Posted On April 30, 2012 at 9:54 am in ON LIFE, Uncategorized
I spent the third weekend in April as part of an amazing community. I had a booth, with my whimsical glass art, at the American Craft Council show at RiverCentre in St Paul, MN.
All around me were some of the best fine craft-art in this country–beautiful works in wood, clay, fiber, glass, metal….reflecting both creative genius and hundreds of thousands of hours of hand labor.
When the show was set up on Wednesday and Thursday, it was like a city that appeared out of nowhere. Then Sunday at 5 pm it all came down–there were boxes of all shapes, wheeling flat carts, canopies and curtains descending, and clanging metal poles–as everyone raced to pack up and move out.
Many of the artists travel in large vans or trucks, going from show to show, bringing their booths and their wares–like peddlers or circuses. These are serious artists and they are serious about the business of art. Their art is wonderfully modern and innovative. Yet the life style is a throw-back to a much earlier era. And all the exquisite labor by hand–that too has an odd place in this modern world.
I don’t travel around the country with my booth and glass art — so for me this was an unusual experience. But I was glad, for a brief while, to be part of this incredible community of artists.
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: art, artist, craft, fine craft, glass, glass art, the arts, work of art · No Comments »
Posted On April 13, 2012 at 9:50 am in ON LIFE
I have a confession—it has been months since I have written my last post on “Oh My Blog!”
In the world of bloggers—I am unblogged… Unforgivable! Inexcusable!
So – my excuse…I’ve been busy…giving talks, exhibiting my art, traveling…. I hear of people who write on their blog every day—maybe more than once a day… How do they do it??? These same people probably tweet every other minute… I am an untweeter.
In the meantime, I have been getting “comments” to my posts. It seems that I am supposed to “approve” or “spam” these comments. I have done nothing…so the comments are adding up… I am suspicious – many of the comments seem to be sneaky market ploys rather than real people reading my stories…
I am a raw rookie in the under-world of social media. It seemed like a good idea to get involved – so I do Facebook (which now has a new format that I don’t understand), Linkedin (I’m the one who has never written a word in any of the many groups that I’ve joined groups), Tweet (I don’t know how to sing)… There are companies that hire staff just to do their social media work. I am a one-person company…
Here’s a question for those of you who know how to swim in the world of blogging: How do you do it???
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: art, artist, social media, third age · No Comments »
Posted On February 8, 2012 at 4:27 pm in NEW AT BEING OLD
A memory: I’m a little girl, sitting in our livingroom, looking down at the pattern in our Persian rug. I’m seven—and as I sit there, I think: “I’m seven! I’m already seven years old!” It was amazing to me, it was wonderful—to have gotten so far, to be a grade school girl—to be already seven.
It’s been a couple of years since I became eligible for Medicare.
I think about age rather a lot these days–just as when I was seven. I ask: How did this happen? I’ve metamorphosed into someone with gray hair, a corrugated neck, crinkles around my eyes, and jowls… I have a sense of awe—can this really be me? This time, though, I’m not so sure it’s wonderful.
Between age seven and six is a long year—I had Miss G. in first grade and I was just learning how to read—it was “Dick and Jane” in those days. Our first grade class was the littlest and youngest class in the whole school. And then I was in second grade with Mrs. S. and being in school wasn’t so new and I was bigger and I was learning arithmetic. And the books I was reading were real books.
The summer I was six, I had a favorite dress—it was a textured cotton with a white background and violet flowers. By the next summer that dress with the violets was much too small for my age seven body.
Between age six and seven is momentous, colossal, encyclopedic, immeasurable, dynamic, transformative…
The year between this year and last year was nothing at all. Is it 2012? what happened to 2007 or 2008? And 1998 just happened, didn’t it?
Time gets compressed with age. It’s all about arithmetic. Going from six to seven was a huge increase in my life span to date. The year between age 66 and 67, is about a 1% addendum to my life.
Even so—with the rush of years, I have a sense of wonder—isn’t it amazing to have gotten so far…
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: active aging, life span, maturity, memories, memory, third age, vital aging · No Comments »
Posted On January 2, 2012 at 10:57 am in AWESOME AND AGING
Marian Cohen Fischer, my mother-in-law, was a late starter as an artist. She took her first painting lessons when she was in her mid-40s, with her children nearly grown. She had never really tried to paint or draw before.
Then one day she took a painting lesson—almost by chance. She was living in a small town in upper New York state. She took classes at local colleges and raided the local library for art books. Within less than a decade, she was winning awards and had become one of the most prominent artists in the region.
She developed her own technique and style. Her mixed media paintings are powerful and vibrant. Seeing her art, you would never guess that she was a tiny woman—only about 4’10”.
My mother-in-law was my art teacher and mentor for many years—generously sharing her techniques. She continued painting, exhibiting her art and winning awards until her late 80s. Then, when she was 88 or 89, she became too frail to paint. She told me: “I don’t want to paint anymore—someday you’ll come to that point too—when you just don’t want to do it anymore.”
By that time, even with a late-start, she had painted for close to half a century.
Tell me about people you know who are awesome and aging…
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: active aging, aging, art, artist, positive aging, productive aging, third age, vital aging · No Comments »
Posted On November 29, 2011 at 8:19 am in ON LIFE
I took dancing lessons when I was growing up—ballet, tap, modern jazz. When I was in college and graduate school, I became a folk-dancer. I’ve never had great technique. In ballet, I never managed to get my feet turned out at 180 degree angles. My arabesque only reached a paltry height… But even so, I’ve always loved to dance.
Dancing is magic. You lose yourself in the rhythm and the music. In the moments of dancing, you become a spirit—a pure soul—and you can do anything, you can fly…
I’m not sure why—but I don’t dance often—maybe my New Years resolution this year should be: Dance!
Even so, my art is full of dancers—dancers on hand blown glass bowls and vases; young dancers and old dancers—all full of movement and vibrant colors. Most recently, I created a series of six glass sculptures called “Loves to Dance”—each figure is set on a painted rotating base—so they really, really dance… See http://lucyrosedesigns.com/Loves-to-dance-1 or http://lucyrosedesigns.com/Loves-to-dance-6
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: active aging, dance, dancing, positive aging, vital aging · No Comments »
Posted On November 11, 2011 at 9:51 am in AWESOME AND AGING
A few weeks ago I gave a talk at the annual Wisdom Walk event in Woodbury, MN. When I did a book signing, there was one woman really who wanted to purchase a book but didn’t have her checkbook with her. She could have ordered it but then there would have been extra costs for shipping. So I signed a book for her—dedicated to her friends at Stonecrest, the senior housing project where she lives—and told her she could just send me a check. Her name is Beverly Handy and I got a bonus when she mailed her check—she also included an inspiring letter, and she gave me permission to print it – so here it is:
“The women of Stonecrest are enjoying I’m New at Being Old. The average age here I would estimate to be about 83. We aren’t so new at being old. Some good things here:
1. Art Group
2. Continuing Ed—Great Courses
3. Radio Show Group
4. Volunteering
5. Wine Tasting
6. Music
7. Writers Workshop
8. Vision loss support
9. Book club
10. Friends – and much more
Now
It’s right now
Not in the Past
No not in the Past
Though I’ve had great times Now and Then
Not tomorrow wonderful as it will be
I embrace the Present
every precious instant
The best time of my life
Is Now!”
Thank you, Beverly!
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: active aging, vital aging · No Comments »
Posted On November 3, 2011 at 12:45 pm in NEW AT BEING OLD
When I was doing a book-reading last year, a woman came up to me and said: “I’m new at being old too–and I don’t know how to do it! Thank you for helping me figure it out.”
The truth is–I’m still learning too. I’m sort of a teenager on the path to old age. Several years ago, I was telling an older friend that I was working on a book about aging—at that time, she was age 85+ and I was about 60. She said: “What do you want to know?” In truth, she really did know a lot more than I did about the experience of being an older woman. For me, friends who are much older are often my best guides as I embark on this journey.
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
See my book included in a list of books about positive aging:
http://www.retirementeducationplus.com/2011/10/positive-aging-in-retirement/
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: aging, baby boom, older, positive aging · No Comments »
Posted On October 27, 2011 at 9:50 am in ON LIFE
Okay—I admit that I’m an old-time-liberal… But that’s not what this story is about….
Last week, I was walking in our neighborhood with my husband, Mark, and Toby, our little dog. Suddenly a man in a gray car pulled up next to us. “I want to thank you,” he said, “ for walking on the left side of the road—that’s the correct way to walk. And it really scares me when so many people walk on the right and don’t see me coming.”
Our neighborhood has no sidewalks and we always walk on the left—facing traffic. This man was about our age and I said to him: “Maybe it’s a generation-thing. This is how I was taught…” The thing is—I’ve also noticed a lot of people walking on the right side of the road—and that worries me too. Don’t they know: the left is right!!!
Except, of course, in England, where we just had a walking holiday. Usually we were on public foot paths, crossing pastures and going through woods. But a couple of times, we walked next to a road—and then, it was confusing—walking in England, where the cars seem to whiz by “with the speed of summer lightening”, left was wrong and right was right…
Posted by Lucy Rose · Tags: dog walking · 1 Comment »
Posted On October 18, 2011 at 9:41 am in NEW AT BEING OLD
When we arrived in Moreton-on-Marsh, a small town in the Cotswolds, England, we noticed that there seemed to be a lot of older people—our age and even older… Many of the buildings were designated as retirement homes. And then, on the main road, there was a sign: “Elderly People” – with silhouettes of people walking with canes…
Many of the people we met along the trails were our age-peers. I suppose this is a time of life when folks have time and resources to travel. Also, it was September and families with young children were beginning the school year. We met British, Americans, Swiss, Germans, New Zealanders—many in their 60s and 70s, some older. As I walked along these footpaths, I thought a lot about age and aging. These were not difficult hiking paths. And yet, I knew, that if my hips collapse or my knees get worse—even a walk like this will become more difficult, maybe impossible. I have a profound sense of gratitude that I can do this now…
In my book I’M NEW AT BEING OLD I tell a little story about being offered a seat on a crowded bus—which made me think now I’m really old. On this trip, when we were riding the Underground in London, two younger people jumped up and offered seats to my husband and me. We both blurted out: she “wrote a book about that!”
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
Posted by Lucy Rose No Comments »
Posted On October 7, 2011 at 11:41 am in ON LIFE
We were in Cornwall. I have a confession—as we were planning our trip and deciding where to visit in the British Isles, I happened to watch an episode of “Doc Martin”—set in a small, sweet town with incredible vistas of the Cornwall coast. Why not? I thought. We decided to go to St Ives—on the tip of Cornwall, described as an artist colony.
What I hadn’t realized was that every September there is an Arts Festival in St Ives. I found this out when I tried to reserve a B&B—one place after another was full. But we were in luck—a nice woman named Julie had a rather new B&B and she had a lovely sun-filled room just for us.
We arrived by train in the afternoon and quickly made our way to the Tourist Info Centre—we purchased tickets for two concerts (and later for a third—during our 4 days in St Ives, we spent 3 evenings at wonderful folk-rock concerts—more about that in a later blog). Then as we ambled along a street by the sea, we came upon a walking tour, which was also part of the arts festival. John, a short man with bright blue eyes and clipped gray hair, was our tour guide who told us about the massive fishing industry, from the 17th through the early 20th centuries. This was not a story about little fishing boats. There were huge companies that had licenses to take out fish with enormous nets that stretched over several acres. They took out tons of pilchers (a relative of sardines, but larger). A man on a hill would watch for a school of fish and then send signals to the men in boats near the shore. After the fish were brought in, women would salt the fish, layer by layer so that they created large walls of salted fish…
We were told that there are walking paths all along the coasts of Cornwall. Several people recommended that we walk from St Ives up to a little town called Zennor—we could walk along the coast, they said, and then catch a bus on the way back. This was some of the most beautiful scenery that we have ever encountered—steep rocky cliffs, gloriously blue sea, grassy fields with wild flowers. There were a lot of hikers but it was not an easy walk—lots of hills and you had to watch your step on narrow paths. We were surprised to come across a biker. He was sitting on a rock when we met him but he had biked across this terrain, which was rather remarkable. Mark and I had good walking shoes but we met a woman with long flowing hair, an ankle-lengthy blue dress, and thin slipper-like shoes. With her arms spread out for balance, she was making her way along this rocky path. As we passed her, we asked how she could manage with those thin-soled shoes. She said that when she started out she had not intended to walk so far but it was just so beautiful that she kept on going.
We noticed a large number of men in orange rescue uniforms. Some were in boats along the shore and others were walking along the rocks. I asked one man if this was a training exercise. No, he answered, they were looking for a woman. They had found bits of clothing …
As we walked along, we came to a sign that pointed to the left. As we stood there wondering which way to go, we met a man and woman who told us that this was an alternate route, away from the coast where the trail was increasingly rocky and steep. This couple said they were originally from Ireland but now lived in Buckinghamshire. The man had curly brown hair and the woman had wavy reddish hair and a patterned skirt. They were on their way back to St Ives but they went out of their way to make sure we could find the path to Zennor—even walking back with us along a trail through high bushes
This turned out to be a long walk—in the middle of nowhere, it seemed. We came across only one other person, a woman walking her newly shorn sheep dog—and she gave us further directions.
When we finally arrived in Zennor, we caught the last bus back to St Ives…
As I thought about that day, it seemed that the nice couple we met at the juncture were our “Irish angels” who made sure to set us on the right path…
www.lucyrosedesigns.com
Posted by Lucy Rose No Comments »
I spent the third weekend in April as part of an amazing community. I had a booth, with my whimsical glass art, at the American Craft Council show at RiverCentre in St Paul, MN.
I don’t travel around the country with my booth and glass art — so for me this was an unusual experience. But I was glad, for a brief while, to be part of this incredible community of artists.
