Only one making day until Christmas, and with hand-made things that involve tools, whether in the wood shop or in the kitchen, I want to caution you not to hurry up to get done but to slow down and consciously avoid stress. I took a thin slice off my thumb last night with a cheese grater, which shows that even the simple every day tools used in the preparation of food can be a danger when we are tired or under stress.

So why hurry? The real gift is not the object itself, but the expression of care that it represents. There are too many meaningless objects in the world already. If the things we make are an expression of hurry or worry then they may be sending the wrong message. The calendar is an artificial thing, and so what if the gift arrives late?

If you are shopping today instead of making, the same reminder is required. Cars are dangerous things and there are millions of people out there stressed to the point of total distraction. They are a danger to themselves and to you if you happen to get in their way. The lessons learned and the damages done when a car goes out of control are far greater than when a cheese grater slips.

Please be safe and enjoy the holidays.