I spent most of Friday and Saturday doing two days of both paid and volunteer work and chores, then Sunday was a day for culture and fun.
Actually, I did have fun on Friday morning going to the beach again with my sister Lori. This time instead of sunshine and crowds, the beach was very foggy and almost deserted. We could see the occasional person or a couple coming towards us through the fog and the sun bravely trying to peek through though that didn’t last for long. At one point, we looked up at a large rock at the end of the beach and saw somebody walking along the top of it, through the filtered light it looked a mirage!
On Saturday night, Mom and I finally started going through some of her photos. I chose a small album from a trip she took to Panama City, Florida with nursing school friends in 1957. There were photos of them on the beach, climbing on rocks, riding bikes on the sand, and in their hotel room in their baby doll pajamas. Mom told me stories about the trip and the three friends who went with her, Aunt Aggie, Schmidty, and Carol.
On my walks I often listen to podcasts. There were items on several of them that caught my attention this week. On one I learned about the term ‘Gramando’ which is a great alternative to grammar police or grammar Nazi. On another the interviewer asked Bowen Yang what he would have in his dream world. His response? A roller coaster and a library! He is a man after my own heart – that sounds fantastic! And finally, the day after I finished reading the excellent and engaging book Slow Productivity I heard the author on a podcast. His idea of doing fewer things and doing them well really hit home, especially as I’m in the early stages of another Interim ED role where I’ve got a lot coming at me.
On my walk I’m also noticing that the blackberries are ripening. On Saturday afternoon I walked up a few streets in the neighborhood that I don’t generally traverse because they are quite steep, but was rewarded with a blackberry bush filled with berries that had not been invaded yet by people or animals. Most of the berries weren’t quite ready to eat, but I found a few that were sweet and juicy and warm from the sun. The taste of those berries brought back wonderful memories of my childhood when we used to stuff ourselves with them and fill up Cool Whip containers so mom could make blackberry cobbler.
On Sunday morning I went to the DeYoung museum to see the Irving Penn photography exhibit. I have not heard of him before, though I realized I had seen some of his Vogue covers from the 50s. I really enjoyed getting to see the different types of photos he took, from fashion models to indigenous people and regular workers to famous people. A photo of a young Yo-Yo Ma and one of a dejected looking Alfred Hitchcock grabbed my attention.
As I was leaving, I could hear swing music playing, and looked over and saw a group of people dancing. Apparently you can take free Lindy Hop dance lessons in Golden Gate Park on Sunday afternoon – maybe something to check out!
Next I went to Stern Grove to listen to the SF Symphony play. I arrived 2 hours before the start of the performance and was lucky to find a good viewpoint on the hillside-it was packed and people continued to stream in, even well after the concert began!
Being there seeing everyone with coolers and picnics reminded me of the picnic backpack we used for years for the Thursday night farmers market and music. I can still see the green checked napkins and cracked plastic wine glasses. Everyone was friendly and positive. The woman sitting next to me offered me a rosé lemonade and then the people sitting behind me offered crackers. Maybe they felt sorry for the woman sitting by herself? I didn’t mind, I was outdoors, it was a nice afternoon, there was cloud cover keeping things cool but not cold. I was comfortable in light pants and a shirt. It was a wonderful spot for people watching. It skewed to younger folks on the hillside, the older ones arrived earlier to get a spot on the flat lawn or were sponsors sitting at tables. I saw several little boys with sticks and parents admonishing them to be careful. That also brought back memories, it is funny how three and four-year-old boys always seem to be obsessed with having a stick to hold.
I learned that the SF Symphony has been playing at the Stern Grove music festival since 1932 – wow! When I got home I found out that when she lived in the city in the 60s my mom and her friends would go to Stern Grove every Sunday and usually sit on the hillside amongst the trees. Who knows, I may have been sitting in the same spot they did 60 years ago!
The first half of the concert was a 4 movement symphony by Mozart. The conductor was very engaging, when he introduced the Grand Canyon suite, he mentioned first hearing the piece on the 2 part Brady Bunch episode where they went to the Grand Canyon and Bobby and Cindy got lost. I knew I was sitting around a lot of youngsters when they all looked confused at the reference. Yes, I definitely felt old! During the second half of the concert they brought on a singer who sang several songs from the 70s and 80s including Blue Bayou, Boys of Summer and ended with Hotel California. It’s not often you hear an electric guitar play with an orchestra! What a wonderful afternoon. I would definitely make the effort to go back again for another concert-it’s a great lineup with Herbie Hancock and Chaka Khan coming up later in the summer.
On the drive home the fog on the Golden Gate Bridge was so thick, it was literally raining on my car as I passed an electronic highway sign that said ‘Extreme heat, keep cool, drink water’ LOL, maybe in other parts of the Bay Area, but definitely not there!