Boomer November 2019
It’s November, which means the holiday season has officially begun—although I remember a time when Thanksgiving heralded the official start of the holiday season. Now there are Christmas tree displays in stores in August! The pressure of the holidays can seem overwhelming and some folks feel especially lonely during this time of year. Read how to overcome the holiday blues in our article “Only the Lonely” on page 26. It seems more and more of my conversations with my friends lately are focused on our parents. It’s scary to think that not only are we still taking care of our own kids, but we now have to worry about our own mom and dad who may not be able to handle their own financial affairs. What is needed is a solid plan and good advice from the pros; luckily, “Don’t Break the Bank” on page 34 offers some help. I wish I was an artist. Seriously. I have such admiration for creative people and really do wish I could paint or draw or even take a decent picture! I’m not even good at stick figures, much less creating beautiful pieces of extraordinary art out of seashells, or tempered glass! Our feature “Happy Medium” on page 41 highlights some of our community’s most creative people—some who only discovered this ability in their later years! Sadly, for me, creativity will remain elusive. But I can enjoy the fabulous work of these fine artists, and I hope you do too. Ready to travel this fall? We focus on three historic bed-and-breakfasts that should be visited—places that are proof B&B’s have come a long way and now offer more than just a bed—and a breakfast! Learn about them on page 49. Road trip! As always, we have our regular features on home design, lots on food, including fall recipes from local restaurants, some classic cocktails that take you back to the days of Old Hollywood glamour, plus where to volunteer, what to read, and more! I wish you all “fair winds and following seas” this month! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
It’s November, which means the holiday season has officially begun—although I remember a time when Thanksgiving heralded the official start of the holiday season. Now there are Christmas tree displays in stores in August! The pressure of the holidays can seem overwhelming and some folks feel especially lonely during this time of year. Read how to overcome the holiday blues in our article “Only the Lonely” on page 26.
It seems more and more of my conversations with my friends lately are focused on our parents. It’s scary to think that not only are we still taking care of our own kids, but we now have to worry about our own mom and dad who may not be able to handle their own financial affairs. What is needed is a solid plan and good advice from the pros; luckily, “Don’t Break the Bank” on page 34 offers some help.
I wish I was an artist. Seriously. I have such admiration for creative people and really do wish I could paint or draw or even take a decent picture! I’m not even good at stick figures, much less creating beautiful pieces of extraordinary art out of seashells, or tempered glass! Our feature “Happy Medium” on page 41 highlights some of our community’s most creative people—some who only discovered this ability in their later years! Sadly, for me, creativity will remain elusive. But I can enjoy the fabulous work of these fine artists, and I hope you do too.
Ready to travel this fall? We focus on three historic bed-and-breakfasts that should be visited—places that are proof B&B’s have come a long way and now offer more than just a bed—and a breakfast! Learn about them on page 49. Road trip!
As always, we have our regular features on home design, lots on food, including fall recipes from local restaurants, some classic cocktails that take you back to the days of Old Hollywood glamour, plus where to volunteer, what to read, and more!
I wish you all “fair winds and following seas” this month! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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Artist photos by Dante Fontana.<br />
Pat Kelly<br />
Medium: Seashells<br />
Tell us about your artwork.<br />
I create one-of-a-kind mirrors<br />
out of seashells and sell them<br />
from my home. I love walking on<br />
beaches and looking for shells; each<br />
one is unique and even the broken<br />
ones have a purpose and are needed<br />
in creating a mirror.<br />
When did you first start creating<br />
artwork?<br />
About 20 years ago, I started picking<br />
up shells while walking on beaches<br />
during vacations. I’d been working<br />
on various art projects for years,<br />
but one day, it came to me. I looked<br />
through many magazines that contained<br />
beachy items and some even<br />
had mirrors. I thought to myself, “I<br />
could do this,” so I found a couple of<br />
mirrors with wood frames, cleared<br />
off a big table in my dining room,<br />
brought out my huge selection of<br />
shells, and began creating. It was fun<br />
and wonderful! New ideas emerged<br />
and piece-by-piece, I saw where<br />
each shell could fit together to make<br />
the mirror beautiful. After collecting<br />
enough shells, I soak them in a solution<br />
to clean them; once the shells<br />
are dry, I sort them by size and color<br />
and put into Ziploc bags and boxes.<br />
I usually search and select groups<br />
of shells and place them around the<br />
mirror before gluing them on. This<br />
provides an opportunity to make<br />
changes and to determine what combination<br />
of shells looks best together.<br />
How long does one piece take you<br />
to complete?<br />
It depends on the size of the mirror,<br />
but a 24x20-inch mirror usually takes<br />
10-12 hours.<br />
Where do you find your inspiration?<br />
I have favorite places to search<br />
along the West Coast and Hawaii.<br />
The ocean’s tide brings in new shells<br />
every day and I never know exactly<br />
what I’ll find. This is all part of the<br />
enjoyment!<br />
Have you always been a creative<br />
person?<br />
Yes. I love flowers, art, and making<br />
our home a place to enjoy with family<br />
and friends. I also enjoy a variety of<br />
arts and crafts and have made cards,<br />
tiles, pillows, and paintings.<br />
Who is your favorite artist?<br />
Eileen Downs. She designs her art<br />
with pieces of paper.<br />
What is your favorite museum or art<br />
galley, local and not local?<br />
I love the Smithsonian Museum in<br />
Washington, DC.<br />
<strong>November</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | Sac<strong>Boomer</strong>.com 47
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