I was pleasantly surprised to recently find a stash of glass and wooden beads that I had bought during a visit to Damascus many years ago, strolling through the heart of Souk Alhamidiyeh.  It was like finding a gold mine of shiny colors and textures in all sizes, which brought a flood of memories of the dizzying array of shops with locally made crafts in the old souk.  I felt inspired to make necklaces with these beads.  It turned out a therapeutic way to spend the winter weeks indoors.