Bill and I now operate Mad About Beads together. I never realized how much fun it would be to have a business with him...when he worked full time he was always in the way when he had a day off. But after we got used to him being around, we started finding ways to incorporate some of his special abilities into the business.

For one thing, I was starting to have RMI issues from cleaning beads, and Bill gallantly took over that tiresome chore. Cleaning a hundred beads a day is no mean feat, and my fingers started really loving that man.

Then we started adding more shows. I am a clutz (who plays with fire), and am always breaking nails or pinching fingers, and the first time we put up the black wall I thought we'd designed a disaster. But now he does it pretty much all himself, and again, my fingers were thrilled.

Then we decided to add Steam Punk to our lines. I use that "we" in the most regal sense of the word. I signed him up to learn about it with me, and of course, I was constantly hitting my fingers with the hammer, cutting my fingers on the metal, so totally inept. Bill is wonderful. He never misses the rivet. He files edges smooth as glass. My fingers really love that man!