Lizzie is one of a fun series called 'I Shall Wear Purple'.
She is serendipitous - I originally made her upside down but she insisted on being a dancer!
Now she is a Jane-of-all-trades :-)

Mattie is the eighth doll in a series called 'I Shall Wear Purple'.

This series gave me time to reflect on growing old.
What do I cherish about growing older?
How do I convey the joy of living an attentive life?
What wisdom can I share?
How do I show that I value the aging process?
How do I nurture delight in all of life's stages?

Edith is the seventh doll in a short series called 'I Shall Wear Purple'.

Elder abuse and neglect are on the increase in modern, first world societies.
How does this happen?
Does the 'culture of youth' mean we become slowly brainwashed
to believe the aged to be cumbersome; a nuisance; inhuman?
When did we cease to honour and respect older human beings?
We desire aged cheese and beef.
We collect vintage and antique objects.
We delight in old manuscripts and classical music.
We restore crumbling buildings and rusted cars.
But we reject old people.
Let's look to the treasure among us and re-engage with senior citizens.

Alison is the sixth doll in a fun series called 'I Shall Wear Purple'.

"A man's age is something impressive,
it sums up his life:
maturity reached slowly and against many obstacles,
 illnesses cured, griefs and despairs overcome,
and unconscious risks taken;
maturity formed through so many desires, hopes, regrets, forgotten things, loves.
A man's age represents a fine cargo of experiences and memories."

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wartime Writings 1939-1944,
translated from French by Norah Purcell

Billie is the fifth doll in a series exploring aging called 'I Shall Wear Purple'.
I thought about words that sometimes come to mind when we say 'old'...
frail, vulnerable, nuisance, dependent, sick, forgetful, eccentric.
Are these words valid? unjust? cruel? abusive, maybe?
How do we react when we hear them?

What words should first come to mind ...
wise, mature, storyteller, safe harbour, hospitable, treasure, belonging.
When we use positive language to describe something,
it alters our mind-set and attitude.
We are more prepared to honour the inherent dignity of the person
rather than their difficulties.
These are readily accommodated as a small part of a wonderful human being.

Pauline is the fourth doll in a short series called 'I Shall Wear Purple'.
This series is a fun exploration of the aging process.

What questions am I asking myself as I get older ...
What am I going to do as I get older?
Are there life ambitions that I want to fulfil?
Do I have a 'bucket list'?
Do I see the aging process as a negative or a positive thing?
How will I treasure the giftedness of old age?
Will I delight in its surprises?

Maya is the third doll in a diverse series called 'I Shall Wear Purple',
honouring and celebrating our passage into the third age.
This doll is made from a pattern by Sharry Olmstead.

Why are we so afraid of aging and the aged?
Why do we crowd them into care facilities for the old and infirm
instead of caring for them at home?
Are we afraid of daily facing our humanity, our mortality?
Are our lives so busy, so crowded,
that we cannot pause to listen, to honour their story?

Jenny is the second in a short and varied series called 'I Shall Wear Purple'.
All the dolls are made from purple polar fleece with red embellishments.
All convey a sense of fun and joy.
This doll is made from a pattern by Julie McCullough.
Even though she is young, she is already wearing purple,
so people won't notice when she gets old!!

I have been thinking about getting older -
and how our society regards aging.
Jenny Joseph's poem 'Warning' was the stimulus
after I walked past some members of the Red Hat Society enjoying life in a local café.