INVITE: RW SALON Bardic Night, Sunday, Sept. 18

You are invited to a monthly Salon hosted by Rabbit Warren. This will be a potluck social and special events night held every third Sunday evening each month at our roomy home in Hayward.

This September's event will be a Bardic. That means we will entertain each other. You are encouraged to come prepared to read us a poem, tell us a story, sing us a song, etc. Or just come prepared to be an appreciate of audience for those who wish to entertain us.

People may show up at 6:30 if they like, dinner starts at 7. There Entertainment and socializing until 11. We welcome and encourage people regardless of sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, age, class, disability, size, tradition, etc. If you have a disability and would need accommodation, please contact us so we can make sure things are comfortable for you.

To participate in the potluck, you will need to bring:

1. A dish of food and/or drink to share. We ask you put a note with the food detailing ingredients for those with food restrictions. (If you buy it, bring the label.) Meat is okay, but please clearly mark it for those who prefer not. Please keep in mind that these events will be drug and alcohol free.


2. A plate and flatware set to eat from. This is so we don't use up a lot of disposable paper products or have to do a lot of dishes.


3. Donation requested, $2-5 each. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Please RSVP if possible. We like to know how many people to expect.

Weird Fact #2

Weird Fact #2: I adore my bathtub.

Okay, this one is not so weird actually. In the new house I have the master bed and bath area as a kind of work, craft and personal space. The bath tub is a two person sized, deep jacuzzi bath. The reason this matters is that several years ago I switched from taking showers to taking baths. When I broke my leg two years ago I could not stand to take showers and started taking baths. I discovered, not surprizingly, that the baths also helped with the fibromyalgia pain. Now, I take baths when I have the time, showers only for a quick rinse when in a hurry.

So why did it take 40 years to discover a prefer baths? I recently realized that I wasn't able to take them growing up. We lived in a very small house. My parents and four girls lived in a very tiny three bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house. We weren't allowed to lock the bathroom door while showering because someone might need the toilet. Actually, we didn't lock the door while using the toilet because someone else might need the sink, shower, etc. So that meant no privacy. No time for baths. Get in, get clean, get out. I still have a tendency to do just that.

The only time I remember taking baths and being allowed to soak was when I was sick. So as I became an adult, that is the only time I did. A kind of consolation prize for being sick. Even at our last house, I couldn't lock the door or expect privacy while bathing because it is the only bathroom my mom (who is disabled) could reach. Still, I took them because I had grown to like them.

Now I have my own bathroom. I have never had a time before in my entire life in which I had my own bathtub. Even the short time periods where I lived alone, I only had a shower, not a bath. And not only do I have a bathroom complete with toilet, two sinks, shower stall and bathtub to myself -- I have a deep, soothing and beautiful one. Wow. I find I still have trouble allowing myself to really stay in the bath and relax. There is a tendency to feel like I had better hurry up before someone else needs it. Learning to relax and take my time is a fun thing to practice.