Zumba Garden Speechwriting

Saturday I did Zumba and gardened. Diane Shires from work (now retired) dropped off some plants and I gave her some hens-and-chicks.
I am still puzzling about my upcoming Toastmasters research speech but will keep at it. Part of the problem is that I want to have some authority for my comments on maintaining audience engagement, which means I actually have to work on research like I have not for a while. Then I have to craft a speech using that research; this is a useful exercise but I'm out of practice.

My Apples Are Coming!

Chocolate Mint from Diana

Dandelions are pretty

My Wild Rose is prettier tho

Radish Sprouts to Thin!

Well Met On A Long Walk

Today's walk started by Salty's on Alki (Jack Block Park was closed). Going along Alki we saw seals or sea lions resting on the buoys! There were not many other walkers out and many wore masks. I was wearing mine when one of my companions asked, "Isn't that Jenn?"
It was. I called to her and she looked puzzled, then I took my mask off and she recognized me (we were totally out of context). We had a delightful chat; we all enjoyed each other's company and the fresh air. Perhaps we'll do lunch soon but the social distancing thing is a complication.
Our walk went longer than expected as we took steps up from the beach to the top of the overlooking bluff. We didn't want to simply retrace our steps so we may have wandered a bit before coming down the road east of the former Pacific Institute building.
I had another FEEST shop, during which I chatted with CeCe who mentioned that Lees was her favorite shop for produce but it would be an extra stop for shopping. I resolved to stop by there on the way back, and filled up with various things. It's a local treasure! I also went to William Nute's to pick up the kindling he was giving away, which is already spoken for by Buy Nothing friends. He has more irisses to move on  but when I talked with Cyril (also today) he thinks Al can pick them up from my place to take to the CLC which has been neglected (understandable what with the staffing and pandemic problems). I have been working on my next speech and many other things around the house, including trying to learn to relax and enjoy occasional inactivity - but this does not come naturally.

Alki has a lot of rebar/sea life art

More Alki Art

"Life's A Beach" with cute buoys

Dancing Swimmers 

Berries Already!

Useful Map And Art

Blue Tree Is Blue

Steps To Seattle-Under-The-Sound

Drift Would

Former Pacific Institute.
Cue "Ozymandias"

Unofficial Park?

Road up (or down) the bluff

Wonder Stone Flowers

Back To Alki And My Car

On today's morning walk, we encountered this sign alerting us that we had reaching the Department Of Silly Walks, and must proceed with a silly walk so that the Ring Camera could record it. Ha!
I did a couple of FEEST shops and then went home to apply for social security and Medicare. I had expected the process to be difficult, but the website was pretty straightforward. It helps that my case is simple: no spouse or children; the only complication was estimating my income this year (presumably so they can more precisely determine my benefit.)
This was a big step but not so hard once I sat down and did it. There's a lesson there, but mostly I just go hunh.

Things That Make You Go Bam!

Scenes from this morning's walk that make you go bam!:

Little Art Installation

Alley Play Area!

Passion Flower With Passion

I ran one FEEST shop this morning, and got a text asking me to help out with another, so I ended up doing two - which filled much of the work part of the day.
At 6 I joined a Stage Time University call, prepared with my short little scene from my most recent speech, as it really is about a universal pain made mine. When there was a request for volunteers, I habitually let others go first and of course the audience was reluctant - so I remembered the advice to take every opportunity to take the stage and volunteered. I gave the first scene from "Up Down or Sideways" and got some praise and advice. What I remember most is that this is the seed for a speech on dealing with age.
I also enjoyed the doctor working on his humor about morbid things.
The rest of the program was very interesting; realtime comment on recorded speeches that were competition-level. I enjoy my home clubs but this is a higher level of coaching indeed. I especially noted the last speech (about running a marathon for her dad, and "Mile 17") and how its personal struggle made universal was more compelling about the preceeding "Subway Hero" speech which was objectively speaking about more danger, but was impersonal.
#ThingsThatMake YouGoHm !

Walk and Talk

The morning walk was especially long today - maybe 13,000 steps! We were thinking of taking the bus back after going out to the viewpoint park, but they aren't running very often so it was just as fast to walk.
In the evening I zoomed into another Toastmasters meeting. I am working on a speech about keeping the audience interested over Zoom, and I need to see how other people do it.

Nice Parking Strip Bench

Curbside "I Spy" game: lots of dinosaurs, etc

I love Little Free Libraries

Surprised House

Nicely Terraced Front Garden

At first, it's a cute gate with a fairy.
But look closer: is she caught in the spirder's web?

"Alexa Turn Off Pandemic"
"Have We Tried Turning 2020 Off & On Again?"

They Look Fake But Are Real

The Payoff: What A View!

Talk And Walk

Repotted!

This morning I did the full set of three short exercise routines. I read my email and was shocked to discover Alex and Laura's older car had been stolen! I can't do anything but offer sympathy.
Midday we had a Time Bank Membership Committee meeting, mostly reaturing a request from the TB Executive Board that we help out with a non-Membership activity involving writing a grant, by way of developing a very complete mission statement and plan. There is frequent tension between the vision of the Time Bank as essentially a factory for nonprofits to get volunteer, and mutual individual aid. The impression I got is that we wat to be helpful and can commit to some limited assistance, but for the larger task we're mostly not interested in adding another thing to our plate. Tamsen flattered us by pointing out that we were a very productive Committee so it seemed to the Board that we were good people to ask for more help. She talked a lot about the  hours we would get from this,  until I pointed out that the members of this Committee did not tend to be motivated by earning Timebank hours; we all had plenty and spent few; we had other motivations.
I'm not sure what will come of this, but I'm concerned that it's a whole lot of work for not much result.
I got a reasonable but not great walk in, picking up some stuff from "Buy Nothing" and also feeding the ducks and looking at the bees on the flowers.
I gardened a little, repotting some of the hens-and-chicks.
Evening was a variety of paperless projects, in including Toastmasters and WPTL. Now it's time for bed!