Good morning, Stray Dogs! And happy *almost* April! We have been trucking along this year in an attempt to catch up after the storm that was 2020. And while we're starting to get back to our normal lead times, we also continue to face challenges with production.
This is just the nature of our business. Since every product is entirely handmade to order, there are many factors at play. If even one small thing changes, it can effect the course of every product in our queue. Which means sometimes, we're, well.... slow.
When thinking of the way our year has gone so far, Billy, our customer service guru says, "We take the good with the bad. It is part of our contract in this life."
About 3 years ago, Mariano Perez, our partner and manager of the workshop in San Miguel de Allende, began building a new warehouse down the street from our present space. Poco a poco (little by little)...
And last year, as the pandemic hit and we experienced higher demand, there was a newfound sense of urgency to expedite the final touches of the workshop. Rather than moving into the new space, he simply expanded into two buildings. Gracias a Dios, as they say, that it all came to fruition at the right time.
But just when things seem to be moving in the right direction, there are zig zags. Our Master TinSmith, Nacho, was struck with Guillan Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. Nacho’s arms and legs were paralyzed.
Just imagine. In your thirties, a master craftsman who works with his hands, two beautiful sons and the sweetest wife...and then boom. You are on your back, in pain, wondering what is going on. But thankfully GBS can be treated and the symptoms can go away over time.
Nacho now comes to visit the shop on a cane. He likes to see that everything is going smoothly and he works for a few hours until he tires. It is nice to have his smile, his too loud and eclectic music, and his steadiness coming back…
Hopefully soon, Nacho will be back full time and pain free. We are all feeling a little pain, but there is comfort in knowing there is a good chance that we will be out of this soon--that we will all be back full time and pain free.
