Been painting most of the day. Working on a large rabbit that looks like Uncle Wiggily. That rabbit is very precious to me, as I grew up reading Uncle Wiggily and playing the Uncle Wiggily board game. All day has been a grand walk down Memory Lane.
I was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts on Sunset Avenue. Around the corner on Amity Street lived Howard Garis. Who is Howard Garis, you ask. He was the wonderful man who wrote all the Uncle Wiggily books and many other stories. Of all the stories, I loved Uncle Wiggily most. Uncle Wiggily was a gentlemanly rabbit with rheumatism. He had many different friends and a few foes with names that were as quirky as his own. The books related various adventures with his quirky animal friends and fantastic escapes from a few mischievous critters. Just so much fun to read in childhood.
An exciting event took place in my young years. Not recalling exactly how old I was at the time but estimate between eight or nine years old. Mr. Garis was in his 80’s preparing to celebrate his birthday. Surprise to the town, as he invited all the children to his birthday party. There was much ice cream and cake with balloons tied up everywhere. The yard was quite crowded with children laughing and chattering. The greatest excitement of that day was when Mr. Garis came outside to meet the crowd of children and mingle among us. What an amazing day! To this day I still retain a copy of one of my Uncle Wiggily books and cherish these memories of meeting the man who wrote them.
My mind began to wander onto other great writers that sprang from Amherst. Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost were just two. I remember walking by Miss Dickinson’s house every day after school to get to work at Amherst College. Truly a beautiful home and rather mysterious appearing behind a tall wrought iron gate. Throughout the years, many important people came to town for some event or another. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of them. I was privileged to shake the President’s hand as a young child. Growing up in Amherst was amazing.
The things we forget when we are so busy working to make financial ends meet. Becoming a senior citizen was a fearful event for me. Now it has become a pivotal point in life with the blessing of magnificent transformation. Embarking upon a crafting business has allowed me to reconnect to my life by doing something I truly love. Remember who I was, who I am now and who I strive to become in the future. Crafting, whether it be painting, crocheting, sewing, photography, is a form of meditation and introspection for me. This is not a ‘job’ but a pleasure. It is a comfort and inspiration. It is a fulfilling purpose to be alive…not just exist.
“ To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Recreating myself with joy.