Welcome to the next episode of Fire After 50! Today I talk with childhood friend, Susanne Graham Tartarilla, who after 40 years in education, has recently retired at age 63 and is fearlessly launching her own travel and tour business! We talk inspiration, love of travel, daring to start something big and new after retirement, and the exciting places she is leading groups of travelers around the world! Susanne is joyful, energetic, courageous and very lovely! Before we began recording today she sent me a photo of her recording space...laptop sitting on a beautiful Mark Twain book, a delicate tea cup filled with something delicious, and a view out onto her fall garden. Pour yourself something yummy, sit back and have a listen.

Susanne Graham Tartarilla recently retired from a 40 year career in public education and has happily returned to her home state of Maine. A certified travel agent, she is in the early stages of launching her own travel and tour company, Sterling Tours. She says, "I am passionate about travel, theatre making, gardening, and relationships with my woman friends. I am never happier than when I am with my family at our home on Sebago Lake, Maine."

*Photograph of Susanne taken by her husband, Paul Tartarilla*.

Susanne's next upcoming group travel adventure (and there is still space available): A Scottish Adventure

Susanne's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/startarilla

Susanne's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/startarilla/

Nanette's website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Join me for an inspiring conversation with artist, teacher, entrepreneur, social/community/environmental activist, Kim Bernard! At 58 years old, Kim is living life to its fullest! Her new tattoo reads, "You've only got one life to live, and it's happening right now!"

Kim Bernard creates sculpture that is recycled, kinetic, interactive, public and involves the community. She creates installations upcycled out of trash and is currently focusing on transforming plastic waste into sculpture using her portable recycling machines. She shows her work nationally and has been invited to participate in many exhibits, some of which include the Portland Museum of Art, Currier Museum of Art, Fuller Craft Museum, Harvard University, Art Complex Museum and UNH Museum of Art. Her work has been reviewed in the Boston Globe, Art News and Art New England. Bernard is the recipient of the Artist Advancement Grant, Kindling Fund Grant, NEFA grant, 6 Maine Arts Commission Grants as well as funding from the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation. She was an artist-in-residence in the Physics Department at Harvard University and at the University of New England. She received her BFA from Parsons in 1987 and her MFA from Mass Art in 2010. Bernard teaches at the Maine College of Art, Colby College, Haystack and as a visiting artist.

Kim's website:   www.kimbernard.com

FB:  www.facebook.com/kim.bernard.963/

IG:  www.instagram.com/kimbernardart/

Nanette's website: www.nanettefayegordon.com

Nanette's FB: www.facebook.com/nanettefayephotography

Nanette's IG: www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Join me as I dive quickly into a deep conversation with Kara Seymour who makes her biggest life decisions by intentionally, and with daily practices, listening to and trusting her intuition. We explore the questions, "Who am I without my old stories I tell myself and others?" and "How do we "code" today to let our lives beautifully unfold going forward?" and "What does feminine leadership look like?" and more...

Kara Seymour has a deep love for yoga, community, freedom, slow living and new beginnings. Having recently moved from her home state of Maine to Asheville, North Carolina she has been immersed in one of the biggest transitions and transformations of her life thus far. Letting go of attachment to former identities and narratives, she’s venturing into unknown territory with curiosity and profound trust in the process. As a full time yoga teacher for the past 20 years, Kara’s true gift lies in using yoga as a vehicle for transformation, exploration, and community building. She has been facilitating an online women’s yoga community for over five years and is profoundly grateful for the ever evolving container that allows women, including herself, the safe space to explore the deep inner workings of their lives, to commune, converse and create true soul sister connections, and have a daily devotional kundalini yoga practice. 

Kara's online community "Homecoming" : https://www.homecomingcommunity.com

Kara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kara_seymour_/

Kara's FB: https://www.facebook.com/homecomingcommunity

Astrocartography: https://www.astro.com/

Nanette's website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Join me for a conversation with the charismatic, welcoming, passionate Rev. Wendy Miller Olapade as we talk love, diversity, faith and intuition. You won't want to miss this episode.

"With a passion for creative and emerging worship, a heart for justice and extravagant welcome, and the provocative instincts of a prophet; Rev. Wendy brings holy joy, an evangelist’s spin, and a sense of celebration to all that she does. She is a fan of r&b and gospel music; loves art, theatre and film and is the proud mother of Alexander, age 30 and Aaron, age 29. Most importantly – she loves Jesus and is ever-so-grateful to be saved by grace!

Following a career in marketing and sales, Rev. Wendy Miller Olapade found God and twelve-step-spirituality in church basements across the country. A few years later, The Holy Spirit called her to the Boston University School of Theology to prepare for ordained ministry. She was ordained by the United Church of Christ on Pentecost in 1996 and has since served Jesus – with aplomb – in a variety of roles. As both settled and Intentional Interim Pastor, Rev. Wendy has led congregations through times of significant transition while building community and stewardship, identifying and empowering new leaders, re-framing justice and witness ministries for mission, and experimenting with new forms of worship and sacred music.

Since 2013, Rev. Wendy has led Sanctuary United Church of Christ in Medford, MA to become an emergent, post-modern faith community whose purpose is affecting deep spiritual transformation and spreading love and care. As Lead Pastor, Rev. Wendy has envisioned numerous new ways of ‘being the church’ such as ArtChurch, Faith and Film and a “Medford Cares” program. As Community-Connector-in-Chief, Rev. Wendy has inspired and led grassroots action such as SafeMedford; Medford’s Big Table, Big Ideas; and a city-wide micro-food pantry mission – taking Sanctuary-To-Go every chance she gets."

Above bio from Rev. Wendy's website: https://revwendy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revwdmiller/

Rev. Wendy is pastor of Sanctuary United Church of Christ

Worship at Hillside Community Church

Rev. Wendy's partner in Ministry and Mission is the pastor of Hillside  Rev. Thomas Hathaway

Mentions in the episode: Center for Action and Contemplation

Book: Falling Upward: A Spirituality fo the Two Halves of Life

Book: What Color is Your Parachute

Nanette's website: www.nanettefayegordon.com

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Listen in while I talk with Donna Markussen, a wife, mother, devoted dog mom, and best-selling author with three books! She's a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and a breast cancer survivor turned advocate. As a caregiver for her husband, who is battling an incurable cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Donna shares her personal journey to underscore the importance of trusting one's intuition when facing life's challenges. She inspires us to choose joy and self-love especially during times of uncertainty.

Donna's Website: https://www.donnamarkussen.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnamarkussen2016/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnamarkussen/

Books by Donna: https://a.co/d/gb74ex6

Film she recommends- Heal Documentary Trailer: https://youtu.be/s5Hpm-6Inxc?si=Svr42SCqZyYvpY8R

Nanette's website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Join me for a chat with Terry Littlefield, Court Reporter/educator/actor turned Yoga and Meditation teacher! Terry and I talk about how she incorporates laughter (she is certified in Laughter Yoga:) and going to Cadaver Labs (what?), among many other things, to help women mid-century and beyond achieve and maintain wellness!

Terry says, "I was born and raised in Maine. I moved to Florida and lived there for 15 years. I went to court reporting school and was a court reporter. Hated it. No talking?? No, thank you! I got a BA in speech pathology but never got into grad school... Fate? I became a teacher of court reporting because it's what I knew. Fell in love with teaching. Started acting on the side. Then I got the itch to come and make it big in LA. Not exactly how it went. I taught court reporting here in LA until 2010 when I decided to become a yoga teacher. In 2008, I met my wife, Sabrina. I had never dated a woman and there you have that story. We've been together ever since.

Terry teaches Postures, Breath and Joy or PB&J :) She helps those of us mid century and beyond, get moving, get breathing, and get to know joy. She believes to feel truly alive, you need to move your body, still your mind, and seek out and share joy on the regular. Her online classes and in-person workshops and private sessions are a blend of science and spirit, breath work and belly laughs, movement and meditation.

Terry's website: https://www.terrylittlefield.com/

Terry's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/posturesbreathandjoy/

Nanette's website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Join me for an intimate, and often vulnerable, conversation with Amber Walker, military veteran, MSW, mom and published Art Journalist. Amber is a self proclaimed "open book," who draws her passion and inspiration for her art from deep within, often intentionally blocking out the noise of outward influences. We talk about her journey of documenting her emotions and her life, and how feeling and artfully expressing it all, joyful and difficult, is such a beautiful thing. Amber creates almost every single day, wherever she might find herself, living by the motto, "I am the space."

You won't want to miss this episode with this this inspiring woman. You will forever be, Altered by Amber.

Image courtesy of Amber Walker.

Amber Walker was born and raised in the State of Maine. She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2001 and Expressive Arts Therapist, Trauma Informed (EXAT) Certification in 2021. Her love of art has dovetailed with her twenty year career as a social worker. Often the artwork is in the form of art journaling, a creative endeavor that serves as a therapeutic outlet for letting go. The words, paint and ink spill across the pages with no conscious plan or desired outcome, nothing off limits. She created 365 dresses in 2022 with this expressive approach. Her body of work is intuitive and often incorporates themes of women and the pursuit of freedom.

Resources

Amber's website: https://alteredbyamber.com/

Amber's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alteredbyamber/

Nanette's website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Links to other resources mentioned in this episode:

Somerset Studio magazine: https://everythingmixedmedia.com/products/somerset-studio-magazine-august-september-october-2023-ssfall2023

"Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself" book by Sabrina Ward Harrison: https://www.amazon.com/Spilling-Open-Art-Becoming-Yourself/dp/0375756485

Georgia O'Keeffe Ranch: https://www.ghostranch.org/about/our-story/about-georgia-okeeffe/

Project Runway show: https://www.bravotv.com/project-runway

Liz Lamoreux photo prompts: https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Excavation-Exploring-Through-Photography/dp/1440303096

Susannah Conway online courses: https://www.susannahconway.com/courses

Join Debra and me for a discussion around her inspired relationship with flowers, herbs and nature. Debra fuels her passion and joy spending time in nature and cultivating a symbiotic relationship with plants. With a great "listening" of nature and her own intuition, Debra creates healing flower and herb essences that she then shares with others.

Debra Bluth, CCH is an herbalist, flower essence practitioner, and classical homeopath with a private practice in midcoast Maine and online.  She is also a senior practitioner through Delta Gardens, a center for flower essence research, practice, and production in NH.  Debra teaches herbal and flower essence classes, and makes organic tea blends for a local cafe.  She also holds advanced degrees in psychology and choreography.  

Debra Bluth: https://www.seedandlegend.com/

Delta Gardens: https://deltagardens.com/

Nanette's website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Leaving behind the societal constraints and expectations of a "Surrey Housewife," Fiona Lygo, British landscape and abstract artist, followed her heart to the sea. She finds joy in her Bohemian lifestyle, painting the sea, and walking her five dogs. We chat about the difficulties of being a creative as a child, her 50th birthday being the best of her life, and how the life she has created really suits who she has been all along!

Fiona Lygo's website: https://www.filygoart.com/

Fiona's gorgeous Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filygoart/

Fiona's art on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FiLygoArt

Nanette Gordon website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

An intimate discussion with Kathryn Chapman, a British therapeutic photographer, who is on her own healing path through the use of self portraiture, and who now offers this life transforming experience to other women. Listen as we dive deep into Kathryn's story and also discuss why, as women over the age of 50, we should not "bloody wait," to begin moving toward our dreams!

Kathryn's website: https://www.feelmorecreative.org/

Kathryn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feelmorecreative/

Nanette's website: https://www.nanettefayegordon.com/

Nanette's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanettefayephotography/

Book, "Big Magic," by Elizabeth Gilbert https://a.co/d/fXQlS9J