Weaving

This is a simple project that requires just a bit of prep time putting together the base, which consists of some light, plastic fencing edged with duck tape.  For two of the edges I used a plastic edging that someone donated to our project stash.

I did the prep work at home and then took the edged pieces, along with pieces of ribbon and other simple embellishments, to our Tuesday activity group.  Because we used the plastic with the larger holes it was rather simple for the residents to weave the ribbon.  We did have some rather wide ribbon, which we cut down the middle to make sure that all of the ribbon strips were a bit narrower than the holes.

The actual size of the base we used was about 12x15.  The residents wove along the 12 inch length, making each row quite manageable.  Because we added flowers and butterflies the finished projects will be hung on resident's doors to encourage warm spring weather to hurry along.

Oops

The other day, while visiting dad at the nursing home, another visitor that I've come to know stopped by with news and pictures of a new granddaughter. There were smiles and excitement as we marveled over the peaceful smile on the babies face and the amount of beautiful, dark hair.  I enjoyed the pictures and handed them back to the new grandmother, who then handed them to the CNA who was there.

It was only after they left with the pictures that I realized that none of us had thought to share the pictures with the two residents who were sitting with us at the table.  Even though it was the memory care unit, both were women who are communicative and known to all of us.  But there they sat, smiling as we talked about the baby, but not included in the picture viewing or conversation.

How sad that we so unconsciously contribute to making the senior population invisible.  So sad that we've also taken away their voices.  A number of years ago there was an uproar over security cameras in senior care facilities.  The argument against them was that they would infringe on the privacy of the residents.  Perhaps they could also be the eyes and the voice for the residents, documenting their lives for our edification and/or education.  Sometimes it's just too easy not to see.

Unhook Your Buttons

There are some wonderful advantages to aging.  For one thing, aging keeps a person from the option.  When an elderly relative of mine would lament, "Don't get old!" I would always ask, "What's the option?"  Aging means you haven't yet experienced that option and there's still time to clean out the junk drawer, or whatever you see as necessary in order to fulfill your personal definition of success.

The other advantage of aging is the gift of time which offers the opportunity to develop perspective.  The word, impossible, can morph into the words, I'm possible.  And then there's that blessed gift of time that allows us to better understand our most interesting selves.  We get to see, if we're brave enough to look, our quirks and foibles, but also our strengths and beauty.

In the foible department, I've finally come to recognize some of my personal buttons.  You know, those things that annoy the dickens out of me.  My hot buttons.  What those actual buttons are is irrelevant.  How I react when one is pushed becomes the issue.  You know those discussions that are like a hamster on a wheels.  They go round and round and never get anywhere, and yet we engage in them because...?  Beats me.

So what, I asked myself, would happen if instead of reacting to one of my favorite protagonist's annoying remarks (am I biased, or what!) I simply smiled.  What if I responded with, "That's an interesting way to look at things."  Another smile.  I'm here to tell you that it drives that particular friend absolutely crazy!  It also slows me down enough to listen and sometimes find out that they do have an interesting way of looking at some things.  Emphasis on the words interesting and some.  I'm not yet in the running for sainthood.

So try unhooking some of your hot buttons with the people in your life.  It will give you more energy to develop the you that you long to become before this age thing runs out.  And it will drive those disagreeing people crazy!

What You See Is What You Get

Visions of Spring to Come

Time for a motivational speaker that will knock your socks off?  Go to TED.com and under speakers look for Caroline Casey.  This is a woman who was fortunate enough to have her parents lie to her, if omission is a form of lying.

Once again, her story supports the adage that we live into our beliefs no matter how askew they might be of what other people consider "reality".  This short video makes me wonder if reality should be ranked right next to normal.  Two very interesting words.

A word of caution.  If you Google Caroline Casey the first listings you'll come up with are for Caroline Casey of Coyote Network, a visionary activist.  OK.  I've had the experience of hearing this Caroline Casey present at a conference I attended and she was another rattle your beliefs type presenter.  But if you scroll down about a half dozen listings you'll see the Caroline Casey TED listing.

Great viewing while waiting for spring to burst forth.  Come on, Spring!

Disclaimer:  One of my creative writing teachers said that I was not allowed to capitalize the word, spring, unless my name was Emily Dickinson.  So much for obeying all the rules.  I repeat.  Come on, Spring!

Meeting Patti

In my last post I referenced a book, "Life is a Verb," by Patti Digh.  By checking her blog I found out that Patti was scheduled to speak in various large cities around the United states, and also in Menomonie Wisconsin, a town of about 14,000 people and numerous cows.  Serendipitously, Menomonie is but a four plus hour drive from my home and on the way to Minneapolis.  Is this making any sense to you?  Hold on!

The night of Digh's presentation in Monomonie was the night before my husband and I were planning a weekend in Minneapolis.  There's more!  My husband is a truck driver who drives to Minneapolis and back.  He would actually be in the area the morning after the presentation and maybe (big maybe) he could convince the company he drives for to allow him to leave their semi-trailer at a truck stop for the weekend.  We could then meet the morning after the presentation and save hundreds of miles of driving.  Of course they wouldn't let him leave a trailer for the weekend, I thought.  But of course, they did.

Early in my reasoning process (does this sound like I was being reasonable?) I almost brushed aside the possibility of hearing an author that I greatly admire.  How foolish.  I continue to learn that stepping into plans nudges things into place.

Patti Digh was beautifully marvelous.  The first 100 attendees received a free copy of her new book, "Creative is a Verb".  Yes, I did.  I also purchased "Four Words Self Help: Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives" and "What I Wish for You: Simple Wisdom for a Happy Life".  I also learned that life presents itself in response to effort.  That's a really big thought that's going to take a bit of time to process.

Thanks to Patti for the beautiful evening, to the company that allowed one of its trailers to park for the weekend, and to my husband for stepping into these plans with me.  A good time was had by all!

Lightening Up

I just held a garage sale.  The idea for this event came to me through a number of happenings in my life.  First, I attended a presentation by a feng shui practitioner who encourages people to rid themselves of 90% of their possessions.  Her question behind this suggestion is, do you own your things or do your things own you?  Upkeep and storage of items caused me to use my energy on things I didn't necessarily want to be doing.

I did not hit the 90% goal with my sale.  I aimed for 50% and hit about 20%.  But even at the 20% mark my husband and I notice a new calmness in the house.  We now have space to breathe.  Things I seldom or never used no longer take up space.  Did I really need 6 pie plates when I never bake pies?  I saved my favorite pie plate for quiche baking, but a rectangular pan would work just as well, especially with a crustless quiche.

The second catalyst for my garage sale came from reading and mulling over the book, "Life is a Verb" by Patti Digh. The book is based on the time that Digh cared for her step-father during his 37 day end-of-life experience.  It was a mere 37 days from his diagnosis to his death.  She urges people to ask themselves about the important things in their lives - what they are and how to bring them front and center.

My goal this year is to simplify.  I'm also being more thoughtful with the use of my time and energy, allocating them to the people in my life and to those things that I always meant to get around to.  Spring sunshine and 20% less things to take care of seem to be a good start for me.