It's going to be a s-t-r-e-t-c-h

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 she is beginning to feel calm. Fortunately most of this winter has been unusually warm so, except for visitors like Stella, my friend is becoming a happier person.

The down side of this strategy is that she has not been in her studio since before American Thanksgiving in November. Therefore she is taking a year off from participating in Open Studio Weekend this coming November. As her large barn-studio was also home to me and my potter friend Alice, we are all taking a year off for Open Studios, each in our own way looking for the return of serenity in our lives.

Since I find such comfort in my own studio, I plan on hunkering down here and create...I hope not to be stressed by deadlines. I hope to unravel much of my outside obligations and become calm again.

In search of serenity......