Onward, ever onward!

So, it has been a busy week. My buddy Bert has been working on my book, working out the format and fonts and uploading artwork. I forgot how labor intensive my books are. I have spent twenty hours this week working on artwork for the book and I think I probably still have another 50 hours. Bert on the other hand probably has another 90 hours. Bert got some good news this week. He was laid-off from his job in January and has been doing a lot of free-lance work since then. On Friday, he received a great offer from a local design firm for a better job than he had before. He and his wife are very excited. I am too. He starts on August 9th so that means we have a lot of work to do to make sure we are done before that.

My books have each taken about 100 hours to layout. That seems like a lot, especially when normal books take only about ten hours to design. I have never been normal. Bert and I have a lot of fun working together. It is like two kids sitting down with an endless supply of Tinkertoys. The fun never ends as we build on each other's ideas.

Each chapter of this book will begin with a numbered tile--each one hand-made. I think i might be insane to spend so much time on these books, but I am hoping you all enjoy them--that you feel like they are as much of an experience as they are for me--like you can find yourself in Niederbipp, eating Sam's bread, drinking Isaac's tea, falling in love with Jake and Amy as they discover the truths that are all around them. This has been a most enjoyable experience. I am excited to share this last book with you. It feels like it is by far the very best. I find myself dreaming about it at night and thinking about it all day as I am frantically trying to get ready for the Park City Arts Festival, the first weekend in August. So, try to stay cool. Read a good book, and Viva Niederbipp! Ben