I Got Culture! | bloglette

It was a big week in my world. I feel much more cultured than I did last week. I probably look more cultured. Maybe I'll get the sudden urge to wear my glasses more often.

I saw Simon Estes on Sunday. He's touring all 99 counties in Iowa, and his tour landed in Panora. My parents live in Panora, I went to high school in Panora, and Panora conveniently rhymes with Laura. So, naturally I went to the concert…duh.

It was fabulous! Hearing Simon sing Old Man River fulfilled a small part of my life that needed fulfilling. Here's a link of Simon singing Old Man River. It's good stuff.

http://youtu.be/sfLK-WYS7eo

I sat next to my grandmas at the concert. My grandmas are 92 and 89. When we stood up to applaud, I noticed we were all approximately the same height. My 89-year-old grandma is actually a little taller than I am. How many people can say that? Only extremely short people.

After the concert, I attempted to perfect my impersonation of Simon Estes. My "operatic bass/baritone" totally sounds professional. People will probably start paying to hear me sing in a low, low voice any day now.

My parents are extra special, so they went to a reception after the concert. I went back to their house and ate their food. (They bought me pea pods and strawberries because they know produce is the key to my heart. Works every time.)

As I was consuming my weight in pea pod, my parents came home. My mom announced she had talked with Simon at the reception. Their conversation went something like this:

Simon:  "Is there seafood in this appetizer? I'm very allergic to shellfish."

Mom:  "No."

After that kind of interaction, my mom and Simon Estes are pretty much best buds. However, this interaction did add a level of depth to my Simon Estes impression. I now know that Simon Estes should not eat the shellfish from Old Man River.

My second dose of culture was last night. I saw Anne Lamott speak in Des Moines. She's the author of many wonderful books. She pretty much embodies "aging hippie coolness."

At times I question whether I'm really literate, so I've become a fan of books on tape (books on cd?). My most recent read (listen?) was Anne Lamott's Imperfect Birds. The characters in the book are simply lovely. My favorite quote from the book goes something like this — "Nowadays, when people ask me how I am, I say, 'better than I think.'"

I pondered that quote awhile – then decided it was oh-so-true in my world.

All of this culture may have enhanced my kitchen skills, because tonight I made some pretty tasty hummus. I modified Ina Garten's hummus recipe, and I think mine is better. Who'd a thunk? A week of culture, and my recipes are trumping The Barefoot Contessa's!

[my secret:  Worstechire sauce -- don't tell Ina.]