Inspirational Sunday

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

Preparation for Memorial Day

I received the following in email from a friend. It is so true!

It is
the
VETERAN,
not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
the
VETERAN,
not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
the
VETERAN,
not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
the
VETERAN,
not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is
the
VETERAN,
not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is
the
VETERAN,
not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.

It is
the
VETERAN
who salutes the Flag,

It is
the
VETERAN
who serves under the Flag

They make us proud to be Americans.

God bless them all!

Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER:
The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

…a Health Club for Your Mind. Body and Spirit!

Here are some facts About Community Service.

· All of us, at one time or another, have been a volunteer. Helping out at your child’s school, or your place of worship, or a community event, all that was volunteer work.

· President Jimmy Carter’s mother was 83 when she joined the Peace Corps.

· Mature Americans are the most active and well-informed when it comes to both politics and current affairs so they are the ones who are often seen as the community leaders and activists.

· A recent study indicated that 40% of Americans between the ages of 50 and 75 said they were “very interested” or “fairly interested” in half-time community service roles after they no longer worked full-time.

· More than 12,000 older volunteer executives offer advice and assistance to more than 300,000 small businesses through S.C.O.R.E.

· The experiential knowledge of mature adults is of tremendous value to our society.
· Mature volunteers are making more contributions in terms of dollar value to our society than what older Americans are getting back in support.

· An estimated 24 million adults over the age of 55 are serving as volunteers in our society and more would, if asked.

· Despite the multitude of people who share their time and talents, the needs of our communities far outweigh the work that is already being done.

Community Service Venues

Where in their communities are all these people volunteering? Here’s a short list.

· Day care centers
· Neighborhood Watches
· Public schools and colleges
· Halfway houses
· Community theaters
· Drug rehabilitation centers
· Fraternal organizations and civic clubs
· Retirement centers and homes for the elderly
· Meals on Wheels
· Church or community-sponsored soup kitchens or food pantries
· Museums, art galleries and monuments
· Community choirs, bands and orchestras
· Prisons
· Neighborhood parks
· Youth organizations, sports teams and after-school programs.
· Shelters for battered women and children
· Historical sites, battlefields and national parks

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…

In the words of Margaret Mead, If we look carefully, we cannot help realizing that virtually all the activities that make a town or part of a city into a community depend in one way or another on volunteers. I’ve given you some examples of ways you can help.

For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit http://www.learninglater.com/ You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at http://www.amazon.com/

Till Next Time…

Wednesday Aging in Place

On Wednesdays, Laurie Orlov, tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate will be sharing her insightful research on how seniors can safely and successfully live independent lives in the home of their choice.

With Video Chatting --
It's a Small World Afterall

There are a lot of video chat alternatives. Here are just a couple of them from the Mossberg Solution that shows how we can keep in touch with our family and friends around the block or around the world.

Skype Worth the Hype

Skype is a free program that must be downloaded onto your Windows PC or Mac. Users can create accounts with profile details about themselves including a photo and biographical information; these data can be set as visible to anyone or just authorized friends. Skype works for text chatting and voice-only chatting, as well as video chatting. One of the best features in Skype is its ability to let you share whatever is displayed on your computer screen with someone else by selecting a Share option. This comes in handy as a substitute for uploading numerous large files to a third-party service to share them with friends and family, especially if one party is traveling and has a slow connection. My sister and I use this remote access to share photos with each other, narrating as we share slide shows from our computers. Though some images appear a bit pixelated because of her weaker Internet connection, I get the point.

With Skype, users can put one video chat on hold to answer another one, like call waiting. This comes in handy for people who have several friends trying to talk to them at the same time when they're online.

Video Chat via Google

Google Video Chat can be downloaded if someone has a Gmail account. This video-chatting capability is an add-on for the Google Chat instant-messaging program, which runs in the Gmail home page or in iGoogle, so a Web browser must be opened to access this. Friends who are capable of video chatting (because they have a Webcam) are indicated with a small video-camera icon beside their names, and video chats can be initiated by opening options in the Video and More menu of a chat window.

Google Chat users who have AIM accounts can sign into AIM within the Google Chat program, combining all their friends into one neat list. I started using this feature the first time it was offered and can't remember the last time I opened AIM as a standalone program.

Special Effects Tuesday

This week we will be doing a series on Special Effects. These images were all created by my students at the community college where I teach. I continue to be charmed and inspired by the creativity of the people in my Emeritus classes!

Talent

"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work." ~Emile Zola

We all strive to find the strong suit for ourselves and our children, and then follow the path where that leads.

Betty Levy has always painted, but put her brushes aside to raise her family. When she came back to the easel it was with great strength, life experience and creativity. And guess what? Her talent was waiting for her--better than ever. And now she is using a digital brush to create along with her paint brush.

Just look at the marvelous collages she has been generous enough to share with us on the blog:

"God doesn't give people talents that he doesn't want people to use." ~Iron Eagle

Add filters and you have another delicious look for the same image.

“Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck -- but, most of all, endurance.” ~James Arthur Baldwin

A special thank you to Betty Levy for sharing her delicious collages with us!

Special Effects Projects Monday

This week we will be doing a series on Special Effects. These images were all created by my students at the community college where I teach. I continue to be charmed and inspired by the creativity of the people in my Emeritus classes!

Natalie's Art And Photography

We have a series of lesson plans in our Special Effects class where we copy the techniques of famous artists using Photoshop. The image below is of an easel in front of a window, reminiscent of images created by the wonderful Surrealist Renee Magritte.

Steve Caplin, author of Art & Design in Photoshop, says, “The Belgian painter Rene Magritte (1898-1967) was one of the foremost surrealist artists. He may not have had the technical skill of a Dali, but he more than made up for this with a fervent imagination that had the ability to delve deep into our collective psyche. More than any other surrealist, Magritte’s work strikes a chord with the viewer.

La Condition Humaine is a theme that he returned to again and again, painting numerous variations on this theme: a canvas in front of a window or an open doorway. At what point does the view through the window become the view as depicted on the canvas? It’s often hard to spot the join – and that’s deliberate. The view through the window is itself, of course, just another painting of the scene.

We’ll reproduce Magritte’s technique in a photographic manner, while staying true to the style of the original.”

It is such fun seeing what people come up with to fill that easel and window! Here is a perfect example put together by one of my talented and creative students, Natalie Harris.



And speaking of art, her much loved grandchildren often turn up in her work in unique, artistic ways. Here are two of them peeking out of a Barbara Hepworth sculpture that can be found at the Nasher Sculpture Garden here in Dallas.



In the next image the kids are collaged into an image of a sculpture called Boolean Valley by Adam Silverman, also found in the Nasher Sculpture Garden. Each of the children was added separately and arranged so that they look like they're holding hands, dancing on the water.

Speaking of the Nasher Sculpture Garden, every third Friday all summer long the museum will be presenting an event called 'til Midnight at the Nasher which features the wonderful sculpture garden of course, along with movies, moonlight and music. People spread blankets out in the garden or relax in chairs on the patio and enjoy the evening. We went this last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it!

A special thanks to Natalie Harris for allowing us to use her charming images!

Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER:
The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

…a Health Club for Your Mind. Body and Spirit!

Now let’s look at other volunteer options.

Older Peace Corps Volunteers

The link between lifelong learning and the Peace Corps is very strong. Put simply, the primary job of Peace Corp volunteers is to teach. What’s especially nice is that older Americans are contributing to Peace Corps programs all over the globe and, in the process, find their age to be an asset. The organization recognizes that no group has more to offer in terms of experience, maturity, and demonstrated ability. There is no upper age limit to join the Peace Corps. In fact, volunteers who are well into their 80s have served and continue to serve.

Support for Older Adult Volunteer Projects
Nothing speaks more to the viability of a project than the willingness of an organization or foundation to provide the necessary funds. Here are some examples from Civic Ventures ® of volunteer projects for older adults that have been recently funded. Each of these projects has a

• In Arizona, the Piper Foundation announced $1.6 million in grants to support the development of four Next Chapter centers in Maricopa County. The centers are designed to help older adults to explore opportunities for volunteer and paid service, as well as options related to health, wellness and education. In Ohio, the Cleveland Foundation provided $360,000 in grants to support projects that will expand paid employment and unpaid service opportunities for older adults in that community.
• The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) inaugurated a project called “Civic Engagement in an Older America” that will promote research on programs and public policies likely to increase civic participation among older adults.
  
• The National Council on the Aging launched RespectAbility, an initiative designed to help community organizations and decision-makers enhance civic participation of older Americans. The project include research with leaders of nonprofit organizations to identify barriers to engaging older adults, a national public awareness campaign, and preparation of news articles on engagement by older adults by a group of veteran journalists.
  
• The Harvard School of Public Health-MetLife Foundation Initiative on Retirement and Civic Engagement released its report on issue a new report on “Reinventing Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement.” Last fall, the Initiative announced the launching of its second phase which will include a number of activities intended to expand public awareness of the value of older adults as a social resource.
  
• Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions published research based on the Experience Corps program that showed that older adults who volunteer in troubled urban schools not only improve the educational experience of children, but realize meaningful improvements in their own mental and physical health.

Lifelong learning and community service go hand-in-hand. If you truly desire to make your later life more complete then community service in tandem with lifelong learning should be a part of that plan as well. There are too many benefits to be gained and given from engaging in community service for it to be ignored. Take the opportunity to use your hard-earned wisdom and life experience for the benefit of younger generations. You’ll make a lasting impact on them for years to come. It’s a great feeling.

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…

The British author, Ellis Peters says, Nothing is more pleasing and engaging than the sense of having conferred benefits, not even the gratification of receiving them. She is so right.

For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit http://www.learninglater.com/ You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at http://www.amazon.com/

Till Next Time…

Age in Place Wednesday

On Wednesdays, Laurie Orlov, tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate will be sharing her insightful research on how seniors can safely and successfully live independent lives in the home of their choice.

What's in a name --
Older Americans Month and other changes

Submitted by Laurie Orlov on Thu, 05/06/2010 - 13:55

caregiving
Learning, working, contribution and legacy
Seniors

May is Older Americans (not Senior Citizens) Month. The Administration on Aging notes that this 'acknowledgement of the contribution of older Americans' was launched in 1963. Prior to 1980, it was known as Senior Citizen Month, but was renamed and became a 'tradition' during the Carter Administration. Looking through the list of themes, some seem to be efforts to acknowledge the forgotten: "America, a Community for All Ages" and "Honor the Past, Imagine the Future: Towards a Society for All Ages". But today the term "senior citizen" has been erased by the AoA and the theme "Age Strong, Live Long," reflecte lengthening life span and unprecedented multiple generations of 'older Americans'. Assuming that 'senior' is 65+, there will be 71.5 million by 2030 -- life span and baby boomer encroachment are driving other changes as well...

...'Senior Centers' may be renamed or closed by budget cuts. From Activity Center to Boomer Cafes to Recreation and Senior Centers to XYZ Center (drop the Senior), the senior center moniker may be gone in just a few years, one location at a time. Already faced with an expanding longevity age spread, from the heel-kicking 60-somethings to 90-somethings, activity planning and events will become ever more challenging over time. At budget risk in their current form, I can imagine new combined centers that recognize a side effect of longevity: Those who can no longer come in the door might appreciate the availability of telephone programs, or welcome television variants like this one in Iowa City or the Microsoft-enabled 'virtual' senior center, or centers that partner with SeniorNet or community colleges that offer online learning programs.

Special Effects Projects

This week we will be doing a series on Special Effects. These images were all created by my students at the community college where I teach. I continue to be charmed and inspired by the creativity of the people in my Emeritus classes!

Janice and Bud

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart." ~Elisabeth Foley

Over the years I have met a lot of special people in my classes. Age 50 to 90 years is in my esitmation the perfect student! They are there to learn...bright and experienced...they are also there to create and have a good time.

Janice and Bud are perfect examples of the best students in my group and two people I call friend. Janice has been with me nearly as long has I have been teaching, Bud for the last couple of years.

They both enter their work at the county fair here in Dallas and always place or win. We have featured their work on this blog before, and here is more!

A hot dog with a glow around it, hand made smoke and hot text! What could be better!

It's a bird, no it's a plane, no it's a bird-plane! What a great image! Talk about creative! Definitely one you give a double-take!!

"Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer." ~Author Unknown

A special thank you to Janice and Bud Roden for letting me share their exceptional work!

The Art of Collage

This week we will be doing a series on Photo Collages. These images were all created by my students at the community college where I teach. I continue to be charmed and inspired by the creativity of the people in my Emeritus classes!


In Your Own Back Yard

"I like to sit in my backyard. I go out on the hammock and sit in silence and kind of meditate. Nature is calming, and it's nice to go out there and clear my head." ~Devon Werkheiser

Sometimes cool images are right outside your back door! As Dave Berry says, "The best camera is the one you have with you!"

Roger Slover lives near Duck Creek. He takes great close-ups and has been featured on our blog before. I love the two "head shots" of the geese!



In the next image, Ray Bolton put a lovely collage together of his neighbor's yard. She is the one responsible for him ending up in my Photoshop Elements classes. At first he resisted her suggestion to come to school and finally gave in. I'm sure glad she spread the word--look at what he can do now!

I am so proud of the work and creativity of my students. Boomers and Seniors are unbeatable, if I do say so myself (and I will say so if you open the door even a crack!).

Whether your backyard behind your house, in your city, or in your country, caring for it well benefits everybody who comes close to it--including yourself! "I feel a responsibility to my backyard. I want it to be taken care of and protected." ~Anne Liebovitz

Inspirational Sunday

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

Be a Peacemaker

All of us at some time in our life have dealt with difficult times and difficult people. In fact, many of the difficult times were caused by difficult people. We have all faced hurt feelings, rejection, insults, rude behavior and sometimes downright nastiness.

These conflicts may have led to broken relationships. And some of these relationships have been close relationships. We may have had a disagreement with a family member or close friend or business relationship. Unkind words were spoken and a split occurred. We're hurt. They're hurt. Everyone is unhappy, maybe even angry. What does God want us to do about restoring a broken fellowship.

In Day 20 or my 40 day journey with Rick Warren and his book The Purpose Driven Life, I found out...

"Relationships are always worth restoring.

Because life is all about learning how to love, God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintian them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict. In fact, the Bible tells us that God has given us the ministry of restoring relationships. For this reason a significant anount of the New Testament is devoted to teaching us how to get along with one another. Paul wrote, 'If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spriit means anything to you,...Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.' Paul taught athat our ability to get along with others is a mark of spiritual maturing."

"If you want God's blessing on your life and you want to be known as a child of God, you must learn to be a peacemaker. Jesus said, 'God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.' Notice Jesus didn't say, 'Blessed are the peace lovers,' because everyone loves peace. Neither did he say, 'Blessed are the peacable,' who are never disturbed by anything. Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who work for peace'--those who actively seek to resolve conflict. Peacemakers are rare because peacemaking is hard work.'"

Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER:

The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

…a Health Club for Your Mind. Body and Spirit!

Now let’s look at another way to give back and help yourself at the same time…

School Volunteers.

Although school volunteers are similar to mentors, the educational tasks they undertake with their young charges can be quite varied. We used to think that “school volunteers” automatically meant parents, and mothers in particular, since they were the ones usually at home during the day.

Not anymore. Today, school volunteers come from all levels of society, be it stay-at-home mothers or fathers, staff from large corporations and especially older adults who no longer work full-time. Although there is more variety in who becomes a school volunteer, the numbers of actual participants has dropped due to more people being employed full-time. Consequently, schools are beginning to look more and more toward the experience, knowledge and wisdom that can be found right in their own communities among the older adult populations.

School volunteering is the perfect venue for the experience, knowledge and wisdom that older adults have amassed over a lifetime. Today, the United States is fortunate to have the World’s largest number of healthy, well-educated retired adults. And, as we mentioned earlier, by 2030 there will be about 65 million older persons-20% of the population. What an incredible resource!

To say that this resource of older adults can make a major difference to school districts caught in budget crunches, teacher shortages and increasing enrollments, is an understatement. School volunteers can help ease teacher stress and make up the shortfall when classroom aides and specialists are cut from tightened budgets.

All across the country, teachers are utilizing older volunteers in their classrooms and winning support for school district activities among mature adults. The Agelink Project, an intergenerational child-care program for school-age children provides after-school services linking children with volunteer older adults in North Carolina.

The Senior Motivators in Learning and Educational Services (SMILES) program in Salt Lake City recruits and trains older adults and places them in district schools to help with such activities as story reading, field trips, tutoring, arts and crafts, and sports. Many SMILES volunteers work in resource rooms with special education students.

Older volunteers perk up the class day for students by offering new and unique viewpoints. Experts in a wide variety of skills and talents, they share their perspectives on many different topics. The volunteers also find that they too benefit-the intergenerational contact is priceless.

With the decline in the extended family, intergenerational programs become even more valuable as older adults are often called on to be surrogate grandparents. In addition, intergenerational programs can help dispel some of the negative stereotypes each generation has about the other.

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…

After years of volunteer work, I’ve found something new where I can make a real contribution for the benefit of others, while deriving a great deal of joy for myself. How wonderful that one lifelong learner has found such a resource later in life.

For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit http://www.learninglater.com/ You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at http://www.amazon.com/

Till Next Time…

The Art of Collage

This week we will be doing a series on Photo Collages. These images were all created by my students at the community college where I teach. I continue to be charmed and inspired by the creativity of the people in my Emeritus classes!


A Simple Circle

I love a simple circle when I see it in my students creations. I have three fine examples below.

The first one is of a gentleman's kitty. The shape comes from the porthole of a cruise ship. Combine the two and allow one little foot outside of the circle to give a bit of a third dimension and you have a winner!

“Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.” ~Albert Schweitzer

Below is a collage done by Betty Levy. She is a painter who we often feature on our blog. She has a great eye. I always look forward to seeing her work! Here is a black and white image of a cathedral ceiling, with the very same image added in color to the layer above.

“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” Flora Edwards

And another great idea from Natalie Harris. Here is a beloved granchild at a soccer game. Put her in the empty space of one of Barbara Hepworth's sculptures (from the Nasher garden in Dallas) and you create a unique image!

"The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in the circle of those who are." ~C. S. Lewis

A special thanks to Betty Levy and Natalie Harris for being friends of the blog!

Collage and the Joy of Peace

This week we will be doing a series on Photo Collages. These images were all created by my students at the community college where I teach. I continue to be charmed and inspired by the creativity of the people in my Emeritus classes!

To Live in Peace

Today I just noticed the caption on the collage you see below. I love the images, but had just viewed them at a glance.

This collage was created by Ed Relder, a student in one of my classes. A sweetheart of a man creating a charming collage with a little bit of an edge to make us think..."Can we just live in peace".

Because of Ed's collage, I started browsing through some of the images I have posted on the blog over the last year. So many of them speak to the subject of peace, something we all want and pray for.

Such as Frank Fandrick's lovely swans created with three pictures...

"When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others." Peace Pilgrim quotes.

And Lana Davis' precious niece and nephew...

"If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children." Mahatma Gandhi

"We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom." Dwight Eisenhower

And from my own files...

Ah, Rich, surin' we love ya darlin'!!

"If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." Thomas Paine

And as always, we offer a tribute to those who stand in the breach for us all.

"Freedom is never free." ~Author Unknown.

"I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks." ~William Shakespeare

"God Bless us, every one." ~Tiny Tim

Inspirational Sunday

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

A Very Special Day

Our daughter Holly has blessed us with three fabulous grandchildren. She is a wonderful wife and mother who communicates a lot with her friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and email. On all of her correspondence she includes the following line that I think embodies meaningful words of encouragement for every Mother to constantly remind their children...

"Promise me you'll always remember,
you're braver than you believe
and stronger than you seem
and smarter than you think."
- Christopher Robin to Pooh

Mother's Love

Her love is like

An island in life's ocean,

Vast and wide

A peaceful, quiet shelter

From the wind, the rain, the tide.

'Tis bound on the north by Hope,

By Patience on the West,

By tender Counsel on the South

And on the East by Rest.

Above it like a beacon light

Shine Faith, and Truth, and Prayer;

And thro' the changing scenes of life

I find a haven there.

Author Unknown

Happy Mothers Day!

Hanna Walker's Art Show

Remarkable Results

Yesterday we talked about the amazing tenacity and elbow grease that went into The Hanna Walker Art Show. Today we will discuss and see some of the results from this unique event.

The Art Show brought considerable attention to the talent of Hanna Walker and to her memory.

There was much surprise and enjoyment by those attending.

The displaying collectors who are related to her were given the chance to renew relations and compare collections—almost a Walker family reunion type dynamic.

The city of Luling benefitted by being the site of an event of this nature.

A website can be found at www.hannawalker.com that contains photo images of all of the 70 or so paintings that were on display at the art show and of selected other paintings by Hanna Walker, each one complete with a caption giving the name of the painting and of the collector.

That website also contains information about the art show and about the life of Hanna Walker.

After-the-fact word and conversation about the art show reached at least five collectors of paintings by Hanna Walker located inside and outside of Texas . They contacted individuals who had been involved in the art show and expressed disappointment that they had not known about it and interest in participating should another art show be held.

The printed program that was distributed at the art show was expanded to include photo images of more of the paintings that were displayed and more information about the life of Hanna Walker and the mounting of the art show. A copy of the expanded program was circulated to the exhibitors and friends of the art show. A copy is in the archives of the Genealogical & Historical Society of Caldwell County, Texas (“GHSCC”), in Luling , Texas . A copy is also archived on the seventh floor of the Dallas Public Library in downtown Dallas , Texas.

An article about the life of Hanna Walker, complete with information about the art show and her family tree, appeared in the Fall 2009 edition of The Plum Creek Almanac, which is a publication of the GHSCC.

An iMovie DVD was prepared and distributed to the art show exhibitors. It contains about 55 photo images of paintings that were displayed at the art show, complete with captions giving the name of each painting and of the collector. A copy of this DVD has been permanently archived at the GHSCC.

Three of Hanna Walker’s paintings—none of which was exhibited at the art show—were among the 259 lots that were included in the David Dike Fine Art auction in October, 2009, in Dallas , Texas . This annual auction is recognized as offering for purchase a preeminent collection of Early Texas Art. A copy of the catalogue of that October, 2009 auction is currently available at the offices of David Dike Fine Art, 2613 Fairmount, Dallas , Texas 75201 . Persons interested in receiving the catalogue for the 2010 and subsequent auctions may contact the offices of David Dike by e mail, using this address: ddfa@swbell.net.

Bill said, "The outcome of the event made the planning aggravations and anxieties seem trivial."

From a good idea to reality, what a far-reaching occasion this was. Congratulations to everyone connected to this ambitious and worthwhile project!

We salute you Miss Hanna!

Hanna Walker's Art Show

A Remarkable Idea

The one-year anniversary of the Hanna Walker Art Show is May 9th. So this would be a perfect time to blog about this remarkable event.

Today I will repeat a couple of earlier posts to remind our readers of how this unique, precious and exceptional event came to life. Tomorrow I will post about some of the results of this huge effort created to honor an exceptional Texan.

First You Plan

I first learned about the Hanna Walker Art Show in a Photoshop class I teach. Bill Cardwell was telling his two friends, Kevin Rush and Betty Haack, about an exhibit he was personally mounting in Luling, Texas.

I watched this fascinating project unfold, and as always was amazed at the strength, vitality and tenacity that one individual can bring to a project to make it a success.

Here you see Bill with a Hanna Walker painting called Peaches in a Basket on an easel outside of the Fellowship Hall of the Episcopal Church in Luling.

Bill worked for a year on plans for an art show to honor the memory of Hanna Walker (1876 – 1945), a native of Luling, who painted with oils prolifically in and around Luling, San Antonio, and Mexico, among other places, and interpreted subjects such as still lifes, landscapes, structures, figures, and other diverse examples of flora and fauna. Her works were exhibited frequently in the 1920s and 1930s but have only rarely, if ever, been shown to the public since her death.

While Bill is a long time resident of Dallas and has practiced law here for years, he has a special place in his heart for Luling, Texas where the exhibit will be held. He says, “It seemed particularly appropriate to hold this show in the Fellowship Hall. In 1950 numerous paintings by Hanna Walker were sold and the proceeds from the sale of were used to construct the Parish Hall/Fellowship Hall of the Episcopal Church in Luling. One of her paintings is on permanent display there.”

It was quite a journey for him. Here are just some of the things involved in this one day show: Sketch/Essay – complete final editing/coordinate with Dr. Michaele Haynes, Witte Museum, San Antonio; get exact names of paintings to be used on signage, press release, security, easels, memory book, video/audio presentation, memorabilia table, and advertising:




Dr. Michaele Haynes, the curator at Witte Museum in San Antonio, has agreed to pen a few hundred words about Miss Hanna and her career for a printed program for the exhibit. The art show was mentioned in the newsletter for the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA) http://www.caseta.org/. With the help of Todd Carlson, Austin photographer/graphic artist, he will have a printed program for the exhibit which will include photographs of many of Hanna Walker’s paintings.

A total of eighty of the paintings by Hanna Walker from the collections of about 17 people were displayed at this exhibit. No paintings at this art show were offered for sale. This event was aimed exclusively at honoring the memory of this long-deceased, early Texas artist.

Then It Happens

On May 9th, 2009 a cooperative endeavor being lead by Bill Cardwell, one of my most remarkable students, took place in Luling, Texas!

For one day, 70 oil paintings were exhibited at the Church of the Annunciation Parish Hall from 20 collectors located in these Texas towns: Luling, Austin, Lakeway, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston, Shelby, Dallas, Lewisville, and Diana. Eleven of these collectors are related to Hanna Walker.

Our friend, Kevin Rush and his wife Linda went to Luling to help Bill. Kevin said, "Bill did a great job of succeeding under pressure with little sleep and with max decorum. Linda and I had a blast seeing Lockhart and Luling for the first time and sampling some great barbecue as well as home style cooking at a local cafe. All right out of a movie set only it was all real." Below you see Bill right in the thick of it all!




The three folks in front of the figure painting below are, from left to right, David M. Cochran (Bill’s brother in law), Maryanne Cardwell Cochran (his sister), and Wanda Bassett Carter (a family friend from Luling who is a collector who displayed her own Hanna Walker paintings at the art show).

David was nine years old when Miss Hanna painted this picture of him in 1934. His mother, Cleo Cochran, was a contemporary of Miss Hanna, and we think that Miss Hanna did this painting as a favor to her friend. So, there is David at age 85 in this photograph in front of the painting of him at age nine!




Below is Marie Muenster Galloway who is 97 years old. She came to the art show and brought several of Miss Hanna’s paintings with her. Bill says, “Marie is undoubtedly one of the most amazing people I have ever met.”




Dr. Michaele Haynes, Curator of Witte Museum, attended the art show in Luling.




Dr. Haynes said that this painting, called Camp Site, is the most accomplished of all that were on display at the art show.”

Called Natures Gift, this painting was entered in several competitions in San Antonio in the late 1920s.

Some mind-boggling facts about how this was done:

• Displayed in room 50 feet by 24 feet on walls, doors, floor easels, table top easels, and table tops.
• A total of about 50 easels were borrowed from five sources.
• Sixteen paintings delivered to Parish Hall by Luling collectors and hung on walls the evening before show. About 55 paintings transported to Parish Hall by out of town collectors the morning of show and processed and set up the morning of show.
• An identifying sign placed by the display location of each painting.
• Printed program contains color photo of each of about 55 of the paintings on display and text information about Hanna Walker, her career, and her substantial contributions to this Church and to the construction in about 1951 of this Parish Hall.
• Kevin Rush and Todd Carlson took many photos of paintings on display and of collectors and others attending show. Will Cardwell took video pictures.
• Guest book was signed by 201 persons. Actual attendance was probably about 225.
• Students in high school and junior high school art classes who attended received extra credit (high school classes) and were exempt from final exam (junior high school classes).

Isn't it amazing what we seniors can do once we set our mind to it? Tomorrow we will talk about some of the results of this heart-warming event.

Congratulations to Bill Cardwell for a job well done in putting together the Hanna Walker Art Show!

Lifelong Learning Thursday

Nancy Merz Nordstrom, author of Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret of Making the Most of Your After 50 Years will share the benefits of Lifelong Learning on Thursdays.

LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER:

The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.

…a Health Club for Your Mind. Body and Spirit!

Here is more information on intergenerational mentoring…

Mentoring can take place almost anywhere, in the home (children often listen to their grandparents more than their parents) in the workplace through in-house workshops run by experienced co-workers, and in the schools. There is a desperate need for school mentors in all grades. In fact, this type of mentoring has become very popular.

The role of a mentor is not to impose your thoughts and beliefs on the person you are mentoring. Instead, the goal is to get them to reveal their own thoughts and beliefs, using gentle encouragement throughout the process. Successful mentors point out the importance of developing the ability to listen while using appropriate questions to further aid the process.

This ensures both the mentor and the mentoree are on the same wave length and that both will benefit from the exchange of ideas. Mentors gain an infusion of vitality and energy from the youth they are mentoring, while the mentoree gains valuable perspective and knowledge about the larger world they may not have had the chance to explore yet.

Successful mentors don’t try to impress, nor do they impose their own belief systems. Instead, they try to bring out the mentoree’s own innate sense of knowledge. Respect the fact that they are unique individuals with as much right to their own beliefs as you are.

Remember to listen to their concerns before attempting to share your wisdom. Recognize that successful mentoring takes time. Make sure you ask yourself some important question prior to embarking on this adventure. Why do you want to be a mentor? What knowledge do you want to pass on? Prepare an inventory of your skills, knowledge and your life experiences. Determine who would most benefit from your experience. When you have these answers, then you can begin to make a difference in someone’s life.

Intergenerational mentoring is truly one of the most valuable methods of community engagement. Mentoring helps combat family dysfunction, drug addition and abuse. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing you’ve helped the next generation.

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT…

One lifelong learner says, I am 85 years old and still learning. As a volunteer, I work with the disadvantaged from all walks of life. It has opened my eyes and my mind, making me more aware of the problems of others. There’s nothing like focusing on other issues to take your mind off the aches and pains and drama of everyday life.

For more information on Learning Later, Living Greater visit http://www.learninglater.com/ You can purchase Learning Later, Living Greater at http://www.amazon.com/

Till Next Time…