From Bus: Spring And Winter Tree

Old and new buildings, old and new season, tree as in winter, bare and tree with the beautiful spewing green colour covered leaves. A bus going, comming. And all that taken by my camera from a bus!

Best or worst Holliday ?

My 'worst' holiday was as I was 40, the last one before my divorce.

Beautiful lake Granada, Italy and great swimming and good weather. One morning, we went rowing on the lake. He tried to make angry: as I realised he did try too hard, I did not. As we arrived on the shore, me all heated up by how he looked, beautifully bronzed, he told me. "I am going."

My husband suddenly, left us there, to go and be with his mistress in Romania:  "Will be back in a week" and he left us without a car, far from everything in a camping lot.

He arrived back after two weeks, just the day day before he had to work.

It was a beautiful holiday.

But I was left with sexual frustration in 30' after we went to 'boat' together, and that is when I really decided 'enough is enough'. A month later, I found a love letter on the floor and then it is I had the courage to tell. To ask divorce. To do it.

Well it was a great Holliday, my Italian friend in a caravan with her husband, near our tent, asking me every day: when your husband arrives back? Finally she did not believe I have one and they went away before he arrived back.

It was great to swim in the clear lake as we woke, it was great also that finally pushed me to free. To begin a new life. It was also one of the most miserable one as I was frustrated and felt trapped.

It helped me, pushed me, decided me to dare and begin a new life.

4 years ago I still loved swimming

I have to begin again.

I have no idea what happened to my red costume, the last good one I boiled too much, but I do have a new one fitted to my rounder figure.

Now, just an open pool, an relatively easy way to go in and in I'll go again.

From childhood on, was I two or three? I always loved water, and towards seven learned not only to dive but to,swim. At 13, I did 500 m, proudly and later swam in lakes with joy. I remember still the pleasure of it.

Have to try again.

Do not give up when it seems 'impossible'

Today, I think of Churchill who found the unforgettable phrase "an iron curtain fall in the middle ofeurope" understanding the seriousness of so many countries cut out, that fall more and more under the Communist Tyrany. I was there behind the iron curtain till I was 28, I know.

Today, I think of Margaret Thatcher, who met Gorbachev and his wife, and before 1989, felt something very important can be done and recommended to Regan to meet him. 

Today, I think that all who do not have to live any more under the foot of communist Tyrany in those, now so called 'east European' countries owe some thing to UK and its prime ministers, who did not give up to what seemed then and for long time 'inevitable'.

Do not give up. In memory of those who had shown, impossible is possible after all.

I did believe also I had to stay with my unfaithful husband. And did stay 7 years after I found out the first time. Did stay after he told me 'there is no love contract' and did not see out. When I made later the first step, when I was decided, help came from many sides. It become possible to have a new life. 

Julie Kertesz : keynote speaker

It is great to being invited and assist to a Creative Ageing day and be the Keynote speaker, it is nice to be paid and have all expenses of travel from London to Ayr taken care of. It is wonderful to meet with so many interesting people of all ages, this time mostly over 50. It is very rewarding to receive an appreciation like this for my work, stories and presence.

"Julie's Keynote was an inspiring and invigorating start to our Creative Ageing Day, with the stories and experiences which she shared successfully bringing a broad group of delegates on board to fully engage with the activities and sessions on offer. 

As a storyteller and speaker her wholehearted zest humour and creativity is evident as a driving force throughout her own life, work and latterly in her responses to the ageing process. This is the Kertesz 'touch' from which many of our delegates drew strength and encouragement to take some of their own creative risks!

Gillian Steel - Senior Cultural Coordinator, South Ayrshire Council"

Julie Flavia Simone

Here at the end of the Speech contest for the area 59 Toastmasters, me at left with the contest winner Flavia in the middle and our chief judge Simone.

I do not think it is by 'chance' that all three of us also told true stories the 4th of March at Canal Cafe Theatre with Spark London.

The storytelling workshop and working together, helping each other did bring us nearer, make us know each other better.

Made all of us more open and more willing and able to collaborate.

And it will continue.

London night along Thames, near the Pier.

As I arrived to live in London, summer 2008, I was invited to a Meetup group called The Artist's Way, and we met each week once at the Royal Festival Hall. As I got out, it was dark and I went through the foot bridge towards Charing Cross station to take a train towards where I lived. Still live.

I was fascinated by how many colours the Thames could take because of its surrounding and the tremor of reflections on the water. Some of it I succeeded to take on my small camera. But so much lives also in my soul and enchantment.

Some things were the same, other colours changed. A day it was colder, another windier. The waves bigger or more subtle.

I could have descended at Waterloo station, it was about the same length, but I longed to traverse again and again that bridge and look down to the water and its colourful reflections, trembling in the night.

I never guessed how many different reflections the Artist's Way book's study and discussion, how many waves will provoke in me and my following years creativity.

Baiser, près de "ma" maison

What is the chance to go back to the house you have lived for 23 years, go back from London and visit that place in Paris you liked so much, at a time, and suddenly see a couple kissing.

A beautiful kiss forgetting all.

What is a chance to have the camera in your hand ready and snap the moment, take it with you.

What is the chance to follow them later and begin to exchange a few words and find out: they are also living in London?

Well, all that happened 3 years ago as I went, yet again to the place I like so much. At the same time offering me one of my preferred images.

In a row

In a row, a set on Flickr.

A new set of 33 photos 'in a row' from 2004 to today. The fist 24 here or go to the set!
Enjoy!

The sun was not yet up

I woke up at three and half tonight, remembering the feelings at the Canal Café Theatre as I waited to see who will come and who not.

All came !

Ernie, who called me a day before: I can almost no speak, I hurt. Simone, who called de two days before: I sprained my leg and am going to the doctor. Flavia, who hesitated a week before : all where there!

All told their interesting story wonderfully.

Joanna: they are strong, you did a great job!

In fact, they did, mostly, not me.

But I will tell tonight a bit from how I felt, instead of giving a dry rapport on it and my project. If needed, I can tell another time, differently: one can tell so many ways the same real story!

Useful!

I tried different things for my iPad that I use more and more. This is what I find the most useful.

It is small, not heavy, sturdy and keeps my iPad up exactly so I can write without holding it with other hand.

It is not 'also a cover' that did not work for me.

It does only one thing but does it so well. And when in transport it is easy to fold then open up. Some little things are really 'ergonomic'. Easy to use. there for us. When needed.