what do you do for a living

[Ian]

Truly the Lord has blessed me with the ability to earn a living doing something I truly love. Ronny

Giving credit where credit is due - Very nice.

I heard a quotation this week that really struck home. Actually it's from the Koran. To paraphrase; "Never be arrogant of your own success. All success belongs to God"

Another thing that stuck out is when I visited Hancock Shaker Village (a religious enclave, now a museum). When asked how he achieved such flawless results in making his furniture, the Shaker craftsman replied "Everything I do, I do as though I am presenting it to God as thanks for the gifts he's given me"

I always fall short of that goal, but never quit trying to achieve the results that would be worthy of what I have been given. I hope I can get close to that goal in the time I have left here.

[ArtS]

I'm in IT. I was a Network Engineer for BellSouth working on Business internet turnups. Then I was made the manager for the team. Then AT&T bought us.

I also went to Art school for commercial art but that was always a side line.

I grew up loving animals and our trips to farms. I always begged for a horse ( I wanted to be like my childhood hero Roy Rogers). Never could afford one though until I got out on my own. I got into it big time first working part time on a Dressage manor. I learned a lot there and got free riding lessons. Then I got my first horse - a really green Arabian then another one. I trained and showed them. Took me a few years to realize showing wasn't making me happy. Started trail riding and fell in love with it.

When I started riding I didn't have time for the art work any longer. Wife, kids, work and horses just didn't leave much time for it. Then one day I figured if I couldn't really afford the saddle that I wanted I'd make it. I got some tools and a stitching pony at a flea marker and started learning on my own. Then about a year later I got in touch with a saddle maker. Then I really started to learn something and fell in love with leather working and saddle making.

I love being able to make my riding friends items that they can use and that I can also use my art background to design. Functional art work!

[Lee]

Howdy Gang

I am curious what does every one do for making money.

I am a finsh carpenter cabnet/furniture maker and builder been doing it since I was 16.

Josh

Hi just signed on to this group a couple of days ago. I must say this is a very eclectic group, everything from porn to aero space. I'm four years away from retirement as a rail conductor. After I retire I hope to build muzzle loading rifles and leather goods when I have the time to do them justice. Lee

[flyingcuda]

i opened my own lingerie store last year..before the "economic crisis" i feature lingerie for the full figured woman...meaning the normal lady! i also carry for the tiny ones as well. i have a corner dedicated to accesories for adult play time sorry, couldn't resist. i also do the leatherworking there. i have 3 kids out of 4 still at home...under 13...so being able to do my leatherworking at work is great...no fighting, crying or yelling to distract me...well except when i do it!

[claybuster101]

Our store motto was " If your Dinghy is limp, we can fix it ". Servicing Inflatable Boats, River Rafts and the like. For several years we have also repaired Inflatable Bounce Castles (Moonwalks) here in SE Michigan. I am also an NRA instructor. We produced a really unique "Rapid Response Assualt Vessel" that is currently being tested by Uncle Sam. Along with Inflatable Boats we still find time to do some salvage diving, mostly for lost items overboard at dockside, rings, Rolex watches, bracelets etc.

[Warren]

I'm a firefighter with 20 years on the job. I also have my own yard maintenance business that my son and I run.

Warren

[china]

I am a cabinet maker by trade, I now run my own woodturning buisness, leather work was a hobby back in the seventies, I recently bought a new mobile phone (cell phone) and could not buy a siutable belt pouch for it, so I made my own, now every one wants me to make one, the leatherwork is realy taking off, I am receiving orders for all types of leather items, hand stiching was taking too much time so I now have 4 sewing machines, Ijust need to learn a lot more about how they work, sewing machine techs around here realy know how to empty the wallet.

china

[MarkB]

I'm a ranch manager on a large ranch in east central WY. I have been a cowboy / horseman all my life. To me leather gear was something that went hand in hand with cowboys. A lot of the gear we use is made of leather and the leather come form the cows we raise.

God gave me the gifts that I use. John 3:27 A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. I thank God every day for those gifts.

I thank those here that share their God given gifts with every one else.

Thanks to all

Mark

Edited April 2, 2009 by MarkB

[barra]

Claybuster101. Sounds like we do something similar. The rafts we use and maintain are Aerolite 10's and Switlik SAR 8's as well as various life preservers, survival aids and immersion suits. I am also a qualified weapon's instructor and RHIB driver.

Barra

[rickmc]

I am currently an athletic trainer and teacher in a high school in El Paso; a lot of water has been under this bridge though, I was raised on a ranch in NE New Mexico. My dad had insisted that I go to school to learn a trade that would make a living "someday", well I never dreamed that someday would come. I taught school for 5 years until I had the opportunity to go back to work on the ranch that I loved. I was third generation on the land, my wife and I had three beautiful kids, we were living our dream, we had built into a large herd of registered red angus cattle and a sampling of registered charolais cattle as well. However, after 5 years of drought, never allowed to stop the feed wagon or water runs, we had a banker decide that we needed to do something else for a living. We sold the cows, the land and paid off "most" of the debt and moved to town. Went to bible School became a tent preacher for 5 years and finally settled down to what I had been trained to do early in life, I loved the kids, and wanted to make a difference in their lives, so we are back in educaiton and using leather to make a way to supplement and feed the passion for "making a difference" I miss cows, horses and all that is the west, but now I can still be a part.

I appreciate this site and all the folks geared to helping others, with a grateful heart I say "thank you for all of you, and for JoAnne for putting it all together.

Rickmc