Really! I love to bake, work with hot sugar and develop new recipes. I wish I had more time for it and even more people to bake for. I love to cook too, but I'm at my best baking.
I love photography. Years ago I shot film, mostly black & white. Today I shoot digital with a Canon 2000D which has served me very well the last few years. I'm learning lots every time I shoot.
In addition to my photography studio, I have a wood turning studio and wood shop. Some of the wooden items in my pictures were things I've made and some were made by other artists. I like my own art but I tend to enjoy the work of other artists work more than my own.
I am fascinated by technology old and new, be it the mechanical technology of an early 1900's sewing machine or steam engine or the modern electrical technology of today's digital cameras. It's so cool to understand how things work.
I'm a practicing Catholic and proud of it. I wouldn't be who I am today without God in my life. I know it sounds corny to say it but I believe it and it needs to be said.
I "play" the guitar and "sing" in church, I'm not very good at doing either but I do my best to serve and that's enough for me to continue.
I really appreciate great music, especially classic jazz. My favorite band right now, however, is Lake Street Dive. Probably because they have that wonderful, jazzy, soul vibe.
When I really think about it, it amazes me how tangled my interests have become.
I bake because I love the process and I love how happy baked goods can make others feel.
I take pictures because I want to inspire others with what I bake.
I bake for church where I also play guitar and sing during Mass.
I listen to music while I bake and work in the studio because it helps me focus.
I sing along to the music I listen to so I might sing a little better in church.
I make things in my wood studio for the kitchen and for food photography.
Each interest in my life intertwines with the others.
I believe that all of my talents are a gift from God and I wouldn't be able to do what I do without God in my life.
I'm finding my life long interests getting more and more tangled the more I am involved in them.
Life is a journey and the tangles in them can either bar our way or bring us great joy. The choice is always ours.
I choose to love the tangles in my life.
-Frank Wilda, Jr.
I live in Hadley, MA, USA, the same small town I grew up in. I love it here, so close to art, music, great restaurants, farms and much of my extended family.
I work as an Electro-Mechanical R&D Tech for an international company that makes industrial cutting equipment, basically large robots for cutting fabrics and other soft materials. Baking, food and product photography and wood turning are my off work hours passions and I can often be found in my kitchen or one of my studios. When I'm not busy with any of these I love to be out walking, trail hiking, ice skating at the local rink or riding my bike. I believe exercise is one of the things that keeps me grounded.
My faith is very important to me and my favorite teaching from Jesus is; Love God and love your neighbor. I believe that every neighbor is worthy of love. From immediate family, friends and next door neighbors to people I don't know on the other side of the state, country or world. No matter a persons skin color, religious beliefs, abilities or disabilities, gender identity or political affiliation, all people are deserving of love. It's not always an easy task but one we should all be striving for everyday. I fail in my faith everyday in so many ways and I admit to being a selfish sinner but it doesn't stop me from trying to be a better person. In so many ways my faith in God pushes me to BE a better person and even more faithful.
I've been called a "Renaissance Man" (I had the look this up at one point) and a "Jack of all Trades". I certainly don't know everything, nor do I want to. I know bit about quite a few things and what I don't know or remember I am happy to look up if I find it interesting. I consider myself a "Jack of Some Trades, Master of None".
I love to visit with my adult boys, but I don't get to do that as much as I'd like. It's been quite the journey watching them grow which has helped me to grow as well. There is nothing quite like having kids, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
This site, Tangled Wildaness, ties my hobbies and websites together. If I decide to tangle my life even more with something else, you may eventually find it here. In the meantime, pop through the menu to see what I'm up to now. If that doesn't work...stare blankly at the screen without moving and do this long enough for other people around you to notice.