My Commonplace Book

I had a nice day today, but I'm worn out!

This morning I went to momomom's annual New Year's brunch. It was great! It was good to see various members of her family I don't see very often (especially what_evaa, who's away at college in California most of the time), and even though I didn't know most of the people there, everyone was friendly and I never sat alone by myself.  The food was wonderful and the drinks were great (especially the mimosas and the Mexican hot chocolate!).

Then I came home and finished my soup. The other day I took the bone and fatty section of the honey-baked spiral-sliced ham I made for Christmas dinner and a package of Toni's Ten Bean Soup from the Women's Bean Project (ingredients: barley, anasazi beans, lentils, red lentils, green split peas, yellow split peas, black eyed peas, black turtle beans, red and white beans). I cut up two big onions, several stalks of celery, several carrots, a couple of potatoes and a couple of cloves of garlic, put them all in my biggest stock pot, and filled it the rest of the way with water. I don't use recipes for soup -- I just throw in whatever's around. About four hours later I put in the contents of Toni's spice packet and some other seasonings, and after another hour or so of simmering I strained out the solid stuff, put that and the broth into big containers and put them in the fridge.

Tonight I scooped the fat off the top of the soup, then picked through the solids to take out the bones and fatty parts. Then I put the rest back together and ladled out a bowl of it to test it. Ahhhh! Beautiful soup! Actually it's practically stew -- some of the veggies and beans disintegrated and made a the broth extremely thick and hearty, which is just the way I like it! It was delicious!

Tomorrow when I have more energy I'll divide it up into sections and freeze it. Then I shall look forward to plenty of beautiful soup evenings! Maybe I'll invite some people over for a big bowl of thick, hearty Bean and Ham Soup, a salad, and some fresh crusty bread ... yum!

Tonight was my UU congregation's annual auction. Auction night is great fun! It's very silly ...  The various volunteer auctioneers put on funny accessories, and when they need to quiet everybody down to maintain order they squeeze a rubber chicken -- which makes a horrendous noise -- right into the microphone. But it's also serious -- last year the auction raised $35,000 for the church.

( Events I'm donating )

( Events I bought )

After going for a walk on Wednesday, I came home and realized I hadn't carved my birthday pumpkin yet!

goingdriftless gave me a pumpkin and this neat carving kit for my birthday, and I really wanted to try it. I've never carved a pumpkin before -- not even a traditional jack-o-lantern with triangular eyes and nose and a snaggle-toothed mouth, let alone a fancy pattern!

I was really glad I had gotten it as a gift, because I would never have attempted it otherwise! But knowing it had been a gift gave me the needed push, so I brought the pumpkin in off the porch, got out the kit, and got to work.

As soon as I'd seen the kit I had fallen in love with the cat-and-pumpkin-in-the-window image (far right), and the blurbs on the kit made it sound really easy -- just cut out the chosen pattern, tape it on to the pumpkin, trace, and cut.

( Pumpkin carving adventures )

( Photos of my handiwork )

( Trick-or-treat )

So all in all it was a good night, and -- except for that one little girl -- a good time was had by all, including me! 

Every year in November my neighborhood has a "progressive hors d'oeuvre party". It was originally planned as a progressive dinner party, but there were too many people so the format was changed to allow everyone to participate.

There are three open houses, with appetizers at the first two have appetizers and desserts at the last one. Everyone who wants to come is told which house to bring something to -- I was assigned to bring an appetizer to Janet and Bob's house (the second house). I dropped it off before the party began, came back home and finished getting ready, and then went over to the first house.

These are mostly not light appetizers -- they're more than hearty enough to be a full dinner. Janet had told me what others were bringing and we decided cheese and crackers would be nice in case some people wanted something to nibble on rather than chowing down.

After an hour at the first house they ring a bell, and we all take our drinks and troop over to the second house and eat some more. After an hour there the bell rings and we walk over to the third house for dessert.

It's really fun because you can see how other people with the same style townhouse decorate theirs. (There are only two styles of house in the subdivision -- a larger model and a slightly smaller model.) These houses are going on 30 years old, so most of them have been substantially updated, especially the kitchens. I always drool over them, because mine hasn't been updated at all. I replaced all the windows about 17 years ago, but that doesn't affect the appearance, and everything else is still the way it was, including the dated dark-brown kitchen cabinets.

I don't see my neighbors that much -- I know them to wave to or stop to chat in the street, but I don't socialize with them. So I enjoy these parties because I can get to know them better.

But I ate too much! It's so easy to do when you can't control portion size because you're just nibbling a piece of mushroom pie here, a stuffed potato skin there, a cocktail meatball, a spanakopita square, another mealball, and so on. There were so many things to try, and for dessert there were two cheesecakes, a gooey trifle, fancy pastries, apple pies, and several other things.

=burp=

I had a great time at my 60th birthday bash last Sunday!

I had about 50 guests, including woofiegrrl, vdentata, eudyptes, goingdriftless, momomom, phoenix_glow, and tleeves, who I got to meet in person for the first time!

I was delighted to have friends there from many aspects of my life -- family, friends from church, from my bird club, from LJ, miscellaneous friends, and I know I'm forgetting at least one other category my co-mod from freecycle. It felt really good to pull all the parts of my life together that way. And everyone was very friendly -- even the people who didn't know anyone else were absorbed in conversations every time I looked around. No one was sitting alone.

The weather was blissful. If I could have ordered weather for an outdoor party, I would have ordered exactly what I got: bright sun, temperature in the upper 70's, and a very slight warm breeze out of the south. It was a perfect day to be in the park!

I had asked Meredith and A to bring the cake. Specifically, I had told them, "Actually what I would love is if you would get a birthday cake! Just a regular sheet cake from Giant or Costco or wherever is fine." But instead they brought two cakes -- an enormous chocolate one with chocolate icing (at least two feet long), and a slightly smaller vanilla one with white icing.



And they were definitely not "regular sheet cakes"! A wouldn't say where she got these cakes, but they were obviously from an excellent bakery. The cake was delicious, with a filling of fresh strawberries, and yummy buttercream icing. Usually people just take a small square to celebrate, since ordinary sheet cakes don't taste like much. But these were so good that everyone kept coming back for more! Nearly the entire huge chocolate cake was gone, and most of the vanilla one.

What made the party especially wonderful for me was the help of four special people: My daughters, Meredith and A, and two friends, Ann and Wendy. They did all the work so that I could enjoy my own party -- from posting balloons at critical turns and setting up the pavilion to cleaning up at the end, as well as everything that had to be done during the party.  I saw A go back and forth several times carrying out filled trash bags and replacing them with new ones, and Meredith got the cake ready for me.



A few of the guests who were still there at the end also pitched in with cleanup, which was really nice. It's a trash-free park, and several people grabbed bags of trash or recyclables to take home, and Ann took whatever was left. My car was full of coolers and leftovers -- mainly drinks and paper goods, which I had drastically overestimated! I have to make a run to Costco and return what wasn't opened, but I have a lot of Pepsi, iced tea, lemonade, napkins, and whatever else was opened. In hindsight I should have just bought the drinks and paper goods at the supermarket -- that way the opened packages would have been smaller and I could have returned more of it. Oh well ... I'll certainly have enough beverages to offer anyone who comes over for the next couple of years!

Although I had made it clear on the invitation that I didn't want gifts, a few people brought them anyway, and I got quite a few cards. Unfortunately the cleanup crew helpfully took all the cards and put them in one of the gift bags, so now I'm not sure who to thank for that present! One of the cards was separate from the others, so I'm hoping that was the one that was originally in the bag. :-)

I had another gift, too -- something non-tangible. goingdriftless brought her guitar and sang a few of her songs for me! Unfortunately most of the guests had left by then, but some of the ones who were left came over to listen. Frankly I didn't care whether anyone else listened or not -- I loved it!

My actual birthday was two days later, October 23. A couple who had originally said they could come to the party called me on Friday to say something had come up, and asked if they could take me to lunch on my birthday instead, which I gratefully accepted. So on Tuesday the three of us went out for Chinese food. The party was the celebration for my birthday, but it was really nice to be able to celebrate on my birthday instead of having it be just another Tuesday.

My three Mylar balloons are still floating above the piano in my living room -- one still with the tape on it where it was stuck to a signpost -- reminding me of the great party I had to kick off my seventh decade of life!

OMG, am I exhausted!!!1!!111!!  It was a very hectic weekend, but it was all good.

( Saturday )

( Sunday )

But I ate waaaaaaay too much this weekend! Three all-you-can eat meals-- two big potluck dinners and an extensive salad bar. Ohhhhh. I was stuffed!

So I was on the go the entire weekend, and now I'm exhausted. I haven't done much all day. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I have an appointment to have my teeth cleaned in the morning, and I have to decide what to do in the evening.

( Choices and poll )

With wind chills in the single digits, I didn't go out all week. But the errands were piling up, so yesterday I bundled up and went out.

I had forgotten that I have a heavy winter jacket. It had migrated to the far end of the coat closet because I haven't used it for two years -- it just hasn't been cold enough to need it! I bought this jacket for walking in cold weather, and it's super-warm. It even has an insulated hood with storm flaps that snap under the chin. I enjoy walking in cold weather, but only if the wind is light.

I  was very comfortable in the warm coat, at least during the short walks between the car and each stop. I had to fill the gas tank, and even that wasn't too bad. I took the pump at the end of the row where there was some sun, and with my hood and my insulated leather gloves I was fine.

The trip to the bank ended up taking an hour, which put me behind the power curve because I had no time to eat dinner. I had to get some things from the supermarket, and then raced home with just enough time to put the perishables away, throw some canned soup and some frozen veggies in the microwave, gobble some of it, and run out to Game Night.

Game Night was a lot of fun. We meet at participants homes, people bring games and we just play whatever we want. Last night I played Pictionary. Another group quietly played cards in the kitchen, while the biggest group had a raucous game of Catchphrase in the dining room. 

The meeting is supposed to end at 9:00, but the Catchphrase players didn't want to stop! The hosts were both in that group, so not overstaying our welcome wasn't a problem. A couple of people left the game, so I got to sit in and play that for awhile too.

Tonight is the foreign film club -- the movie is Tsotsi. The movies they pick seem to have a theme, but I don't know if it's intentional, coincidental, or if I'm just seeing a pattern in random events. Last year there were a lot of films based on real events -- either documentaries or movies based on true stories. This year there are a lot of dark films involving crime.

Tsotsi is about a young hoodlum in the slums of Soweto.  The reviews say it has little violence, but what there is is very graphic. But they say it ends on a hopeful note, so maybe it won't be too depressing.

I wanted to answer each comment to my poking-my-head-up post. I was hoping to do it tonight, but I wasn't feeling well and spent most of the evening in bed (more about my day below). So I'll just say a general thank you here to all of you. Your responses helped me stuff those pesky insecurities back down under their rock for now. And I have a much better handle on how some of you react to returning readers.


One of the events I bought at my church fund-raising auction last fall was a Winter Picnic. This was the description in the auction brochure:

Back by popular demand! A February picnic at the R___'s indoor swimming pool. No sunscreen needed! Highlights include games, music, and swimming as well as customary picnic fare with a few gourmet twists prepared by some of this congregation's best cooks. Dress for a day by the pool.

Today was the day, and I had a great time! The games were mostly written quizzes and simple puzzles that spontaneous groups worked on cooperatively. There were no prizes, it was just for fun -- and it was fun.  Just chatting was fun, too.

The food was terrific, since one of the hosts was JW, who has long been acknowledged as the best cook in the congregation. The first course was soup -- minestrone and J's famous black bean soup -- and bread. Later there were hot dogs, hamburgers, and kielbasa -- with all the trimmings, of course -- along with homemade baked beans and J's famous potato salad.

Dessert was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (made by BR, whose house it was at), banana cream pie with toasted coconut to sprinkle over it, and apple cobbler. Anyone who knows I'm a chocoholic doesn't have to be told which one I had! (Although I did later take a very tiny piece of banana cream pie just to try it. I was too full by then for more than one dessert!)

But the best part of all was the pool! I really wanted to swim, but even though the pool area was heated, it's actually winter here -- finally! -- and the high today was in the low 30s, so it was still a bit cool for me, and even 80º water is too painful for me. But when the pool cover was retracted and I saw the hot tub, my eyes lit up.

The pool enclosure is all glass, and in the Rs' rural location there's still a light dusting of snow on the ground. Lolling in the steaming hot tub looking out at the snow was just heaven! The hot tub is within the pool rectangle, separated only by the tiled walls, so it was companionable and even though I was the only one in the hot tub for quite awhile I didn't feel alone.

I threw a rubber duck to my friend Wendy who was swimming in the pool, and we played catch with it for a little while until someone noticed a water badminton set and threw the squishy ball to Wendy. The others three people in the pool ended up playing too and we had a great time throwing the ball around. Kathy W got in the hot tub and her husband threw the ball at her and bopped her right on the head -- it was pretty funny. The game went on for so long that I actually got tired of it and went back to soaking, but the others kept playing. Every so often it would land by me and I'd throw it back. I felt good about starting a game that others were enjoying.

Meanwhile the main course had been put out, and I finally got hungry watching other people eat and got out. But I haven't enjoyed a party that much in a long time!

Unfortunately, when I got home I didn't feel very well. I was more than just tired and sleepy -- I wasn't dizzy, exactly, but I felt a little strange. I called back the friend who had left three increasingly frantic messages asking for momomom's phone number [Carla, did Ann get ahold of you?] and left messages for her on her home and cell phones, and tried to get on the computer, but I felt too out of it. I got undressed and lay down  and dozed a little.

When I woke up I figured out what was wrong:  I was dehydrated. I haven't been drinking enough lately, and I was too busy having fun to drink much at the party. I realized that I must have lost a lot of water while I was in the hot tub. No wonder I was feeling sick. When I could manage to get up, I filled a liter bottle with water and started drinking. I wasn't up to making anything so I just opened a can of split pea soup and that was my supper. Between the soup and a liter-and-a-half of water, I'm feeling much better now.

I'm still way too busy with freecycle, but I'm determined to find the time to post! And I'm trying to start making the time to read too.

I am not feeling well. I don't know what's going on, but I've been having hot flashes for the last couple of days. I am waaaay beyond hot flashes, so I don't know what's going on. I've also been feeling weak and out of sorts, so I assume I picked up a bug somewhere.

I haven't gone out at all since Wednesday, but tonight the Welcoming Congregation movie is Kinsey, and I don't want to miss that.

I'm a little conflicted about whether I should eat any of the pizza since my stomach has been a bit upset this afternoon, though. I guess I'll see how I feel when I look at it. Right now the thought of pizza isn't particularly appetizing to me (so I must be sick!), and if I still feel that way when I see it, I'll pass. If it looks good, it probably means I'm okay enough to have a slice. I rarely eat pizza since I switched to a healthy diet a few years ago, so a slice of free pizza at the Friday Night Movie is my once-a-month treat.

I didn't have any invitations to go anywhere, so I'd been expecting to have a quiet New Year's Eve at home. When that happens, I don't even watch the ball drop on television. I feel wistful about the fact that most people are out celebrating and I have no one to celebrate with, but not about missing a special event -- because it isn't.

If New Year's Day was at the winter solstice or the vernal equinox or some other day that makes sense for a new year to start, I'd probably feel differently. But the Gregorian calendar was originally devised for the sole purpose of correctly calculating the date of Easter, and January 1 is an arbitrary date. So it doesn't bother me not to celebrate the date -- I just feel bad that I'm missing out on the fun.

So today was going to be just another Sunday -- until Friday night when my friend Inge called me. While we were talking, I asked what she was doing on New Year's Eve. She said nothing, and I said me too ... so I suggested going to First Night Annapolis.

She was reluctant at first, but as I told her about how much fun it is she became intrigued -- especially when she found out that I've been to it six or eight times and am very familiar with it. So we're going! She picked up our passes yesterday, and at 2:00 we'll be on our way!

We leave early because it takes over an hour to get to Annapolis, and because I want to park downtown. We'll stroll around Main Street and window shop, then have an early dinner around 4:30 so we can have a leisurely meal and wander over to start lining up to see Thomas Jefferson. This historical interpreter is terrific -- I've seen him three times, but Inge never has. The last time I saw him was four years ago, so I don't mind seeing him again.

We're also planning to see a magician, an improv troupe, and a demonstration of Hawaiian and Tahitian dancing (with an explanation of what the movements mean). I'm excited!

This will make it a big weekend! momomom had a brunch yesterday, and it was a great party! I got to see her kids -- I see her oldest and his wife at Carla's house fairly often, but her youngest has been away at college so it was a treat to see her. And I hadn't seen her middle child in years! He was there with his girlfriend, who seems very nice. Unfortunately I didn't really get to talk to them because he didn't remember me, and just wanted to hang out with the other young people -- he obviously didn't want to engage in party chatter with one of Mom's friends!

But I had a fine time chatting with the other guests, and the food was terrific! I can't even begin to describe what they had -- the repast was elegant, plentiful and delicious! momomom says she's thinking of making this an annual event, and I hope she does -- I really enjoyed it!

Now off to get ready for First Night!

Every year my church has an auction. People in the congregation donate all sorts of things -- shows, dinners, outings, a week at a vacation condo or cabin, movie nights, just about anything you can think of. There's also a silent auction with tangible items, services (like acupuncture, massage, tutoring, you name it) and goodies. Everything paid by the winning buyers goes to the church.

( My auction purchases this year )

Hey, eudyptes -- Snopes.com is talking about Mentos and Coke! (And yes, she mentions EepyBird.com!)

I went to the 50+ Expo today. That's a big event that they put on once a year, with lots of activities, booths, performances, workshops, a health fair, an alternative care section, and all sorts of stuff. In past years I've sometimes gotten a neck-and-shoulder massage and a foot reflexology treatment at the alternative care fair, but I didn't go upstairs at the right time because I wanted to try out a Segway. 

Those things are fun! This is actually the second time I've ridden on one. The first was at the local town election last April, when one of the candidates had one at the polling place. She was giving someone a ride after the election ended and I cheekily went over and said, "Can I try it?" They had several at the expo today, including one or two of the new ones where the upright part is basically a joystick, and you not only lean forward and back to go, stop and back up, you also steer by leaning to one side or the other. (The older ones have a ring around the handlebar on one side that you rotate to the left or right to tell it you want to turn). I didn't get to try the new one, but I was perfectly happy to twist my wrist to ride around the little 4-cone slalom course they set up ... and I only knocked over one cone, the first time through it!

I also picked up a ton of swag and gobs of candy from the exhibit booths. Most of the tables have bowls or baskets of candy to entice people over to their booth, as well as myriad small giveaways imprinted with the company's or organization's name. I tried not to take anything I couldn't use, but I still ended up with magnifiers, sewing kits (including a set of needles pre-threaded with about ten colors of thread ), pens, rubber jar openers, bottle and pull tab openers (which I've really been needing -- I have a lot of trouble opening pop-top cans, especially the ones with big sturdy tops like canned soup), lots of little post-it note pads, a few larger post-it note pads, an exceptionally nice insulated lunch carrier, magneted clips for holding things on refrigerators or other metal surfaces, potato-chip-bag clips, pens, little purses, a lanyard emery boards, pocket mirrors, tote bags, pens, even one of those velvet-type lint brushes, and I'm sure there's more that I've forgotten. Oh, and did I mention pens? Some of them are really nice, and most are big or soft or in some other way friendly to arthritic hands. The coolest pen I got was a PenAgain, a weird-looking but very comfortable ergonomic pen.

And of course I accumulated a huge pile of paper with information of all sorts, not to mention a big bagful of candy!

I brought my big wheeled tote bag today, and it was great! I put my purse, my water bottle, my rain jacket and umbrella in there, and there was plenty of room for all the other stuff. I made a couple of trips out to the car to drop stuff off so the bag wouldn't get overstuffed -- even with wheels, it's hard to pull when it gets too heavy -- but since I have a handicrap tag I was able to park right in front of the high school where the expo is held and didn't have to take the shuttle bus from the mall.

The highlight of the expo for many people is the Capitol Steps performance! It's a short one -- only one hour -- but it's free! Today's was really good! I haven't seen them in awhile, and almost all their numbers were new to me (I've seen Pack the Knife before, but they updated it just a bit and it's still funny). Of course I had to get their latest album, I'm So Indicted. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but it looks really good!

While I was writing this I got a phone call. A friend and I were supposed to go to a natural area tomorrow morning, but she screwed up her dates and double booked -- she promised to go to Patapsco Valley State Park with the hiking club at her college. The problem is she had offered to drive, and she just realized the conflict tonight. She obviously can't back out of it this late when there's no time to make other arrangements. So she asked if it would be okay for us to go to PVSP instead. I wouldn't be able to keep up with a bunch of young, healthy college kids, so we'll just go our own way and meet them again when it's time to go home.

Speaking of which, I'd better go pack things up for tomorrow!

The new County Rec and Parks brochure just came. These are the classes I definitely want to take:

• Long-Term Living: Covering the Costs - p. 36: Extra costs for long-term care may be part of your future. These costs may include in-home care, assisted living, and/or nursing home care. Long-term care insurance is one way to prepare for some of these costs, but not the only way. Explore the often-confusing realm of long-term care insurance and consider the ultrimate questions of whether or not to buy. Discussion will be led by representatives from Maryland Cooperative Extension and the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program. 1 day, 2 hrs.  $0 - 10/4     → have to register by phone
  
  
• Laughter, "The Best Medicine" - p. 38: Strengthen the immune system, lower blood pressure, and promote emotional healing by participating in laughing exercises. This program is not based on joke telling'; it is a healing therapy that had its beginning in India. You can experience a whole new world when there's laughter in your life. Sponsored by a grant. 2 wks, 1 hr. $0 - (various)     → need to see if anyone else is going
  
  
• How to Get Started Exhibiting Your Photographs - p. 51: Wondering where to get solid, professional advice on how to start exhibiting your photographs? Look no further! In this unique class, a nature photographer will eliminate the guesswork and tell you how to get started. Learn how to find local venues for exhibiting prints, how to build a resume and apply for exhibits, how to mat, frame, and display photos, and how to set prices for selling prints. Bring an 8x10 photograph to mat during class. 1 day, 2.5 hrs. $25 + $10 materials fee - 11/13     ♥ registered 9/3
  
  
• Photograph Fall Foliage - p. 71: Bring your camera and spend the day in Cunningham Falls State Park and Thurmont, Md. learning how to photograph some of the most beautiful fall scenery in the state. A photography instructor will lead this day of picture taking for the novice photographer. Then spend the afternoon on your own enjoying the annual Catoctin Colorfest. Lunch is on your own at the historic Cozy Inn. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. 1 day, 9am-5pm, $35 - 10/15     ♥ registered 9/3
  
  
• Photograph Historic Ellicott City - p. 71: Bring your camera and join the photography instructor for an opportunity to photograph Ellicott City historic sites, including the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum and the Patapsco Female Institute. Enjoy lunch on your own in downtown Ellicott City. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. 1 day, 9am-5pm, $25 - 11/4     ♥ registered 9/3
  
  
• Photograph Hampden's Holiday Lights on 34th Street - p. 71: Join our photography instructor as you visit Hampden's famous 700 block of 34th Street during the holidays to photograph the wonderful holiday decorations on this one-block stretch of Baltimore City. Then enjoy dessert on your own at Café Hon. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Don't forget your camera! 1 day, 7-10pm, $35 - 12/6     ♠ #1 on wait list

Other classes I'm considering:

• Wire Jewelry for the Beginner - p. 41: In this basic techniques class, learn the basics of working with wire, as well as choosing supplies and tools. You'll learn how to make two pairs of earrings and practice techniques for making more unusual wire and beaded projects. 1 day, 3 hrs. $22 - 9/8     ◊ already have something scheduled that evening, will be too tired
  
  
• Mansions, Mills & Ruins - p. 71: What do you know about the history of Central Maryland? Explore with a local historian and author and discover the lost communities of Elkridge Landing, Anderson and Annapolis Junction, and identify the Gorman, Worthington and Dorsey homes. Enjoy lunch on your own at Savage Mill. Don't forget your notebook! Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. 1 day, 9:30am-3:30pm, $20 - 11/4     ◊ same date as Photograph Historic Ellicott City
  
  
• Flat Water Kayak Paddling Basics - p. 81: Learn flat water paddling techniques, self-rescue, safety, gear selection and how to load a kayak. Wear loose-fitting layers of warm clothing. This is an American Canoe Association certified instructional program. 1 day, 2.5 hrs. $30
  
  
• Float Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge - p. 82: Paddle the tidal marshes of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on this one-day flatwater trip. Enjoy the scenery of mixed evergreen and deciduous forests, which are home to the Bald Eagle and endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel. Choose double or single kayak. Beginner to intermediate paddlers welcome. All paddlers must complete our Kayak Paddling Basics class before the trip. Fee includes transportation, leadership and boats; bring lunch and beverage. 1 day 8am-6pm, Sept. 24 - double kayak, $47 per person

If woofiegrrl can go on the Blackwater trip with me in a double kayak, I'll take the basics class. There's also a Potomac River (northwest of Harper's Ferry) trip on Sept. 17 or an Antietam River (near Sharpsburg, Md) trip on Sept. 10, which I would do if the 24th isn't good, but I'd really love to go to Blackwater!

Now I just have to remember to register for these!

I'm a little hesitant about the exhibiting your photographs class -- 2½ hours seems a little short to cover all of that material. Is she going to talk to us while we're working on matting the photos? I don't absorb things very well that way. I have to take notes with that type of information. Plus I have to get my printer straightened out before then -- it's exhibiting some banding right now, and I don't know what to do to get it to work right so I can print one of my photos. Other than that they all sound exciting!

If there's anybody local who wants to do any of these with me, let me know! I'd love to have company for any of them, but especially on