Joanne was talking about collecting on her blog, and I thought I’d dig out my collection of seaballs to share.  Besides having a strong attachment to woods, i.e. being a huge collector of primitive wood ( note my 100 plus year dough bowl ) these nautical balls fascinate me---their journeys even more so.  And more importantly these tangibles also serve as a reminder of one of my favorite quotes: the life lesson taken from James Patterson, Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas.

“Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls—family, health, friends, integrity—-are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.”

I love the sea balls' imperfections---their flaws.  A keepsake of their journeys—the badges earned along the way.

And you can actually see the wear pattern on the balls, i.e., a net pattern image—that occurred when the netting disintegrated over time…

This ball has what is called a frosted look—from surf and sand wear. And a small bubble hangs from inside under the seal buttons on these. This all determines age and rarity. I’ve always wanted a cranberry color… simply for no other reason, other than challenge…

How about you---do you have any favorite quotes, life lessons to share?