Painting Night at BCC

 Since I joined the Berkeley City Club,mostly so I’d have a closer gym, I’ve been overwhelmed with the wonderful variety of activities they have.  They’re actually not a gym, but a social club, with gym classes.  Today, for example, I went to Cardio-Core class.  It was very challenging but I did what I could and hope over time to get more fit.  

Nancy came over for lunch. It was great to see her and we had a lovely time together, eating soup, then sitting in my garden soaking in the beauty and peace.  After she left, I took a two hour nap..  Restored, I went to the Berkeley City Club for the second time in one day, to go to the Painting Night.  I arrived early, as I am still worried about parking.  I sat in the beautiful lobby for a while, then went up to the Bar and had a Diet Coke but I didn’t need to do that. When  I wandered down to the room where the art class was, I was amazed.  There were 8 long tables, each with three easels at them and a set up for painting at each place.  There were delicious salmon canapes and cucumber sandwiches plus more. At another spot there was wine and assorted soft drinks, all complimentary.  If I wanted I could order food from the kitchen to be delivered.  Such amazing service just for our pleasure.

The Painting Class wasn’t full but there were a wide variety of ages and two grandmothers with their junior high granddaughters.  One set sat next to me.  I thought how wonderful it was to share this activity!  How I wish Elsa were closer!!!   The.teacher began to paint and we were to copy what she did.  Mostly I could do it, though not so skillfully.  We were provided everything we needed:  paints, brushes, the canvas and the painting to copy.  As I walked around, I saw the a number of the attendees did their own thing.  The lady right behind me did a beautiful painting of her garden.  One is free to paint as we wish.  

I was overwhelmed with this complimentary activity.  I got tears in my eyes because of how special I felt.  They could not have done anything else to make us feel welcome and honored.  And to think, I thought the Berkeley City Club was just a gym.  It is so much more. 

                                                                

                                                

Seventeen Days in Michigan

 I’m just back from seventeen wonderful days in E. Lansing.  Though with the two travel days I was only gone nineteen days, it seems like I was there for a month or two.  The time was filled with many of my favorite things.  First and foremost was spending time with our busy family.  Mostly we saw them at dinners where we gathered together, learning what their days were like and sometimes getting into long conversations which I relished.  Often the dinners were brief and missing one or two of us as it seems lots happens at the MAC at 6 pm.  At several dinners, Erika FaceTimed us from Northampton.  It was fun to have her included in the dinner conversation.  One time, I pulled up my phone to show her a photo of something I’d done.  Modern technology is really something. 

The weather was great and I enjoyed many walks.  Often I walked a loop around the neighborhood and enjoyed watching the trees turning more colorful each day.  We had several wonderful walks in forests where the light filtering through the golden leaves on the tall forest trees was very special.  We got to go to two of Sonja’s Cross-Country meets.  The weather at the last one was very dramatic with a storm approaching giving a dark gray background to the colorful trees.  Luckily, the rain held off until the race was over, but then the sky opened up and it even hailed!  Leaving the site, there was an amazing intense double rainbow.  

I loved going to the MAC, the gym, for Water Aerobics with my all time favorite teacher and walking on the track.  This time I even had a couple of massages that healed year long pains in my hip.  

I loved going to Bible Study at the church where we’ve attended for more the fifteen years when we’re in town.  I even got to teach a session, which was very fun for me.  The group always welcomes me like a long lost friend.  

I had a variety of adventures with new and old friends ranging from meeting for coffee and conversation to going to the No Kings demonstration at the Michigan capitol.  It was quite an event with many people in costumes.  Later I learned what that was about: tactical frivolity it is called where the costumes negate any sense of fear or hatred.  I have mixed feelings about it since the point of resisting seems so important and serious to me.  

Michigan does feel like home to me now.  I think my positive attitude coupled with letting go of any expectations made for my good experience.  I loved all the activities and the space I had for naps.  We are blessed by the community of friends we’ve gathered and of course spending time with family.  

                                                                            

     

                            

                                                                        

Back in E. Lansing

 We’re back in E. Lansing for our October visit.  Our travel, last Sunday, was uneventful and as pleasant as it could be.  The trip took 12 hours, door to door.  We were warmly greeted by Paul and Paula and quickly settled back in our little green house which is decorated for Halloween thanks to Paula.   Sonja has been living here while their house is being seriously renovated and remodeled.  

After three days here, I felt like I’d been here for three weeks!  It is easy to settle back in since I have so many memories and know which activities to do.  Monday morning, I went shopping to Trader Joe’s.  It’s just like being in Berkeley.  Then in the afternoon, I went to Bible Study at Edgewood.  I’ve been going to this group for many years.  I was warmly welcomed back which touched my heart so much I volunteered to lead a session while I’m here.  I do love the folks in this group, they’re honest seekers of truth and very loving.  I walked home with our neighbor Ellen and learned what she has been doing.  Mondays and Wednesdays Paula cooks and so she did on Monday night.  We had a delicious chicken curry.

Tuesday I did Water Aerobics at the MAC.  The redone pool is lovely and the class is the same with Becky, the teacher, encouraging us through our exercises.  Bob played pickleball on Wednesday while I cooked a lasagna for dinner.  Thursday, I went to Detroit with a group of friends to plant daffodils in front of a Detroit Public Library.  It’s something I’ve done for years now.  We have lunch in a different restaurant each time.  This year we went to a West African Restaurant, Baobob, on a redeveloped street in Detroit. We met Connie and Jim’s long time memoir writing teacher and her partner there and the 7 of us had a very long and wonderful conversation.  I was inspired to hear of the positive things different people are doing to keep the Democratic point of view strong.  At one point, Nancy, the teacher, asked us what was in our deepest hearts is the hardest thing about our political situation now.  The answers to this great question sparked even more good conversation.  

Friday was the MSU Homecoming Parade and so it goes.  Wonderful traditions that we do each year!  It is very special to have time with Sonja who is super busy with her 4 AP classes, a college German class, two sports and many clubs.  She seems happy and also seems mostly able to balance all her activities.  Ahh, youth, I think.  

Each day I walk the mile loop around the neighborhood and enjoy watching how the trees are changing each day.  My life here is relaxed and I enjoy each day.  

Red Carpet

 For some years now, we’ve gone to 3 or 4 performances each year at either Berkeley Rep or Zellerbach Cal Performances with our friends Bill and Christney MacGlashan.  The first performance of this season was this afternoon at Zellerbach.  We met at the Berkeley City Club for lunch first.  I enjoyed showing them around “my” new club.  From there, we walked the block and a half to Zellerbach.  I didn’t know what to expect from the Paris Opera Ballet’s North American premier performance of “Red Carpet.”  It had been advertised extensively. But as we entered the hall, there were people passing out orange foam ear-plugs.  But the hall was full, maybe sold out.  Hmmmm.

The program notes call Red Carpet an invitation.  It was a collaboration with Chanel for the costumes, which unfortunately I couldn’t see because the lighting was so dim.  The total performance was in gray for me.  The sound (I hesitate to call it music) was the most prominent feature of the performance.  There was a 4 piece ensemble:  a cello, a string bass, drums and various wind instruments played one at a time.  The most striking thing about the performance was the  insufferably loud music even with earplugs in and my fingers over my ears.  It hurt.  It vibrated my body.  It shook me up, not in a good way.  It was repetitive and boring.  It took me half of the hour long performance to get over the music and notice how very beautiful the dancing was.  There were 13 dancers much of the time in body leotards so they looked naked from the mezzanine where we were sitting.  I tried to make a story out of this.  It wasn’t intended as a story, just as emotional impressions of the choreographer.  I needed to make sense of it.  It seemed to me a study in contrasts in human life:  dark and light, chaotic and ordered, male and female, hell and heaven (complete with angelic voices for heavenly part just in case we missed the point).  The ugly dark chaotic part reminded me of the current times in which we live- ugly, mean and vulgar.  The dancing was truly beautiful and I wondered why the music was mostly so ugly. 

                                                                                

I wouldn’t recommend this ballet to anyone.  It was too painful.  The gift was it was so short.

Field Hockey

 Back in the day, when I was in High School, there were no girls’ sports.  It was before Title 9.  But we had Physical Education every day and we rotated through different sports.  My favorite was Field Hockey.  I loved the free running back and forth, the marking of the sticks, the hitting of the ball.  I didn’t like sports much but this was the exception I remember.

Now Elsa has joined the Field Hockey team at Palo Alto High School where she is a sophomore.  Yesterday I went down to Palo Alto to watch her play in a game against La Loma at 5:15.  It was an adventure for me as I took public transportation.  I didn’t want to drive home in the dark on the crowded freeway and I wondered how this other way might work.  I took BART south to Millbrae, the end of the line and there I transferred to the CalTrain which runs from San Francisco to San Jose, down through the Peninsula.  Arne helped me find the times and the trains to take.  It all worked out beautifully and I got to Palo Alto just at 5 pm.  Arne was to pick me up there and take me with him to her game.  The only problem was finding him on the platform.  I did eventually and we got to the field just before her JV game started.

It was so fun watching Elsa in her green jersey number 1, run all over the field.  She is on the right back and played the whole game.  She looked so happy and strong running here and there and making blocks and hitting the ball to other players.  Her posture is straight backed and beautiful.  Her team had it together and won the game 7-0.  As the light grew more angled, everything glowed and we even spotted a rainbow up in the cloudy sky.  After the game was over, the team had to put away all the equipment.  The girls knew just what to do.  Karna told me where to stand so I’d be able to see Elsa.  She came running over, to put away her stick in the locker and saw me and smiled and waved and said “Hi Gramma.”  That was it.  She knew I came and seemed happy for it.  I got in Arne’s car and he dropped me off at the CalTrain station and I took the train to Millbrae and BART back to Berkeley.  It was 5 hours in transit, coming and going, but for me it was worth it to see my granddaughter strong and happy playing at a sport she has come to love.  

Joining the Berkeley City Club

 Two weeks ago I formally joined the Berkeley City Club.  It’s a beautiful facility near the University and even has a parking lot.  The building was designed by Julia Morgan and built in 1932 as a women’s residence for the University.   The place is incredibly beautiful with charming details everywhere. Lots of nooks to sit in and relax and enjoy chatting or reading. But for me, it’s really a change of gyms.  Fifteen years ago I joined Oakwood Athletic Club in Lafayette and have been a dedicated member since.  For years I went three times a week, working out on the machines and taking classes.  More recently I have just been taking Chair Yoga twice a week.  There was quite a nice little community of gym friends I’d made.  On my last day in yoga, I thanked David our quirky teacher, telling him “he’ll always be my first yoga teacher.”  I was very sad to leave several people and we exchanged contact information and I hope we’ll stay in touch.

The motivation to change was mostly because of the 9 mile drive along windy Grizzly Peak and then a drive on a busy freeway.  I can do it now, but I was thinking of 5 years from now when driving will be even more difficult.  So for the past two weeks, I’ve been taking as many gym classes as I could, getting to know which ones I’ll want to attend regularly.  So far I’ve loved them all:  Cardio and Core is challenging and reminds me of my weekly workout with Karen; Aqua Zumba is water aerobics in the gorgeous Julia Morgan pool and Fit for Life is a great class focusing on core strength and balance.  There is also a yoga class and a Zumba class both of which people recommend.  Plus there are many other activities:  a lovely restaurant ( Bob and I tried “Taco Tuesday” and loved the atmosphere, the food and the 30 percent discount members get), art classes, a book club, lectures, concerts and even a play group.  And so far people have been very very friendly, welcoming me with open arms.  I’m loving it and feel that the change was for the better.  

Rigoletto

 Last Sunday afternoon, Bob and I took BART into San Francisco to see Rigoletto at the Opera House.  Arne gifted us his tickets.  Neither of us had seen this opera by Verdi known for its melodic arias.  We arrived at the Opera House just as the doors opened at 1 PM to go to the free lecture which we like to do as it gives us factoids and helps us know what to listen for in the Opera.  We learned Verdi wrote this opera in just six weeks.  Afterwards, we wandered about in the grand lobby, taking our photo by the big colorful sign.  Then I bought us a sandwich at the lobby cafe to tide off any hunger pangs.  And a 1:45 we joined in the flood of people going up the stairs to find our box seats.  There is a door for each box.  Ours was “C” on the left side of the hall, so quite close to the stage.  The door opens into a little anteroom, decorated with a mirror and a table and a soft chair.  Opposite the door is a gold velvet curtain that opens into the three tired box with 8 chairs.  Our seats were in the back tier which turned out to be great because we could stand up whenever we wanted, disturbing no one.  I brought my grandmother’s pearl covered opera glasses which pleased me no end to look through.  I thought of her and how much she loved operas, like I do. 

The excitement mounted as the hall filled up.  The lights dimmed and the conductor raised her baton and the music started.  The set was stark.  A central courtyard and white buildings was a 19th century southern Italian Duke’s Palace and modified into a town for the second Act.  Then the singing began and ohhhh what wonderful music it was!  Even though the story by Victor Hugo was a bit far-fetched, the music was so melodious and beautiful.  The acting was excellent too.  Rigoletto is a court jester, teasing all the women and making jokes to amuse the Duke.  He was sung by Amartuvshin Enkhbat from Mongolia.  I thought, he was fabulous.  The program highlighted that he is the foremost baritone for this role in the world.  The singers were very international.  The Duke was sung by a tenor from China.  Gilda was sung by a Romanian soprano whose arias were breath-taking, filled with amazingly pure and beautiful extraordinary high notes.  The opera just flowed from one beautiful aria to another with many of them having a single instrument paired with the voices:  the Men’s Chorus and the brass;  Rigoletto and a solo violin, Gilda and a flute.  The incredible music just had me smiling.  Afterwards, I felt happy for days and Bob listened to the Opera on Spotify.  What a gift to be able to hear such an amazing production so near to our home.

Afterwards, walking the several blocks from the Opera House through United Nations Plaza, we were overcome by the stench of urine and the sight of a number of people hunched over that Bob told me was a sign of a fentanyl trip.  Coming home on the BART train, we had to listen to street musicians that get on the train just before the tunnel under the Bay and get off just after.  There was a young woman on the Richmond train who had a bouquet of carnations.  I noticed her sitting a couple of rows ahead of us with her flowers and extreme facial piercings.  Just before we got off, she got up and tried to give each woman in the car a flower.  Everyone refused.  When she came to me, I also shook my head no because I didn’t want to be coerced into giving her money.  But she dropped a flower on my lap and said  “I want you to have this”. The contrast between the street people on BART and the extreme opulence of the Opera is a very hard thing to hold but it is very much the reality of San Francisco.