About scillagrace

Inspired by my sister’s Flickr 365 project on her 50th year, I began my own venture of self-discovery with this blog. My life had changed dramatically in the previous 5 years, and I had changed with it. My husband died, my kids moved out, I sold our home and moved from Illinois to Wisconsin.  I had a lot to process, a lot to learn about growing up and being responsible in this Universe. I have moved further down the road by now and am living on my own for the first time, in Oregon, where three of my adult children relocated. My eyes are open in a way they have never been before, and I want to share my vision and experiences.  You can read more about this blog’s inspiration in a Special Photo Challenge here.

The page titled “An American Adventure” features posts about my road trip through eight National Parks. “In Wilderness…” contains post links that describe my trajectory into sustainable, responsible, ethically inspired living on planet Earth informed by my experience at the Wilderness 50 conference in Albuquerque, NM in October, 2014.  “Spiritual Lessons From Nature” is a collection of articles I wrote for the BeZine online magazine. “The Grandparent Project” is a photo archive created as a gift to my mother. “Wisconsin Historical” is a gallery of photos from my work as a costumed interpreter at a living history museum, Old World Wisconsin. “Wisconsin Outdoors” is a gallery of nature photos taken in Wisconsin.

Please take a look and follow along!

All gallery photos by Priscilla Galasso (except where otherwise noted) and protected under copyright,  all rights reserved. 

57 thoughts on “About scillagrace

  1. Your gravatar and about page are so moving. I feel touched reading your words and so happy for you too. Both my husband and I are turning 50 this year! This is the first time I’ve actually written those words! Still in denial I guess … hehehe! Good luck with everything. Your blog is wonderful!

  2. Change IS the only constant, just like we’ve heard this saying a million times.But to keep your head held high amongst all these changes is the true victory. Your blog is truly inspiring.
    Love, JustMadStuff.

  3. Hi, I am reaching out to you with a request. I was hoping to use one of your lovely Holy Hill pictures for an Order of Service printing. My wife passed away last week due to complications in her fight against leukemia. We are preparing for her memorial service on Saturday, and one of the pieces of this is preparing and printing an Order of Service. Holy Hill meant a great deal to her and her family, and I wanted to find a good picture to use on the outside of the Order of Service. I stumbled upon your gorgeous picture with the fall colors, and was wondering if I could have your permission to use it. Thank you for your time and consideration.

    • Greetings, Daven! I would be happy to give you permission to use the photo for the memorial leaflet. I don’t have a signature or trademark embedded in it, so I would ask if you could somewhere include a photo credit in the publication (doesn’t have to be on or near the photo, discretely on the back page of the bulletin would be fine with me). Your request puts me in mind of preparing my husband’s memorial just shy of 6 years ago. It’s a healing labor of love, those projects, and I thank you for the honor of being part of yours. Peace, Priscilla

  4. That is fantastic.Thank you so much. I would be more than happy to give you credit for the photo. Do you have a preferred citation I could use? I know it’s rather late to say so, but I am very sorry for your husband’s loss.

  5. I so enjoyed becoming familiar this morning with your blog and you through your writing. I took a look because I like finding photographers I enjoy but found I really enjoy your writing style. I am also exploring ways to age gracefully as I am turning 70 this year. I find I am having fun figuring out how to integrate the me of younger years (that I still am) with the me that feels so different and experiences life so differently in this aging body.

  6. I stumbled upon your blog and am glad I did. Inspiring. Thank you. I Turned 50 Two years ago, Had a stroke this past February and am trying to maintain my daily momentum. Blogging has helped me a lot. Hope you might check out my site.

    Kim Hunt

    • Good to meet you, Kim! I enjoyed your blog…I picture you as a singer/songwriter from your poetry, and I’m intrigued by what leads you to have “students”. I couldn’t find an About page to satisfy my curiosity. You are at a great transition in your life; I wish you well and hope that blogging helps you discover who you want to be…and how to get there.

  7. scillagrace: I teach for Milwaukee Public Schools. *8 years as a special education teacher and the last two years as a teacher of teachers. I also teach people how to ride motorcycles. That’s my passion and it has given me great joy and unbelievable experiences, And yes, I am a singer/songwriter but have limited use of my left hand since the stroke so I can’t play my guitar right now. So I write.

    How very cool that you are following your passion. A gift of my stroke has been an awakening to my life and urgent need to I’ve more fully and completely. I sense you too have this awareness as well. Best of luck with your new career!

  8. I had your blog recommended to me, and all I can say is that I am so glad I did! Reading a few of your posts has been refreshing to say the least after a long day of work! I have just read Aldo Leopold’s ‘A Sand County Almanac’ for the first time and looking at some of the beautiful photographs you’ve taken of the Wisconsin landscape has been a perfect accompaniment, thank you! I wish you all the best and look forward to your future blogposts! 🙂

  9. Pingback: Chicken Incredulous | Through the Lens of my Life

    • Thanks for the invitation, T! I would love to participate, and I’ll see how that gets played out in real time. I may not be posting consecutively or on time, but I will complete 5 days with stories/poems and some invitations.

  10. Hi! I invited you to participate in the Five Days Challenge. It involves posting photos and writing something to go with them. No worries if you’d rather not participate, but if you would like to, you can find the details here…

    Chicken Incredulous


    If you do participate, have fun!

    • I do believe there is a deeper reality, akin to the ascetic ideal that Nietzsche spoke about, and that beauty is a window that invites us beyond our logic and analysis. Thank you for your visit, Don! Your blog looks to be very interesting as well. I will browse some more…

  11. You have indeed come through much, and you may be on the brink of a new life with new experiences. But never discount the future. You just may change a little each day — or a lot. I know I’m still evolving as a human, and I’m 74!!

  12. You asked six years ago about the song, “Anticipation.” and who wrote it. We sang it, too, in college choir in 1979. Inspired from the WORD album of the Moody Church Choir called, “The Lord, Whom We Love.” The author(s) is/are Keene-Harris.

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