June in Sacramento

Mr. E and I spent the month of June in Sacramento, enjoying some of our favorite local activities as well as the lovely early summer weather. We only had a few days of temps at or near 100, and the wonderful Delta Breeze always kicked in to cool things down overnight. Yay! I was very pleased to learn that the pool at the Central Y was finally open for more extended hours and that the temperature was [mostly] consistent so that my morning swims were quite pleasant. I also got to take advantage of a weekly mat Pilates class on Wednesday evenings to supplement my ongoing weekly virtual French yoga on Wednesday mornings. 

Sunday, June 1

Beer & Ballet is one of our favorite annual shows at the Sacramento Ballet, and this year's production was the strongest (and longest). We were fortunate enough to see the final performance of two wonderful dancers, Ava and Kaori, as they retired from the company. We've seen them both develop so much as performers over the years, so it was both touching and bittersweet to be there for their last series with the Ballet.

Saturday, June 7-Sunday, June 8

The annual Art Auction at the Crocker on Saturday evening included some appreciative remarks and thanks for the outgoing Museum Director, whose nearly 25 year tenure has really influenced the Museum and its role within our community and the region. We managed not to make any purchases this year, although we did bid on a couple of items, and I think we both slightly regret not making a stronger vie for the Thiebaud sketch, since we love his work so much. However, this particular piece didn't really call to us, so we didn't put forth full effort to acquire it.

On Sunday, we met up with our monthly brunch group in the morning followed by an afternoon massage for Mr. E and hosting the French Cercle de Lecture at our home for me. We had a very small group of just four people, including me, which actually worked out quite well given that our main living area isn't that larger. We had a very interesting discussion about L'Arabe du futur, and I was excited to learn that our next book will be one of my favorites, Au bonheur des dames, and that the next meeting will be in August, when Mr. E and I will be back in Sacto again, so I'll be able to attend.

Friday, June 20-Sunday, June 22

The Sacramento French Film Festival was at the Tower Theatre again this year. As sponsors, we get two festival passes to all events, including the opening and closing night receptions. Unfortunately, I had inadvertently watched the opening night film, En fanfare, during one of our flights for our trip to France, since the SFFF program hadn't yet been announced at that time! Mr. E and I still stopped by the reception to pick up our passes and poster but decided not to stay for the movie.

On Saturday, we both attended L'Histoire de Souleymane and Les Barbares, which gave us very diverse experiences since the first was a moving personal drama and the second was a lighthearted group comedy. 

Sunday morning, I started off with my regular Book Club and got to catch up with M, L, and H as we chatted about life and our fiction selection for the month, The Lady Vanishes. Then I returned to the Tower to watch Un ours dans le Jura, a fun quirky comedy. Mr. E joined me later in the afternoon for Soudain seuls and the closing film L'Attachement. We enjoyed some of the dessert offerings on our way out as well.

Wednesday, June 25-Sunday, June 29

I attended my third book group of the month through the California Groundbreakers California Book Club on Wednesday evening. This organization hosted a number of interesting in-person events prior to COVID, but this was my first time joining up with the group again since they reinvigorated their offerings. We had a very small group but a very engaging discussion about immigration, assimilation, history, and culture.

The weekend was full of Crocker Museum visits for me! Mr. E and I both attended the Director's Circle reception on Friday evening and enjoyed some snacks and beverages as we learned more about the three new exhibitions. The evening included a brief introduction and welcoming remarks from the new Museum Director, and we're looking forward to his official welcome reception at the end of next month.

On Saturday afternoon, I attended the Art + Film event honoring a Hawai'ian artist and poet. Interestingly, as the presenters talked about the featured artist's work, I realized that Mr. E and I had seen an exhibition of his poetry as curated for part of the Hawai'i Triennial back in 2022. Quite a coincidence!

Mr. E and I both donated blood on Sunday, but my appointment was earlier in the day so that I could meet up with S and N at the Crocker in the afternoon to hear a talk by Cara and Diego Romero about their newly-opened exhibition Tales of Future Past. I had heard Cara Romero speak at the Block Museum in Evanston in the fall, and I really appreciate her work and her approach to her art, so it was interesting to hear her talk about this new exhibition and in particular to learn more about how she and Diego collaborate and support each other as artists working in different media but with some similar themes and concerns. After the talk, we toured the exhibition, and N also discovered the nearby print exhibition, which she loved since she's recently added printmaking to her creative pursuits. S and I spent time in the Museum store and chatting in the indoor courtyard until N finished up and closing time approached.

Scattered Throughout the Month...

I managed to fit in a massage, a hair cut with my favorite stylist at Super Cuts, two pedicures at the wonderful Nature Love eco salon, dinners with friends L, B, and A, and breakfast and Happy Hour with S. Mr. E and I had a lovely meet-up and catch-up with E & C, including a brief round of the "button game," and E and I also found time for a coffee walk one morning. And then we packed up our summer clothes, gathered the kitties into their carriers, and returned to Evanston on Thursday, July 3, just in time to enjoy the holiday long weekend in our second home.