September 01, 2004

Days of Fire, Days of Gold

First Efforts- custom hand fabricated bail and attaching ring. Customers Taitian Pearl and bangle bracelet. Every jewelry person that has seen this wants one! May start a new fashion trend and you saw it first!

Went to the studio yesterday, and worked my butt off but this is the result. My customer cannot hardly believe it, if you saw the pathetic tin like thing that was holding this precious pearl,you wouldnt believe that she'd been charged for it. It was quite an experience doing this. The bail was die struck from flat stock and shaped. The bail and the inner screw that holds the pearl was made by hand, and the outer ring was scraps that I melted down and formed by hand. 8 hours... with a bit of time for lunch. I am so proud of it that I showed all 2 people that came into the shop today!

Its not easy working there. Doug and Sara are kind, but busy and have their own projects and I do need a lot of help, so I interupt them all the time. In the mix are two dogs and a boisterous 5 year old that seems to need a lot of attention and I dont see a lot of home schooling going on here. The running in and out of the shop, teasing the dogs into a frenzy, and slamming the door just to do it, make me want to scream. Its a trial and a half. Noise and distraction in a dangerous place. I actually burned myself with a torch when the door slammed and I jumped.

Then there is a rather casual attitude twords the whole effort there. There were to me, some minor disasters in the fabrication process and finally Sara started snapping at me. This gal is young enough to be my daughter and that struck me as odd that she would do that, but I realize that I really am imposing on them, even though Doug offered to help me learn.

At one point, Sara took Noah, and the dogs out and Doug and I were working by ourselves. He chided me quietly that "I take things way too seriously and I needed to relax." I calmly said that I do take this seriously. Time is valuable. His time and my time both. His gold Im using is valuable. I expend a weeks worth of gas, close my store for a day and nearly killed myself falling down a ditch to come there. I am committed to the process, and that is serious as a heart attak. "Waste, Brother, is a sin, and wasting others possessions is a greater sin and I am so beholden to you for everthing...(Doug even insists that I eat lunch there, and not go into town.) I will not take all of this less seriously." He smiled... and we went on with what we are doing.

I know what he was thinking. The whole mindset that if you care too much about anything that you are not resting in God's will, and not trusting. That if you are overly concerned, you have issues of pride and self will. I know the breed. I so disagree with that. God wants us to care about doing our best in everything that we do. His little boy will get hurt in there one day, it will be sad. I care about that.

I do care about this... my business depends on it.

I got home in one piece and opened the store today. Its quiet. Scary quiet. I called my customer and told her that her bracelet was ready at 100.00 less than what I quoted and that made me a hero. Great I can take the cash and put the money on the credit card I have been using to pay for my extra gas

I need to pray about this relationship. And I do think that I need to go to the school in Ohio after all. Doug is out of town untill the end of September, I may come to a decision that this isnt going to work out.

Woody called me. We are out of money again and he cant pay the hotel bill. I dont know what to do. He is going to pull a back to back work week where he works 4 days then works another four days, with no break. Hes got an extra day in there and we need that but I wont see him for a week.

I have a cold I think... and what is really peculiar, is all of these deep brusies are itching fiercely... guess its the healing process. My ankle is still very swollen... Likely I broke it and Im hobbling around on it. It is the ugliest purple shade that I have ever seen on me legs...

But I guess I will live...