…performing to a little something by Frank Sinatra at Saqra’s Showcase, November 2009
I’m participating in the Blogging From A-Z challenge. One blog post for each letter of the alphabet, each day of April (except Sunday).
Really Random Thursday
For sale just down the road from us….
A camperized dump truck!
For those guests that just won’t don’t want to leave?
Linking up with Really Random Thursday over at Live a Colorful Life.
Happy International Dance Day!
In honour of today being the International Day of Dance, I’m going to share some of my previous dance life with you! You can find more here and here.
…if you’re on a device, you’ll need to view this in your browser to see the video. Click HERE to go directly to the website.
I call this dance the “Kitchen Baladi.” This performance is from Rockin’ the Casbah, March 19, 2011.
And since last weekend was Saqra’s Showcase (25th edition!), here is a dance I did at her Showcase in 2009:
And because I am just a little bit silly (okay, more than a little bit), I’ll leave you with this combination of my two loves: big band and bellydance.
Have YOU danced yet today?
99 Square Feet: a tiny space with a big heart
I got a note from a friend the other day week reminding me that I haven’t posted any pictures of my creative space yet. Thank you to Shannon for the inspiration and nudge to get it done!
This is the North wall:
The mirror is for dance practice. The bookshelf holds my yoga, aerobics & (about half of my) dance videos. The TV and DVD player are mounted on the wall above the shelf.
And yes, there IS enough space in the middle of the floor to roll out my yoga mat!
West wall:
I used one of my happy retirement gift certificates from my mates at Yukon College to buy these storage shelves for my fabric stash and sewing supplies.
This morning I unpacked another box and found some missing items:
If you’re a quilter, you probably have a big grin on your face right now. 🙂
On the South wall, Kelly built me the most gorgeous sewing nook in what used to be the closet.
The East wall will eventually contain my writing desk and/or work table. I’d love to get one of those sweet little antique secretaries. But as you can see, space is an issue.
The room is 9×11. Pretty good for 99 square feet, eh?
Last but not least, I’ve pulled the fabrics for my next quilt project:
I’ve been collecting these oriental prints for a few years now.
I actually have two lap quilts in mind 🙂
Stay tuned!
Cheers for a Playful 2014!
Hello and Happy New Year!
Have you ever chosen a word
just one single word
to guide you through the year?
For the last couple of years I’ve held the word balance close to my heart. It was the word that helped me to navigate a very busy life: teaching up to 5 dance classes per week, directing a dance troupe, choreographing and producing shows while managing to have a family life and working a 9-5 day job (phew!)
Balance was the word that got me through to the other side of menopausal depression. I was out of balance physically, emotionally and hormonally. Searching for and maintaining balance was the lifeline that I clung to and the rope I hauled myself up by. It kept me secure during the heartache of deciding to let go of my dance troupe and students. I kept it in the front of my mind during my weight loss journey (65 pounds!). It was the word that taught me to put health and happiness above productivity.
Balance guided me through the waters of deciding to retire relatively young; to move to a new town and seek out new adventures.
Balance: what a beautiful word!
But now it’s time for a new word to live by. It’s time to get out of the box and…
PLAY!
This year I am going to play in my kitchen and learn to bake a cake from scratch. Specifically, some of the Chatelaine cakes. Yum!
…and I will experiment creating delicious meals from all over the globe: India, Japan, Italy, Thailand…! No fear in the kitchen will be my new motto – play with those spices, Nita! Try it out!
In my Creativity room I will play in the sewing nook, on the yoga mat, in-front-of the dance mirror and with words at my laptop.
My body will become stronger as I play outdoors, exploring local walking and hiking trails with Kelly and Sammy. We’ll take our bikes out and explore some of the country roads.
I will play in the garden, discovering all the wonders of living in a zone 5 gardening region.
I vow to put myself “out there” and be open to meeting new friends, getting involved in the community somehow (music? theater? dance?)
My friend Melissa at 100 Billion Stars puts it brilliantly (you can read her entire blog post here):
Play is a way of making room for our potential. It isn’t about pretending to be something we hope to be one day. It isn’t about presenting a different face to the world, trying on masks and personae. It’s about being authentic and true to ourselves in an atmosphere without judgment or rules. It’s from this place that growth begins, releasing the possibilities that have been lying dormant all our lives.
So here I am this morning, wishing you all a wonderful year of play and a hell of a good time doing it!
No fear! Have fun!
PLAY!
(these wonderful family photos were taken by Heather Jones of hpj photography at our Fox Lake cabin last September. We had so much fun!)
The Christmas songs you love to hate
A thread I’ve been following on Facebook prompts me to write this post. You may not thank me, but I humbly offer up what I consider to be the worst Christmas song ever.
EVER.
It is about a cat that freezes to death on Christmas eve saving the life of a mouse. And Santa arrives too late. Do you believe it? It makes me cry and I hate that because it is such a stupid song.
So tell me…what tops your list for worst Christmas song ever? I’ll make a post dedicated to them.