Radio, Poetry, Party and Viewing Everything as an Experiment

BRUNCH PARTY!

Yesterday I hosted a small brunch gathering to celebrate our friend Franny, who just finished a Master's program, while simultaneously teaching nursing students full time at Southern Oregon University.

I watched with awe as Franny persisted through months of grueling academic and teaching demands. I saw how difficult it was for her, and how she continued on with determination in the midst of her weariness.  I worried about her health and wellbeing. And when she finished the Master's program, leaving her with only a full time teaching schedule, I wanted to celebrate her significant accomplishment.

Our small group had a wonderful time together. We talked about healing, healthy food, teaching and learning. It is always so nourishing to gather with friends, and it's good to celebrate whenever possible, too. Celebrating lifts us up.
 
Here is the guest of honor with a gorgeous orchid that one friend brought as a gift to her. Those flowers suit her. She is a wonderful and amazing woman who worked as a hospice nurse for 20 years and now gives the benefit of her wisdom, caring and humor to nursing students.  And she really loves her work. How wonderful.


I WON A POETRY PRIZE!

Our local OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Center) sponsored a contest focused on poetry about aging.  I won an award for "Sex after Sixty" one of the 20 songs in our musical revue A New Wrinkle. Here's my award!

Darn it, I couldn't attend the award ceremonies and another poet read my poem there. I would have loved to hear Patty Wixon read the lyrics as a poem. It is always so interesting to hear how others share one's work.

I wish I could have been there to enjoy the festivities and hear other people's poems. With any luck, this could become an annual event at OLLI. I'm really hoping that it will be repeated next year.

Not only was my poem recognized, I was gifted with a beautiful book of womens' poetry titled "A Fierce Brightness." I am looking forward to reading it.

You can listen to an mp3 of "Sex after Sixty" in its musical form by clicking the link here.


RADIO INTERVIEW ON CONSCIOUS AGING

It was great fun to talk with Deb Reger the other day. Deb does a show called Moccasin Tracks at at Goddard College's community radio station WGDR.  We talked about social and personal attitudes towards aging, activism, the role of the elder, and more.

The conversation is available as a podcast. Here is the link:  podcast of the radio interview about conscious aging  in case you would like to take a listen to what we shared.

HOME, GARDEN AND SONGS

I decided to leave the crepe paper streamers up at home for a few days because my friend Anne will be returning soon after more than a month away, and I think she will enjoy being greeted with the festive feeling that the streamers provide.

I planted a few more seedlings yesterday. Now I have kale, arugula and spinach sprouting. Today I will add more compost to some of the garden beds.

I am also planning to spend some time working on two songs--the last song for our musical revue, and lyrics for a song that will be used in an upcoming crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo. We almost got one of those campaigns going late last year, but then postponed it. So we still have that in the works.

EVERYTHING IS AN EXPERIMENT

It's freeing to look at things that way, with what one commentator calls a "growth mindset."  And looking at everything as an experiment is especially useful when dealing with disappointments, mistakes and failures. It takes a lot of experimenting to come up with successful responses, events, experiences, etc. It takes a fair amount of failure. As Winston Churchill once said:

"Success is not final,  failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."

My upcoming workshop "The Adventure of Spirited Aging" aroused no response in the local populace! Aw shucks.  I am cancelling it. I was sad about cancelling  it on and off for days, but now I am letting it go.  I love doing workshops, but the time has not yet arrived for this one, it seems.

"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor," Truman Capote said.  I know that it is true. 

Hope that all your experiments are going well and that your life is opening up like a beautiful flower.