Live Long & Prosper

Today on Wishcasting Wednesday, Jamie's prompt is 'what do you wish for your PROSPERITY?' With a lovely picture of Chinese Lanterns!

The first thing that comes to mind is Spoc's Vulcan Greeting: "Live Long & Prosper!"

Today, I'll attend the memorial for the husband of one of my long time Massage clients - (I've been her therapist for about 20 years!) ... Joan is 90, & such a delightful, witty, creative being! A calligrapher, artist - we took watercolour & calligraphy workshops together in the mid 80s - & uses a beautiful hand to write the monthly check for her session 'series!'

One of my Square Dance sisters is 101 or 2, & STILL attends dances, & is out there on the floor! 

Prosperity -

• abundance of time with family & friends
• a life filled with joy, creativity, dance, flowers, fragrances
• resources to meet my daily needs, share with others, be a good steward
• blessings of community
• love, kindness, peace

What do YOU wish for your prosperity? 

Iskiate & brain health

Recently my son-in law sent a text asking where I get my Chia seeds? . . . I replied our health food store carries them - over in the seeds for sprouting section. When I was at their house a few days later, I noticed a recipe for Iskiate posted on the fridge, & when I got home I made a batch - yum!

• 8 oz water
  
• 2 T whole chia seeds
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1-2 tsp sugar (maple syrup, honey...)

Mix together & let sit 5-10 minutes. You can experiment with the liquid; coconut milk, sun tea, water kefir . . .

Matt's a runner, & recently hired as the Assistant Track Coach for the HS (he also manages the local Starbucks) - sounds like he'd been seeking a more 'natural' high electrolyte recharge drink - this is a great one! Inexpensive & easy to make it yourself.

Another friend recently mentioned the book Born To Run, about the Tarahumara Indians 'a Meixcan group of super-athletes,' & how they run barefoot. They also drank Chia Fresca or Iskiate; which has been making the 'circuit' in the running world since the book's publication. Today I picked up some Grade B Maple Syrup to use instead of sugar (I've also used a bit of honey or agave nectar) & here's another 'take' on the recipe.
I sometimes use ~ 1/4 C of my water kefir in the mix, I tend to drink more of my coconut milk kefir, so it's nice to find a new use for the water kefir! Already tart, & with herbs added in a second 'culture,' the water kefir is also high in probiotics. Chia seeds are high-fiber, omega-3, high-protein, antioxidant, & anti-diabetic. Myelin, the 'white matter' of the brain, is the insulation that surrounds the brain & nerve axions. Omega 3 oils support the recovery & regrowth (re-myelination) of the myelin!

This week I was invited to a talk on keeping our brains healthy as we age, by Roger Anunsen. I felt lucky to get a 'booster shot' from this expert on keeping our brains flexible & alert. This was an hour long overview of 'what's new' & a refresher on the info he presented last year. Roger is working on web casts, as he constantly seeks new info on optimizing brain health! He comments that he & a few others are working on translating the research into 'plain English' so more of us can access & utilize the info! The 'cogwheels' that support brain health are:

• Pysical exercise
• Mental exercise
• Socialization
  
• Stress Management
• Nutrition & healthy diet (inc. plenty of antioxidents & Omega-3 fats)
  
• Adequate sleep, including naps (ideal naps are: 23 min, 45 min, 0r 90 minutes)
  

I was tickled that dance provides the first 4! & calling square dance is a particularly good form of mental stimulation & social activity! He commented that some 'stress' is good - & encourages taking on the challange of learning something new fairly regularly.

Another 'brain health' expert, in his talk on 'Movement is Medicine' commented that ballroom dance has an Altzheimer's Risk REDUCTION factor of ~ 75%! He & his wife began taking ballroom lessons shortly after learning about the mental health benefits! His formula for "Optimal aging" includes: life satisfaction, social participation, self reliance, coping ability, setting new goals.
& a reminder for anyone who hasn't heard how great coconut milk & oil are for enhancing brain health, check out Mary & Steve Newport's story of reversing Steve's early onset Altzheimer's with the help of coconut & MCT oil!! Steve's last MRI (April 2010) "was reported as "stable" compared to the previous study." (June of 2008, about the time they began using coconut oil!) I use coconut oil for all my cooking, mixed with olive oil in salad dressing, & drink ~ 10 ox of coconut milk in the form of kefir daily.

I love this summer season of abundant fruit & fresh veggies - though with our longs cool spring, home crops are a bit limited. I am also thinking of how to 'revamp' my back yard - want to make some new raised beds, & clear more of the tall grass! I currently have apples, pears & a loaded fig tree! I dried some of the figs, as I couldn't eat that many fresh, & the grandkids who LOVE them are 2 hours away.

In good health!

Behind the Scenes

Three cars arrive at 5, the girls begin unwinding cords & plugging in their mics. Tho they are smiling & exchanging news, they quickly get down to business, practicing an ever growing repetory of music - we're 'Girls Night Out,' & we call square dance!

When I began taking Square Dance lessons last September, little did I know that 8 months later I'd be calling! Since our quartet formed last spring, we've met weekly to practice, & called 'tips' at three dances!
It's been a bit harder over the summer, we've missed a few rehearsals,... but when we met yesterday, there were few glitches.

On the weekend, our club did several demos - two at senior care facilities on Friday evening, & one for the Amity pancake breakfast, last Sunday morning. 

Club members are 'promenading' in the photo below.

And - Girls Night Out has been booked for our first full dance - Sept 11 for the Sweet Home 'Squarenaders!'

Our club's caller Leonard recently began calling for Sweet Home, but had a prior commitment for Saturday. So GNO has been booked to do the dance!  

We've been working on some new songs - last night we practiced 16!

As Charlotte & I visited after rehearsal last night, I thought again how fortunate we are to renew this friendship! We were roommates in collage, 40+ hearts ago!

I moved to Breitenbush about the time Char began calling, & we lost touch. 

Oh, we knew HOW to reach each other, but we rarely did. Another blogger wrote of her experience reconnecting with her college roommate after a 20 year hiatus - I feel the same!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day! Rather overcast here awhile - after 'morning sun!' . . .

We are (square) dancing on the float in another parade this evening, so I'm hoping it clears off & warms up! This will be the 3rd parade of the summer, in a small local town (Willamina) followed by their fireworks. Since our local firework display moved from a school ~ 15 blocks from my house, & easy walking distance to a site closer to the airport, with lots of congestion, I haven't been 'out' to watch them. My daughter is also happy to celebrate rather 'quietly' at home with her hubby, their girls & a few sparklers!

My dad disliked driving on holidays, even 'back in the 50s & 60s' when traffic was much lighter! I know he'd drag his heels at going to this parade, travelingon one of the busiest highways in the state! So with others, I raise prayers for travel safety, & clear skies!

July brings several musical events - I'll be playing harp next Friday from 11-1 at Turkey Rama, & for several weddings at pretty vineyards the next few weekends.

It's almost a year now that we've been gluten free, & a weekend at the coast with my galfriends highlighted just how much I want to avoid the stuff. On the ride home midday Saturday, I wrestled with a a migraine (which I RARELY experience). I combated it with homeopathic gelsemium & arnica - by the time I got home & took a nap, was feeling almost normal. Was it triggered by histamines from the wine the night before? But I didn't awaken with it . . . or . . . .

I didn't intentionally ingest gluten, but picture the breakfast 'bar' Sat AM: a lovely fritata Martha made with fresh duck eggs, aspargus, local garlic & onion, topped with avocado - next, loaves of bread from the night before peeking out of their warpper; then the pan with sauted bacon, nice & crisp, followed by a plate of G containing muffins!
This was laid out before I noticed - I did go through the line 2nd - but who laid it out? Did they wash their hands between placing items?

Did anyone even HESITATE to place the bread between the main dishes? & did the person in front of me take bread? Does a bear poop in the woods? Well, of course they took bread! I got bacon with my own fork, & went outside to the deck overlooking the ocean, to dine with my friends. & within an hour or two, had stiff shoulders & a headache.

Ironically, a few weeks before one of my friends asked if I were coming on the beach retreat, & when I expressed concern about gluten contamination, she said - yes, we talked about that, & that it wouldn't hurt ANY OF US to go gluten free for the weekend!

Well . . .

Some of us headed over Thur, & ate out that first night. One of the bread baskets was in front of my plate between two of us, the other shared between the other four. When that basket ran dry, 'ours' was passed down (whew!) but more bread was requested. (& later someone asked me if the basket in front of us - which they'd emptied - had any more, & I quipped that I didn't intend to be their 'pusher')
I had a salad, stuffed chicken breast & aspargus. The chef recommended against the rice pilaf, ('can't guarantee that it's G F') so I had a baked potato. We had desert at home, inc yummy GF brownies Martha brought, in their own box & well labeled. (the rest had 'regular' brownies, from a seperate box)

Dinner Sat was lasagna - I brought my grain mix, & asked Donna to reserve some sauce & cheese, rather than bringing her GF noodles (knowing she was likely to bake it at the same time as the 'regular' lasagna) & cooked my seed/grain mix while I made the salad.
The seed & grain mix: quinoa & millet in equal parts (1/2 C each) & a Tbsp each of teff (African millet), amaranth, & chia seeds - bring ~ 2 C of water to a boil, pour in grains, stir, reduce heat & cook ~ 20 min. This is great for breakfast or dinner, & you can season as you wish.
Local strawberries over ice cream & a GF brownie for me (angel food cake for the others)

Snacks included the brownies & bags of chex mix, pretzles, M & Ms . . . . I brought dehydrated veggies, & found a pretzel in the bag, when I got home - I'd put it out on the snack table - should have put some out in a dish with a spoon, & kept the bag in my basket, where I had rice cakes, rice crackers, & a coconut mango bar. If I go next year, I'll ask that all the gluten items be placed on the snack table, & that any GF snacks be in a different area.

Do my friends have chronic health problems that are associated with gluten sensitivity? Yes, inc Asthma, Diabetes, Chronic pain, weight issues, one sleeps with a c-pap machine, . . . . & only one has expressed 'considering' going GF for a week & "seeing if it helps" . . . (another wanted to share the grain mix, as she's 'doing' weight watchers, but didn't avoid other gluten)

Yesterday, I visited with my daughter's friend Karen, who started us down the GF path, after hitting 'early menopause' in her mid thirties (yes, ANY fertility/ miscarriage/ premature birth issues can be linked to gluten sensitivity), & commiserated about people just 'not getting it' - she'd spent a 'mixed' Thanksgiving with 'well meaning' family members, & even after explaining how GF folks should serve themselves first, & others should only DIP food with the utensils, & not spread anything on bread . . . others jumped ahead of them in line, & immediately someone dipped & spread cranberry sauce on their bread . . .

Like others on this strange journey of being GF in the land of wheat, wheat, rye & barley, find it frustrating at times, but joyfully health giving!

Watched Julie & Julia Friday night at my daughter's, & think of Julie as I blog - fun to see her cooking her way through Julia's book, & thinking of Shauna's GF tome, due at the end of the summer! Now that would be fun to cook through . . . .

Girls' Night Out

We did it!
The 'debut' performance of Girls' Night Out was on Sat in Salem at the Square Dance Center. Since it was a holiday weekend, we expected maybe 2 or 3 squares - no . . . . more than 70 folks, enough for 6 squares throughout the dance!! Yikes! (we heard that quite a few folks decided to come just to hear us!) Since it was a 'callers & cuers co-op' dance, like a jam session, folks signed in at the door, & went on stage in that order. The host for the evening decided to put us up just before the break - so not 'till after 9, & the dance began at 7:30. So lots of time to dance, & try to forget being nervous!

Our outfits were so cute, they HAD to like us, don't you think? We actually did well, & received lots of nice comments! & we got to hear a lot of those at the break (it was a 50s/60s & 70s dance, so root beer floats were the special treat!)

We sang & called our 'theme song' - 'Girls' Night Out' & 'Dizzy' (I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning, like a whirlpool it never ends; cause it's YOU, you're making me spin, you're making me DIZZY!' (complete with 'dizzy' choreography)
The only 'glitch' was that the sound system, though set up for 4 cords & mics, didn't work quite right, so Jackie & I (in the middle) were hard to hear. Sandy & Char (the ends) have had lots of experience, project well, & their mics worked fine . . . so some trouble shooting in order before we perform again.

It was really fun. I have made several drapes for my music stand, white for weddings,a brocade plaid for other events, now one in blue denim for GNO. We rehearsed again tonight, & began working on a few new songs. Sandy is listing us in a SQ D magazine, so we have to learn enough music for a dance! It's fun to do some of the slower, sweeter songs - 'Any Dream Will Do' & 'Rainbow Rider' are two current favorites. We tried 'Devil Went Down to Georgia' which is fun, too!
Sandy & Char can 'carry' doing several individual 'tips' (set of two dances) & Sandy & Jackie 'cue' (choreograph the round dance) & Char's done some of that - dances alternate between two 'called' dances & two that are 'cued' We're doing 2-step in this photo - Char with her husband Bill, me with Sandy's Al.
We'll be calling a tip at the end of June, during one of Sandy's dances (the caller has the prerogative of inviting a guest caller to do a 'tip.'

We have several advantages - being unique - there are several guys' groups, but no other girls' groups; we have good timing; & those cute outfits . . . . .

Getting Closer

Next weekend Girls' Night Out will make it's debut, at the caller's & Cuer's co-op dance in Salem! Yikes!! The other three gals sang a few weeks ago at another Salem dance - I wasn't there, & one of our friends said 'it wasn't really GNO without you!' Aww . . .
Am I nervous? YES!

So we've been rehearsing weekly, & selected the two songs for our 'tip' (plus a couple more, if they ask us back up) & making our outfits! Jackie found some cute pink fabric with little girls kicking up their heels - & we each picked up a denim shirt (thrift store-ing!), & are putting on yolks & lace. Jackie finished hers & working on Sandy's this weekend - mine is also in process.

I took it along to work on this afternoon at the ballet studio (yes, that's an intriguing contrast!) during rehearsal for the spring Dance Concert. Several girls asked me if it was for one of the pieces - & everyone thought it was cute. I was in 2 pieces - a Tai Chi number, & playing the harp for an improv piece followed by 'reverance' - the curtsies! So sweet!
I went across the street for Mexican dinner, as the studio provided sandwiches (not GF :)

Friday I went to Washington with my son & his family to attend my cousin Lori's memorial service. It was a LOVELY service - & 6 of the 8 first cousins that are left were able to attend. My son Josh is good friends with Lori's daughters, so we went over to the family gathering after the service.

Here I am with my cousin Louann - Lori was her older sister. Family resemblance is strong, isn't it? As an only child, the family dance is something I am a bit in awe of. I don't spend a lot of time with these cousins, but love them dearly! Lori & Letha (my Aunt) had early August birthdays, & began having 'family reunion' BD parties in the 70s.

Our Uncle Ray was the last of the 5 Aunts & Uncles to pass - at 92!


I had fun asking cousins if they'd square danced! I knew Lori's folks Letha & Lonny did, & my Aunt Irel & her husband Ed; but which of my cousins??
I was intrigued to see how many said 'oh, yes - ... & I did!' Cousin Leonard (in the middle here, between Doris & me) & his wife danced till she broke her leg while she was pregnant, & spent the pregnancy in a cast!

His sister Arlene & her husband Bob began after retirement, when folks from their church 'persisted' - Bob's new wife (not a dancer!) asked "do gals still wear those (silly) full skirts?"

OH, YES WE DO :)

Other cousins 'grew up' dancing with their folks - or remembered spending the evenings out in the car, while mom & dad were in dancing! (those were the days!) Since my mom was on crutches, my folks didn't dance (I think my dad was glad of the 'excuse') but enjoyed the music.

There were some sweet photos that included my mom in her 20s, with the young cousins (she didn't marry& have a 'chick of her own' till her late 30s!) She taught several of them to swim in the pond at the farm, & loved spending time with them. Lori was 14 when I was born, & her daughters are ~ 10 years older than my kids.

One more week . . . . .

Littlest Purple People Eater

This weekend, our Square Dance club has a float in the anual 'Alien Days Parade,' an Oregon clasic (& the second largest UFO fest in the country! "The festival began as a way to honor the famous 1950 Trent sighting in which two local citizens witnessed and photographed a UFO, said to be some of the most credible images of UFOs to date. Read a detailed history of the Trent sightings." A friend of my 94 year old mother-in law also saw the UFO/ strange object in the sky that day in 1950, & a sis-in law later lived on the Trent farm for awhile.

My daughter & I usually attend the parade with the girls, & have talked about how fun it would be to dress up & participate - this year I will! Here's my 5 year old granddaughter 'posing' (is that how aliens stand?) in my 'one eyed, one horne (flying) Purple People Eater' hood, & freshly 'sparkled (glitter infused puff paint) purple T-shirt.

Our caller has been working on the calls for THE song, & has a cordless mike; we'll be dancing on the float! Judging is at 11 AM, with the parade at 1 - & prospects are that the warm, sunny weather is here for several days - always appreciated for a parade.

My gal friends & I meet weekly, to practice our singing calls. They actually did a couple at a dance last weekend - I hadn't gone, but the other three were all there. My challenge is singing in a lower register, as it's easier for the guys to understand the calls if they're not too high pitched!
I've been a soprano all my life - now to CONSISTENTLY sing alto - yikes! But it's happening. & I can get through a whole call, singing all the moves! (which has also been work!) I've borrowed a mike, & practice with that at home & our rehersals.

My daughter is getting closer to moving across town! This AM I finally got to see inside the house, as the family was having an Estate Sale, & the kids wanted some of the furniture. I found a couple of stainless steel pans,

Had to take a break to clip some GRASS in my back yard!! My daughter says I should get rid of all the grass, & turn it into a BIG garden!! Nice idea - working on it! & delighted to see my Spitzenberg apple branch (on a 3 way tree) is FULL of thumb sized apples!! 'Rumourred to be' Thomas Jefferson's favorite apple, it 'doesn't bear heavily' - but it is absolutely delicious!

What are you up to this fine weekend?

Calling all dancers

So here's a new development.

Last fall I decided to take Square Dance lessons at our local Grange, which you can read about here. I began taking the lessons so I could attend our dances, 1st & 3rd Saturdays, & have a chance to do Round Dance, which alternates with the 'squares.'
I'd attended one dance before taking lessons, got hauled into a square ("It's easy - you can do it" . . . then they called out: "NEW DANCER - NEW DANCER" when it got too complicated, & Leonard came down with his cordless mike, & moved through the square behind me, guiding me through it - whew!!)
It does get easier each time I attend a dance, but I'm still not great at it! & it surprises other dancers when they find out that I 'round dance,' (which I am pretty good at!) Many dancers begin with the squares, & later study round ('choreographed ballroom').

You'll remember that my college roommate, Charlotte, began calling shortly after begining to square dance, back in the 80s while I was donning leotards & point shoes. She took a break for the last few years, while finishing up her PhD; & recently, she decided to begin calling again!! YEA! I've tagged along to dances with other folks from the club, or with our 'cuer' Jackie & her husband, getting to one or two dances most weeks through Feb & March - Char & Bill have been at several of them.

A few weeks ago I called Char to see if they were going to a dance at the 'Square Dance Center' in Salem, & they were. Then she sprang her idea - that she wanted to put together a woman's 'singing group' to SING (& call) at square dances. Sounded rather harmless - would I like to be one of the gals?? Sure, why not! (thinking she & Sandy, already callers, would focus on the 'calling' part . . . )

At the dance, she talked to Jackie, & invited her as well. Now 'cuers' choreograph the ballroom 'round' dances - partners move down the line of dance in a circle, just like regular ballroom, and are given the moves just before executing them. Cuers 'speak' the moves, rather than singing them - so while Jackie has a rep of cues, she's as new to calling as I am - & it's a whole new world! (callers generally alternate between 'patter' - which sounds like an auctioneer, & 'singing' calls, where they sing the instructions, & parts of the verse of the song)

Monday, having sent numerous e-mails back & forth, we met at Sandy's house in Albany (like Char, she's been calling for a number of years), & surrounded by her computer, mikes, amps, (& lots of square dance outfits) . . . began to listen to music, & tried to both sing the lyrics AND alternate calling the tip!!
YIKES - I said "Yes" to THIS?? . . .
For THREE HOURS we sang & tried to make sense of it!
And when we left, they told us they thought it went pretty well (kind words . . . .

As new as I am to square dance, I'm even more a neophyte when it comes to trying to 'call!' The eventual goal is for us to rotate singing the call between the four of us. . . . um, what's the pattern??
While Sandy has over 400 songs on her computer, Char's are still on vinyl, & she's slowly entering them into her computer (Jackie knows how to do that) We hauled out Sandy's old turntable, & switched the mike cords to sing along with several of the records.

So today Jackie & I met for an hour, listening to & singing along with the songs Sandy recorded for us, with the calls written out. Jackie had an e-mail from Sandy clarifying the pattern flow, so that now makes more sense. (I followed some of this from dancing it, & being aware of patterns in music & dance, but hadn't broken it down as precisely as this!)

- first there's an 'opening,' where you dance with your partner
then the figure, where you do a pattern with your partner, & move to your corner (the guy to your left), then a second 'figure' (usually the same pattern) moving to the fellow 'across' from where you began.
Next, the 'break' where you dance with that 'opposite' guy - (this may be the same as the opening, or a separate sequence)
Now two more 'figure' patterns, moving to the next two dancers;
& finally the 'ending' when you're back with your original partner.

So a, b, b, c, b, b, d (a, c & d can all be the same - or slightly different; & you can vary the b parts a bit)
In our 'Plus' lessons, Leonard will often give the number of beats that each of the more complicated patterns should last, & I had 'gotten' the general pattern of moving counter clockwise around the square, dancing with each guy in turn (if I don't get lost somewhere in the pattern!) He often refers to 'Caller Lab' for the precise wording; this org. standardizes calls, & give a lot of support to the callers. (I've begun spending time on this site as well.)

So we worked on talking/singing the call pattern & verses on most of the songs - & came out pretty well on most of them! Sandy also made copies of Char's cue cards for us- with several call patterns in 'shorthand'
sq -- square through
p -- pass through
sw /prom swing & promenade
T by Trade by
S F G Sq Sides Face, grand square (this is a longer pattern, so a chance to sing the words of the song you're using)

Then there are all the 'cute' ways to say it: 'swing your pretty girl, & promenade home . . . '
'all the dishwashers promenade inside that old ring, come back & swing your own'

I've spent a bit of time on a favorite site that has animations of the patterns. I know that Char & our caller, Leonard, both took lessons in calling when they began - we sure could use some! For the time being, I'll pay more attention to the patterns when I'm sitting out at the dances this weekend (Milwaukie Sat PM, & Lebanon Sun afternoon)
Dance is supposed to be one of the things that helps us stay young . . . did I think when I began learning Square Dance last fall that I'd be learning to call in the spring??

I pulled a fairy card (Magical Messages from the Fairies / Doreen Virtue) & got Travel (well - that's for sure!!) "An upcoming trip proves to be life-changing in positive ways. You'll soon be traveling to an important destination where you'll learn & grow through new experiences & discoveries. Ask the fairies to help you with the finances & details; most of all, enjoy yourself on your journeys!" (I did sign up for a dance camp weekend at the end of April, Leonard & Jackie will be calling/cueing Fri, & different folks on Sat; & our hostess promised to as the food folks about GF options)

I'll keep you posted!
What projects are on your plate this spring?

Dancing Tigers

I've been square dancing for about 5 months now, & our class (inc several teens) just 'graduated' in January. (Here I am with my certificate & our teacher /caller, Leonard)
I'm still getting the mind-body connection, making the leap between what's called & what I'm supposed to DO - after several years excelling at ballroom, I am humbled by my many 'oops!' moments - when I'm headed left & should be going right, or I'm facing out & should be facing in, . . . or not moving when I should be . . .

Our club dances the 1st & 3rd Saturdays, & I was working on talking myself out of going Saturday (classes ended several weeks ago, 'everyone' else got to attend Mid-Winter the weekend before - with lots of clubs, classes, demonstations & dancing - while I was hanging out with my grandkids . . . I was rather tired) when my college roommate Charlotte phoned, telling me she & her husband were coming to our dance!! YEA!

Now I need to go back a few (mumbldy mumble) years:
Feb 1968, college 'priview' weekend at OCE (now WOU) in Monmouth. I came over the mtns with my dad, & Char was there from the next town, to check out the school. Two shy, bookish & musically inclined gals, we decided to be 'alone together' & went to the orientation meetings, walked around campus, checked out the library & the dorms, . . .
We both opted to attend OCE (not a hard choice for me, since I wanted to be a teacher, & both an aunt & Great Aunt attended in the 20s, when it was 'Oregon Normal School' (teacher's colleges were 'normal' schools - setting the norm)
Char put me as her roommate choice (we wanted to live in one of the older dorms, not a modern one! & my mom wasn't sure I 'knew her well enough' to list her for a roomie choice - but I didn't know anyone else, either! I think she was nervous 'cause Char was one of 10 kids, & I was an only - we got along fine!!)

She was a music major, with Secondary Ed minor, I was El Ed with Music Minor . . . & that first year we jumped out of bed ~ a quarter till 8 FOUR mornings a week, for our music Theory class! I was in Honors Western Civ, we took creative writing together, & worked on getting those 'basic' classes out of the way. She took flute lessons, while I studied voice, we sang in her church choir, & I only locked her out once! ('No, you can't lock me out, I don't have anywhere else to go!!')

A friend of Char's introduced me to my boyfriend, she began dating as well, & a few years later, both Charlotte & I were married & raising kids (her daughter just turned 39 on Feb 3rd, mine on the 7th) . . . Char went back to school (while working) & finished several degrees over the last 40+ years, most recently a Doctorate in Psychology! I became an LMT in the early 80s, & though I have lots of education, mostly in the healing arts & music, I don't have a degree.

We have one of those psychic connections, & would often 'think of each other' just before one or the other called. She went on to adopt several children from two of her sisters, & we visited back & forth. Our kids looked like they were siblings or at least cousins! We ate a lot of popcorn, slathered in butter, had giggly slumber parties, & drank white russians (our kids liked it when we did that, then we were sure to stay overnight!)

In the 80s, Charlotte began Square dancing, & I was taking Ballet. With her beautiful voice, she decided to become a 'caller.'
Now women don't often 'call' - it's pretty much a men's world - tho women often 'cue' the round dances. (One of my best friends from Grade & High School was square dancing as well, & BOTH those gals met their husbands @ sq. dances!!)

Back to the present: I'd been regretting that when I began taking Sq. Dance lessons, Char had taken a break from calling - boo~!~!~! OK, So she was finishing that degree program, her husband had knee & hip replacements, & her music is all in 'vinal' form!!

So a few weeks ago, she was at that Midwinter Festival, & talking to our Caller Leonard, & mentioned that her friend took the fall lessons at his club ~ but I going by a nick-name, hard for old friends to adjust to - so she used my 'old' name!! It took awhile for just who I was to register :)
When it did, Leonard urged them to visit our club, & invited her to 'call a few tips!' She & Leonard began calling at the same time, & would often run into each other at used book/music stores, & 'fight' over the records, & often called at each other's dances. I appreciate the graceful way he includes other callers at our dance. Our Cuer, Jackie, is great about that, too; down to coordinating outfits with a gal she frequently shares cuing dances with!

That weekend Char ran into another old buddy caller, who told her he could transfer her music to disk (or computer?? They have some pretty fancy systems these days!) So she's decided to begin calling again!!

I told her she was just picking up my mental 'prodding' to do just that!! Well - it just didn't seem fair that she was such a fantastic caller, & I'd begun dancing after she stopped! I was 'on the ceiling' the whole evening!! That whole 'only child' bit - I get to 'choose' my siblings, & those oldest & bestest friends are so precious.
Char & Bill invited me to visit their club (in Milwaukie) next weekend - &, as the other dancers say, I need the 'floor time' to really integrate the dance!! &, when she rejoined Leonard to sing harmony on his last call, he told her she doesn't need to ask if she wants to jump in on a call - just - jump in!!!
He reminds me, just a bit, of my dad or one of mine uncles - this is a good thing . . . .

Square through four

New Moon yesterday - how the year is flying! Molly offers some great tips on Clearing while you're cleaning - great to combine with New Moon (Would be easier if I could find my floor, lol!! But I am making progress & want to implement some of these ideas!)

I've been doing Lots of dancing - ballet, ecstatic, & I finished the 'basic' Square dance lessons on Monday! Our class 'graduates' this Saturday - & I feel much more 'at home' with the calls! One of my best friends through grade & High School & my college roommate both took up Square dancing in the late 70s, when I began studying Ballet. My roommate became one of the few female callers, & called for several clubs over the years. She's now 'retired' from calling, but still dances.
For about 15 years I took ballet classes several times a week, did some point work (beginning that when I was in my mid 30s!), was in performances with our local studio, & enjoyed it immensely. For awhile, the whole family took ballet, & this last winter, all my grandkids (& my son & dau-in law) performed in the Nutcracker.
Over the years, I added other dance forms - belly dance, Ecstatic (free form), Dances of Universal Peace, studied & teach Tai Chi/Qigong, & love them all.

I began taking ballroom classes about 10 years ago, & learned more about 'partner' dance, as much of what I'd done had been more core or individual work. With the ballet background, I was often chosen to help the teacher demonstrate, & that was fun too!
Though we have a lovely ballroom, dances haven't been well attended, & are rarely offered, & dances in other locations are often fundraisers & quite expensive, so there's not much opportunity to practice what we're learning! And while the teachers recommend 'rotating' partners during lessons, which gives the beginning dancers opportunities to practice with more experienced dancers; at actual dances, it's much rarer to dance with more than a few folks, as most couples dance with each other.

Then a couple of years ago, my Ballroom buddy Steven invited me to try Round Dance, basically, ballroom done with a 'cuer' who gives direction, so everyone does the same moves. Fascinating! It takes the pressure off the 'lead' to think of patterns. Our cuer teaches two step, waltz & cha-cha, & we took each series. Having grown up in the Grange, it was fun to go out to the hall for the Round dance lessons, & I went to a dance or two, but with only a sketchy memory of grade school Square dance, I sat out half the dances, which alternate square 'tips' & round sets.

Steven wasn't interested in Square Dancing, & is busy with the ballroom (which he manages), so last fall, I decided to join the Square Dance lessons on my own. (& invited a gal friend who used to dance to join the lessons mid-stream)
Our club hosts dances twice a month, & area clubs offer 'New Dancer Dances' (& our members car-pool to attend) around graduation (they offer classes around the same time); so I've gone to a couple of dances already - & rarely sat out!! One of the 'rules' is that NEW DANCERS NEED TO DANCE! So the more experienced dancers dance with us!! There were enough dancers at our last dance for 6 squares (48 dancers on the floor, with another 8-10 sitting out!) & I only sat out a few dances! I was asked by THREE different guys (inc. a teen who took the lessons with us) to dance when I did sit down!!
The club also has 'experienced' clothes sales, so I've picked up several skirts (remember tie skirts?? They make a great square dance skirt, with a bit of eyelet sewed to the bottom) & one outfit; usually $5-10 per piece, & several soft petticoats. A number of the gals dance in 'prairie' skirts - about calf length, & not as full as the shorter skirts. My galfriend also got a skirt & top - pink Seminole style patchwork - lovely!!

Yikes!! It's almost 11, time to join my Red Hat sisters for lunch (& get all dolled up!!)
My most recent project is starting some socks - bamboo & superwash wool!! Several of my friends have been knitting socks, so I got a book from the library with a likely sock pattern, some of my mom's kneedles, & (sigh) another trip to the yarn stash store, to choose something yummy to knit with - I'm calling the colour 'nutmeg' (BBQ sauce doesn't roll off the tongue quite right, . . . ) cheers, babuskas!