Golden Moments

Golden Moment         E. Schoettler,  mixed media collage

This week has had many sides to it. Sad moments as I feel the loss of Jim during the octave of his anniversary.
And along with that some golden and sweet moments.

Last Sunday - March 6: Telling The Hello Girls at the Maryland Now Conference in Baltimore - especially introducing my grand-daughter to this world of women in action and having a chance to talk with women who are serving in the Maryland Legislature. Feeling reconnected with the "world" I first walked into in 1972.

Tuesday - March 8: Telling a different version of Pushing Boundaries at the American University Museum in the Katzen Art Center. Beautiful building with all three floors of galleries showing exhibitions of work by women artists. IMPACT, the show organized by the Women's Caucus for Art to honor the women who had been awarded WCA Lifetime Achievement Awards for the past 35 years.  I had changed parts of the performance to feature more about the Washington Women's Arts Center and the early days of the Women's Caucus for Art and the Coalition of Women's Art Organizations. I was so glad artist Lucy Blankstein was there - she and I met at the Washington Women's Arts Center and we share that history. And, it is a special history  - - - My son Jim asked me last night, "did you record it?" He was quite irked when I admitted that I hadn't done that. Oops.
But I will -

Thursday March 10 I attended (virtually) a free webinar with Michael Hyatt on the internet - and it was well-worth the time. He is aggressively pushing out his new book "Living Forward" so the content of the webinar featured the content on planning your life that he has written about in his book
I like his approach and he has a wonderful, warm and approachable  manner in his presentation. I had not known of him until this - and evidently he is well-known and highly respected in the field. His advice is sound and valuable. Some notes remind me of things  I heard on Stephen Covey tapes in the late 80s and early 90s. He too reminds you to start your plan at the end - where do you want to be in ten years or how do you want to be remembered at the end of your life. "We are all going to die", he says in very calm voice that suggests you keep listening.

So I am looking at how I can plan whatever years I have ahead - making reasonable goals not lists and thinking what in my life really is important  - - so I can follow through with the important and not be distracted by the urgent. Its all in the choices, isn't it.

If you are curious, google MichaelHyatt.com. I am glad I did.

Friday March 11 - a few of us went to the 5:30 PM Mass for Jim at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament. As we strolled up the walkway to enter the church we were welcomed by a loud chorus from the top of a near-by tree - one determined bird singing his heart out with all his breath. The trilling bird song insistently filled the air  - we stopped to admire and listen. Jimmy and I took iPhone portraits.
It was lovely moment - - a God wink.