My World of Wonders - aka The Wednesday Ws October 22, 2025

Where have I been this week? Mt. Vernon for a long walk, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the National Symphony Orchestra, Crystal City for an amazing lunch, the Farmers Market, the pool, the community center and the pharmacy. Old town waterfront, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Into Washington DC for a long walk, Mt Vernon for a long walk. The pool. 

Who have I talked with this week? My sweet bear, Amy, Marcel, Mary, a couple of bored National Guardsmen walking the streets of DC, the shuttle driver at Mt. Vernon. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen?  Quiche - I used up the remainder of a bunch of cheeses, beef stew with an usual ingredient - zucchini I had it and it needed to be used,  a rice, eggplant, and beef stew, pumpkin custard. 

What have I read this week? "Small Wonders" a collection of essays by Barbara Kingsolver. It was excellent. What was the best thing she said, she gives a book she is reading 30 pages to draw her in, if not she drops in the donate bin. I am working on two other books, "How Do You Feel, and In Praise of Idleness.  I will finish both of those in a few days. 

What did I go out of my way to see this week? One of artists at the Torpedo Factory Art Center has caused a bit of a stir by posting his opinion in the window. The city owns the building, the Mayor has responded that it is protected first amendment speech. I love living here. 

What was I thinking during my Sunday walk? Children are naturally creative, give them paper and crayons and they start to draw. Then adults criticize the creativity out of them, trying to show them the "right way" to see and interpret the world. Our creative spirits are crushed as children. As adults we need to reclaim our creativity, purple skies, round faces, color outside the lines.  Allow yourself 5 minutes a day to create without hearing the critics. The more we create, the more creative we become.  I do that with my writing. I spend 2-3 hours a week writing for this blog, because I wanted to develop my writing, to get better at expressing my thoughts and feelings (I am still not very good at feelings - I will spend some time thinking about what suppressed my feelings.)

What have I seen that makes me love living here? 

Our local city government. 

The Face of Evil 

A Bald Eagle near Mt Vernon