Whenever I demonstrate beadwork at craft shows, people always say, "You must have great eyesight," and "I'd never have the patience to do that. You must be incredibly patient."

Patient, more than anything. This work is truly a labor of love. You can't do it and do something else, like watch television. Because the thread will snarl, or you'll miss the count. You can't speed it up. You can't mass produce it.

You can only do it and lose yourself in it. You can only create it, stitch by stitch, one bead at a time.

And each stitch is a moment in time. A moment in my life, stitched into a pattern. And the choice, in every moment is: What do I want to create?

These are the creations of my life, and my love of life. To wear over your heart. You can't buy love at Walmart.

So, I sit in peace on this mountainside, alone, in silence, stitching . . . Occasionally, a breeze tickles the wind chimes into a fluted giggle.