Cathy Bowman,  September 25, 2007

The Autumn Equinox brought glorious weather to England. I walked along the Thames and the golden light gave the city a holy feel, as if Michelangelo were just about to pick up his brush and paint the view for all eternity. It was supposed to be the day when Earth is in perfect balance, with day and night of equal length. Given all the chaos on the planet, it's hard to feel centered. My challenge this fall is finding beauty in the chaos – and finding a place of balance when the world seems to have spun off its axis. I had hoped to attend the equinox celebration at Stonehenge that starts at dawn, but I couldn't convince my husband that dragging the children out of bed at 4 a.m. was a good idea, even if admission was free. Instead, I cuddled a stuffy-nosed toddler and accompanied my 7-year-old to a kids' leather workshop at the Design Museum. Have you ever pounded a piece of cowhide with a wooden mallet? It's quite liberating. “Hmm,” said a teacher as he looked at my rivets.“There's a whole lot of therapy in there.”