It is easy for me to get angry. Whether it is frustration with my 5 year old’s morning routine or rage at current events, I have found my work to be my best release. This morning, I felt angry. I went to the shop, turned on Neil Young (loud) and did the last steps on Matthew’s banjo uke. By the time I was back around to “Cinnamon Girl,” I felt better and was proud of the hours of work I put into this little piece of musical folk art. That rage was channeled into craft/love and now I get to put it in a box and send it across the world to make music/love. I am so lucky. The walnut is from The Ozark mountains and was milled by customer’s family on family land. It was lovingly saved all these years and sent to me to make banjo ukes. The pistachio is from California orchards, carefully saved from its fate in the chipper or the burn pile by woodfromthewest.com. All of us doing our best to change the things we can and leave the rest alone. I challenge Matthew to take this little banjo and do the same.