My World of Wonders also known as (aka) the Wednesday Ws last for July 2025

Where have I been this week? The farmers market, the gym, the pool, the Library and Aldi. I really should get out more. (I have long bony feet like my father did.) 

Who have I talked with this week? My sweet bear - of course. Jennifer an old friend who is going to be in town for a day later in August. Rafael, the water aerobics gang. Oh my I really should get out more. 

What made me smile? I was thinking about the experiences that I have had, the adventures I have been on.  Writing a comment on Yorkshire Puddings' blog, reminded me of a training I did in Alaska many years ago, and a conversation over dinner about bears with a police lieutenant - who had encountered a bear in her car eating her lunch (the bear was eating her lunch) in the middle of the city the winter before. I have met so many fascinating people, talked to so many interesting strangers in my wanderings. I am working on plans for next spring, I am reminded of the amazing places we have been.   

What do I need to remember to do? When planning travel, planning days with NO agenda, no gotta go or gotta see,  days to slowly wander about the local area and let fate determine the agenda. 

What have I played with this week? I have a Nikon underwater digital camera. I charged it up and took it with me to the pool one afternoon. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen?  Home burrito bowls, spiced chicken, rice, homemade fresh corn salsa, grated cheese, sour cream. Lots of prep, I enjoyed the playtime. 

What have I been watching? The end of the Tour de France on Sunday, what will I do with my mornings now that the live broadcasts have ended. 

What have I been reading? I finished my latest stack from the library, and pulled from my cabinet of curiosities, "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin, a very unconventional book, you could spend weeks dissecting each passage, or read the entire 400 pages in 3 or 4 evenings. I read it on Kindle when it first came out, and it moved me to the point that I bought a print copy to have and to hold. With very limited space for books, this one is very worth hanging on to be re-read every couple of years. A random quote (I literally opened the book and this was on the top of the first paragraph): 

 

"Holding every rule as breakable is a healthy way to live as an      artist. It loosens constraints that promote a predictable sameness in our working methods."

What made me think this week? On Monday as I was headed to the gym, I passed a neighbor that I hadn't seen since BC (before COVID). We used to commute to the city at the same time, and we would talk on the shuttle bus to the subway station.  One afternoon coming home, she was sitting a couple of rows ahead of me on the train, and seemed to be struggling, at the Pentagon Metro station she got off the train, stood on the platform and started shouting, "Go Away! Leave me Alone! You are not welcome in my head!" A couple of days later we were on the shuttle together and I asked how she was doing and she said, "about the other day, I had been feeling well and went off my meds for a few days, sorry about that, I need to be better about taking my meds." Monday morning, she appeared to be off her meds again.  A part of the human condition, a part of her life. I hope she is feeling better by the time this posts.