Here is the story:
We left Israel so that Franklin could further his guitar building skills with which he would go back to Israel and build guitars. But then this thing happened where the State of Israel said, “No thanks. We’d rather you just stayed in America.” We argued for a while, and lost. So we returned to the States and began hunting for worthwhile guitar building jobs.
This was easier than one might think in this economy because (I’m sure you don’t find this hard to believe) Franklin is fantastic at building guitars. Our first big opportunity was in Montreal Canada with a super-premier luthier. It was the chance of a lifetime - seriously, this guy is the creme of the crop - but he doesn’t pay his apprentices. And Canada is no more excited about giving me a work visa than Israel was, so we would have been a zero income family. We like food and shelter, so we decided to keep looking.
We considered opening up a repair / building shop here in Charlotte. We have friends, family, and a supportive church here. The idea had its attractions, but we weren’t sure that we could pull it off. Franklin was also concerned that his development as a luthier would be slowed by working in solitude.
And then we heard from a company in Austin, Texas. Franklin’s instructor from Michigan had called them and suggested that if they were looking for builders, they should snatch him up. And they did. And we’re leaving tomorrow for Austin.
I won’t promise that I’ll be better about blogging (you’ve heard it before), but we’re looking forward to adventures in the capital of the Republic of Texas, and I think those adventures should be shared. Austin is an amazing city, and we want you all to come and visit us there.