Thanks for visiting my blog. I’m documenting my quest to have 60 adventures - one a week for 60 weeks - leading to my 60th birthday. Enjoy!
While I used to harbor a stereotype of knitting as an elderly, Miss Marple-ish pursuit, Ann Hood changed my view. Hood’s novel The Knitting Circle, based on the unimaginable grief she experienced in real life after the death of her five year old daughter, portrays the magical, healing powers of knitting and of a community of knitters.
Of course, Miss Marple never represented the diversity of knitters and the art (yes, art) they produce.
Are you a Hamilton nerd like I am?
A few years ago, I read an article about the Hamilton phenomenon: how kids were learning history by memorizing every lyric; how this brilliant composer named Lin Manuel Miranda set the story of one of our least studied founding fathers to rap; how the show’s popularity led to astronomical ticket prices.
What could be better than taking a walk in the woods on a crisp November morning with a good friend? Not much, except maybe walking with a purpose.
And that is exactly what orienteering is: walking in the woods with a purpose.
What made me think I could ride my bike nearly 60 miles, with no training?
For many of you, swimming a mile ranks at about the same level of challenge as walking around the block.
For me, though, it is a big deal.
I think horseback riding is a bit like riding a bicycle; while I had a lot to learn, I definitely didn’t feel like a first-timer.
Who loves mozzarella? The good kind, in the specialty cheese section at the grocery store. The velvety kind that gives a hint of salt to a slice of heirloom tomato and a fresh basil leaf. Ever thought about making it yourself?
I never did until my friend Lysa suggested it. We took a mozzarella making class at Beer and Wine Hobby in Woburn, MA.
I think my resistance to getting a tat shows my age. So many younger people I know - in their 20’s, 30’s and even 40’s - have tattoos as a matter of course. They serve as a right of passage or a means of self-expression. Not so in my generation. Very few friends my age sport any ink.
Did you know that table tennis comes in second to soccer as the most popular sport in the world?
After taking just one lesson, I understand why. It’s so much fun! In an hour, I was getting the hang of the basics, and could see my way to improvement with practice.
Have you ever considered making your own shoes? It never occurred to me. I usually wear my shoes until they fall apart, then I go to the store, try some on, and buy the ones that feel good. I never thought about the craftsmanship (or lack thereof) involved in their creation. I actually never thought about their creation at all.
Chrissy, on the other hand, thinks a lot about what it takes to make a high-quality sandal.
It turns out I’m a pretty good shot. Still, once is enough. I never want to shoot a gun again.
My summer camp memories of archery include standing in the hot sun with a heavy bow, getting thwacked on the arm with the bowstring, arrows flying past my target or landing on the target next to mine. Also the great feeling of hitting a bull’s eye, or getting close; on the rare occasions that happened, it had way more to do with chance than skill.
Boy, the sport has changed.
As a preschool teacher, I often play with clay. I love the silky feel of it, the way it holds your pinches and pulls, even its play-in-the-dirt messiness. But I had never used a potter’s wheel, and imagined a zen-like experience as my hands connected with the spinning clay.
Not exactly.
No, I did not improve.
The fencing lessons I took reminded me about the purpose of this adventure quest: trying things out, expanding my orbit, pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. At the end, I’ll be an “expert dilettante,” not an expert in any one domain. Certainly not in fencing.
It’s hard!
Are you a Princess Bride fan? If so, you’ll recognize the sword fight between Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) and Westley (at that point in the movie, The Man In Black, played by Cary Elwes) as one of the greatest demonstrations of fencing on film.
Anyone watching wants to do what Patinkin and Elwes can do: dance around, swords clicking in time; feint and thrust; throw their swords in the air and catch them; leap over rocks and up steps; flip in the air over their opponent. The duel is a classic, beautiful work of art.
So can I learn to spar like that, at least a little?
Ha!
I flew a 737 … (sort of).
The simulator at Global Flight Adventures in Canton, MA, makes you feel like you’re really in the cockpit of a 737NG.
Those of you with natural singing ability don’t know how lucky you are.
Since my first ever singing lesson over a month ago, I’ve been practicing and continuing to work with voice teacher Akela Franklin. When you’re starting from scratch, learning to keep a tune takes a lot of hard work, both physical and emotional.
When my daughter showed me a video of her visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art, where she walked through the air on gymnastics rings suspended by ropes from the ceiling, I said, “I want to do that!”
She had made it all the way through the jungle of rings, from one end of the installation to the other, without touching the ground. While she warned me that it took a lot of upper body strength, I was pretty sure I could make it, too. Not!
