I Always Wanted To

Liz Sumner wraps up the first series of the podcast with some thoughts in conclusion.

Now when I get an invitation and I feel that little gasp of “oh wow” I don’t cut myself off before I even have a chance to think about it. I say yes and ride that wave like Gidget.

Poets Lynn Horsky and Halina Scharf describe how they found inspiring community with other poets by sharing their work.

Lynn Horsky

Freelance Consultant, offering graphic arts management for design-to-fulfillment services Personal movtivators: nature, mysticism, music, poetry, history, cooking

 

 

Halina Scharf

I was born in  London. I have a degree in English Literature. Worked for twelve years in Recruitment. Retrained as a teacher in mid thirties: my profession until retirement.   Have lived on and helped manage a livestock smallholding for almost twenty years. Now live in Italy, devouring novels in English.   I am married with three sons.

 

 

2017 Plein Air Poetry Walk - Old Frog Pond Farm

Poetlina on YouTube

Lauryn Franzoni works with individuals, teams and organizations helping them clarify what they want and then how to align their people, plans and practices to achieve those goals. From her roots in business journalism, she brings a finely honed curiosity and open mind to each collaboration. 

A creative strategist and inspirational leader, Lauryn has recruited, trained and led high-performing creative and business teams for global research, media, and training companies in the US, UK and Europe in such diverse industries as publishing, financial services,  energy, health and wellness, social media, education and the performing arts. 

As a frequent speaker at corporate and industry events, Lauryn is often asked to share her vision for creating sustainable organizations through the engagement of key constituents. She facilitates interactive leadership and management sessions that guide strategic decision-making, and aids teams to execute plans and programs to meet diverse market challenges. Lauryn has created and delivered a range of career-building coaching programs in person and online to senior executives.

Great Ballroom Movie Inspiration   Shall We Dance: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358135/   Mad Hot Ballroom https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438205/
  Take the Lead https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446046/
  Fred and Ginger https://vimeo.com/15501374
  My favorite dance book! http://becominggingerrogers.com/

Kathy Waite and Roberta Shanman both rediscovered their love of horses later in life, and tell any other "mature, terrified novices" how much they love it.

Kathy Waite

Using her 25 years experience as a Registered Retirement Consultant Kathy helps those within 10 years of retirement make the most of what they have. Instead of being educated by salesmen join her RetireSmart programme, a step by step process to ensure you see real change and progress towards the life you desire.   Kathy grew up in England before emigrating with her husband and son to Canada in 2004. They live on an acreage in Saskatchewan but she has clients across the country and around the world.    Roberta Shanman

Born in New York City in 1948.  Family moved to LA when I was 7 & I've lived here ever since.  Got my BA and Master of Library Science from UCLA and have been a research librarian for over 40 years - 35+ of those with the RAND Corporation.  I am now semi-retired, going in to work a few days a week.

My hobbies are birdwatching, music (I play bassoon in a community orchestra & concert band), China painting, and I love to travel.

I have always loved animals, and horses were my passion from as far back  as I can remember. However, my family always lived in the city far from stables, and besides we couldn't afford riding lessons.  I went on a few trail rides in my teens, but nothing more until I decided to take lessons, at the age of 65.

Writer, editor, and "book midwife," Siobhan Colgan helps you bring your vision and voice into the world.

 

Siobhan is a writer who writes and edits articles, white papers and books for business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches and creatives.

Over the years she has had the privilege to work with both male and female change-makers. But recently she’s found herself guided more to support women in these roles.

In this capacity, she works as a “book midwife,” using her 20 years of experience in communications, journalism and ghostwriting, to create customized programs for women to birth the books that acknowledge their vision and voice in the world. 

siobhancolgan.com

 

World travelers Jennifer Sumner and Barbara Castleton have each explored exotic places and don't let not having a partner who likes to travel slow them down.

Jennifer Sumner is a retired teacher and business consultant, a wife, grandma and watercolor painter. She loves to travel internationally and she also travels around the western US in a sprinter RV. When she’s not traveling, she applies her appreciation of diversity and multicultural awareness to working for racial justice.

Barbara writes:

Nothing pleased me so much as when my 6th grade teacher complimented me on a tale of wildest fantasy.  It was not the compliment that mattered but rather his "getting it", my teacher's understanding and appreciation for the story itself. That remains my goal, to use experience, inspiration, and words to powerfully communicate an idea or story. Yet, in the manner of a bad pun, my personal self-confidence diminished as my desire to write grew. A BS in Journalism from the University of Oregon led to a short-lived career as a copy-writer, followed by years of getting-by positions in health care. Throughout those same years, I raised an amazing child to young-womanhood and swallowed a great lump of heartache when she left home for school. I was 47, without specific goals or purpose, scrambling to remember who I was and what I wanted in that long ago life before I became a mom. One day, I recalled the Peace Corps, an organization that lets the young, the middle aged, and even the old to "give back." Applying and being accepted into the Education Sector was a magic wand that blew stardust over my future and set a myriad of adventures in motion.

barbbytes.wordpress.com

https://medium.com/@bcastleton

Anne Huffington didn't start diving or flying until she was in her forties.

When I was 40 I miscarried my third baby and was aware that motherhood would not be in my future.  I asked myself what I could do now that I could not have done as a mother, and the answer was “learn to scuba dive”.  That set me on a course of diving all over the world.  At a Professional Women’s Network event, I found myself in a hot tub with the Jungian Therapist and Author Jean Sinoda Bolin, who asked me what my passion was.  I described diving to her – going deep into gathering dark water off the Monterey Coast kelp forests until an underwater world opened up to delight my eyes.  She said, “I would guess you are also in deep grief therapy because what is manifesting on the exterior is often what we are pursuing on the interior.  As it turned out, I was going through therapy 3x/week – called doing “black hole” work on buried trauma.

I thought about those concepts and decided that perhaps we could shape our interiors by what we did in the exterior, and I figured it was time for me to fly!  There was a school for budding paraglider pilots down the road from where I lived in Northern CA.  I signed up for a class.  At first you walk uphill a little ways, then lay out the glider and run down.  As the day progressed I got high enough on the hill to find myself in the air while running, and I knew I had found something I loved.  It was as if my dreams of flying had turned into reality.  I was hooked.  I signed up for the package of 10 lessons, and paid about $3,000 for my own paraglider – a yellow and purple Wills Wing I named “Glory”. 

 

With my Novice designation I began to fly at the Pacifica coast – a place affectionately named “The Dump” – hang-gliders flew to the north at Fort Funston.  I carried my paragliding backpack in the trunk of my car and most days during daylight savings time I could be found flying at The Dump.  I would change from pantyhose to a flight suit in my car in the parking lot and walk to the launch areas.  I progressed to an Intermediate Level (the designation stickers were worn on the helmet) and after some years because the first female President of the Bay Area Paragliding Association.  My longest flight was about 5 hours, and as I launched I would inwardly say “C Ya” as I yelled “Clear”.  It was a thrilling time of life!

Award-winning hosts, Kathy Hansen and Louise Haasjes, talk about getting started and running their successful B&Bs.

Katharine (Kathy) Hansen is a writer, educator, and a 5-star Airbnb SuperHost. She is author/co-author of 9 books on career and college topics. Kathy lives on a 40-acre farm in Kettle Falls, WA, with dogs, goats, a pony, and chickens.

When Kathy isn’t teaching online or running her Airbnb business, she enjoys bicycling near the Columbia River and taking nature photographs, and engaging in crafts, such as re-purposed furniture and unusual wall-hangings. She is also very active in the Toastmasters organization.

Social media, etc:
http://www.hansenwoodlandfarm.com/vacationrentals.html
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/15131838
https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p4753959
https://glampinghub.com/unitedstatesofamerica/pacificwest/washington/kettlefalls/cabin-kettle-falls-washington/
https://www.hipcamp.com/washington/hansen-woodland-farm/ponderosa-pine-paradise
https://www.facebook.com/HansenWoodlandFarm/
https://www.instagram.com/hansenwoodlandfarm/

Louise writes:
We gave up our full time jobs in the UK to embark on an exhilarating new chapter: life in the Italian countryside and the restoration of an old abandoned farmhouse. We decided to do most of the work ourselves to really connect with the property, the landscape and the people. We have endured all that the elements and mountains could throw at us in exchange for an amazing, fulfilling experience and a lovely new home and believe that we have created a comfortable, sympathetically renovated home. The outstanding views came free...

http://casalemargherita.co.uk/language/en/home/

https://www.instagram.com/italiancountryretreat/

Nancy Salwen teaches singing to “non-singers,” beginners and anyone who wants to sing more comfortably and expressively.

She is the author of the book (and online program), “The Fear of Singing Breakthrough Program: Learn to Sing Even if You Think You Can’t Carry a Tune!” She leads singing workshops in Vermont, New York City and California, offers online programs, and teaches lessons in-person and over Skype (or FaceTime).

Nancy is a certified Music for People improvisation facilitator and workshop leader. She is also a center director and educator with Music Together®, the renowned early childhood family music and movement program, and teaches early childhood music programs in a variety of schools. In addition, she leads music-based workshops for team building, staff development, and personal growth for businesses and organizations.

To learn more about Nancy and what she has to offer, visit www.fearofsinging.com, or email her at [email protected].

You might also enjoy the episode Learn To Sing Jazz with Isabella Celentano.

New series premiering in May

In this introduction I explain what it's all about.

Plus I reveal the origin and demise of my brief yet humble songwriting career.