What's happening week 9 at Lakeside

It's hard to believe that we are almost at the end of summer, half way through August. I've seen the sunrise every day--just later and later. Yesterday I watched the 7 a.m. ferry instead of the 6 a.m. I'm also reliving my March 2009 trip to the Holy Land by reading A.D. Wenger's account of 1899-1900, and brushing up on architectural styles of the cottages each day, getting ready to write about Dutch Colonial Revival. This is week 9 in programming, and the seminar topic is "American Writers and Composers." I learned my lesson from Health and Wellness week when I was too worn out to attend the lecture on fatigue, so I'm picking carefully.

The 10:30 seminar time is the most convenient for my body clock. I'm up by 5 a.m., so lunch and a nap are important parts of my day. That gives me time to walk, hit the coffee shop, visit the farmers' market and blog before I head off for the "Green Room" in the Fountain Inn (2 blocks). However, most of those are about musicians, a topic I find not as interesting as writers. So I'll have to also look at 1:30. If I hadn't signed up for drawing again at 3:30, that would be fine. So here's what it looks like for me on paper: Monday, Aaron Copland; Tuesday, Mark Twain; Wednesday, Eudora Welty; Thursday, Emerson. As I've noted before, because I was a foreign language major in college, I didn't have any British or American literature courses, so I walk into these classes as a novice. Friday is contemporary vocal music at 10:30, but the drawing class is moved to 12:30 that day so the Rhein Center can close early, so I may not get to that one. No time for lunch or a nap if I did that.

Last Tuesday I wouldn't have dreamed of a second week of "intensive drawing." But I did fill the entire 70 pages of the sketch book, something I would have never done if I hadn't signed up. After I was in the class, I found out she meant 140 sketches on 70 pages, front and back. But I stayed with my original interpretation. I'll miss today's class because Joan of the Idlewyld B&B is having a paint in/out on her porch and I've been invited.

Week 9 began with the Opera on Saturday night with our terrific Lakeside Symphony. I'm not a huge fan of opera, but it's such fun to see it live, especially with the English words flashed on screen so you can follow the story. Sunday's service on the Lake front with pastor Jennings was wonderful as usual. A friend whispered to me that her granddaughter (Ivy league college) doesn't consider this "real church" and won't attend (I think she's high church Episcopalian). However, God's handiwork, even with an August haze, is far superior to the most glorious cathedral in Germany, and there is a blend of traditional (19th and/or early 20th century) hymns with a beat and some contemporary provided by a guest singer. The sermon was "Shoulda, coulda, woulda," and just the title is food for thought at my age.

In retirement I've been able to do most of the things I could only dream about when I was younger, thanks to penny-pinching, good health, and early retirement, but I do wish (shoulda coulda) I'd done more memorizing when I was young--it's a learned skill, but it's also a solid foundation. Remember, even in the 40's and 50's, memorizing had gone out of style with educators and was thought unneccessary--except maybe for those in drama or literature. I'd love to be able to recall an entire poem or section of scripture instead of just a title or line. Google is a wonderful gift for finding just that right/write item, but it's of little help when viewing a sunrise.

Blue skies and sunshine in Columbus

My husband is creeping along on Rt. 4 about 10 miles an hour. Says it is very slick and icy (called to let me know where he is). He's returning from Lakeside and four hours of leaf raking, a fall routine he's had for 10 years--although most of our neighbors there close up on Labor Day and reopen in April or May, and don't worry about leaf pick up schedule.

Gorgeous fashions! I was watching El Gordo y La Flaca last evening and their guest/side kick Steve(?) had a clip of a fashion show interview he'd done. Oh my! Clothes so feminine and graceful and fabrics so lush they recalled old 30s movies, or trimmer times of the 1950s. I certainly hope that trend will spread. Not that I could afford them or have a place to wear dressy clothes, but there is a trickle down effect. I don't know enough Spanish to catch the event or the designer, but let's hope it catches on. So tired of sloppy and casual. I left the room for a few minutes and when I came back the news was on. Those info-babes on Spanish language TV certainly dress differently than ours. Eye popping, if you get my drift. The man, however, was completely covered.

Also flipping through the channels I got the last few minutes of the Republican Governors Conference last week on c-span. They do seem excited about Bobby Jindal, and were praising him for the Gustav response. We keep passing out my homemade Palin-Jindal 2012 pins.

Feels like I might be coming down with a cold. I'm overdue. Haven't had one since September 2007. So I've been trying Zicam--a friend swears by it. If I could get 1 week colds like other people, I'd be happy. Mine usually last 3 or more weeks.

I had a long chat with one of my uncles last night and caught up on the family news. I think he's closer to my age than my father's--maybe 10 years older than me. He mentioned some grandchildren I didn't know about and a change of address for one of my aunts in California, so I suggested he write down the children's names and birth dates and mail them to me. I seem to be the only person in the family that does much with genealogy. Doesn't make much sense to know who was where in the 17th century if you don't know where the 21st century cousins are. I don't care much for my new version of Family Tree Maker 2008. I don't seem to be able to do the old functions I knew under the 7.0 version.

I volunteered at the Senior Center lunch room yesterday. They really have nice lunches--we served choices of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken salad, an Italian soup, broccoli soup, creamed chicken on toast, applesauce and usually someone brings in cookies or cake for a dessert to share. Although I have a regular service day, I've subbed a number of times, so don't seem to have a regular partner yet. Harold, my Tuesday partner, says I'm good. I think it's my experience at Zickuhr's Drug Store counter when I was in high school and college coming back to me. I have worked a few times with a woman who has a disabled daughter, and hope to help her out a bit so she can get out of the house more. On both Thursday and Friday there is line dancing right before lunch, and I enjoy watching them. I'm not going to figure this out, since even the medical journals can't, but I notice all the dancers are trim. Now are they trim because they exercise, or do they exercise because they're trim? One woman is 92 and seems to be having a lot of fun.

Advent's just around the corner, so I'll be helping on Wednesdays at church with lunch and communion. You don't ever want me in charge of the kitchen, but I can set a table and stir the soup.

Note: Here's an interesting Google trick. If you type "Zickuhr drug store" into Google and click on images, the first batch of photos that come up are all from my blogs, although I think only one is a photo of the drug store. I guess the other photos are on the same page as an entry about Zickuhr's.

We're home--blogging will be light!

The Tour was fabulous, the trip a bit rough. I've been released from the hospital, my head feels like it's still on a jet plane, my mouth tastes like yesterday's dirty socks, and I look like something only the cat could love. But my husband has the album full and is running them through the wonderful digital contraption our daughter gave him for Father's Day so I can watch them without exerting any energy. I'll write more when I feel better.

Positano, Day 3

Update July 4: One of the Janets also got sick--those in our group might remember she left dinner early Saturday to go back to the hotel. She thinks that it was the water in Assisi--which wasn't bottled but served in a flask. Anyway, her doctor is recommending homemade chicken soup and says he sees a lot of patients returning from abroad with this. I was more fortunate--she actually had to drive home from O'Hare in the condition that sent me to the ER.

Tuesday, Day 7

Thursday, Day 9, before lunch

Thursday, Day 9, after lunch

Friday, Day 10, before lunch

Friday, Day 10, after lunch

Orvieto Cathedral