Dancing the Polka

"For me, Ashkenaz is much more than a club; every show is a family reunion, with a family you actually get along with." This is how one person describes the community dance center in Berkeley that offers world music and dance most nights of the week. It's children-friendly and all kinds of people come together to connect with joy. I went last night to hear a new friend, Odile Lavault and her group, Baguette Quartette. Odile plays accordian and sings Parisian cafe songs from the '20s and '40s. One of the songs was La Mer, a song we know as Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea.

It was a big dance party which started with a lesson. There were leaders and followers of all ages, sizes, shapes and costume. We changed partners every few minutes or so. I got a little intimidated by the partner that told me I was putting my feet in the wrong place, but most people were friendly, helpful and pretty joyful. I later danced a polka with a man named Richard who told me we would do a "low-impact" version. I was surprised that I remembered how to do it and that I could follow his lead as we flowed around the dance floor. It was great exercise and really got my heart pounding. In fact, I'm inspired to take some folk dance lessons, maybe Scottish. Learning the steps would be a great challenge for my brain and the community aspect is healthy too.

One of the friends I went to Ashkenaz with is Costanzia, who is from Tanzania and she had commented that in her country, they are always dancing. After seeing the joy on the faces of the dancers last night, I think we should all dance more, work less. Which reminds me of my favorite bumper sticker. Wag more, bark less.

Happy Mother's Day

As part of my Mother's Day weekend I signed up for a watercolor journaling class in Los Gatos and invited my daughter. I didn't really think she would go, but was pleasantly surprised when she told me she had signed up. We gathered in a park in the town center next to the fountain where children were playing in the water. After a little explanation we started to create. Felicity said a bird pooped on her shirt. "Is that good luck?" We thought it was.

We were invited to give a short introduction and my daughter said she came because it was easier than the year I asked them to do a Mother's Day sweat lodge. True. After the initial discomfort about not being able to draw, we started with a line drawing of a plastic animal that we did with one line without looking at the paper as we drew. We all were successful at getting something down that we were pleased with. We got tips and techniques for working with water colors and sketched several more subjects. I ended up buying the instructional DVD and a small watercolor pocket box -- fits in a purse. My daughter and I are going to have a session together and invite some friends. I feel as if I broke through some of my childhood reservations about not being an artist today. A fine gift indeed.

One year, the year my daughter was in Namibia in the Peace Corps, my son and husband asked what I'd like for Mother's Day. Anything, they said, as long as they could watch the game (football, basketball??) at 4:00. We lived in a small one bedroom apartment then and I said what I'd really like was for them to help me paint the living room. A soft butter yellow. And we did it, finishing up just in time for kick-off or tip-off.

As I drove my daughter home, she mentioned that she needed some help organizing and I suggested she get rid of five items every day for five days. She liked the idea. I'm not supposed to give her unsolicited advice, but I guess it being Mother's Day ...