A Bouquet of Reasons in Everyday Ramblings

A newer shot of the pollinator garden. This morning the first sunflower head was open. As the community garden has partial shade in most parts, it is a little behind the local yard specific flower clock.

I am writing off this year’s garden as an experiment in growing things from seed at home and then transplanting them down there. My biggest success so far has been my tomatoes. Kes picked up a full-grown plant for me at a local natural foods grocery and the ones I grew from seed are growing stronger and a bit bigger.

Hardly any of the seeds I planted directly into the garden germinated. It was so wet for so long. And now it is about as dry as it can get. I didn’t get all the nasturtium seeds up from last year and they are coming up, as is a random beet. So much for rotation. The dianthus is blooming again and adding cheerful color here in the turn towards the late season.

This last week has been a bit of a whirlwind for me. After struggling with social anxiety made worse by all the covid isolation on Sunday I went to see a World Premier showing of a documentary about the work my book club facilitator has been doing for a number of years in the state prisons putting on productions of Shakespeare plays with prisoners as the actors.

It was great! The production in question was filmed ten years ago in a men’s prison over in Eastern Oregon. The actors wanted to do a comedy; they choose A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There were 16 prisoners involved in the production and at the screening six of them were there. They hadn’t seen the film either. They came up and talked a bit after. Sadly, the woman that shot all the footage died in 2019 and a group of dedicated editors volunteered to make a film out of what she shot.

Here is the Trailer

The theater was packed. There were no empty seats. It was 98 degrees outside. Half the people had masks and half didn’t. They said when you bought your ticket that your vaccination status would be checked but it wasn’t. I found it fascinating to be so close to so many people and terrifying at the same time. My double masks stayed firmly on the whole time.

The logistics of getting there and home were also anxiety inducing. We have had a few new meth fueled psychotic murders lately in the part of town I would have had to wait for a bus transfer through, so I did this clever thing and went across the river, transferred there, and doubled back. It was so hot, and Sunday evening and the only people out and about were either workers or living marginal lives. I walked home. These are areas I am familiar with, and I built a route with the least potential for interaction with the local fauna.

It was exhausting! Worth it but exhausting.

On Tuesday midday we had the first ever League of Women Voters of Portland picnic at a park on the river that is about 3 miles away. I walked there as well, got caught in a blissful rain squall but it cleared, and we had a lovely time. These are all people I have interacted with on Zoom since the pandemic started, Mrs. Sherlock and I joined in February or early March 2020. Literally days before the lockdown.

So lovely to meet these people in person. And to chat. Remember chatting that doesn’t involve typing? Lots of fun little biographical details shared and I may have picked up a new student as well.

Normally I would have relied on Mrs. Sherlock as a companion for both events but although she is healing and starting physical therapy next week, she wasn’t up for either event. I am hoping to see her next weekend for a slow social walk.

I had to force myself to do these things with all the built-up unease after seeing so few people in person for so long. But they were both worth doing. And I did build up some confidence that I will draw on for future events.

For now, though I am resting. Binge watching Grantchester. I am on season 5 and through the worst of the transition of them bringing in a new vicar. Although I thought James Norton was perfect for the role as Sidney Chambers I tell you, his uncanny resemblance to my former work colleague Saint Joe, who turned on me, has been extremely disconcerting.

There is no doubt in my mind the actor and Joe are actually real world related. Yet another reason to be glad to be out of there.

Last updated August 12, 2022