Discriminating Weirdos

My "Bucket List" for today.

'Petite France' reflections
Originally uploaded by Mike G. K. (away on vacations)

There's some sort of bucket list thingy going viral on Facebook right now.  You're supposed to put a check next to all of the things that this person wants to do before they die.  I put a lot of checks next to those things, but most of the list just didn't appeal to me at all.  I don't actually WANT to drive a race car or write a book.  Because someone tagged me, of course I filled the thing out, but it did get me thinking about what my list would be. 

Here are some of the items that occur to me today.

1. speak a foreign language fluently.

I'm embarrassed that I'm a typical American who pretty much only speaks English.  I've been working on French for as long as I can remember, so this is the likely candidate; and besides my brother's wife is French and I like her family, so it seems that learning to communicate with family is a good idea.  I understand in an intermediate sort of way, and speak in a beginner's plus.  I want these things to improve. 

2. take a millinery class in a country that takes millinery seriously. 

Americans don't wear too many hats, but the art is no where near death in the British Isles.  I've had my eye on a class from Lina Stein for a while.  I met her on Facebook: she is in fact, the only FB friend I have that I don't actually know, but we have been quite chatty.  I find her work very inspiring, and I love how open she is about answering my silly questions even though I'm not enrolled in a class.  She seems like an utterly lovely person, and not an old fuddy-duddy which you can easily find in a milliner.  Plus she's in Ireland, and I love Ireland so very much. 

Hushhhhh !
Originally uploaded by Ammar Alothman

3. adopt a child

This has been a life goal for as long as I can remember.  There are too many children in the world that don't have families.  I really like to be a very small part of the solution someday. 

4. learn to weave straw hats from an old master craftsman

This is a difficult thing to acheive, since weavers of parasisol and panama straws are dying off and the younger population is leaving the rural family trade for the lure of making badly made clothing for Wal-Mart. I think you can see where I fall on this issue!  I've been told that it takes 12 days to weave a good parasisol straw.  I want to learn how so I can pass this incredible knowledge on, and so I can help in some small way to find ways for these weavers to make a better living so they don't lose their children to Walmart.

photo by Jon Turan from Flickr

lonely planet - Maldives
Originally uploaded by i b u

5. I'm stopping with 5 (even though the FB list was 50!).  I want to have adventures that I have not yet dreamed of.  Maybe it's a roadtrip through Mexico.  Maybe it's snorkelling in Micronesia.  Maybe it's studying the piano in Austria.  I have no idea.  And I can't be one of those people that says "I have to see Mt Rushmore" because I really don't like to go to the places that everybody goes to. I've been around Mt Rushmore.  I've seen lots of South Dakota, but I don't have to actually go and see the Thing.  I'd much rather look for other, less documented Things.  Stories. Pies. The snatch of an over-heard coversation.  One beautiful stone. Wandering around without my Baedecker. (Emily)

Anyone Want to Learn Embroidery?

I "met" Geoff Davis through a friend of a friend, and I say "met" because I've never actually talked to the guy in person.  This friend's friend found out that I do embroidery, and that I'm gaga over the ukulele, and she immediately put me in contact with him.  Before I knew it, I was signed on to teach an embroidery class at the Blue Stone Folk School in Noblesville, Indiana.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time explaining the idea behind Blue Stone Folk School.  First off, I haven't been there yet, so it's tough to find much to say.  Second, this article in Nuvo does a much better job than I ever could.

The funny part about this whole situation is that I actually had heard about Geoff several years ago when he was the teacher / leader of an elementary school ukulele orchestra called Key Strummers.  Those kids gigged everywhere, and I had investigated them about five years ago when I was looking into some ukulele festivals on the Web.

As I later found out, Geoff teaches both playing and building ukes, and about two years ago I had seriously considered contacting him and taking a building class.  The worlds of embroidery and ukulele move in strange and mysterious ways, my friends.  Strange and mysterious ways...

Anyway, consider this post advanced notice that I'll be teaching a class at the Blue Stone Folk School this fall.  Check out the school's Web site here, and join the mailing list.  And tell Geoff that I sent you, even though he might not realize who you're talking about until we actually meet.  (ADAM)