Autumn is a season of powerful transition. It brings devastating hurricanes and stunning alterations in landscape. It reminds us to treasure what we have for surely everything can change in an instant.

Our photographers challenge us to look closer - to see the beauty and meaning in each moment. A bright-eyed owl is blind in one eye. A dragonfly seems dipped in gold. A landscape takes on new meaning when seen from a fresh angle. A bird's feathers take on shimmering color and symmetry when viewed from above.

Our poets bring distant worlds to powerful life. We tremble in the powerful aftermath of a destructive thunderstorm. We weep at the tragedy of a Guatemalan village, ruthlessly mown down. We shiver in the frigid distance between a newlywed couple who has begun to split like a withered tree. We wrap ourselves in emotion as a patient grapples with a harsh diagnosis.

Our fiction writers bring to life vibrant worlds which seem all-too-real. A woman hides within herself, fearing her partner and praying for the day she is free of him. A single mother struggles to make ends meet after the untimely death of her husband. A Jewish woman, despite years of rough experiences, risks her heart in a connection with a Polish gentleman.

Our non-fiction writers bare their souls and share their lives. A woman in love with an Indian man discovers how strict their culture's rules can be. A mother nearly loses her young son to the tumultuous sea. A woman struggles to come to terms with her miscarriage. Another finds solace in the vineyards of Italy.

Our playwright explores the complex landscape of dissolving relationships and intertwined connections in a community of artisans and collectors.

Mused itself has experienced a heart-wrenching change. Vannie Ryanes, our beloved team member who had been with us for over ten years, has passed away at 73. Vannie's insight into our selections, and her care for the artists who entrusted us with their creations, was always wonderful to see. She would hold long discussions about the meanings of stories and would invest time even if she was feeling poorly. Mused meant a great deal to Vannie, and Vannie's efforts meant the world to us and to our artist community.

We will miss you, Vannie.

Lisa Shea, owner
BellaOnline.com