Catching Up with the Over 60’s Me
Today I focus on three main activities from this month. These three areas of interest have something in common: Spring. I have been looking forward to the signs of spring that tell me that it is warm enough to sow seeds directly into the ground and plant out little seedlings. I watched for the hawthorn blossoms which are an indicator that the ground has warmed up sufficiently. These white blossoms are also referred to as the May flowers. It is said that when you see the May flower you can pack out your summer wardrobe or “Ne’er cast a clout till May be out,”
Spring Action in My Garden.
My garden is situated on almost a 30 degree slope so I have beautiful views of the river and the hills across the valley. It is terraced into three main areas with a path running down the middle of it. My compost bins are at the very bottom and my house at the top. So when I garden I get to walk up and down the hill all the time. I count it as part of my exercise. I have longed to be outside since January as I feel addicted to gardening, being in the garden and nature. Every chance I get I am outside. I like working with the earth, sowing seeds, planting plants, caring for them, come rain or sun when the earth smells so alive. Being outside with the birds is a delight too. Part of my garden experience includes getting to know the birds and their calls. I whistle back at them practicing what I hear. The black bird and I have long conversations.
Getting My Fitness Back
Some of you might know that I was not able to go out walking in the cold winter air here in Scotland and my fitness dropped but now that spring is warmer I have been able to go walking in the local village and of course walking my little hill while gardening helps too. The longest walk I have done this spring so far is 20 minutes, until this past Sunday….
On Sunday 31 st of May, Derek walked the St Cuthbert’s walk with some friends of ours: it was 19.312 km or 12 miles. It took around 4 hours. He was walking with retired seniors and he was the youngest at 63. I and two others walked back from the end of the walk at Melrose to meet them. It was a shorter walk but it was uphill most of the way. We walked for 2 hours and it was 10 km or 6. 5miles. The prior walking activities has definitely made me fitter. Both Derek and I were really tired afterwards but I think I did pretty well considering my health constraints in the past few years.
I am not one of those ‘over 60’s’ who want to look 40 nor do I obsess about staying young like many do at the moment, but I do want to keep up my fitness: balance, agility and strength, so that I can continue living a healthy and happy lifestyle. I am hope that my lungs get stronger and I acclimatize fully to Scotland’s cold winters. My lung function test is the best it’s been in the last 3 years.
Inspiration For My Art
Spring time in my garden has been an inspiration for my art as well. At the end of April I mentioned, in my post Reconnect, that I was going to work on a mandala, a round image saying:
‘My mandalas are not religious but rather deep expressions of thoughts and ideas that I have been turning over in my mind. They often have symbols of personal meaning woven into them. My newest mandala is no different.’
Self-assertion was my chosen theme. It soon coincided with me planting out my broad beans and French runner beans. So I began a little handmade book made by me from 300gr paper. The process includes images which I drew on each page using mix media, starting with broad beans and soon I shifted through ever increasing pattern designs. I didn’t mind about the change as I know all is good when it comes to the creative process. I then diverted and chose to play around with coffee stains.
Here is how you can do coffee stain images too
I made up my ‘coffee stain’ by mixing up a heaped spoon of coffee grounds and a table spoon of hot water. You apply the coffee onto your page by any unconventional means: flicking, dabbing, dropping from a short distance will do. Once you have blobs of liquid coffee on your page you can move the blobs about, again through any unconventional approach, such as blowing with a straw, tilting the page around, sticks, feathers, rolling marbles over the page and whatever else takes your fancy. After the image dries have a look at what might appear or come up for you. You can enhance the image you finally see with colours or adding more lines.
I must confess I was unimpressed with my initial image, but my intuition bid me ‘wait and look.’ As I quietened my mind I looked with my artist’s eyes and I began to see two females whirling in a free dance. That is how I came up with the woman in the next set of images that I created. She is my great aunt who became my grandmother after my grandmother died (two weeks after I was born). Aunty Carry – I called her. Now she might be part of my mandala.
I said in the Reconnect post the mandala should take about 2 months – maybe it will – one month has past now – maybe it will take a little longer. I don’t mind. I have a feeling that Aunty Carry is morphing into a character which may stay on after the mandala.
This next month has already started with a gigantic push to finish the guestroom as Derek’s family come to stay with us from the 22nd of June. I don’t know how much art I will do as I have to pack up my art in the logistics of getting things ready.
Take Care
~Morag Noffke~
Morag Noffke 