Isolation with Mozart

To get you in the mood for a beautiful walk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhLO3qnLWR0

Piano Concerto No. 21, Andante (Elvira Madigan)  ...  much loved Mozart piece

Sirius Cove, the closest harbour beach to home, is the beginning of a fabulous walk around the foreshores to Taronga Zoo.  A walk such as this inspired 'Mosman Meanders and foreshore flavours' and still does, with its rich history and natural beauty.  

Our foreshores beckon

Child and dog-friendly - the beginning of the foreshore walk to the zoo.

Babyboomers relish in moment in Balmoral swim

Hi there
What a great day - the photos say it all!
Overheard from "We can beat cancer" participants - "Relish the moment - can you believe you are here doing it? Be proud because you are amazing."
Makes me wish I was doing it too.

Claire
ps - by the way - there were people of all ages particiapating  including children and some  in their 80's, many of whom swim every day.

To view or add comment, click on "no comment" - you can comment as 'anonymous' if you don't have a google account; or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au or visit my website at www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

Today is my birthday. Am I coping?

Hi Babyboomers
Today is my birthday - dangerously close to being unacceptable.

 

Am I coping? Yes, I have several strategies in place, of which 'denial' is the most effective. 

Seriously, however, involvement in something I love is what makes me happy that I have lived beyond the years that my parents and sister did.  Reinvention is another fantasic way to beat the years - recently I published a book  - weelll OK - "Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours" which I'll no doubt tell you about.  It has kept me busy for over two years and is now out there, doing OK.  How about that?  So I could tick 'Author' off the list but believe that writing is in my blood.

 

Now marketing it is keeping both my husband and myself busy. 

I can actually talk about him here - his name is G, with the reason I can, being that he "doesn't understand or read blogs".  

 

G gave me his presents weeks ago - a bike and helmet.  I'll tell you about the bike in another post - it has a little electric motor to help go up the many steep hills around the foreshores.  I'm actually quite nervous since I've fallen off twice, just need to practice. 

The day started with a coffee at a favourite cafe at Balmoral  and joined in the buzz created by the Balmoral Braves, a group of icebergers who swim all year round and reward themselves after the swim  with coffee and camaraderie. 

 

We are going out to dinner tonight to 'celebrate' at one of our local French Vietnamese restaurants which I'm told has lots of lovely little tasty courses. I spent the rest of the day catching up with blogging since writing a book is a demanding task.   

 

So it's been a good day with phone calls from friends and family -

 I'm going to end my session by  starting a new book.  A wonderful new friend (another strategy) says, "You must always have a painting on the go, or a book etc, because you can't die until you finish it."

Clara

 

 

To view or add comment, click on 0 comments at bottom of page - you can comment as 'anonomous' on the dropdown menu; or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au or visit my website at www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

Relaxing in January

Hi Babyboomers
I hope you are relaxing and taking it easy. 

Had a lovely time but this is how I felt after Xmas

We spent a few recovery days at Nambucca Heads which is a delightful, relaxing coastal destination about a 5 hour drive north of Sydney. I'll let the video below take you there.   Click on the arrow.  Clara

To view or add comment, click on comments at bottom of page or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au or visit my website at www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

I find myself more than ever drawn to the comfort of creating

Hi Babyboomers
I thought you might relate to this blog from my rediscovered and clever friend, Renotta, known as R. She wrote, "In these difficult times with so much unrest, destruction and sadness I find myself more than ever drawn to the comfort of creating



May you weave joy and happy memories

 "I hadn't worked at my loom for several years, but something was drawing me to it again. I admit I was afraid that the years of neglect would somehow have taken its toll, and I would not be able to weave. But with a little bit of loving care, some drops of oil, and a quick refresher from weaving 101, I was back at it. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the whole process; winding the shuttles, listening to the rhythmical sound of the harnesses and watching the fabric grows row by row, inch by inch.

I'm weaving with hand dyed wool yarns in a simple twill pattern. My plan is fabric for a coat, but who knows. At this stage it doesn't really matter. Just the fact that I am weaving again makes me happy. From where I sit, I can see everything much more clearly.
In the loom of life may you weave joy and happy memories.  R






ps - R has a jeans store in Milwaukee called Shop at Next Door, and creates fabulous pieces to go with jeans, all of which are available on-line.  http://www.shopatnextdoor.com/
ClaraTo view or add comment, click on comments at bottom of page or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au or visit my website at www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

Bright and Creative Women of the 70's Enjoying Retirement

Dear Babyboomers

R wrote "I never thought of myself as a liberated woman but more as a lucky woman. I set up my first little shop back in the 70's when most women were just starting to think about working outside the home. I always said it was more of a women's center than a shop. We gathered around tables and talked over looms about much more than spinning and weaving.

Just recently a woman came into my store and purchased one of my knit shrugs. As the sale progressed we discovered that she was an old customer from the niddy noddy. She said "the niddy noddy ascended on Waukesha like shining light, only to disappear too soon." I thought about that alot. It did disappear as all the bright and creative women went back to school and out into the workplace. There was suddenly no time for the crafts that had brought US all together. I miss US."


Clara - The Niddy Noddy was a shining light and I have missed it ever since. Yes it was much more than a shop - it was a chance to communicate with other women whilst working on a craft, such as women have done for centuries.


http://www.babyboomerconnections.com.au/ Excerpt from my site re Babyboomer women communicating by blogging or better still cogging.



"What we have to pass on to the next generation, and to the world situation, is valuable.

Women, traditionally, have met and communicated, in groups to make a quilt, or meet a community need.
We "liberated" ourselves but have we really? We still yearn for the old fashioned / meaningful chat especially when we are older, because, being 'herd animals' we need the village spirit. We had a foot in both camps, our mother and father's generation giving us our basic roots with the Women's Movement changing the whole scene."

I too, consider myself to be lucky, not only to live in this time when, as women, we enjoy having many choices, but I sometimes wonder if we have also given up some precious aspects, which fortunately we can now enjoy in our retirement - if we do it right!
Cheers Clara

Unable to copy photo - "Singing in the Rain"



To view or add comment, click on comments at bottom of page

New Year Resolutions

Hi Gentle Boomers
Prime time for bloggers to start tapping away, as the year draws to a close.

I actually like New Year better than Christmas, which has far too many expectations for my liking. New Year's Eve provides me with a greater sense of hope for the future, as one door closes metaphorically and another one opens with fresh new good intentions. Speaking of which, my New Years Resolution is to lighten up and release my 'Inner Dragonfly' - Prosperity and harmony - skilful action while maintaining a free and joyful sense of being. I attempted this process last year but I am new at this retirement stage and am not quite there.

2009 to me, doesn't merit any more discussion except that we seem to have gone full circle and that the world in general will benefit from a correction.
I scanned the papers for inspirational articles of which there were plenty. I'll leave all the really important events to others and concentrate on the ones which caught my eye (dragonfly like.)
'First Flush of Boomers Line up for Pensions', where our rapid ageing is causing general panic (what about us - we're the ones who have to put up with all these ageing emails which graphically describe our ongoing downward spiral?!) I am going to put a ban on such emails because to be quite honest the older I get the less amusing they are.

I have already outlived (agewise)the women in my family ie my maternal grandmother, my mother and my sister, with the paternal side of the family holding out more hope of longevity with my grandfather receiving a telegram from the queen when he turned 100. I don't even feel much older and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up! So, my state of denial is working very well thank you. Besides with stem cell procedures such as "Cells that turn into teeth spell doom for dentures" who knows what will be available in our lifetime.

Then the article in the SMH re "Man-cave manoeuvres" which highlights 'Because males process information internally they benefit from a place for quiet contemplation' - and informs us that real estate agents recognise the need for a special room to accommodate all of his manly belongings, an update of the study. Apparently, according to Hugh McKay we are increasingly staking our own spaces, as if the Information Revolution hasn't transformed our lives enough with people spending more and more time on computers, email and mobile phones and less on face to face relating.

Our relationships with each other have tended to become more complicated - "Court upholds parenting orders for lesbian partner" - the court found that the de facto partner was not live-in at the time of the artificial conception - and ordered that the mother have sole parenting responsibility but that the child spend time with the ex de facto partner.

Finally, the advice on "Learning how to use leisure well" seemed topical, "We engage in activities that do not bring us enjoyment and lasting satisfaction", and suggests we give more thought as to how we make the most of it. Pursue your passions and interests by doing the things we most value and enjoy - watch less TV, give shopping a miss, instead read a good book, visit new places, meditate and get plenty of physical exercise. Sounds good so get off the computer Clara.

Hope you all have a relaxing, satisfying holiday pursuing your passions and interests, and may 2010 be a better year for us all.

Cheers Clara