Travel!

Oh lovely spring has come at last, and the geese are mostly gone from our little fountain lake, and the trees are blooming. So pretty.





Mary, of Uncustomary, has asked us to write about Travel this month, but I forgot to post on the date that she assigned. So it goes.

I did, however, think about it a lot.

Here are a couple of photos from a couple of our trips, and my thoughts that this topic prompted.

I grew up in a neighborhood and a family where people didn't plan to go to Europe because they CAME from Europe. But I wanted to go travel there. I don't know why, but I did.

I wanted to learn lots of different languages and travel. I can remember thinking about this when I was 10 or 11 years old. Meanwhile, my friends were yelling at their mothers, "Speak English, Ma!"

I never thought I'd get to travel anywhere, other than our car trips to the neighboring state for my father to fish in some new lake or river, or when I was a bit older, cross half the country by train to see my older sister and her husband in California.

But by chance, I got a job that permitted me to go to far away places, and then later, my husband and I got to travel together.

We went to Denmark and Portugal, off the beaten path back in the day. And then we got to France, and Spain, and England, oh my. I loved it. Even later on we were fortunate enough to travel with our kids and spend weeks in a foreign city, soaking up the new and different, and other languages.

My husband received residencies and we were able to return many times to a wonderful studio in Paris, where we met artists from all over the world. We learned that we're all the same, not that we didn't know this, but we really got to experience that. I still think about it and how fortunate we've been to have had this. Amazing memories, and friendships that continue even over great distances.

Now I've added to my traveling in a different way, by sending out Mail Art

all over the world. 

This piece went to Marseille, to an exhibit about Mermaids.

If you've never left home, traveled some place different, I highly recommend it. You don't have to cross the seas or continents, just go to some place new nearby even, and just enjoy the experience. Or even, send Mail Art to people far away. Whatever you decided to do, it'll expand your mind.

Optimism!

The Kitties always dress in costume when they visit famous sites.

 Mary England of Uncustomary has set this month's theme as Optimism.

Perfect! If you ask any one that knows me they'll tell you that I'm an optimist, though I went through a period where I wasn't but that was temporary and unusual. Why am I optimistic? I have no idea, I wish I could tell you why. If I could I'd write a book and cure the world of pessimism. oh well.

 My parents were optimists, maybe that helps, being around people like that growing up. Or maybe it's in the DNA? I'm sure there are already books on this subject, probably lots of them, I haven't checked.

There's plenty to get down about, just read the news, watch TV, listen to the radio, all bad stuff that most of us can't do a thing about.

 I'm lucky! I can make stuff and that takes me away from the bad news into the state of bliss that fills me up with optimism.

And I can hang out with children in a fun way, like yesterday spending time with my friends' 6 year old. Wow, what fun that was to just have a conversation with him. Or spending lots of time looking at a photo album of baby photos with my grand, who just loves doing that. Lucky me.

 And then there's the cat, who helps us laugh and forget the bad stuff in the world. Lucky us. A moment to laugh!

Why is this bag so intriguing? He loves getting into it.

I got Mail Art the other day from someone in South Africa. On the outside it said "full," on the inside was a card that said "empty."  I guess optimism is the one that puts the focus on "full."

And here's a quote from Wendell Berry that says "optimism" to me:
"Be joyful /
though you have considered all the facts."

My wish for you - have a full day, full of things that will give you joy and a sense of optimism.

Productivity! for UncustoMary's query.

 Mary, of Uncustomary, has once again asked us to participate in a group theme.

When I was a younger person, I used to say "Someday, I'm going to get organized." My mother would say, in effect, don't count on it. Now that strikes me as so funny but at the time all I could think about is that if I were organized I'd be so much more productive.


What the heck is productivity, anyway? What does it mean, to me, to my mother back in the day, to you?
As a person who makes something everyday, I'm being productive, I'm producing something but nowadays it can be something small - like adhering a little vintage figure to a commercial postcard to alter it.

 I find that being productive can mean being quiet and thinking about things or ideas, or not being quiet and talking about things or idea.

If one takes this motto, this specific one being the motto for The Alternative Speakers Bureau, of which I'm a part, and uses it as a mantra, then productivity is not an issue.
What keeps one from productivity to my thinking, is the belief that what one produces has to be perfect - whether an object or an event or an idea for something.
Just make something every day, a small thing, make it a practice, and over a time you'll find yourself being productive, if that's what you want.