often than I used to. There are several reasons for this.
Like many who have been blogging for years, it has been more difficult to find something to write about that I have not previously written about. Often, when writing a post, I’ll see that I have already used the same title in the past, or I have previously covered the topic in another post.
There are times when revisiting a topic makes sense. I am constantly modifying the design of my dulcimers and my methods of work continue to evolve, so sometimes there is something new to be said about it
While working in the shop, I have found it easy to take an occasional photo, and since my camera is my phone, it is easy to add a brief description and post it on Instagram.
I will be continuing this blog, and I plan to make more music related posts in the near future. I now have a decent video camera, and I plan to post videos of my dulcimer playing, dulcimer tablature, instructional videos, etc. There will still occasionally be posts here about dulcimer making, but if the day by day thrills and chills of making dulcimers is of interest to you, I invite you to follow my posts on Instagram.
As the year comes to a close, I have several dulcimers in the home stretch. My dulcimer design continues to evolve, and I have recently begun preparing to build a new model or two or three in addition to my standard and baritone dulcimers.
Over time, I have learned that I was not made for embracing mass production, and I no longer worry about how to make more dulcimers in less time. Instead, I am continually taking steps towards older technology and methods of luthierie, woodworking, and finishing techniques that have stood the test of time. The older methods work well, but some of them (not all) take more time and require skills that appeal to me more than the skills required to use modern technology.
In the coming year, I hope to be using primarily old-school, non-toxic finishes. Tests on wood samples are beautiful visually, and I am near completion on the first dulcimer that will be the test for how a new “old” finish sounds. As I carried the dulcimer across the workshop the other day, I could easily feel voices from the radio resonating in the dulcimer, and that is always a good sign!
I am also honing the skills to leave more wood surfaces as they look and feel straight from a hand tool rather than how they look after sanding. This is common in violin making, but less often seen in modern fretted instruments. Sandpaper will still be a part of my life, but it is not needed as much as one would think. Scrapers and files can leave a lovely surface and are quiet and far less messy.
This is how I like to work. It makes me happy.
I wish you all a happy and healthy Holiday season. Please keep yourself and others safe.
I regularly post about dulcimers in progress on Instagram and you can follow me there for thrills and chills!
