Blogging again

You would think I would have plenty of time to write a blog being sorta retired. I think it was more of a writers block or just couldn't get in the mood so to speak. .

On the work front. Larry is completely retired from the Army, Medtronic and his last job as a school bus driver. He seems perfectly content doing the shopping, helping neighbors and helping with 2 of our grand kids that live nearby.

It is a completely different story for me. After a few months of no work coming in to my violin repair shop I was thinking for finding another line of work. Semi retired seems to agree with me. I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do really. Working at home seemed the only thing I could still do and be comfortable with. I made a total of 5 dulcimers during the slow times in the shop over the last year or so. I didn't make any money but sure learned a lot about making fretted instruments. I made 2 for my son and one for my sister. Plus one for myself and a mini one to display on the wall.

Now I am happily busy again in my shop with violins coming in every week. Also I decided it was time to learn how to rehair bows. Something I never had the chance to learn while training as an apprentice many years ago. Did a lot of research on the Internet and ordered a few things. Told the music store I do some work for what I was planning to do. They were all for it and gave me some tools, horse hair and bows to practice on. Wow. I made my own jig, and gathered other things I needed to start the project. I was going to give it my best shot. Finished my first bow on my dad's 92 birthday and also the day of the Japanese earthquake. So there is know way I will forget that day.

So far I have rehaired about 10 bows since that first one and it has only been about 6 weeks. I still have a ways to go to improve on this skill. I had a lot of early frustration but I didn't let that stop me. Being able to teach myself is what is amazing to me at my advancing age. But in a way I am not too surprised. My last rehair was a Bass bow that I delivered today and I will be the first one I was get paid for.