Kate stops by my office with a workbench request.

It's easy to do since we are both still working from home with our kids doing distance learning. Maybe it's less easy because of some of that. We've all been dealing with so much this year. Including you the reader in that statement too.

My office is downstairs, Kate stops by. She wanted me to craft a necklace holder like one she saw at a big retailer online store. She liked some of what she saw but was frustrated about the price and lack of choice in features. Also, she knows me and was prepared for all three hesitations she knew I'd have.

Rob's first hesitation, just barely forming: quality will be a better level of good-enough if she bought the product from the retailer. I'm not sure I can make it look like what you want.

Kate's prepared already: totally fine if it looks rough, just needs to work.

Rob's second concern: what about sourcing the right hooks for the job? Size and color were an issue already.

Kate's prepared already: She hands me a set of hooks. They're the right size range and look. A variety pack of hooks with plenty of them in small, medium, large size.

Rob's third concern, a big one: time/effort/schedule will be a problem. I can't promise easily when I'd get to building the necklace holder.

Kate: She's 100 percent fine with getting this in the next few weeks or even months.

What if I had a fourth concern? But no, I'm convinced. Making stuff is its own reward, almost to and arguably a fault for me. Added Kate's project to my queue.

After a few weeks this is what I made.