Lorraine Brown
Editor's Note: When costumers retire, they don’t really retire…they just find a new way to channel their creativity! Pam Markel, immediate past president of the NCA, is contributing a new column to NCA Today that highlights the activities of retired members. In this edition, her second, she describes the post-retirement creative work of Lorraine Brown. Click here to read Pam's previous column, about Rachel Godollei-Johnson.
Lorraine Brown, of Fabian’s Upstairs Closet, Fair Haven VT., finds this to be true: “If you retire from a career that taps your creative side, to be happy you will seek other avenues to satisfy your creative self.”
All of you have seen Lorraine’s creative credit card dress, the outfit made from neckties, and her unbelievable creative costumes from the “wonderful” box of things for the Creative Style Show. It isn’t in her nature to sit idly by and do nothing.
Lorraine's painting of a wagon
She may be retired, but her list of hobbies is endless. Lorraine is involved in numerous interesting and unique projects; a committee called “The Itty Bitty Committee,” friends of the library, the Historical Society of Fair Haven, the local planning commission, a poll worker and the cemetery committee (which cleans the stones and documents the people buried there). Somehow, she finds time to also serve as a Justice of the Peace.
Two books co-authored by Lorraine
Lorraine has co-authored two books on her town history, into which she put in countless hours of research. Her talents also include painting. Check out the pictures of her books and her painting of a wagon on the Amish property in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
As if all of the above isn’t enough to keep multiple people busy, her latest passion is a Button Club. We all know costumers save buttons (and everything else), cutting them off old clothes and costumes, and even buying them in bulk at thrift stores. Her Button Club collects old and rare buttons, and they make things out of everyday buttons. The most interesting thing is that they learn about the history of when, how and why buttons were made.
Lorraine may have retired, but her life is busy. She said, “Honestly when did I have time to work?”