A response in avoidance of the Daily Post’s Writing Prompt https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/toot-your-horn/

Since I know you’ve been missing them…

A response in avoidance of the Daily Post’s Writing Prompt https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/drawing-a-blank/

Yesterday I went to the opera with mom, and dad met us for dinner (Kevin was in Vancouver at a conference – I come back, he leaves…sigh…) I guess I could mention that the opera was The Barber of Seville, and we enjoyed it quite a bit.  I’m picky with opera, since I used to sing and play in orchestras, but this was, overall, a good production.  Figaro was good, but Dr. Bartolo stole the show!  Supper was at the Rathskeller – a German restaurant mom and dad like (good comfort food).

Enough talk!  Here are some random pictures from the day:

And now, Jasper!

A response in avoidance of the Daily Post’s Writing Prompt https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/the-road-less-traveled/

It was a wonderfully sunny day yesterday.  A nice break from the cloudy, drizzly days we’ve been having.  There are also a few more things blooming since my trek across the way for that workshop.

More daffodils

More Camellias

More evidence of clematis popping

Periwinkle

Cherry blossoms

Lavender

More hellebores

And tea roses (ok, these are my indoor Valentine tea roses…)

And now, some randomness from the garden, starting with a shot showing my new raised beds, ready to fill up!

Today:  the Opera!

A response in avoidance of the Daily Post’s Writing Prompt https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/shape-up-or-ship-out/

And I’m home again!  The final day of the workshop was good again.  I admire facilitators that can change their plans based on what happened the day before, and comments received from the participants.  It’s something I struggle with – taking the plan off the rails in a meaningful way.

Anyway, pictures from Day 2 1/2 consist of dessert.  Yes.  Dessert.  And cheese!!  The food for the workshop on all three days was pretty good, and Day 2 1/2 topped it all with what you see here:

There was so much left, the staff were asking us to take home what was left.  So, as a preferrer of the savoury I plated up a pile of cheese to stink up the car on the ride back to the ferry.  It even made it home and is waiting for me to plunge in later today.

So, thus ends my foray into the world of Liberating Structures, leaving me with some things to think about and perhaps some fun new things to try out at work.  (evil laugh here…)

A response in avoidance of the Daily Post’s Writing Prompt https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/karma-chameleon/

Workshop Day 2 was good again.  More practical, which I guess is how I would structure a workshop where you are supposed to learn a little about a lot of different techniques – go from a bit of theory, to experiential learning, to getting participants to design their own activity using the techniques they’ve learned.

I again confess to being surprised.  I am sure many of you have been in “those” sessions – workshops, meetings, strategy planning sessions.  You know the ones.  The ones with the outside facilitators (prepped by leaders, typically, not prepping themselves by taking the time to talk to the participants in advance) who make you pick pictures that represent your goals (by the time I get to the table, all the “good” ones are gone), or answer ridiculous questions designed to tell you what kind of person you are (Am I blue?  Is my face red?  You yellow so and so!)  You know the questions I mean – the “yes/no” questions that are always truthfully answered with “it depends!!!”

Anyway, the things I am learning here I actually think I could use in some contexts without coming off as a wing nut (sorry – I know there are a lot of wonderful facilitators out there.  I just think sometimes some of them need to know their audience better and shelve the endless “tricks” in favour of honest, but yes, uncomfortable, conversations).

Ok. Enough talk. Time for some random pictures from the day!

The view out of the hotel room:

Some more views out of the workshop space (and a glimpse of one of the many cups of coffee supporting me during the day)

The stairway at the venue, which I am quite taken with.

There you have it.  One more morning to go, then home!!