Archive for January, 2011
Cindy on January 30th, 2011
Life is uncharted territory. It reveals its story one moment at a time.” — Leo Buscaglia
Tell your friends you’ve decided to work from home, and they’ll probably warn you about the dangers of hanging around the house in your bathrobe all day. But I promise it’s not as dull as that. In this week’s Royal Oak Patch column, I share some highlights from the years I worked at home as a freelance writer for local publications. From a fetish clothing store to a premier seafood supplier, I just about covered it all — and learned a lot about Royal Oak in the process. Click here to read the column. And speaking of “first job” stories, I’d love to hear a few of yours too. Comments are welcome on the Patch site! — CL
–Photo of Noir Leather window display, by Cindy La Ferle–
Cindy on January 26th, 2011
Though I’ve been writing professionally for nearly 30 years, there are times when I find it easier to express myself through the visual arts. Especially when I’m struggling to come to terms with a difficult or painful topic.
One of my mixed-media constructions, “What We Remember,” is a case in point.
I began working on this piece two years ago, not long after my mother was officially diagnosed with early stage dementia. My father-in-law died of Alzheimer’s last June, so the theme of “remembering” has special significance to me — aside from the fact that memoir has always been my favorite genre in creative writing.
“What We Remember” was a toy chemistry kit in its previous life. Doug and I discovered it in a Good Will thrift shop in St. Joseph. Aged and loaded with character, the kit was irresistible, even though it was missing its containers and chemicals. We knew immediately that one of us would use it for an art project.
“It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time.” — Barbara Kingsolver
Over a period of several weeks, I collaged the interior of the box with vintage dress patterns, old sheet music, and photo reproductions. I added found objects that play loosely on the theme of memories and souvenirs — shells gathered from a beach; twigs and feathers from hikes in the woods.
The small glass bottle on the bottom shelf contains a tiny printed copy of the dictionary definition of “memoir,” while the wine corks on the middle shelf suggest good times that may or may not be remembered — depending, of course, on how much wine was consumed. The bird on the top shelf perches above a vintage fountain pen that could have been used for recording entries in a diary.
I was pleased to learn that “What We Remember” was accepted for the Michigan Annual XXXVII Art Competition. Detroit art critic Vince Carducci served as juror. The exhibition runs from January 28 through February 25 at the Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens, and is free to the public. — CL
– For a larger view of the artwork, please click on each photo –
Cindy on January 23rd, 2011
I’m at my best in a messy, middle of the road muddle.” — Harold Wilson, British politician
For years I’ve had a love-hate relationship with women’s magazines. Reading them is one of my favorite guilty pleasures — because it’s pure fun to monitor trends in fashion and home decor.
I’ve also been published in several well-respected shelter magazines, so I don’t like to bite the hands that have fed me. Still, I’m not comfortable with the fact that so many of these publications manage to inspire guilt and insecurity in the most confident among us. This month, especially, you’ll find countless articles explaining why you need to get organized or how to “simplify” your cluttered life forever.
You can read what I have to say about all this in today’s edition of Royal Oak Patch. Several friends have already joined the discussion, so feel free to chime in on the Patch site. I’d love to know how you “simplify” your life. Please click here. –CL
Cindy on January 20th, 2011
The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.” ~C.C. Scott
First, a big thank you to all who’ve inquired about my mom. It really means a lot to know that she’s remembered in your thoughts and prayers, and I always pass along your messages to her.
Secondly, I apologize for not being a very good blog buddy or Facebook friend recently. Like 3D friendships, online connections should be reciprocal. But with so much going on, I haven’t kept up with friends as often as I’d like. Once things settle, I hope to change that.
Right now, Mom is in healing mode. Her pacemaker was inserted on Monday and the surgical wound looks good. The challenge for the next few weeks, in addition to rebuilding her strength after the heart failure, will be to keep her from moving her left arm too much. (It’s essential to prevent the pacemaker from being dislodged or disconnected while the tissue around it heals into place.) This week, she’s recovering at Woodward Hills nursing center, an affiliate of William Beaumont Hospital. It’s her third time at this facility in the past 10 years, so she settled in without much fuss after Doug and I drove her there from the hospital yesterday.
If all goes well, Mom will be ready for discharge from Woodward Hills later next week. Right now, everyone is monitoring her carefully to determine if she’ll be able to care for herself again in the long run. Once she’s home, I’ll be staying with her through her recovery, working closely with a team of home-care nurses and a physical therapist. And there will be several field trips to the cardiologist as well as to the doctor who keeps the pacemaker ticking.
Meanwhile, Mom’s memory loss remains a big concern, especially since she was terribly confused during her long stay at the hospital. Crossing my fingers, I’m hoping she’ll adjust to her new heart medications and gain emotional as well as physical strength during therapy. One day at a time.
I’d be lying if I told you I was anything but pooped out and fried. But I’m fortunate to have a husband who’s right there with me at every hospital visit, and who doesn’t seem to mind hanging out in medical waiting rooms. I’m darned lucky, too, to have so many friends who care. — CL
Cindy on January 16th, 2011
Photography takes an instant of our time, altering life by holding it still.” — Dorothea Lange
If you graduated from high school in the 1960s or ’70s, you probably have a sepia-toned, hand-tinted graduation portrait of yourself stashed away in a family album.
When I was growing up, my mother worked as a commercial artist for Bill Williams Studio, and was responsible for hand-tinting hundreds of portraits over the years. The photo of me (at left) was taken in 1972, and painted by my mother. This week’s Royal Oak Patch column is a memory of those years as well as a tribute to my mother.
Speaking of my mother, I hope you’ll send out your best wishes, prayers, and healing vibes for a speedy recovery. In the hospital for over a week, she’s currently scheduled for pacemaker surgery on Monday afternoon. — CL
