Once again, I am confronted by the awkwardness of a planned social activity (dinner at a friend's house) and the realization that my hands are crusted with cyanoacrylate adhesive, aka super glue. I use it for all kinds of things in the course of my projects, and sometimes it seems drawn to my skin as if by a great natural force like magnetism or gravity or the law of averages. 

Sometimes my digital glue is clear, unadorned by the residues of the project which brought us together. Sometimes, there's a fabulous combination, like last week when my palms and finger pads were covered in yellow micro-glitter. Sometimes it looks as though I've been playing in the chimney (CA + ebony dust).

Every now and then I see people with nice, clean, soft, shapely hands, and I think ... I should have that. I should have delicate fingers and groomed nails and accessories like rings and nail polish and ... uh ... intact skin. 

But then I remember how these hands know how to do stuff a lot of other hands don't. They're brave, they're clever, they're not afraid of things. They're willing to go places a lot of other hands can't or won't. Further, I wonder if I even know (much less socialize with) anyone who'd think less of me because my hands are shop worn.

All this equanimity may have been bought with CA-based brain damage, I don't know. But I sure prefer it to points in my life where I was more concerned about what someone else thought of my surface than my interior condition. 

In other news, check the photo feed for stuff done with inlay, ebony, glitter, desert ironwood, coral, and all kinds of things involving brass tubes glued inside holes drilled in pieces of wood. (Hint: Most of these things are pens.)

We'll get to the miracle, but first, some ordinary hard work based results ...

I installed a custom trio of stained glass panels last week in a lady's bedroom. She'd had those lace sheers in there for 30 years, she told me. Now she has some elegant, low-key panels with custom walnut frames to do the same job, but with more tiny rainbows first thing in the morning. (The windows are on the east side of the house.) She was happy, I was happy. Love it when a plan comes together!

The third picture is Jerry hanging out in the booth at the Rail Yards Market. The booth may have different furniture and products every week, but that big logo poster should be there every time. Hoping it makes us easier to spot / recognize, provide a little continuity, etc. 

Now, the Christmas Miracle. I finally got myself back to the gym, and it seems like somehow getting that into my schedule has actually opened up MORE time, instead of adding to my time crunch. I suspect it is because I regard the gym as my getaway, rather than as some kind of unpleasant obligation. Getting an hour or more of escapism every day or two probably makes all the rest of it seem a little easier, less stressful. 

As a bonus, I sometimes solve design problems when I am on physical autopilot. This morning in the hot tub and pool I figured out three projects I've been noodling for a week or more. Good news for my clients!