July 10, 2009

LuLu

Lu Lu, our cat, is getting a little bit cuddlier as she grows older.  She is especially demanding of cuddles when we return from a trip.  She is not a purring cat but occasionally she will make some sounds of contentment, particularly if Alan, my husband, and I play with her together.

Taking Care of Yourself

We are continuing our exercise routines.  My class at the East Lansing Senior Center includes pialates, yoga, stretching, balance and cardio sessions.  Our leader tries to get every muscles in the body toned.  Needless to say, many days I come home depleted.

We did some walking when we were in Canada.  Also we chose to purchase most of our meals at the local deli/grocery store rather than eat at local restaurants. Many of the restaurants in Canada serve healthy food.  I think they pay a lot more attention to serving fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, but we needed to save money too.   We had options to buy healthy food and to reduce waste at the same time as saving money.

Exploring

 We have traveled to the Shaw Festival almost every year for over 10 years. The Shaw Festival was started in 1962 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; by Niagara-area lawyer and playwright Brian Doherty. The following year, the Shaw Festival Theatre Foundation was established and the company’s mandate was to produce the dramatic works of Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. We became interested in the Festival as a result of our many trips to Syracuse University (our daughter attended the University) when we often traveled thru Canada.  It was heavily advertised thru that area.

We saw four plays at the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake, Canada.  We saw Born Yesterday by Garson Kanin.  This play, although depicting the illegal activity occurring after WWI, showed that times may have changed but people have not, and that a vigilant press is very necessary.

The next play was Lunchtime by Noel Coward.  This Play should be required viewing by anyone who serves on a non-profit board or governmental commission.  The story revolves around an orphanage for children of the acting community and the board elected to manage their orphanage.

The last play was the  Devil’s Disciple by George Bernard Shaw.  It showed the contemporary nature of GBS’s work.  This work depicting a civil war drama could be easily applicable to the modern day. 

We were also lucky enough to get a tour of the backstage where we learned of the ghost light and how sets and costumes are made. 

 We stayed a few days in Toronto with our wonderful host Olga.   We visited the Royal Museum of Ontario and viewed the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit.  We also visited a wonderful restaurant, The Spice Route.  We had a suburb dinner but the restrooms were truly outstanding.

Giving Back

We enjoyed our vacation and will have to start back with our lives now and giving back to our communities.