What To Do For the Rest of your Life

Susan Shie

An email fiber friend of mine, Susan Shie posted an album of photos of her current project that she is working on about Hillary Clinton and I took the time to look through all the photos that had been posted from the start of her idea in her sketch book to the place she was in coloring and writing her words all over the surface of the piece and after reading it I had to leave a note because I was just so struck by what she had accomplished.  Her process was so unbelievably wonderful and I told her "when I grow up I want to be you"......she got a kick out of that, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that even though I've just turned 70, I really have a lot of time ahead of me if I use it wisely.  Susan works at her art constantly and that's where I have to get myself.  I work a lot, but I could be using my time more wisely and that's my new "me".  I know, many say, when do you find all the time to do as much as you do, but there is a lot of time in any day and there are things that do get in the way.  Time to rid myself of some of those things and get down to some serious creation time.

After all that I have been through during this last year and now that I'm literally starting all over, my daughter Jennifer asked me last week, "so Mom, have you thought about what you want to do now, have you got any plans for yourself".  And I couldn't answer her but to say, "well, I know I'll always be creating some sort of something, no matter what".  And that is very true.

Over the last several years, other fiber artists that I know who were a bit older than me, stopped working on their art completely.  I don't know why they did or how they even did it, I mean, that's the ultimate in my mind.  To stop creating would be such a waste of a mind.  All that time put in creating a skill, an art form, just doesn't make sense to me.  Just pulling up stakes to do nothing just doesn't compute to me.  Now if there were medical reason, I totally understand, but to just quit.................I don't think I could do that.  I may eat those words some day.

I come from a long line of people who live long lives...my Grandma Beth lived until she was 103!!!  She and her two sisters where born in China of two missionaries from England/Ireland.  She and her sisters fled China during the Boxer Rebellion on a schooner that sailed into the San Francisco Bay and she was the first female doctor at the Oakland Children's Hospital.

All that she experienced and saw during her lifetime, I want that same experience.

Let's hope I haven't jinxed myself by making this public, but I hope I live as long a life as Beth did so I can create wonderful art that makes others happy.

So, Jennifer, I guess that's one of the plans I have for myself.....I want to continue making art!

I want to leave you and your sister and your brother and all my grand

kids a legacy they can be as proud about as I am about my own Grandmother,
 Elizabeth Bailie Goldsworthy. 

Grandma Beth, My Mother Edy and myself graduating 8th grade...you've got to love a green  puffy dress!!!

Now that I'm 70..................

My birthday day was so full of fun and delight, I was totally worn out when I drug myself home late last night from bowling.................and I was bound and determined to have a good bowl, and my last game came through at a whopping 213!!!    I sure needed that and so did my team as it helped us win at least one out of four games. 

I've had several people email me on the side to tell me that the title of my blog is incorrect...that I should have used "My Eighth Decade" instead of Seventh......but that just didn't sound right to me.  It is mathematically correct, but it still doesn't sound right.................so, I'm going to leave it as is.....everyone realizes that what I mean by it is that I'm now 70 and for ten years (a decade) I'm going to be one of those numbers 70 thru 79.  So I'm leaving it as is with this disclaimer.

BLOG RANT:   I truly hate the word "aging".....the doctor says it, the eye doc says it, the dentist says it, skin ads say it, liquor ads talk about aging wine/beer or hard liquor.  They all mean the same thing:  the longer you let something sit the more aged they become.  Well, duh, anyone knows that....it's what you do with that time is what counts.......RIGHT?    I looked at myself and how much time I sit and "age".....I sit to weave, I sit to sew, I sit to eat, I sit to drive, I sit when I watch TV and sometimes I sit to read although laying in bed is my preferred way of reading.  I guess I am aging when I'm sitting, but I'm also aging when I'm walking and doing all the things that I do to keep my self active.  I just want whomever to change how they use the word AGING......it's the act of growing old and we all do it from the day we are born...it's a natural and basic happening in our life.  Let it be and find another word to use to describe a person who is advancing in the age game...like fermenting or decaying...maybe that will get more peoples attention.

Talk about decaying....I had my chimney swept this morning by a license chimney sweep...and found out the bad and the good news.  The bad news was that for 45 years I've never had a "hat" on the top of my chimney, which isn't code, but should be....all these years rain water and all the elements have been dropped down into my chimney and water has definitely done damage.  And the portion around the part that the top of the chimney sit upon is cracked...needs to be repaired.  And the inside of the chimney also shows signs of damage from the rain, etc...lost mortar and more cracks.  If I want to use my fireplace, the recommendation is to get the hat and fix the cracks and install a stainless steel insert inside the fireplace so the heat and flames don't catch my house/roof on fire....and we're talking around $4K...yikes.  To try and prevent more damage down inside the fireplace, I'm thinking I'm going to take care of sealing the cracked area around the top and put on a chimney chap or hat.  And leave the insert idea for later or never.....I just can't use my fireplace in the state it's in right now.  Oh well, saved myself from purchasing fire wood and burning my house down.  Lesson:  have your fireplace sweep and cleaned on a regular basis....and get your fireplace a "cap". 

In five days I will be turning 70 years YOUNG.....moving into the seventh decade of my life!   And I never thought I'd be where I am in my life at this age.  So many crazy situations have happened to me in my 69th year and I now find myself living alone, managing an art gallery, creating my own art 24/7, teaching myself to weave, making my way through life by myself and I'm beginning to enjoy doing just that.  It's like I'm starting all over again by turning 70.  I'm not sure how a person is supposed to feel being 70, but I feel fairly good.

I decided to create this blog to put a voice to situations I encounter and post my opinions on current events and newsworthy situations that we all encounter.  I also like to research ideas and learn new things as I go along and I hope to put them out there for others to enjoy reading and maybe spark good conversation in doing so.

I have two blogs....the first I've been posting information about my art career; all the ups and downs along the way.  This second one will be more about what it's like to be in your seventh decade; the ups and downs of aging in this society of young robust people.  The struggle of being digital and up on the latest technologies, when we were raised without any of these devices.  The differences in the way I was brought up and the way my children and my grandchildren raise their children.  The gap is large and sometimes things need to be examined as to whether it's right or wrong or if there is anything to say about it at all.

I won't post every day...I don't want to devote my time to sitting in front of a computer/keyboard that much.  I will try to be thoughtful and considerate, but sometimes I do get a little opinionated and if I offend someone, I offend.  We can always agree to disagree and continue on as friends.  It's worked this long for me, why not longer.

So, I officially start another blog as I'm doing it for myself and those who read this can continue to read, think about stuff and if you have the desire, comment back.
ag
Louise  10/22/16