Dear Kathy, Pamela, Randall, Elizabeth, Tony, Josh & Mrs M:
I am – at long last – on the cusp of getting your special orders done. This is my humble attempt to update you and apologize. Again.
I lost my way in 2025, without question. We sold the familial home of 37 years, bought another home with no 2nd story … and then decided to remodel the new home with me as acting general contractor. I began to juggle balls.
Lots of them.
The remodel consumed me, as such things do, and it became my obsessive focus in April of last year. We moved into the house during the still-active remodel in late May. The woodshop in the old house got shut down … but the new shop didn’t get up until September. Sort of. It’s still sort of up today. Cabinetry is not built. There is no storage. None.
Dust collection is almost done … but the temporary connection to my table saw is still zip tied, leaning, and not that good at sucking, honestly. Hand tools & supplies are always a challenge to locate. I’ve bought 2x sets of drill bits (and still haven’t found my old ones). I can’t find anything, truly. I lost my black walnut stash this week. 2 days went by. I looked everywhere to find the lumber … in the corner behind the band saw, right where I put it. Along with some Hard Maple I didn’t know I had.
It hasn’t been pretty.
In November, both of my knees went into an arthritic crisis, apparently. Walking became a huge issue for 3 weeks. Standing … not possible. More time I was not in the shop because my knees insisted I sit down and put my feet up. Beyond scaring the hell out of me, I learned to take it easier and nursed my knees back to health. They are largely back, but I certainly baby them more than I did when I was running marathons 15+ years ago (and my knees were *never* an issue then. Go figure.)
As many of you know, I have been powerfully distracted by some of my other prominent roles … PaPa was needed to help with Sloane, as Little Girl’s geriatric pregnancy put her in the Dr’s office 3x every week in the final weeks. Good news: Grandchild #4 is here, everyone is healthy, but I now miss breakfasts with Sloane. So, a happy ending, but Papa was not in the shop as much as I was during my old normal.
New normal? Not there yet. That’s the problem.
Then my mother’s health took a turn for the worse, and I traveled to see her in Missouri a couple of times this year. She lived a long and fruitful life, and helping my sister, brother-in-law and mother over the last few months was treasured time that was well spent. Mom saw her 96th birthday, and died 11 days ago. I will now be traveling to Missouri as needed to help sell her house & do the tasks that need to be done. Her Celebration of Life is on April 18.
While helping with my mother, obviously, I was not in the shop.
Which brings me to my oldest special order. It was from Mom: she wanted me to make the box to hold her ashes. I, of course, accepted the order. The box is now complete, and it was one of the hardest things to make I have ever done. Oh, the design was simple. Joinery not that challenging. But I found it impossible to work with tears in my eyes, so it took a while to finish the box. It is now in the truck, ready for me to drive it to Missouri.
Which brings me to my remaining special orders. The required time is set aside, irrevocably. The pieces are picked, processed, glued up and smoothed. I still have some CNC work on some of these pieces. Some sanding. Finishing. But my plan is to be done done done with these pieces and ship them out next week. Honest.
I have accepted one more order, for a Soap Drying Rack, that is next up after these pieces … and my return from my 3rd trip to Missouri this year.
Moving forward, I believe I will shut down my website for the rest of the year. I have made promises, you see, to the Lady of the house. I am to build a bed, nightstands, dresser, garden bench … plus a new office & master closet for me. If I don’t block out the business … I’ll never get to the personal. I know me.
I am committed to 3x events this year: April’s KHTS Home & Garden Show. November’s Boutique Fantastique at Saugus High. And, December’s Santa’s Art Shop in Ridgecrest. I will be there. And maybe, just maybe … you’ll see the grand return of Mrs M’s Handmade in the 4th quarter. But her product offerings … as well as mine … are very much TBD. Stay tuned for those updates.
So dear friends, there you have it. I have juggled far too many balls and am ashamed that so many of them were dropped. My special order backlog, though, is about to get handled. God willing.
Thank you so much for your patience. I don’t deserve it. I must do better as I search for my new normal.
And, yes, I heard the hysterical laughter as I typed the last sentence.
