Week in Review

How much adult continuing education is too much? I might have hit the upper limit this week, but it sure was fun!

On Monday, I started my new flower-arranging class, "Centerpieces," offered by the IUPUI Community Learning Network. I'm once again with my favorite instructor, Sara Thompson, and the class is collaborative and fun. Our project: a tall, spiral arrangement with a dozen carnations. We also discussed other clever ways to use carnations, in case we're ever decorating on a budget (and who isn't?).

On Wednesday, I stopped by the Knit Stop for an introductory knitting lesson ($10 plus materials). My instructor, Kate, was pleasant and patient. Now I'm supposed to practice at home until I feel ready for my next lesson.

On Thursday evening, it was off to Frasier's for pastry chef Joseph Allford's class about vanilla beans. What a fascinating little ingredient! We watched Allford prepare pound cake, ice cream and shortbread cookies, all with heavy doses of vanilla. We also discussed the differences among types of vanilla and vanilla extracts. Very educational -- and delicious!

Finally, I attended the Saturday morning Art Jolt program at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The program offers a series of two-hour art-history classes, and this week's class focused on the Beat poets. It was almost too much information to cram into a two-hour period, but it did spark my memories of reading "On the Road" and "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" years ago. Even better, it inspired me to read them again. I think that counts as success.

Up next week: another trip to my flower-arranging class, a chocolate class at Frasier's and a meditation retreat at the Dromtonpa Buddhist Center in Fountain Square.