Women in their ninth and tenth decades

Yesterday, I did photo shoots--to borrow a phrase from the real professionals--of four women.  I'm an amateur photographer, but I have a rather professional-looking camera. I'm learning as I go--taking pictures of women in their houses, surrounded by art and books, photographs and memorabilia and other tracks of their decades of living.  It's part of an exciting project I'll say more about later, and the credit for this project goes to the two who started it and invited me to take pictures.

I loved being behind the camera for a day, observing.  All of these women and the three we've done previously (one a personal friend, the rest new to me) were older than I am by a decade or two.  All of them are role models of vitality and enthusiasm. Some of them are retired from their former careers; some are still working; some are enjoying doing things they always wanted to do.  Some are married, others are widowed or divorced or single.

I saw an extensive collection of art from one woman's travel and a house filled with years of art-making in another's house.  I heard snippets of their stories, including some that were very sad and difficult.  They all seemed happy and active and busy, women who've lived long lives and are busy looking forward to more great years.

As I was doing this, my mother (who just turned 90) sent me a picture of her with her sister, Dot, 84.

Carlene drove the three hours to Dot's house and the two of them have been galavanting (as they call it) for the past three days, shopping and eating out and walking.