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One of the best things about this stage of life is that classes are pure fun with no pressure, tests, or stress!

I especially enjoy the adult education classes that we can attend in person now that Covid is no longer a threat, so when I saw a 3-hour soap-making class offered by BVSD Lifelong Learning, I jumped on it!

The soaps are so beautiful and, even though I’ve never considered myself naturally artistic, I’ve been embracing a “growth mindset,” realizing that it’s good for our brains to learn new skills! The lower our skill level, the bigger opportunity for improvement, right?

Actually, after taking the class, I realize the skills required have more to do with chemistry, perhaps, than art. Actually, it was much like cooking – starting with a recipe that could be adjusted based on many factors.

Our instructor, Lisa, owner of courageoussoap.com, stepped us through the creation of a three-oil Peppermint Ice soap.

The ingredients needed to be measured to the gram and mixed when they were the right temperatures. A peppermint scent was added to give the soap its distinctive fragrance.

Lye is used for the cold-process soap we were making, and because it can be dangerous to work with, we were wearing long sleeves, pants, goggles, masks, gloves, and closed-toes shoes!

Lisa said when she asks her students if they’re going to make their own soap after class, and they often say.. well.. no.. They’re scared of the lye.

I have to admit, I’m in the, “I’m not gonna lye” camp myself.

Lisa reassured us that as long as you cover up and are careful, it’s not that worrisome. My reluctance is also due to my realization that investing in a new soap-making hobby is a bad idea right now when I’m trying to downsize. The fear of lye just helped make that decision a little easier for me.

We took turns with the various stages of measuring, mixing, and pouring. I especially enjoyed the final stages where we added the tints that would create the designs. The blues were brilliant and the gold sparkled as though there were actual flecks of real gold in this royal-looking soap!

Soap needs time to cure, so we didn’t get to take home the actual soap that we made that night. However, we did each get to take home a bar made from the same recipe.

Lisa offered kits with pre-measured ingredients for those who wanted to try it themselves at home.

Even though I decided not to make my own at home, I’m so glad I got to experience and learn about this unique and beautiful art!

One shared passion I have with my granddaughter, Reneya, is a love of Musical Theater. I’m so excited that she not only loves being in the audience, but she’s a very talented performer! I can’t wait to see her future performances!

In the mean time, it’s fun to be able to share being in the audience at a professional theater production! For her 11th birthday last month, I gave her tickets to see “Into the Woods” at the Arvada center for the Arts.

I got two tickets for the very front row. Front row seats are not desirable in a movie theater, so I was a little nervous about whether or not it would be hard for us to see being so close up. As it turned out, it was amazing to be so close up that at times, it almost seemed that the actors were talking right to us!

“She’s really crying!” Reneya whispered to me, when we could literally see the tears in Cinderella’s eyes. “She’s a really good actress!” As a budding actress, herself, Reneya notices these things.

I loved being close enough to take in all the intricate details of the stage setting and the glimmering costumes. We love the special effects and the creativity that’s involved in getting just the right props, costumes, lighting, and music to set the scenes of the story.

Usually, when I’m going to a professional production at a big theater, I’m so far in the back, I can hardly see anything without binoculars. What a treat to be up front!

“Into the Woods” was also the perfect musical for us because both Reneya and I really like stories that use classic fairy tale characters as back story. She introduced me to the Descendants movies and The Land of Stories book series.

<Spoiler Alert> If you haven’t seen “Into the Woods” and don’t want any spoilers, skip to the <End Spoiler Alert>

Neither of us had seen “Into the Woods” and when the first act ended, all the conflicts were wrapped up so neatly that we both thought the play was over! However, the second act surprised us with it’s unpredictable plot lines! It was a definite deviation from traditional fairy tale, giving it some unexpected depth (and unexpected death.)

Though darker than Disney, we’re reminded that anything can happen in story.. villains might be heroes, what we assume is good, might be bad. And even though it’s not Disney, the dead can come back to life and take part in the happy ending finale, so still appropriate for children. I’d give it a PG rating or maybe even PG13 – not because it’s inappropriate for children, but because of the mature ideas and thinking the second act requires.

The lyrics, by Stephen Sondheim, were incredible in their complexity and substance! As musicals often are, most of the script was in song, but many of these songs had thought-provoking lyrics.

An example is from the second act, Your Fault / The Last Midnight, where the characters are blaming one another for their current predicament, and the Evil Witch reminds them that good or bad, action must be taken.

<End Spoiler Alert>

Coincidentally, the Musical Theater group that I performed with last summer is having a Stephen Sondheim performance this coming up Sunday, so it’s great that I was exposed to more of his music. My good friend, Becky, suggested reading the Sondheim Wikipedia page, and I see his musical genius is more than I’d realized! There are a lot of musicals I’ll be putting on my list to watch!

“You’re gonna love it! It’s right up your alley! And I can guarantee, you’ve never done this before.”

Those were my only clues from my friend, Michael Bolé, about our surprise Microadventure event that we enjoyed last night.

Michael had told me that a friend of his from Ohio would be in from out of town and that he would treat me to dinner first at a Panera that was close to the event in NorthGlenn.

The mystery Microadventure was already a favorite, just by virtue of the fact that it was a surprise! I love surprises!

So it should be no surprise that I also love the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus!

When we got to the hotel and saw Santas roaming around, the mystery was revealed! We were going to see the Santa School Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony! Michael’s friend, Kevin, was one of the new Santa Graduates!

This was no typical Graduation ceremony. The Santas and several Mrs. Claus’s proudly entered the auditorium to the tune of “Here Comes Santa Claus” ringing their bells, and laughing with their hearty Ho Ho Ho’s.

These Santas had real beards and gorgeous velvet suits. They were authentic! They each looked like they stepped right out of a greeting card.

The ceremony was fun and entertaining! The Santas recited “The Night Before Christmas,” we sang “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”

We also learned a North Pole Dance, the “Ho Ho, Pokey.” Two notes:

1. This was Michael’s first experience with “Pole” Dancing.
2. Our friend, Adam, thought this event would be too “Hokey” for his tastes. The “Ho Ho” is on him, because the Hokey was completely removed.

Michael told me about the movie, Becoming Santa, a documentary which features someone who went to this Denver Santa school. It’s available on Prime Video, so after I got home last night, I watched the movie. I learned so much more about the history of Santa Claus and what it takes to be a Santa Claus.

I remembered a time when my kids were young and we ran across a Santa on our summer vacation wearing shorts. He was very recognizable, though, with his belly and beard. We were all enamored and he even had candy canes on him for the kids. He must have been a graduate from a Santa School, and had become a year-round “real” Santa.

I felt a little jealous, wishing I could become a Santa. I know there were Mrs. Claus’s at the graduation, and I considered going to the school to learn about being Mrs. Claus, but let’s face it… whoever heard of a single Mrs. Claus? Santa’s really the main event. That’s OK. I can still get a pretty Mrs. Claus costume.

What a unique and very fun Microadventure! Thanks to Michael and Congratulation to new Santa Kevin! May he bring Christmas magic to us all for many years to come!