Some of you will remember that my mother died just over two years ago, and that has prompted a huge evaluation of my life and honoring of my own mortality. If I have (with luck) a third of my life left to go, what am I doing with that precious time???
I am grateful that I no longer have to go to a job – retirement is sweet, indeed. And leaves me full luminous days for my own passions. Three times, now, since my mother died, I have walked through Inanna’s Descent and each time I have been transformed. “Lighten Up” has been a repeated theme – possessions, activities, attitudes, relationships, and this year literal physical changes. My aging body no longer tolerates lactose, cruciferous vegetables, and more (I’m still figuring some of that out). As a result of having to change what I eat, I’ve lost several pounds without effort. I’m also very ready to alleviate the load on my back and shoulders by having breast reduction surgery – scheduled for June. And out of sheer vanity I’m having brachioplasty at the same time – no more bat wings.
Part of lightening up in attitude is taking a more playful approach to, well, as many things as I can. And allowing myself No Excuses for procrastination, especially towards my creative processes. I’m learning new skills and having fun. I’ve been trying my hand at Art Journaling, which includes glue and watercolors and no rules, just a box to play in. As a 60+ student at U of SC I’m taking Color and Composition this term, and I have gained a whole new comfort level with acrylic paint, use of color, and mixing my own colors. Last weekend, I saw an ad for a mixed-media collage class to make Tiny Tattered Houses with Jennifer Chamberlin at The Maker Beehive, signed up, and really enjoyed it. Today’s pictures are of some of the collage papers I made for that. Now that I’m vaccinated (2nd shot next Wed) I’m taking three different classes at John C Campbell Folk School later this year.
And I have no idea how to wrap this up. It is not the post that I intended to write, but it’s the one that happened. I’m just going to stop and let this be.