Having just completed my second full year of retirement and getting ready to marry/combine households, my latest hobby has been trying to purge items from my home without generating waste. I’ve gotten quite good at selling, donating, regifting, recycling and repurposing. My main hobby, however, is travel and I’ve noticed a trend in the use of abandoned items to serve greater purposes.
Continue readingAuthor: Tracey
The Fabric of Friendship
Real friendship protects intimacy and is sustained over distance. Real art is like a bolt of fabric – a creative, continuous process over time. My art is to write about the creation of art.
My blog was started to write about retirement, but has expanded to include travel, art and anything else that amuses me – such as how much time I’ve been spending with fabric. At the first of several post-retirement workshops (three of which were dedicated to fabric) I made this painted silk scarf and promptly gave it to a friend. It reminds me of the many old friends I have, near and far, who have stayed close to my heart.
My second fabric workshop was also silk painting, but using slightly difference tools and techniques. This time I travelled across the country to meet with three new friends that I’d met in Molokai. We bonded further over several hours of creating these beautiful ocean hued treasures on the drying rack.
Continue readingCreating Purpose From Pain
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” —Viktor Frankl
It’s ok to be sad or mad. Grief and anger are those steaming piles of shit in life that become the fertilizer for your garden. What becomes of your compost heap? What grows in your garden on a cloudy day?
My Favorite Ungulates – Photos from Tanzania
We took over 3,000 photos with two cameras and two iPhones in 10 days. I wasn’t sure how I would ever organize or narrow down the images, let alone my thoughts from our first photo safari. Then Mark told me he was tagging his with the D-65 Digital Workflow Lightroom Keyword tool. Under the category of “mammals” were carnivores, marsupials, primates…….. and “ungulates” or hooved mammals. Neither of us knew the word (no biology majors here) and I suspect people who do know it google the definition to be sure! So, for the next sub category of photos and experiences, I’m talking about ungulates (both even and odd toed).
Ungulates Who Look You in The Eye
A female Cape Buffalo in Arusha National Park keeps guard while the male naps.Continue reading
Tanzania – A Cat Lover’s Dream
I just returned from 10 days in Tanzania visiting several National Parks and Conservation areas to photograph wildlife with Mark and friends. We had our iPhones, plus two cameras with wide angle and zoom lenses. We took thousands of photos and are still sorting through them. I’m also still synthesizing the experiences of my first trip to Africa, making blogging a challenge. However, I am eager to share some of what we saw in Serengeti National Park where we spent several days. When all else fails in blogging, I fall back on my love of art and photography. Here goes! Caution; not all images are cute and cuddly.
Fool for Adventure: Laura Kyswaty Shares her Talent and Enthusiasm
I recently attended an incredible retreat by Advivum Journeys (https://www.advivumjourneys.ca/). A group of total strangers gathered in Molokai for “The Reimagined Self” at Hui Ho’Olana. We were exhausted from travel, life’s dealings, or both. Even so, a few of us decided to ride into town, away from the comfort of the resort or its facilitative processes.
We were introducing ourselves in the outdoor lobby of Hotel Molokai and waiting for one final member when there she was! Wait, I was told the age range of retreat guests was “middle-aged to 80.” Here was this 30-something woman with long, freshly washed and damp hair, wearing a strapless sun dress. She had to be one of the facilitators. She was full of energy and literally stood on her toes, then landed on flat feet as she extended her hand. “Hi! I’m Laura!” Continue reading
What I Wish I’d Known About Retirement – Your Invitation
I just celebrated two years of not getting up for work. I didn’t have solid plans for what I was going to do instead. My plans shifted like sands on a windy beach. I knew I would spend more time traveling and volunteering, but the rest of the time has been a lot of experimentation and a little bit of frustration. I’ve written quite a bit about my retirement revelations here on WordPress, so what’s knew? I didn’t realize, until recently, that I’m not as uniquely confused about retirement life as I thought. There are other women out there blogging about retirement transitions. Other women without kids and grandkids searching for their next in life. Other women dealing with the loss of their corporate identity.
Continue readingModernism Week – No Sitting On The Bed
Daylight Savings began this morning. I stayed up past my bedtime and woke up too early. Now I’m stupefied. Here is another good reason for procrastinating on my writing goals. Several interviews done and zero drafts completed this year. I must remind myself of how and why I write. There is no deadline and I’m not getting paid. This blog is about my crazy retirement adventures, not just promoting art. In honor of that philosophy and not getting enough sleep, take a look at these fantastic “keep you up all night” bedrooms from Modernism Week in the Palm Springs area last month. Continue reading
No Bull, This Art Sparks Joy!
What does The Houston Rodeo and Marie Kondo’s Netflix show have in common? Nothing, but that’s not how my mind works. I can lasso a tangent faster than you can process my last sentence. Even though I read her book a couple of years ago, I’m still dealing with clutter and still wonder what brings me the most joy. I didn’t find the expression “spark joy” helpful when dealing with things like pots and pans, or cleaning supplies and many other things that I need and use. It doesn’t help when curating art work, either, because I just want more! Continue reading
Just The Cats, Ma’am!
Its’ been over a month since I’ve written. I could say that I’ve been busy with the holidays and flipping a house, but the truth is I’ve set a goal to write about people and their art (rather than just art) and now find myself obsessing over details and what impression the subjects may have. Continue reading
