Prologue

Does it start with my childhood rock collection? Or with LetterCrafters, my first business? (LetterCrafters was a typesetting shop in the old days before desktop publishing.) Or with the advice I give my daughter in college: take whatever courses interest you, your goal is to find out what you will enjoy doing for the rest of your life. Perhaps it starts when I suddenly lost a job that I loved. Or on the day the unemployment people took a few of us aside to share that the powers-that-be in head office felt we were the group least likely to find work before unemployment ran out.

At any rate, it was with a touch of unreality that I sat down, nearing age 60, to decide what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life. Retirement was not an option - for who can retire with a child in college. I'd tell myself that change is opportunity, pull out my beads and make a necklace to relieve the stress.

And that's what I kept coming back to: I really want to make beaded jewelry. I love rocks. I love jewelry. I've got a good eye for design, educated by 20 years in the graphic arts industry. My eyesight and fine motor skills are excellent.

So I've decided to give it a try. I'll start with a table at the local (Syracuse, NY, USA) farmer's market and see how it goes. And get a website going as soon as possible. And tell myself, again and again, "change is opportunity."