One of my favorite things to do is take classes. I Know! Strange, huh? You'd think I'd get enough of learnin' at work but it seems that I don't. I must need that constant reassurance that I can actually do something. something vital, something creative, something that I can bring home from the class that looks like a three year old did it then force my family to tell me that it is the most beautiful thing they have ever seen and that I should be calling Southeby's right this minute because they could sell it for a fortune but please don't because we love it so much that we would be wounded if you sold it. (that's the response that I want).
I want to feel like I am not just a pudgy body with a head stuffed full of trivia and a propensity for lazy. Which I totally am but I like todream think that I'm not. I call this place in my head Princess Michele Land. It's the happiest place on earth.
I want to feel like I am not just a pudgy body with a head stuffed full of trivia and a propensity for lazy. Which I totally am but I like to
Here in Houston we have something called............
Most cities have some sort of place like this, whether with their city/county parks department or independents. Ours is Leisure Learning Unlimited. They must be okay since I like their header. (yes, I am that superficial)
On with my list of must take courses.
1. The Abstract Art of Fingerpainting for Adults
Bring your inner child, relax and have fun using the ancient art of fingerpainting to create unique works of art. Discover what you can accomplish with however many fingers (I so read this wrong. I thought they were implying that I could chose to leave some of my fingers at home. Then I was all; How does that work?) you choose to paint with! Check out samples at
www.lynnchatman.com.
www.lynnchatman.com.
| Area of Town: | Greenway Plaza Area: 59/Weslayan | |
| Price: | $50 + $40 materials fee (all provided in class) | |
| Class # | Class Dates | |
| T1266A | 1 Mon 6:30-9:30pm Oct 18 |
How awesome does this sound?
2. Throw Paint!
Have you been looking for that splash of color for your home? Maybe you'd like to be the Jackson Pollack of the new millennia. Each student in this class, limited to six, will create a big, new painting by dripping, dropping, spraying, and throwing.
| Area of Town: | Oak Forest: 290/Antoine | |
| Price: | $72 + $45 & up for materials | |
| Class # | Class Dates | |
| T1329B | 1 Sat 2-6pm Oct 2 |
This I could get into. Think of the stress relief. I'll have to sign up quick though. Or I could just throw some paint on a big canvas and save myself the money.
3. Three-Day Sailing
This class is "100% hands-on" aboard a 38' keelboat on Galveston Bay. The first day is described above (see 0015). The second day (five hours) includes instruction in man-overboard and heavy weather sailing and anchoring. The third class, another five hours, includes night navigation and use of one's senses in minimum visibility conditions. Upon completion, you'll earn a certificate and be ready to rent a boat. This curriculum maximizes your experience on the water; there is no classroom or bookwork. Suggested readings are provided upon request. NOTE: There are no refunds, credits or transfers after 5pm on the Thursday prior to class.
| Area of Town: | Kemah/Portofino Marina: FM 2094/FM 146 | |
| Price: | $190 |
The whole family is thinking of taking this course. Actually, I've guilted JR into taking this course. My idea is to let him and the kids drive (drive. sail. whatever) the boat while I sit back, drink wine, and take the occasional picture to paint later. I think this plan has a lot going for it.
4. Goat Farming for Pleasure & Profit
It's possible to support your family with 50 goats on five acres. There have been a number of fads in the livestock farming industry. A few have worked but only for a short period of time. Eighty percent of Texas' cattle ranchers either break even or report a loss. | Area of Town: | Greenway Plaza Area: Richmond/Kirby |
| Price: | $36 |
| Class # | Class Dates |
| T9158E | 1 Wed 7-9pm Dec 1 & 1 Sun 5-7pm Dec 5 |
I seriously doubt I'll be keeping goats anytime soon but you never know when you need this type of information.
5. Basics of Paranormal Investigations-Ghost Hunting
Do something exciting! Become part of a ghost hunting team and play in a cemetery at night. Learn the terminology, basic tools and skills, safety procedures, rules and guidelines on conducting a paranormal investigation. Then take a trip to a cemetery in either Harris County or Bellville where, in the afternoon, you'll do some restoration work. Overnight, discover how the permanent residents there feel about your presence.
| Instructor: | Jon Strohbehn |
| Area of Town: | Greenway Plaza Area: Richmond/Kirby |
| Price: | $50 + $25 for materials & cost for overnight camping + shared carpooling |
| Class # | Class Dates |
| T7291B | 1 Sat 1:30-5:30pm Oct 16 & an overnight from 11am Sat to noon Sun Oct 30, 31 |
I love cemeteries so this one sounds like a great time.
If you want to take a look at any of the other courses offered I'm accepting all suggestions. Even Explosives Awareness: An Up Close & Personal Learning Experience That's a Blast! Okay, maybe not. I'm getting old and my hearing isn't what it use to be (or at least that is what I keep telling JR about why I don't always listen to him).
What kinds of courses does your local area offer? Have you taken any of them? What is the strangest course you've ever taken?
Love,
M
PS. One of the strangest classes I've even taken was at Washington State University; "Sex, Society, and Evolution". It was so popular that it was a really difficult class to get into. I took it because it completed my minor in anthropology. I don't think that was why some of the students took it. What do you think?
In London, I took a course in pottery at the top end of Portobello Rd. I ended up wanting to open my head with a can-opener -the old-fashioned one with the spike- and ditch at least three-quarters of my brain. I thought a plate a mug or even a vase. The bint running the thing was more into Beaker-folk pottery the way those folk made the stuff. We are not talking tradition here, but archaeology, Clan of the cave bear stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that your Washington State class produced a lot of nudge-nudge, wink-wink and stifled giggles from the other students.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I said I hadn't had a good belly laugh in awhile, but you, my dear, solved that. Ghost hunting????
ReplyDeleteBWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!
Ahem. Moving on.
Actually, with the raw milk movement gaining momentum, the goat thing might actually be profitable. Buy Nubians.
I'm kind of with you on the goat thing. Just in case.
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered about throwing paint on a canvas and calling it art. Just never got it.
ReplyDeleteSailing is way too much work. Just rent a boat with an engine & a steering wheel JR will like that, & you can drink all the wine you want.
ReplyDeleteGoats could actually be quite profitable. Their milk makes all sorts of awesome stuff: cheese, soap, & they themselves are excellent mowers. People rent them out to clear hilly overgrown areas & blackberry bushes.
You could save the time and money by painting on your own, and I don't see how goats would be QUITE as fun as they sound...I say go for the boating class!
ReplyDeleteOooooh, sign me up for #5. I am a total paranormal nerd. And I love cemetaries with old headstones!
ReplyDeleteYou are so adventurous! I love it! I might, might, might go to the cemetery one, but only if I was with a group of friends and maybe even under the influence of a lot of wine. ;)
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of courses offered around here, but they are usually populated with people I would not choose to spend time with. What an old grump I am!
ReplyDelete