Hi guys! I'm Anna and from Seattle, Washington as well! I am very clumsy and fell/cut my arm on glass and had to get surgery shortly before classes began, which is why I missed the first class (& this post might seem choppy-still getting the hang of typing with one hand!).
Because I missed the first class, I thought I would post an extraordinary object that I would have brought last Thursday. This is a Lokai bracelet, created by an inspired individual whose grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimers. At that moment, he felt very low, and so the black bead contains mud from the Dead Sea to capture that moment of sadness. At the same time, he was struck by an immense feeling of gratitude, so the white beads are filled water from Mount Everest (one of the highest points in the world).
I thought the bracelet was a warming design, reminding me of a Yin/Yan symbol. Because the design radiates peacefulness, I placed the bracelet with our Beta fish Flow along with prayer beads and a Buddha statue my sister got me when she studied abroad in Nepal last spring.