Celebratory week

The end of the week was a busy and celebratory time.  The end of the semester for the Academy for Lifelong Learning which is my major activity now in "retirement".   This is my fifth year here on Cape Cod and I feel I found exactly the involvements that were best for me. 

On Thursday fairly new group of creative women who were gathered together by one "people person" and have been meeting since last spring, had a surprise birthday party for one member, a woman I like very much.   She was truly surprised and admitted to having had very few birthday parties during her life.  "My mother wasn't into mothering" she said. What a radiant smile she had all day.

That evening was the ALL annual banquet. I was given a ride there by a woman I had not had a chance to talk with as much as I'd have liked; we had a nice visit going and coming.  The food was the best (or maybe second best) I've ever had at such an event. Conversation at the table where I sat with some new acquaintances and others I've known some time, was very enjoyable. The next day was the last day of my writing class. The writing was great to hear and people said nice things to me.  Then the next to last documentary film class was the classic Leni Reifenfeld propaganda film, Triumph of the Will which I had never seen. A film that helped inspire the fanaticism of the Nazis -- marches, music, speeches, joyous faces -- everything meant to inspire dedication to a leader. Having now seen it once, I'll never forget it and certainly have no desire to see it again. However this coming Friday we will see  the biographical documentary about Leni R. who was an amazing woman and continued to be amazing long after the defeat of Germany. In fact she leaved to 100 or more, barely stopping her very creative life.

Yesterday we held an open mic event in the afternoon -- a first attempt to see how it would work.  As expected there were somewhat fewer people than I had hoped. But there were enough to have a good session of listening to people read their prose and poetry. Some was quite excellent and everyone there enjoyed hearing the readings. That is the last event except for the annual meeting with year end reports and new board of directors electees.  From here until September, no more classes ... but my anthology committee will meet and the submissions for the next edition are arriving -- which is one of the most exciting parts for me. So I look  back and think, yes, I have found a niche and I'm enjoying it very much.