RAINY DAY

I remember the poem- "Rain rain go away, come again some other day..."  It's pouring outside; cold and windy, too.  I like the rain.  Things smell fresh, the sound of raindrops on the roof and windows is relaxing, and when it ends everything is clean and watered.  But things go crazy in Los Angeles when it rains.  We have huge mudslides in hillside areas that were burned by fire.  Foolish people fall into the swollen LA river...usually just a concrete ravine.  And, of course, the normally wacky drivers become wackier. 
I don't know if being deluged by heavy rain is any better than being snowbound, with freezing cold outside.  People who are snowbound may be forced to stay home by the fire and read, or even work from home by computer, And let's face it, snow covered landscapes make for beautiful photos and cards at this time of year. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL , AND A HEALTHY, PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!

The Plato Society of UCLA

    I am very lucky to belong to a wonderful society comprised of retired and semi-retired people, who come together to learn about a myriad of subjects.  We call our meetings "Study/Discussion Groups," or SDGs.  I have been gone for 4 terms because of my orthopedic issues, but today I rejoined the group.  It was great to be back.
     Each study group – there are about 25 different ones each term – usually consists of 14 participants.  A volunteer Coordinator acts as the group leader, but everyone has the opportunity to lead, to learn and to participate in the discussions.

     The groups meet for two-hours during the day each week for 14 weeks.  Each member becomes the discussion leader for one meeting and is responsible for an in-depth investigation of some aspect of the course topic.  Reading materials are recommended or provided for each week so that all members are prepared to join in lively, well-informed, provocative meetings that make for a truly engaging learning experience.
     The topic for my SDG is "Taking to the Streets; American Social Movements and their Music."  I picked for my presentation, "Music of Oppression: Slavery, spirituals, blues, etc."  It should be very interesting studying (re-studying) the institution of slavery in America, and how the music of the slaves has worked it's way into all types of musical forms.

THE PLATO SOCIETY

Back to Normal

     Tomorrow will be three weeks since my surgery.  I am doing great.  I walk without a cane most of the time, and today I drove to the grocery store.  I navigated the market in their motorized cart.  It's kind of embarrassing to be scooting around folks, backing up, turning around, etc. but I really like it.  It gives me the freedom to do it on my own, and that's a lot better than giving my husband a list and hoping I get the right groceries.  I shouldn't malign him; before I broke my ankle he had rarely been to the supermarket, at least not alone.  He did all the shopping for months, and we were never near starvation!
     So things are getting back to normal...whatever that is.