I have always been fixing and building things.  When we bought our house I started ripping out and moving walls.  When I got my first table saw I realized how much could actually be done at home, inside the garage.  I started building furniture projects for our house, and then for family members and friends.

The best thing that happened to me is I found the Long Island Woodworkers Club and joined.  There are over 300 members, all with a talent of some sort and I learn something every meeting that I attend.

The first time I entered a piece of my work into a show was the 2002 Long Island Woodworkers Club show.  It was a shaker style sofa table with a bowed front and wouldn't you know it, I got a ribbon for third place.  I was really blown away because there was some very nice piece's in that show. 

So now I have people asking me to build specific pieces for them.  How great is that, having a hobby that you love and getting paid for it.