After the tools have been packed away, the rags folded, and the floor of the woodshop swept, I kick back and slide into the quiet satisfaction of a day well-spent.

Sometimes there’s a coffee, sometimes a beer, but always there is music and the recognition of just how good it feels to sit here having made something useful with my hands.

To be honest, as much as I love the process of carving a spoon, it often seems as if it’s simply done in preparation for the long, slow, nourishing moments that follow…