Week 7 begins

I know it isn't rocket science, but I now fully appreciate the "heat" component of hair dryers. Having forgotten mine, and needing a shower and hair wash after working out at the gym today, I used the fan in my room to dry my very fine, easily dried hair. And my hair looks like. . . . well it looks like I've been sitting in front of a fan. . . .which is to say NOT GOOD. Oh well. I'm not up here to attract hot guys. . . .at least I'm not now! But it feels good to be exercised and clean. Luckily there are very few mirrors around here.

The theme for the coming week is Sacred Spaces and already it promises to be a popular topic. Hardly a vacancy anywhere on the grounds I'm told. The book for the week which I am about finished with is The Lost City of Z, about the search for the mythical city which the explorer Percy Fawcett searched for many times in the early 20th century, eventually disappearing in the quest. It is not a book I would have chosen for myself. As I tend to read while eating, this is not the book for that unless you have an iron stomach. Luckily for me I have an iron stomach. But if ever there was a book to convince me that traipsing around in the Amazon jungle is not for me. . .this is it. I don't even like traipsing around in my own woods during mosquito and tick season. The fact that men (women were too smart to do this) would go into the jungle, suffer every kind of disease, animal infestation, maggots, cannibalistic native attacks, gargantuan snakes, pirhanas, starvation, dysentery, deaths of friends, and then come out and decide to go again is just something around which my brain cannot wrap!!!!

Tomorrow's lecturer is non other than Ken Burns, whom I saw last year. He will give the lecture tomorrow which will include a new 30 minute film he has made, and then Wednesday night will be An Evening With Ken Burns program in the AMP. So it's possible that we will see him around the grounds between engagements. I'm guessing if he sees me, he will not recognize me from last year. Especially with this hair!!!

Our Sacred Song Service tonight promises to be meaningful. I love the music we are doing, and I think we can actually sing most of it. It will involve a ceremony linking the various religious groups: Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. I'm a big fan of tolerance and acceptance and am looking forward to this program tonight.

My parents' friend, the Dutys and their daughter Jean are here so that will make the next two weeks special as well. Weather gorgeous. Life. . . exceedingly good.