Hanging Around

Today I continued the work I have been poking away at for the last week: going through upon which I've jotted notes, culling the bibliographic notations, and compiling the many bibliographic notes I have, both in computer files, and on the stacks of notepads that appear to date back to 2003. Ugh. Yes, I know I won't get through all of these readings, but at least I know what I've got in front of me.

I also managed, for the first time, to buy enough groceries to make a real recipe. For the past week, I've been slowly stocking things like oil, vinegar, spices, dry beans and the like. But tomorrow, I'm going to make a black bean soup and a jicama salad. It feels good to have real food in the fridge. It's been weeks.

Finally, I allowed myself a little recreation. The mile-square neighborhood I live in in Fellowship City is, I think, required by federal law to hold some sort of outdoor festival every three weeks, and this weekend was no exception. Tonight, in addition to tons of live music (free) and good food (not free, but net proceeds went to support the festival), there was an "aerial dance troupe" that performed on trapezes, stilts, and long reams of silk (see photos) hanging from a giant oak tree in the middle of the small park that this festival was held in. Think Cirque de Soleil, but done by all your neighbors. Some (like the young woman in this photo) had dancer/gymnast builds, but some others looked like your average-size-12 woman, and at least two were over 45 years old. People performed according to their abilities, and it looked like everyone was having a blast. Apparently, the way you get into this group (though probably not in the more strenuous or dangerous acts, like in the photo) is to show up for classes and rehearsals, and be enthusiastic. I think that's great. Fun, and a challenge, but without the need to be perfect all the time.