When I saw Betty's challenge, I wondered when I felt the serenity of my heart. I thought of two things. One was a rosary and the other was a repetition I always have a rosary in my cuff when I go out. This brings me comfort. I feel uneasy all day long when I do not have a rosary. I don't know why it gives calm. Most of my works are made up of repetitions of small pieces Cutting, Sewing, ironing........ Sometimes I get into ecstasy when I keep repeating them. I think it is ser

Many years ago, when my older sons were preteens, and I was a single-parent, going to school during the day and waitressing evenings, I used to have a ritual to recharge as I transitioned through my day. I would lay on the floor in front of the double patio doors; on good days, in a sunbeam; and clear my mind of all the chatter and noise of the day. For ten minutes I would imagine myself in the middle of a lake, lying in the bottom of a rowboat, sun beating down on me, gently

to get to SERENITY! A blizzard blew through here yesterday. Apparently her name was Stella. I have to admit that this rotation's word is a huge challenge for me. The blizzard aside...I have been unable to shake my stress. I won't go into detail, that just elevates the stress. Since November a good friend of mine has taken to long, daily walks. Some days she walks for 8 hours, stopping back by her house for lunch and periods of rest and chats with her husband. She says sh

Serenity: that's something I haven't got a lot of. I run around, I work hard, I get stressed out. I really could do with some more serenity. So what is that brings me serenity? It was an easy answer: water. Any landscape with water will bring me peace and relaxation. I don't live near the sea, but there are many ponds, lakes and streams in my area. I should visit them more often! I looked at my photo albums and I was astonished at how many pictures of water I have. Selecting

One of the things I do in stressful situations is fall into patterns. Natural rhythms, repetitive drawing, even hand stitchery can be soothing to me. here's a screenshot of National Geographic's collections, which can be found here- http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/patterns-in-nature/ What calms the water in your psyche? suggest word for this challenge is

Passion flower, a timepiece of the natural world. The blooming flower reminds people of the face of a clock. The central stamens and stigmas resembling the hour hand, minute hand and second hand. It looks beautiful and amazing. I love this summer plant. Passion fruits are good refreshment on summer days. The evergreen climbing plant also serves as a sheltered spot during summer. It is an honor to take the challenge to hand-sewn the special structure. In Japan, passion flowers