But more than two.  They sat there, just like this.  Look at the nesting of the three (?) shells inside the larger one.  Look at the difference in the colors of white, the crinkly edges, the pinkish cast to the brownish interior shadows.  And look at the cool two-toned rock that seems to have been dipped in black matte glaze.

Perhaps the shell(s) and the rock are deep in conversation,  maybe about the meaning of life?  Or maybe counting the grains of sand, or considering the vastness of the ocean?

Whatever.  It’s my daughter’s 30th birthday today, so I, too, am counting and considering — and appreciating the wonder of her — on this special-to-me occasion.