Taking A Page From The Dilettantes

You may recall I was founder and member of The Dilettante Club back in the mid 2010s. During the time that club was active, I and the other three members managed to try almost EIGHTY unique activities. Doing some quick back-of-the-napkin math, it would appear we did every available activity in the DMV area and there is nothing left to do, amen.

Do you really think I'd give up that easily? 

After failed attempts to get involved in activities in preparation for my daughter going to college, I decided to revive the Dilettante Club. This time, inviting one friend to accompany me to each activity. (So "club" is not really an apt descriptor, but being able to coordinate with even one person's schedule feels like quite the achievement. Leave me alone.)

And so far this year, I've managed to try something new every month. I'll keep track of the activities here by updating this post each month and am cautiously optimistic I'll end 2025 with 12 new activities under my belt. I'm just hopeful one of them is not "Don red robe and rename myself Oftim." 

The activities?

JANUARY - Paper quilling, Trupti's Craft, Oakton Elementary School, VA

FEBRUARY - Blacksmithing, Lawless Forge, Sterling, VA

 

  

MARCH - Making hammered brass earrings, The Grounds of Livev, Oakton, VA

APRIL - Real Roots Meetup, Salazar, Washington, DC

This is a meet-up for women to get matched with a group of like-minded women in their city (in my case, in DC, as there were none of these scheduled for Northern Virginia). A facilitator guides conversations designed to build lasting friendships. If you love your group, you can continue with a 6-week series together. Even though this was way out of my comfort zone, I went and am glad I did. The women were accomplished and very interesting, and the facilitator did a great job of getting our group to know each other in about 2.5 hours. Will I continue with the group for the next six weeks? TBD, but doubtful. Did I swap info with several of the women with the intent to meet up at some point in the future? Yes. I liked it and would definitely commit if it was more geographically desirable. 

MAY - Trying Durian Fruit, Oakton, VA

Click here for YouTube video of the experience. 

JUNE - 

Identity Crisis

Last weekend, our college kid attended a fraternity formal with her boyfriend. They enjoyed a nice dinner and dancing at a winery about half an hour from the university. 

At one point during the night, she bellied up to the bar to order a beverage. A quick scan of the drink list drew her eye to peach sangria, which was listed along with the prices for a glass and a pitcher, thusly:

                            Peach sangria  10/26 

With the unbridled confidence of an underage, hopeful drinker, she asked the bartender for a (and I quote), "Peach sangria ten twenty-six." 

Having obviously worked college functions before, the bartender promptly retorted, "ID, please."

Gentle reader, it was a peach sangria-less night. Alas.