Morning Glory Studio

simply a moment | 02...

On Wed, 14 November 2012, the day before her birthday, at approximately 7 pm, He asked:

Do you know what time you were born?

She answered:

Yes, I think it was 7:42 pm, on a Sunday...but maybe it was 7:46 pm. Umm, guess I could go upstairs and check my baby book...

And that was the end of that conversation.

The next day, Thursday, 15 November 2012 - her birthday- at approximately 7:25 am, she remembered the conversation and decided there was enough time to go upstairs, get her baby book - providing it was where she thought it'd be since everything had been sortof topsy turvy the week before - and verify the exact time. And so she did. Yep, the book was where she looked first  and yes, she was born at 7:42 pm.

 

Cool, she thought, we can open the champagne tonight at 7:42 pm and make a toast!...

The day ensued, with the birthday surprise: lunch at their favorite restaurant, eating their favorite menu item: BBQ ribs, so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone and topping the meal off with their favorite dessert: apple walnut brown betty sporting a candle ;-)). Stuffed and satisfied, they returned home about 4 pm and sortof crashed in front of the TV, catching up with the day's events.

About an hour later, he went downstairs to get on the computer and she watched the evening news. At 7:30 pm, she turned to the Jon Stewart Show and about 7:50 pm, he came back upstairs to join her. And they proceeded to watch more TV and doze, too, most likely.

About 10:45 pm, she remembered and said outloud:

Oh! we missed 7:42pm! We didn't open the champagne...

And so she jumped up, got the champagne, gave it to him to open and then poured each a glass and they toasted her 70th birthday! It tasted just as good!

 

Cheers~

Simply a Moment was launched by Alexa; you can read/learn more about it here  and join in. To read November's entries, go here.

three score and ten...

...is today! On the one hand, I can't believe it! I feel absolutely no different than I did 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years ago! Though, I of course know that there are differences, many!  

This morning when I came downstairs, this was waiting on the counter for me.

I love the card and am amused with the bottle of champagne - I don't generally have champagne with MSQT, so, I'll save it for later, tonight. 

Thus far this day I've received many well wishes from family and friends, both near and far. With some,  too long has lapsed so touching base today and this week makes our reconnecting extra special.

The day is still young and Norman has a surprise planned circa noon, EST. My curiosity is piqued. Tomorrow, if not this evening, I'll share.

Thanks for dropping by and I wish each of you the very best day, too. 

Cheers~

 

 

in sixty days...

I will be three score and ten!...and possibly sitting in a jury box as a juror on a trial that might last 4-5 weeks.  Ha! I won't know the outcome of this pending commitment until Oct 26. Since today is the 15th, it is my self-appointed "report date" on my 70 for Seventy project, so, here goes:

Career...still retired and lovin' every minute. I received a mailer for a learning conference  I attended for years, held at DisneyWorld, and felt a bit of nostalga and remorse that I no longer go. But, that was fleeting and instead, I basked in the memories...

Skills/Knowledge...September is the month dedicated to learning and all that it encompasses and I've been quite occupied and busy and lovin' every minute of all my learning activities and events (shared here) ...

Family...my nieces, including their mother, are all busy with school these days so I've not seen much of them, but, all is well. My sister is attending her 50th high school reunion this month...amazing!

Prosperity...so far, I've kept to my schedule of the 3rd of the month for handling the du-cats and attendant papers/files...kudos to me.

Fame/Reputation...still making everyday's focus and goal to be authentic, to be me...Norman says that when I drive, I fuss about others' bad driving habits...so, I guess I'd better work on that.

Creativity...the major purge of supplies and other  assorted stuff continues; somedays I think it will never end! I've decided to donate or otherwise dispose of a lot of project supplies and projects that I am just not going to complete. I know that and it makes no sense for me to think otherwise. I am trying diligently to not start anything new, in the sense that I've not done it before . For example: recently I saw a really neat weaving device that intriques me and I think I'd like to try it - my mother was a weaver - but I've resisted (so far). My goal is to: a) work consistently towards finishing a few selected knitting and quilting PiPs (projects in progress); b) stay on top of my September learning projects - so far, I am; and c)  create a routine/habit that enables me to take full advantage of each day and my creative interests.

Travel...trips to Ohio and Illinois are still in the plans.

Health...now that the temps are cooler, I've resumed my walks. And big drum roll, please: I've really cut back the chips (perhaps replaced by scones?!). Found a fun book at the library: The Book of Kale by Sharon Hanna. It has  very interesting bits of information and lots of recipes - even one for kale chips! Since Norman likes kale, I plan to experiment with some of the recipes.

Relationships/Love and Friends...they are what make the world go round. This week my friend Kathy and I spent the day at our favorite meeting place, Barnes & Noble in Annapolis. We'd not seen each other in a year and I cannot describe how perfect that long overdue reunion was.

 

So great to see you, dear friend!

 

A full and rewarding month. Looking forward to the next installment.

Cheers~

a progress report, of sorts...

Eek! I thought as I read this post by my friend Mary. How many days are left  til my 70th birthday ?...and more importantly, just exactly where am I  on/with my 70 for Seventy list?

It was also not lost on me that I'd written a post or two waaay-back-when on the subject but I'd never really  shared the entire list. When I began thinking about such a project/list, I first wrote down whatever came to mind...and then I decided to organize the list via the nine categories of the feng shui bagua: Career, Skills & Knowledge, Family, Prosperity, Fame & Reputation, Relationships /Love, Creativity/Children, HelpfulPeople/Travel and in the center, Health. And that's where I think I left off - at least when it comes to the sharing.

 I did a quick mental calculation and decided

• I had better than 90 days before my 70th birthday; 
• I, had, indeed, if not always consciously, made some progress in most of the bagua areas;  
• I could do an update/progress report of sorts for the next three months...and along the way, as life ebbs and flows, so will and does my list; 
• And then I had the brilliant idea that I'd schedule these updates on the 15th of the month - thereby assuring that I'd stop and take stock.

So, with the above in mind, here is update #1:

Career: Even though I officially retired in 2010, I continued to teach a class at our local community college. 1)This year in May I taught my last class. So, now I am officially retired! Hooray!

Skills/Knowledge: I am constantly in a self-directed learning mode, taking classes and attending workshops, reading books and making connections in the digital world to grow and expand. My main interests this year have been art journaling and quilting. And I've devoted lots of time and energy in improving not only my technique but more importantly, experimenting and reflecting, focusing on my process and the outcomes, not the output. Thus far this year, 2) I've taken five art journaling classes and I'm currently taking an online class on iPhone photography.

Family: Of course I am  connected with my nieces who live nearby but I hadn't touched base with my cousins who live in Oregon since for too long...so, when I went to Oregon in May, I made it a point to 3) schedule a couple additional days just to spend with my cousins. T'was good to reconnect and revisit memories of our younger days and most importantly, our connection to one another.

Prosperity: I suppose that's another term for finances...I really don't like spending time taking monthly budgetary  inventory but 4) have set myself  a "due date" by the 3rd of each month to attend to this task. And in doing so, I have dedicated time to organizing records and files.

Fame/Reputation: No "glee" for me...but I trust that I am living up to my ideals and principles and being authentic, being myself. 5) I attend to this daily.

Relationships/Love: Abound with family and friends, near and far. 6) I am capturing this in my  daily journal, Project Life and the things I do on a regular basis. Plus 7) maintaining connections with my two friends via our joint blog.

Creativity/Children: My nieces are growing up, especially Kayla. She's in sixth grade this year, starting a new junior high school, making new friends and engaging in lots of school-related activities. I'm curious about how her interests and creativity will develop and how I can support them. Also, on the creativity front, I've been doing a major purge of the stuff I have in my studios, trying to 8) declutter and organize so that I have supplies, materials and PiPs (projects in progress) in order and readily accessible. So far, in this my 70th year, I've 9) completed five quilting projects, including a charity quilttop for my guild. 

Helpful People/Travel:   10) I went to Sisters OR in May for another week of class and time with my friends and 11) plans are in the works for a trip to Ohio and Illinois this fall.

Health: Ah, the center of it all. I am fortunate that I am in really good health, save for a little osteoarthritis in my left pinkie and occasionally, I feel my knees - that just comes with growing older, as my doctor reminded me. 12) Each month on the 15th, I do a self breast exam and this month,13) my annual physical and eye exams scheduled. 14) I am trying to eat more veggies/salads and soups (and fewer potato chips - I get this urge to eat something crunchy about 4 pm) ...and I really need to step up my steps! It has been so hot that going outside for a walk takes a whole lot of will power. 

Over the months I've also been slowly decluttering - clearing out closets, donating clothing, household items and books. Some of the items on my list I have crossed off, replacing with others among which is this, 15), a progress report, of sorts. To be continued...

 (photo of me taken in my messy studio today on my iMac)

Cheers~

 

 

doing Project Life, too...

When I retired two years ago, I started a Project Life album...half-heartedly. I collected lots of every-day life stuff and photos. But I could never seem to get beyond that point. So, at best, I have about 3/4 of an album filled with stuff and assorted photos, primarily more of events rather than everyday life.

For a long time, I debated with myself about whether or not I was being redundant: I write in my journal nearly everyday and of course, there is this blog, which is, in many ways, a chronicle of my life stories, albeit, irregular (note to self: gotta get back on track with a regular schedule - for me - for my blog posts...). But, in really thinking about it, I concluded that neither a journal or this blog filled the bill as neatly as Project Life could and does: it is photos, stories, daily, weekly, whenever, however, can be chock full of all the stuff life is made of and the best part: it's tactile. So, I decided that in this, my seventieth year, 2012, I would resume Project Life  on a regular basis. And since January 1, I've been assiduously keeping the contents of the album: photos, stuff, notes, the two-page-protectors that generally represent a week  and an occasional special insert layout. I am really quite behind on transcribing my journaling and notes onto cards to include in the layouts.

Here it is week 15 into 2012 and this is what I have to offer in the way of advice about doing Project Life:

1. Designate a special space for keeping the album and all the supplies readily available. I have an entire area of my desk in Studio B allocated.
2. Leave the album out and open to the current week. At the beginning of the week, I mark the week's dates -  Sun - Sat (for a while I was doing Mon-Sun but decided at the beginning of this month that I'd start my week on Sun). Using small sticky notes, I put day/date on each 4x6 photo slot. Sometimes, if the day's extra special, I jot a note or two on a sticky, noting also if I have a photo. I stick the stuff into the photo/journaling card slots. I keep a 12 x 12 page protector in between the two pocket photo pages for big/bulky items, such as a flyer, etc. 
3. Keep a diary/notes for each day. I use a special calendar/planner that stays right on the desk with the album. This planner is in addition to my daily journal pages and any notes I might make during the course of the day if I'm out. 
4. Be flexible; it's not necessary to have a photo + journal card for everyday. Somedays you'll have more and others, less.
5. Process photos regularly. This includes both iPhone, iPad or other devices you may use plus your regular camera. I try to upload my photos at least every other day and when I'm reviewing them, I also tag Project Life and flag them. I sometimes print at home and sometimes, via Shutterfly and sometimes, I do both. Once the photos are printed, I put them in the slots - both the 3x4 and the 4x6...and here's a great tip: consider using more than one slot, either orientation (portrait or landscape) and size for a photo. Doing so adds diversity and opens up all sorts of layout possibilities. I generally print  these type of photos, at home.
6. Establish a routine/time to do Project Life. This is probably the biggest hurdle for me: having a set time to complete the week's documentation. I had initially thought I'd work on Project Life when I was doing my weekly planning and review (Sundays) but that's not working very well for me. So, now I'm leaning towards/thinking/trying to do Project Life several times during the week.  I'm hoping that this schedule works better for me. We'll see.

I think doing Project Life can be overwhelming, primarily because we try to make more of it than intended. I am finding that keeping it simple, simple is in my best interest. Write (and/or type) the story: simple sentence/s. date.time. Take the photo, process and slide into a slot. Save the stuff (or not). Document a bit at a time. I guess like anything, inch by inch works best.

I introduced my niece - Kayla's mom - to Project Life and we plan to gather once a month to do Project Life. That promises to be fun. I think our first session will be next Sunday and my sister will also be here; hopefully we can add her voice, too. I hope it works out. I'll let you know!

I hope these tips are helpful and if you're considering doing Project Life, let me say, Go For It!

Now I'm off to buy a zipper for my altered book art journal class tomorrow. I know I have some somewhere but can't find ...

Cheers~

this is my life...this is the journey...

Honoré  here:   Last Friday, I got to the Tidal Baisin to see the last of the cherry blossoms at their peak, several weeks ahead of schedule due to the fact that we've had such an early spring. The day was quite warm, 82 degrees and bright. There were crowds, perhaps moreso due to the fact that this is the Centennial Cherry Blossom Festival and that rain was scheduled (and indeed, arrived)  for the weekend.

I did a lot of walking with a sore little toe (dropped a bottle of Listerine on it the week before - don't ask) and decided I'd treat myself to a cup of iced coffee at the Starbucks in the JW Marriott Hotel. A nice place for a little R & R before I continued on my way  home. With me, I also had a paper pad with a list of  goals and aspirations I'd drafted for myself in November 2011, to accomplish, in this my 70th year before my 70th birthday. On this list are 70+ projects that I think/want/plan/hope/to complete by my 70th birthday, November 15, 2012.  (As I've blog-jogged the Internet, I've seen many similar lists: projects to complete; bucket lists; life lists; etc. And I'd thought for a long time that I'd do something similar. But I want to give a shout-out to my friend Mary who really moved me off the dime by sharing, on her blog, her own list of Fifty for 50 last November. She and I are both celebrating a major life milestone in November, just two days apart!)

Now, before we go any further, just to clarify: a project is anything that requires more than one step or action or could possibly cover an extended span of time. Some projects, such as "let hair grow," require little effort on one's part except to refrain from wielding the scissors in a moment of frustration...I can't do anything with my hair... Other projects really are multi steps/actions.

Currently, my list has more than 70 projects. For the purpose of organization, my projects fall into the nine life areas of the Baqua: Health &Family, Knowledge &  Self Cultivation, Career & Life Path, Creativity & Children, Wealth & Prosperity, Love & Marriage, Fame & Reputation and Helpful People & Travel. I am not a student of the Bagua though I  do refer to it occasionally; I like the categories it represents.  The projects run the gamut and generally fall into the categories of start/stop/finish/do: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually and for the most part are totally within my control.  

So, here it is, the end of March and just seven months remain before the big 7-0 arrives! I had my list with me and as I drank my coffee and relaxed from my walk, I took inventory: some items I scratched out and replaced with something else. The one item that really caught my attention: focus on process, reflection and outcomes. Where am I in the scheme of things and how do I feel about it? What am I doing?  What do I want to continue doing? To do more of? To stop? To begin? And that is where I am in the scheme of things.

Over my next seven (or so) blog posts, I will share my list of 70+ projects with a "where am I now" update. I'm looking forward to what I learn. Stay tuned...

Cheers~