Gold work and other thoughts

I once heard of a way to curse someone and it was: "May you live in interesting times." I think that the state of the world right now would qualify. We certainly are living through a unique time in history.  For most generations there is a defining event that everyone remembers and can tell you where they were when it happened. Think of  - pick your generation - Kennedy's assassination,  Reagan getting shot, the space shuttle, the world trade center, and the tsunami. Right now it is not a single event but a pandemic that will change our life totally in the short term and who know what it will be like in the future. My daughter asked my Mother who is 98 this year if she was concerned and she said not really. She has lived through the great depression, World War II (and too may other wars to count), several strains of the flu,  and all of the disasters I mentioned and many more.
Just after I wrote the original post, we woke up to an earthquake. Literally had just woken up and was still in bed at 7:09 when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck a few miles from here. I spent the rest of the day with the news on so I could learn what was going on. Felt a couple of the after shocks during the day.
Life changes but it goes on. We need to remember the important things like love and service. Kindness will help all of us get through this better.
Cynthia Jackson is a fabulous designer and a friend. She was kind enough to let me pilot stitch one of her new pieces for EGA seminar  this year.  It is a Mariners' Compass that is stitched with gold threads.  Some fun new techniques and interesting effects with the black and gold. The arrow on the compass is attached with a pin so it will turn.