Glass Saw

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17 (NIV)

We interrupt the whining about pollen season for this important announcement: I got a glass saw! All this time everything I have been making has been cut by hand. I used a grinder to smooth the edges or to make curves, but that was really limited. For intricate patterns, I would have to break the piece apart and try to fuse it back together again. Now, I can cut one whole piece as my saw goes in any direction. I have been looking at saws for a couple of months now, but they are quite pricey. As March and my birthday approached (still ten days away), I dropped lots of hints. I even heard my husband tell one of his friends, “Yeah, now she’s wanting a saw.” So, he got the message. I thought. Friday night, he was asking what I wanted to do for my birthday. Notice the verb, do. So, I outlined several options, dinner with friends, a weekend away or a day trip on the motorcycle. He smiled and nodded. Then, Saturday morning, I needed to go to the glass shop to buy some glass for a project I wanted to start. After doping up on all my meds, I drug myself out of the house, but first, I decided to give up hinting and just ask. I said, “Would you mind if I bought myself a glass saw for my birthday.” He said, “I thought you wanted to go somewhere.” To which I replied, “You asked me what I wanted to do, not what I wanted!” There is a difference, isn’t there? Anyway, he never really answered me, so I planned on just getting the glass and coming home, but when I got to the store, they were having a big sale! 20% off everything in the store. I was doomed, because I am a bargain hunter and cannot resist a sale. I picked out my glass, waited in a long line for someone to help me and then, asked for some advice about saws. The woman said, “I don’t even need to show you the different ones, the only one you want is a Taurus Ring Saw, but I think they are all backordered.” We went to the shelf, and there sat one saw. It was meant to be. I love the ease of the machine, and it will make my work much faster, but there is one odd feeling about it. I don’t feel quite as satisfied when I am done as I did with just my little hand tool and nippers. It seems like I am cheating a little. I have always wondered what it was like to be a pioneer woman who went from hand sewing to using a machine. I think now I might understand the wonder of the new technology, but the sadness at a passing era. Still, I feel blessed to have it and know that it was a gift, not just from my husband, but from God.