Author: swansroost

Today, my first day of retirement, is the first day of the rest of my life. I am building. Kayaking is my passion. I ride road bike, and snowshoe. My blog will be driven by paddle, peddle, and plodding. I am an artist. My projects will appear on my blog, along with comments and stories. I enjoy cooking and have often felt that I could offer a different perspective on food. So my blog will be about food. I'm told I can write. We shall see.

Grateful and Inspired

Yesterday I went to NY in Bloom at the fabulous Empire State Museum with my first born and one of her besties.  The museum is a gem right here in Albany, NY.

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Such talent and imagination was inspirational.

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My fingers are itching to get in the dirt and make things grow.  I remind myself to be patient.  The wheel is turning and soon enough it will be time.

Already I see the changing path of the sun in the shadows and dancing lights on my walls.  The birds songs herald the new Spring.

 

Process and End Result

Sometimes need trumps simple creation.  In this case I needed a “safe” and consistent (lack of retention requires repetitive actions) location for my phone, ipad, or Kindle to rest while I am immersed in the creative process.  And so, the “Phone Throne.”

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On Retention, Focus, and The Creative Process

re·ten·tion – rəˈten(t)SH(ə)n/  noun   1)  the continued possession, use, or control of something.  “the retention of direct control by central government”  2)  the fact of keeping something in one’s memory.  “the children’s retention of facts”  3) the action of absorbing and continuing to hold a substance.  “the soil’s retention of moisture” 
fo·cus – ˈfōkəs/  noun  synonyms:  center, focal point, central point, center of attention, hub, pivot,nucleus, heart, core, cornerstone, linchpin, cynosure, focal point, point of convergence   1)  the center of interest or activity.  “schools are a focus of community life”  “this generation has made the environment a focus of attention”  2) the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition.  “his face is rather out of focus”  
verb 1)  (of a person or their eyes) adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly.  “try to focus on a stationary object”  2)  pay particular attention to.  “the study will focus on a number of areas in Wales”
Based on the above definitions it would appear that my continued lack of focus and retention are in direction partnership with my creative process!  Boom.

One Person’s Junk

Tomorrow I go back to work, coming off a glorious October weekend of unprecedented warmth and sunshine. I had a successful yard sale. At least it was a success in my mind. I made nearly $200. The last sale I had, 8-10 years ago, grossed me $20. So, I consider this one a vast improvement. Of course I gave away more than I sold but really it’s about getting rid of it –  finding a good home for “stuff.”

The Ren Fest dresses I made for my daughter and myself in 2001, or was it 2002 (?) sold for $5 each. You can bet that I spent more than that on the dress patterns alone. But, the woman I sold them to has a cousin who runs the Hudson River Shakespeare Co. and my dresses will be on stage!

I sold a cook stove and XC skis to my veterinarian. I told her I was selling the cook stove because it was too big to backpack with. We chatted for a bit and she invited me to go backpacking with her. She assured me she would carry the stove! LOL

A guy asked me if I had any license plates, of all things. Funny that, I happen to have two. In my kitchen. Both were unearthed from my horse barn when it was demolished 6 years ago. They are from 1918. When I told the guy his eyes lit up. I told him they were probably not for sale but asked how much they were worth anyhow. He wouldn’t give me a price…I also pulled an old tin sign advertising chewing tobacco from the barn. The sign says 10 cents a box. That is in my kitchen next to the license plates.

Another guy dressed in camo from head to toe asked if I had any pictures.  He was setting up an apartment down the street and needed wall art.  I hadn’t put anything out but I told him to “watch the shop” and I ran in side and pulled out a numbered print of ducks flying over a marsh in the snow.  I won it probably 20+ years ago at a Ducks Unlimited fund raising dinner.  It hadn’t cost me a penny as I was a volunteer at the dinner and got in for free.  I had been holding it for years because it was numbered, but it never appealed to me.  The guy loved it!  He said, “I’m a hunter.”  No, really?

He then proceeded to ask me how to clean a mattress that he was picking up at a second hand store downtown.  Umm, yuck.

I was surprised what sold and what did not.  One mans trash is truly another’s  treasure.  Everybody wins.  Including  Mother Earth because it’s not in a landfill some where.

 

Early Morning and The State of My World

Often times the early morning hours bring to me profound thoughts and brilliant ideas. All of this occurs before coffee. By the time I walk the dog, shower, and dash out the door all of that brilliance is buried somewhere deep in my mind, perhaps never to resurface.

This crisp, Autumn Friday morning the dark sky was filled with sparking stars. My dog, in his innocent demand to simply be loved, inspired in me the desire to love. To love, not only my dog, but the entire Human Race – even the Bad Guys. Because unconditional, pure, love trumps all. In the early morning hours I felt it and know this to be true. Thanks, my dog.