Emily Carr is just one of the talented artists on display in the Canadian Identity Gallery of the 100 Masters exhibit currently at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Read about some of my favorites in the gallery on my Destination Winnipeg site.
Recognize This Raven?
Recognize this Rembrandt?
Woman at her Toilet by Rembrandt 1633
Recognize this Rembrandt? Read all about it and some of the other great paintings on display right now as part of the 100 Masters exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. I’ve done my first blog post about this once in a life time exhibit on my Destination Winnipeg site.
Inside Publishing- Tips For Writers
I attended a writing conference at Winnipeg’s Millenium Library where I got some valuable advice from both writers and authors. Read all about it in my post Inside Publishing on Vast Imaginations the blog of my children’s authors’ group.
Thinking About Mothers at the Met
Mrs. Mayer and Daughter by Ammi Phillips 1835
When we visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last fall I was overwhelmed! I knew I couldn’t possibly see or study everything in the short time we’d be there. I needed a theme! It didn’t take long before I realized I was being drawn to all the intriguing representations of motherhood. I decided to take photos of any piece of art that depicted motherhood in some way. Here are a selection of my favorites.
Mothers nourish their children.
Mother and Child- Bamama People- Mali- 15th Century
Mothers teach their children
Jungle Tales by James Jebusa Shannon 1895
Mothers are role models for their children.
The Way They Live by Thomas Aushutz 1879
Mothers carry their children till they can walk on their own.
Mrs. Brindley Sheridan and Her Son- by John Hoppner 1797
Mothers create a home for their children.
Just Moved by Henry Mosler 1870
Mothers make their children feel beautiful.
La Coiffure by Picasso 1916
Mothers risk their lives for their children.
On To Liberty by Theodor Kaufmann- 1867
Mothers care tenderly for their children.
Mother and Child by Mary Cassatt 1899
Mothers share their delight in their children with their partner.
Conversation Piece by Lilly Martin Spencer 1851
Mothers encourage their children.
Madonna and Child by Filippino Lippi 1483
Mothers are their children’s protectors.
Latona and Her Children Diana and Apollo by William Rinehart 1870
Mothers work to provide for their children.
The Lacemaker by Nicolaes Maes 1655
Mothers establish meaningful rituals in their children’s lives.
Story of Golden Locks by Seymour Joseph Guy 1870
Mothers can do many things at once for their children.
Two Hands by Claudette Schreuders 2010
Mothers comfort their children.
A Young Mother by Bessie Potter Vonnoh 1896
Mothers have enough love for all their children.
Chloe Burrall Smith and Her Five Children by Ralph Earl 1798
Happy Mothers Day!
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What Artwork Reminds You of Home?
Being Relevant
“The most important thing for a human being is to be relevant,” says Henry Winkler the actor perhaps best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970’s television series Happy Days. The 67- year old Winkler made an appearance on the NBC Today Show in November. He was discussing a Broadway play in which he has a starring role. The interviewer asked him why at an age when many people slow down he was still working so hard. Mr. Winkler replied he loved every minute of his busy life and reflected on how important it is for human beings to continue to feel relevant no matter how old they get.
A friend talked about working in a nursing home over the Christmas holidays. He walked into the room of an elderly resident on Christmas Eve and found her crying. Although she required long term care her husband did not, so he still resided in their family home. A daughter lived in a distant city and had invited her father to visit for the holidays. He had decided to go, even though his wife couldn’t make the journey. In the past, Christmas gatherings had still been at the couple’s family house and the woman was able to leave the nursing home for the day to attend. Now she was alone while her family had their holiday reunion without her. “I’m not relevant to my family anymore,” she told our friend who had just experienced some family trauma of his own. He said he was also alone for the holidays. “Could you pretend to be my grandson just for today?” she asked. He agreed and after his shift was over returned to the woman’s room to talk and share a meal with the grandmother he’d adopted for Christmas.
Feeling relevant in our communities and our families is important. Having a necessary role to play in the lives of our parents, children, siblings or partner is healthy. It is rewarding to know someone else is depending on us even in a small way and that our presence in their life makes a difference. If we don’t have family members of our own, there are always people in the world looking for connections and support and we have the option to build reciprocal relationships with them that make us feel we are relevant
After our professional careers are over it is important to find avenues that will allow us to continue contributing to our communities as volunteers or part time workers. If we are lucky like Henry Winkler we may be able to find new opportunities to use our career gifts. I know I went through some struggles and detours after I retired, till I found opportunities to put my teaching skills to good use in places other than a public school classroom. Now I give tours to kids at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, mentor university students studying to be teachers, and I’m trying my hand at writing books for young people. It’s a good fit and makes me feel like I’m still a relevant educator.
I’m aware that as I grow older it may be more difficult to continue to feel relevant and it will require initiative and effort on my part to make relevance a reality, particularly if health problems complicate my life.
Patty Randall a Canadian writer and speaker with a popular website about aging says that doing something relevant is the key to a life that continues to be filled with passion and purpose.
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Filed under Reflections, Retirement
Learning to Cook
Dave and I took a cooking class last night! Read all about it on my Destination Winnipeg site.
Filed under Food, Italy, Restaurants, Winnipeg
Walking for Connie 2013
Just finished the 2013 MS Walk. You can read all about it on my Destination Winnipeg site.
