I’ve spent this entire beautiful, very hot and quiet Sunday on the computer — editing student or coaching client work, responding to the comments on the two, yes, two essays that came out today, and now writing to you. By chance, an excerpt from Midlife Solo came out on Alice Goldbloom’s Substack A Considerable Age, on the same day as my own Substack was sent out with an ecstatic description of how much I love the theatre, prompted by my trip to Stratford.

https://substack.com/@bethkaplan/p-148918823

I stayed with Tom and Anna, he an artist and she a former film producer turned environmental activist. They have a hot tub. I had dinner with Lani, who lives nearby and who hired me for a LIP grant show she was producing after seeing the very first play I was in after arriving in Vancouver in January 1975. We’ve been best friends ever since. The miracle is, we both survived our youth, she especially, a wild and crazy woman. Not now.

And as you’ll read in the essay, I saw one stunning production. It was a glorious weekend; I got to walk around town, visited the terrific Gallery Stratford, made friends with a woman who was gardening in her lush front yard — we are now exchanging photos and advice — and of course, bought dark chocolates at Rheo Thompson and a hat from the Green Room, as I always do. The bus there, the train back. I hardly looked at the news, which was a relief for a few days. At home, had hardly any food in the fridge but luckily picked a big pile of beans, chard, and tomatoes from the garden. Proud mama.

Now it’s nearly 5, wine o’clock after a day of sitting, and I need to go for a walk. So, short and sweet for today. It’s like full on summer. I haven’t watered. I haven’t begun to think of all the other things I need to do, including preparing for the Word on the Street webinar on Thursday, which is nearly sold out. Busy busy busy!

Below, the view before you enter the theatre. If only Broadway were tranquil like this! The famous theatre. Tom in his sculpture studio, surrounded by his people. The Starlight bar, owned by friends of Sam’s and THE place to be in Stratford, don’t miss it if you go.

Gone walking. A bientot.