Been working a piece of French limestone for six days now. Every time I think I've found the line, the stone throws a hidden vein or a fissure I didn't see and I have to stop and rethink. Not the kind you can bully through. You push and it'll break in the wrong place.

Put it down and walked away three times today. Came back the third time and just sat on the bench looking at it for twenty minutes. Didn't touch a tool. My father would have called that lazy. I call it listening.

Finally took off about half a kilo in one go that felt right. Tomorrow I'll probably hate it. That's how it goes sometimes.