At 20, we worry about what other people think of us.
At 40, we don’t care about what other people think of us.
Weekend Cheer from The Queens of Quite-a-Lot
At 60, we realize they haven’t been thinking about us at all!
And, I think that’s a very good thing. Happy Friday.
RISK ~ That’s my word for 2013 and as I said, I’m going for it. Damn the torpedoes and all that.
I decided to jump right in and sign up for not one but two creative classes. They are online and they are both fabulous. Great inspiration, ideas I can put to use immediately and daily and weekly projects that are already moving me out of my comfort zone. I’m loving every minute. Old dog + new tricks = grand new adventures!
One of my goals for 2013 is to step into the blogging world in a whole new way. I’ve got some big plans to hatch and lots of work to do. I am excited to go down this path wherever it leads.
Everyday Magic is a photography class led by blogger, photographer and creative living inspiration, Tammy Strobel. Tammy and my classmates from all over the world are helping me see the magic in so many of the everyday moments I have overlooked or taken for granted as I rushed through my days. It is just so darned cool.
The second class is called Juicy Blogging with writer, editor and blogging pro, Britt Bravo. I just started a couple of days ago and I have already learned and tried so many new ideas I am about to burst with enthusiasm. I know I will be much better blogger as I begin to share our Just a Backpack adventures with a larger audience.
Both classes have daily lessons. Today at Everyday Magic our theme was “A Day in the Life”. Britt’s writing assignment was to do a blog post that contained mostly photos. Sounded like the makings of a fun blog post to me.
Here’s how it played out…
Oprah was waiting for me when I opened the mailbox so we decided to go on an adventure together. (well I decided)
Driving Ms. Oprah.
Lunch? Why yes. We both had the apple/goat cheese salad.
A quick trip downtown to Union Station to pick up a friend. Oprah rode on the dash to catch a better view.
Oprah loves a good sale. Me too!
See’s chocolate? Of course! Let’s get a one pound box and eat it on the drive home.
Perfect ending to a perfect day. Starbucks, tea, chocolate and a little bit of Oprah wisdom. It was my very own Oprah Ahhh! Moment.
These classes are gifts I gave to myself. They fit me perfectly and have already brought me hours of joy. New sweater? Don’t really need one. Meeting new people and making a few synapses fly in my brain? Now that’s a gift that will last a lifetime.
What gifts have you given yourself lately? If not…what are you waiting for? You deserve it. Just like me.
I’ve got nothing to say. Really. I’ve been trying to think of something brilliant, witty, inspiring, informational, heart warming to post for days. But…I’ve got nothing. I’d call it writer’s block, but that would mean I’d have to call myself a writer. Which I definitely am not able to do. I have a blog in which I share a few of my random thoughts… but, I am not a writer. I am SO sure of this it’s crazy. I know writers. Some very good ones. I am in awe of people who have their magic way with a word or a phrase. Those folks WRITE. Me, I blog. Works for me. I never thought of myself as a writer and honestly as I was as surprised as anyone when I went home one afternoon after lunch with a couple of friends (thanks again Ingrid and Lois!), settled into my chair and set up Just a Backpack. Ideas flowed and words appeared on the page. The Force was with me. And so it’s probably as natural as the ebb and flow of the tides, that eventually I would find myself staring at a blank screen and think “This it. I’ve had my last idea. Written my last post. It was fun while it lasted. I’ve been expecting it.”
Last night I had a girl’s date with a friend and we went to hear Cheryl Strayed speak and read from her new bestselling book Wild – from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail. She was warm and funny and brilliant. And, she has known she was a writer since she was eight years old. And, still it took her 20 years to write this book. Because, sometimes…she had nothing. But she kept on writing. Picking it up, letting it go until she had completed her life changing story. Cheryl Stayed found herself again through an 1,100 mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail. She had lost her way, but not her compass – writing. And through her writing I felt her loss, her fear, her pain and her joy. For a few minutes as she read, I was right there with her. That’s what a writer does. Shares herself. And her stories.
So, I’m not a writer…or maybe I am. Maybe I never will be. Or maybe I will. I don’t really care. I’m just me and for whatever reason, at this moment as I’m trying to navigate the waters of change at 64, I do have a few stories to share and thoughts to explore. I think we’re all in this together. We all have stories and it’s in the sharing that we connect and learn and explore new ideas. So, let’s get on with it shall we?
Turns out I did have something left to say. And one more thing. Buy this book. I bought it last night and I’m only on page 30, but I am hooked already. Thank you Cheryl for sharing your story. I’m sure it will help me understand my own just a wee bit better.
It really tickles me when a lovely moment of serendipity strikes. You never know when you go out the door for a bite of lunch who you might meet. Well, that moment of serendipity struck today when I slipped down to Nordstrom Cafe for a quick mid-day break from the office. It was noon and the place was packed. I ordered my half salad – chicken/apple/walnut/feta – yum! and had to squeeze myself into a tiny table along the wall between two other tables. I settled in, put on my reading glasses and pulled out my current lunch time companion – 65 Things to do When You Retire.
It’s a compilation of essays from people like Jimmy Carter and Gloria Steinem and many lesser known but still very interesting and inspiring folks. They are true stories of people in retirement who found meaningful new opportunities. It’s sort of a user’s manual for making the most of your retirement. A few moments later, the lovely woman on my left (I believe her name was Carol) tapped my arm and asked “May I take a look at your book? I’ve just retired.” “Of course” I said and I passed the book over to her table. I then took the opportunity to introduce myself and share my newly acquired knowledge about retirement and traveling on the cheap. Carol was interested, excited and open to all of the possibilities and adventures ahead. I told her about the backpack and rollie plan and how I had come to be a blogger. I learned about her career as a teacher and her recent trip through Spain, Italy and France with her daughter who was sitting across the table. We chatted for quite a while about home exchange, house sitting opportunities and even WWOOFing. She was a sponge for information and I was thrilled that I had lots of ideas to share!
It was a lovely exchange with a truly lovely woman who, like so many of us, is excited and eager to get on with her new life. Carol, it was a true pleasure to have met you. I’m glad fate guided me to that tiny table in the middle. You brought a spark of joy to my afternoon. I hope we meet again somewhere out on the road. I’ll be the one with the backpack and the rollie.
Want to hear a secret? I love to rock out in my car. CD blasting, hands drumming, head bopping and lips moving in an all out sing-along. And I know all the words too. Tune? Well let’s just say people prefer that I sing alone. Yep, I’m that crazy old lady singing to herself in her SUV. You know the one. Oh, I know what they’re thinking when they pull up beside me at a stoplight and I do not care. I’m in my own little sound booth on wheels and laissez le bon temps rouler.
Today it’s warm and sunny. The sky is a brilliant blue and when I went out at lunch it just felt like a Jimmy Buffet kind of day. I slipped Beach House on the Moon into the CD 
player, turned the sound waaay up and we were rocking it all the way to the post office. Its been a while since Jimmy and I shared a song and I had forgotten that the old guy really is a poet – with his crazy lyrics that speak right your heart. Just when you need to hear them. The song Oysters and Pearls is one of my all time favorites. Thanks Jimmy for reminding me to get out there and go for all the gusto this Life has to offer. “Some make the world go round. Others watch it turn.” Guess which one I’d rather be. You too, I’m thinking.
Some people love to lead
Some refuse to dance
Some people play it safe
Others take a chance
It’s something more than DNA
That tells us who we are
Its method and magic
We are of the stars
Some never fade away
Some crash and burn
Some make the world go round
Others watch it turn
Still, it’s all a mystery,
This place we call the world
Most are fine as oysters
While some become pearls
I chopped the song up a bit to shorten it for this post. (sorry Jimmy) But, here’s the music and all the lyrics if you want to pour yourself a margarita and sing along.
It’s another almost Wordless Wednesday. Since I’m currently on day 7 of my 30 days at the gym, I’m looking for a little motivation to keep me going. Here’s what I found today ~ and I am beyond inspired! I am in awe.
Bette Calman, age 83 doing the peacock pose. She still teaches 11 classes a week.
Bernice Bates, age 91. Teaching yoga sine 1960.
Vera Paley, age 91. Currently teaches yoga to Alzheimers patients.
Tao Porchini-Lynch, age 93. Has been practicing yoga for 70 years.
With role models like this, I have no reason to not be in the gym every day for the next 30 days and beyond. It’s time for a Sun Salutation!
And that year? The year I arrived kicking and screaming into this world of, course. August 29, 1948 to be exact. So please bear with me because it seems I’ve been giving quite a bit of thought to birthdays and aging and how quickly the days are passing. Yikes! Not to be morbid. Just observing. Perhaps I’m just savoring a little of what has been and wondering what the future holds for the little girl below.
So I thought it might be fun to take a stroll down memory lane. Here’s what I dug up for 1948. As you can see, it wasn’t exactly a banner year (well except for me).
I share this birth year with a few notable (and notorious) folks like Alice Cooper, Kathy Bates, Richard Simmons, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Al and Tipper Gore, Prince Charles, Squeaky Fomme (remember her?) and Clarence Thomas.
What’s the point in looking backward? I’m not sure. Maybe it helps you put context to who you are when you understand where you came from. I don’t think I realized this for a long time. I was too busy looking forward. Planning for the future. These days I find myself in the most intriguing place. I am still looking forward with interest and anticipation. I’m excited to be planning a whole new chapter in retirement living, but I am also spending more time looking at where I’ve already been and holding all those special moments up to the light so I can see them clearly again (or really maybe for the first time) now that I have the time and the benefit of distance. Seeing that little girl on her horse somehow gives me a deeper understanding of the 64 year old woman I am about to become. I think it’s time I went out and bought myself a new beret. Yee Haw Cowgirl!
I’ve seen a lot of bloggers who follow a practice called Wordless Wednesday. One day a week they post only photos. Sometimes a picture really is worth 1,000 words. I was intrigued by the idea, so I thought I’d give it a try. I had a wee bit of trouble with the “wordless” part, so here’s my version… almost wordless Wednesday. Since my 64th birthday is sneaking up on me later this month, this one’s about Hope through the ages.
In my 40’s, Hope came in a jar…
In my 50’s, Hope merged with Wisdom…
In my 60’s, I still have Hope, but I really need a Miracle…
As for my 70’s and beyond, should I be lucky enough to get there? I think I’ll throw Hope and caution to the wind and let it all hang out. Something like this…
I’m sitting on the Amtrak waiting to pull out of Union Station in downtown Seattle. Car 9. Seat 2. Seems like the perfect time to reflect on a near perfect weekend getaway. Seattle is only three hours from Portland, but I find taking the train is so relaxing, especially when I’m traveling solo and a dear friend is picking me up at the end of the line.
I still romanticize riding the rails and, frankly, Amtrak is a world (or two) away from the glory days of train travel. These days, taking the train is pretty much like taking the Greyhound bus only the passengers aren’t as interesting and generally, they smell better. All things considered, the train is still a great way to go. It’s even better when you get to ride the ferry back and forth from Seattle to Pt. Townsend. What’s not to love about a state who’s ferry system is designated as part of the State Highway System? I love that! Thousands of people commute daily from the many surrounding islands into Seattle. Hundreds of them in their cars.
Seattle Skyline from the ferry
So, what does the perfect girls’ weekend look like when the friend you’re visiting lives in a small town in the Pacific Northwest? Something like this…
Spending time in the Rick Steve’s Travel Store and trying on his famous backpack and rollie all-in-one! I’m a huge fan of Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door travel.
Sipping hand crafted fermented cider at the Finn River Cidery.
Learning the art and science of home canning and making my first batch of dilly green beans for Sunday morning Bloody Marys. Yum!
Stopping at quaint little towns like this one ~ 
Drinking a few “Painkillers” – the official drink of the British Virgin Islands – and feeling rather pain free myself by the end of the evening.
Eating my body weight in fresh caught crab at dinner – my first ever Crab Louie. What rock was I living under that I missed this delicious treat all these year?
Cheering on the strong and the brave at the Hadlock Days Keg Toss at the Valley Tavern.
Hanging with good friends ~ Hours and hours of girl talk time. Laughing ourselves silly.
And, we certainly ended our weekend adventure in style … with not a cab in sight to take us from Pike Place Market to the Ferry Terminal (my friend) and the train station (me) we jumped into a four wheel/dune buggy style pedicab and our lovely driver Candy wheeled us away – wind in our hair, cars everywhere and two middle aged wild women laughing like crazy fools caught up in the sheer joy of the moment. Just the way I like it!
justabackpackandarollie 