03/19/2026
Welcome back to the view from the bench-pin, where I share a snapshot of the work on my jeweler's bench and bench-pin (where the action takes place.)
I apologize that I haven't been sharing much lately, but it turns out that our current dystopian reality and sharing pictures on social media has been a hard balancing act for me.
I've actually taken a week and a half off from social media, while still keeping up with the news. I finally hopped on FB, etc., yesterday while waiting in line after line to speak to my kiddo's teachers at a parent-teacher conference. I really wish I had brought a book. It was demoralizing, and repetitive.
I am going to try to find a balance. I want to share what I am doing with all of you, which right now is preparing for on April 11-12, here in Chicago. After that I will be at Maryland Sheep and Wool. I am also working on a new collection I am hoping to debut this Fall, and am really excited about it!
And that's the weirdness. I am excited about the work I am doing, but then I get on any one of these platforms, and in 5 minutes I feel that weight on my chest. I think a lot of us are feeling that way right now- that feeling that it isn't okay to carry on like it's business as usual. It isn't, and believe me, I know it. I know it when I have to pay so much more for precious metals, and my tools, and everything else. I know it when I read the news, or talk to my parents about needing to carry "their papers" in case they get stopped on the street. I knew it when I breathed a sigh of relief that I was able to renew my passport, even with my married name.
But, I need to do my job. I need to make things because I find release in the process. And, let's face it, it is also my job, my source of income. So, I will try to find that balance.
