November 4, 2018

My Five-Fab Resolutions Before Christmas

Last Sunday I experienced a very engaging and fun event that far exceeded my expectations!  I took a cooking class through my local Adult Education Office.  The class was held at a local restaurant, Junipers, located in nearby Wellesley, MA.  While I consider myself to be an experienced cook, I was attracted to this class as I have eaten at the restaurant several times and find that the food is excellently seasoned.  As a vegetarian, I have acquired a more sophisticated palate that enables me to enjoy the delectable flavors that spices can add to food.

Beforehand, I pictured the setting for the class as one where the small group of us (participants are limited to 12 or so) to be standing around the kitchen watching the chef demonstrate his cooking talents.  Instead of standing in the kitchen, upon arrival I was escorted by the chef himself to a section of the dining room that had been closed off and set up for our class.

We were seated at tables of four, all strategically arranged so we could have a good view of the elaborate head table set-up for the chef to use to demonstrate specific techniques and to explain the importance of each ingredient associated with the seven different recipes highlighted on the day’s agenda.

From the moment I walked into the restaurant, I knew this was going to be an extraordinarily     fun experience.  The chef was clearly not only excited to be demonstrating and sharing his culinary expertise, he was also interested in having an enjoyable time himself.  Following his example, the restaurant staff on duty went all out to make sure we enjoyed our experience as well.  The restaurant was closed to the public during our class, but there were plenty of staff on site who were involved in supporting the class as well as preparing the food to serve customers when the restaurant opened in the evening.

Our tables were covered with white linen tablecloths, and the china and tableware contributed to creating a sense of elegance.  Clearly those involved weren’t just going through the motions of offering this class; they were committed to it being a learning as well as an entertaining event.  We were served wine and appetizers as we waited for all the participants to arrive, settle in, and for the class to begin.

The chef circulated through the room in advance of starting the class, giving each of us a copy of the recipes that he would be discussing during the class.  Once the class began, he demonstrated and addressed what I describe as the “cook’s secret touches” as he walked us through preparing each recipe.  He showed us how to cut and prepare all of the vegetables that go into each dish and he discussed the multitude of spices involved and what each added to the taste of the food.  Once he finished going over a recipe, the wait staff brought us all very generous servings of each dish.

One of the initial recipes consisted of braised lamb chops with a cranberry and onion sauce.  When I declined the opportunity to taste the lamb explaining that I was a vegetarian, the staff quickly prepared a beet dish for me in place of the lamb.

Perhaps my karma was in perfect order on the day of this class as I found myself seated with three women that I didn’t know.  Each of them was very friendly and outgoing and we had wonderfully pleasant conversations in between courses as we were sampling the results from each of the featured items that were part of the cooking demonstrations.

All in all, the experience was incredibly delightful and uplifting.  I left the restaurant with a big smile on my face, and I couldn’t resist sharing my experience with a group that I was joining shortly after the class for a meeting associated with one of my volunteer activities.  The communal efforts to attend to the details that would allow the participants to have a very enjoyable afternoon definitely led to a memorable experience. I felt much embraced by the time I left, and the experience left me feeling very energized and motivated to pursue more new experiences.

I’ve learned about myself that I have to make time for Play as it is so easy for me to slip into the Work mode.  My orientation to Work is very well engrained in me as I come from a family that instilled in me a definite work ethic.  I also happen to enjoy the work I do professionally as well as my myriad of volunteer activities.  If I didn’t enjoy them and didn’t get as much out of doing the work that I do, I might be less inclined to default to work before play.  Owning a house also provides an ongoing list of tasks that need attention and involve work, but the work also leads to many hours of enjoying my home. Nonetheless, I also know that Play is important in my life.  By its very nature, Play involves discovery, joy, and laughter; and, I find it brings me enormous amounts of new energy.

Worthwhile and engaging Play activities fill me with a special kind of energy that wants to pursue more new and enjoyable experiences.  Recognizing and acknowledging the source of the energy coming my way from the cooking class, I made a resolve to commit to participating in additional stimulating activities before Christmas. First, the upcoming two months of Holiday Season are a wonderful time of year to focus on fun, enjoyable, and enlightening experiences. So, counting the Cooking Class as Experience #1, the following is the list of activities that constitute my Fab Five!

Experience #2:  In the Fall, I received an invitation from the Boston Pops to subscribe to an inexpensive membership that enabled me to two free tickets to attend one of the rehearsals in which the Boston Pops were practicing for the Holiday Pops Concerts.  I’ve attended concerts put on by the Boston Symphony and performances by the Boston Pops, but I’ve never attended a rehearsal.  As soon as the rehearsal dates are posted, I’ll reserve two seats and invite a friend to attend with me.  Combining the rehearsal with a late lunch or early dinner should only add to the pleasantness of the experience.

Experience #3:  A dear friend of mine recently invited me to join her in attending an all-day meditation/workshop at the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center on December 1.  She has been a member of that organization for some time and she always speaks very highly of the programming that it sponsors.  I’ve wanted to join her at some event at the Center but timing just hasn’t worked out.  So this was a perfect invitation and with a mindset looking for new experiences to explore, I was quick to say “Yes.”  And while this experience is of a different nature than the first two listed, I’m quite certain that I will get a lot from attending and I’m looking forward to what I learn from participating.  And as my friend pointed out a recent lunch, it will be fun to share the experience together.

Experience #4: Participation in a Women’s Writing Circle (November 26 2-4:00)

When I saw this event advertised, it caught my attention.  As I hope to have more time to devote to my interests over the winter months, and since I enjoy the process of writing, I thought why not give this experience a try.  I’ve heard others that I know talk about the value of participating in a writing circle.  And, since I’m one of those people who always reads the section of a book in which an author acknowledges those individuals that s/he feels have contributed to the book’s coming to life, I’ve seen gratitude expressed to writing circles that authors credit for supporting the success of their writing.

Experience #5:  To Be Determined….

I’m not sure what this Play adventure will consist of yet, but I know I want to add in something that embodies the festivities of the Christmas Holidays.  I can always plan a day trip to one of my favorite places, like enjoying the holiday decorations in either the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum or the Museum of Fine Arts.  But I’m feeling like I’d like to discover something new to enjoy, so I’m leaving this activity to be determined.  As we get closer to the Christmas holidays, there will be a greater listing of activities to choose from.

I’m anxious to see how having a plan like this works, and I’m looking forward to experiencing the same kind of energy I felt after the cooking class.  I’m living proof of the writings that link the process of discovery and engagement in new experiences with feeling energized, joyful, and optimistic about life!