“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” The words of poet Mary Oliver encapsulate my philosophy for living life and creating art. Our world is brimming with wonders if we notice them and take the time to express that appreciation. “Nothing Stays the Same IX” is one quilt in a series that has evolved from a motif of one horizontal line and two vertical lines. The structure’s simplicity has countless possibilities for experimentation. The image is a synthesis of red torii gates at shrines seen during four childhood years in Japan, and piers and pilings on southern coasts where I have lived my adult life. Some viewers identify the figure as a portal, doorway, or ungated entrance. It could signify reaching the threshold of an opportunity, and deciding whether to engage it or ignore it. The poet Adrienne Rich reminds us that “The door itself makes no promises. It is only a door.” The individual is responsible for acknowledging an opportunity that may be offered only once.