When I'm 64

Here's a little treat for all Beatles fans (that's pretty much everybody, right?) I found this picture for my brother, who turned 64 on Saturday.

What I Want in my New Little Home

Start with what you want and we’ll move on to what you need. Those were the first instructions from my brother (B) the architect. I’ve been thinking about this for years, so it wasn’t hard to put together my list.

I want one large loft-style room, open to the (smallish) kitchen. This is where I will work at the computer, read, watch TV and movies, dine, do crafts, and entertain the very few guests I allow into my inner sanctum. Hmmm. Maybe I should call the place the Auntie Sanctum instead of the Auntie Flat (see yesterday’s post).

I want a bedroom, which could be just an alcove, not necessarily a separate room, and a walk-in closet.

And a bathroom with a separate shower and tub. “What about a guest bathroom?” B asked. “Nope,” I insisted. “One bathroom.” My thinking here is that I hate to clean bathrooms, so why have more than one? Also, see “very few guests” above.

I would like to have a fireplace and recycle the mantel from my current house.
The kitchen should have a small apartment-sized dishwasher. (It’s been 23 years since I had a dishwasher and I’m tired of seeing dirty dishes on what little counterspace I have.) I’d also like a pantry and an island to separate the kitchen from the rest of the room.

The last apartment I lived in is my model for the Auntie Flat. On the second floor of an historic commercial building, it was brand new inside and contained all of the above (minus the fireplace and kitchen island) in 600 square feet. B was surprised to hear my low space estimate, but the truth is that my house now is only 900 square feet and roughly a third of that is just storage for things I don’t use but can’t bear to part with. Obviously, I will need to do a LOT of decluttering, but that’s another post.

New Learning Agenda

(Excerpts from A New Learning Agenda: "Putting People First." Palo Alto,
CA: Institute for Research on Learning, 1993.)

"Our research at IRL has led us to articulate Seven Principles of
learning-principles that present a serious challenge to the usual,
"comfortable" view of learning that dominates our institutions. These
principles call for change in schooling and workplace practice. They also
call for a change in the way we view and develop learning and learning
environments, and for change in the direction of policy and research.

1. LEARNING IS FUNDAMENTALLY SOCIAL. The choice between learning and social
fulfillment-a choice that dominates most schools and workplaces-should never
arise.

2. KNOWLEDGE IS INTEGRATED INTO THE LIFE OF COMMUNITIES. Knowledge,
activity and social relations are closely intertwined.

3. LEARNING IS AN ACT OF MEMBERSHIP. Learning is not just the activity of a
sole individual, but the primary vehicle for engagement with others.

4. KNOWING IS ENGAGEMENT IN PRACTICE. Only in the classroom is knowledge
presented in the abstract, and only in the classroom are people expected to
demonstrate knowledge through abstract performances.

5. ENGAGEMENT IS INSEPARABLE FROM EMPOWERMENT. Individuals perceive their
identities in terms of their ability to contribute-and in terms of their
contributions-to a community.

6. "FAILURE" TO LEARN IS THE NORMAL RESULT OF EXCLUSION FROM PARTICIPATION.
Learning requires access and opportunity.

7. WE ALREADY HAVE A SOCIETY OF LIFELONG LEARNERS. People are learning all
the time, but what they are learning is not necessarily in their best
interests or in the best interests of society."

Learning Art Journaling Online
I'm sold on online courses. These are not college courses, which have their place, but not in my universe right now. I've been finding courses on all kinds of things offered by ordinary people with expertise in certain areas. My current passion is art journaling, through a class offered by Kelly Kilmer. You can see examples of her work at her blog.
She charged only $50 for six months worth of prompts, templates and community with other students. The members post photos of their efforts and we all comment on them. Everyone is very supportive--I haven't seen a snarky comment yet--and I'm making friends across the country and around the world.
The photo to the left is my latest collage. I'm still waiting for that sunshine.