By Howie Silver
Tra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray.
So begins the song “The Lusty Month of May,” sung by Dame Julie Andrews as Queen Guenevere in the Broadway musical Camelot (written by Lerner and Lowe). In the song, May is a month of romantic temptation and the awakening of desires and joys. So, the merry month of May becomes a wonderful metaphor for both the frivolity and the weakness of human behavior. That said, enjoy the month of May (within limits, of course).
Our weather in May is getting nicer, but still somewhat unpredictable, as seen in this early 18th Century poem:
A dry May and a leaking June
Make the farmer whistle a merry tune.
A snowstorm in May
Is worth a wagonload of hay.
Among the changing months, May stands confessed
The sweetest, and in fairest colors dressed!
–James Thomson, Scottish poet (1700–48)
May is the best time to plant summer annuals, tender annuals, and heat-loving crops. And of course, there are the great perennials that we’re known for in the Pacific Northwest: Rhododendrons (Rhodies) have vibrant blooms that are iconic to the region. But don’t forget our other flowers: Lupines, Camas Lilies, Columbines, Irises, in addition to Cherry Blossoms and Dogwoods.
May has an interesting history. It is named for Maia, the Greek goddess of spring and growth. The Anglo-Saxons called in “Tri-Milchi,” a month of three milkings. In Rome, it was the third month of the year, and it was considered unlucky to marry in May (“marry in May; rue the day”).
May has a number of special days. May 1 is International Workers’ Day, May 2 is the Kentucky Derby, May 4 is Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you), May 5 is Cinco de Mayo, May 10 is Mother’s Day, May 24 is the Indy 500, and May 25 is Memorial Day. In the case of foods, May is National Barbeque Month, National Hamburger Month, and National Strawberry Month.
It is definitely a time for rebirth. Plants do it; why can’t you? Keep your mind active and growing. Travel and learning can stimulate the mind in a way that a new coffee maker or sweater can’t. Think about a cruise to Alaksa or a program to the canyons of the American Southwest or a program to the Galapagos Islands or a trip to where your ancestors emigrated from. There are wonderful companies that provide such trips: Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel), Overseas Adventure Travel, Elder Treks, Smithsonian Journeys are but a few. Treat yourself to an exciting trip.
If travel isn’t your thing or too difficult physically, perhaps an intellectual rebirth close to home is more easily done. It can mean learning (or relearning) new ideas. Most likely, you don’t want to take courses at a local university or community college with students your grandchildren’s age, cram for quizzes and tests, and write papers. But you do want and need to learn to keep your brain active. Sudoku and crossword puzzles are fine for maintaining your sense of logic and vocabulary.
Personally, I wanted to learn and be stimulated again. I wanted to learn (or relearn) history, science, philosophy, nature, and so on in a classroom environment, with other seniors. I discovered the Creative Retirement Institute (CRI), a lifelong-learning program at Edmonds College that has been around now for over 30 years. It offers short non-credit, college-level courses at a modest cost. The courses meet once a week and are between one and four weeks long.
CRI is not alone; the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is associated with the University of Washington and offers similar non-credit courses to people over 50. For those Boomers who are comfortable with non-traditional format learning, there are programs such as The Great Courses, which provides a wide variety of over 800 courses that can be streamed or presented on DVDs. Another online resource is BabyBoomer.org, which offers articles, podcasts, articles, and books, all aimed at seniors. All these programs have everything you loved about school: the excitement of learning, interesting professors/instructors, making friends with your classmates, and having fun.
The 2026 Spring Term at CRI had about 47 classes to choose from and has already started. But there are still some courses that haven’t started yet. These are listed below. The courses are taught by instructors very well versed in the topics that they are teaching. Many are retired college professors, and all of them bring extensive personal and professional expertise as well as enthusiasm for their topic. About 64% of the CRI courses are taught in person in small classrooms, and 36% of the classes are taught online using the Zoom platform.
For arts and music lovers, there are courses on Art and Other Creative Approaches to Joseph and His Brothers; Hilma af Klint; Listening to Jazz; Public Sculpture; The Opera or the Overture: Which Comes First?
For history and current-events buffs, there are courses on Humor in Presidential Politics; Titanic: Survival Comparisons; US History: The Young Republic.
For nature and science lovers, there are courses on A Virtual Walk along the Kingston Beaches at Low Tide; The Power of Gene Editing; Global Renewable Energy; Our Moon.
If you’re interested in technology, there are courses on Creating, Sharing and Collaborating in Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Keep, and Google Sheets; AI Roundtable.
If literature is your thing, there are courses on CRI’S Ibsen’s Drama; William Stratform: a Poet of Our Times.
If you are not familiar with CRI, here’s your chance to have a delightful time that will stimulate you and keep your mind from growing old. I’ll be there. See you there.
Registration for the Spring 2026 Term at the Creative Retirement Institute (CRI) of Edmonds College has started. The full list of classes, their times, dates, instructors, and complete descriptions can be found at www.edmonds.edu/cri . [At the website, click VIEW CLASSES; then click on SPRING 2026 — Register today.]
