First UU in San Francisco rocks!
Today, after trying to get out for the past two weeks on a Sunday, I finally went to the First Unitarian Universalist church . It's only a $5 cab ride from where I live. Once I get my disabled transit card I can use the door to door schedule-ahead short bus.
The sermon was on "Overcoming Obstacles, Detours and Setbacks on the Road to Our Dreams." That was awesome. By pure synchronicity the sermon was exactly on topic for what I needed to hear.
What I didn't know was that we have a volunteer opera singer doing Mahler and Berber musical interludes at the service. When she opened up and sang, the world stopped and her voice completely transported me. She is brilliant. I didn't get her name and the handout only gave the composer's name, but she and the pianist were incredible. I sang along on the hymns, which was fairly easy because the pianist goes through the tune once before anyone starts. Also with that many people singing, if I went off key no one noticed.
I think they are all written to be easy for non-musicians to sing anyway. Kitten would have loved the pianist and opera singer though. Kitten, if you ever visit, you should visit my church for the music. She was flawless.
I met Rev. Kalendae and a bunch of people afterwards at Coffee Hour, which they have every Sunday after the service. Next weekend there's an "Art for Everyone" activity with the art room open till 2PM so i'll go early when it starts at ten and have fun hanging out there before and after the service. The current Members Show is hanging in the gallery and it was wonderful. There are lots of good artists at the First UU of SF.
I met Liz from the Art Group and we swapped emails and phone numbers. We talked about art for a good long time and I looked at her three paintings up in the exhibit - wow. She did three skeletal torsos in motion - they were so graceful, very beautiful paintings. I loved the middle one especially, curving in a torsion pose, it seemed like it was dancing. They're full of motion. I arrived a bit too late to get into this year's Members Show but I'll definitely participate next year.
She even said the Art Group might arrange a one man show for me, which would be great if I've got enough time to prepare for it.
I can't wait till I get my disability transit card. I need to get a good map of the city so I can go out painting it from life. In the meanwhile, I've got a cool view from the end of the hallway and a good photo reference of the Golden Gate bridge from the WetCanvas Reference Image Library. I'm going to take it easy and stay in the Back Repair Chair for the rest of today to rest up, but I may putter with art later on when I've rested and my head clears. Right now I'm happy but way out in the fog with fibromyalgia symptoms so I'll just take it easy till my head clears. I had a great time and I love it here.
I'm home. I'm where I belong. I expected to have the happy excitement of exploring a new place but it doesn't feel like that when I go out. It's different - it's more like nostalgia reversed - a deep sense of being happy I'm home. It doesn't matter that I don't remember where anything is. I'll relearn it especially once I get a map. It's more this deep feeling of familiarity and trust, happy memories right at the edge of consciousness, nostalgia fulfilled. I love my city and I'm home. This move is one of the best decisions I've ever made and it's worth all of the effort and pain I went through to get here. Purr and thank you to everyone who helped!