Farm Show!!!!

Yes, we got another blue ribbon!!!!

Verse for the day:

Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees....(Heb. 12)

Yeah...so I forgot to take medicine again today!
I went to bed after 3 am (I don't know exactly) and woke up again to visit an elderly widowed neighbor lady who enjoys talking to someone (Anyone, really...I am just more available). I set my phone alarm for 12 noon, because I figured 2 hours was all I could spare.

When the alarm rang, she decided it was lunch time, and enjoyed detailing her fiasco with a dumb cop and PenDot, and how she was going to have her license taken away unless she took a repeat physical, and tests, etc. Before I knew it it was 1pm.

I basically drove home as fast as I could, and then I had to get ready for Square Dance (last practice before Dress Rehersal) in less than 20 minutes. Of course I forgot to take my meds!

SO....I was doing mostly ok, until the 5th dance (which I won't be dancing, but Mr. Prosser wants us to be fluent in all the dances and calls, and to help set and example for the younger kids.

There I was, the dance was almost over....and as I am twirling around to promenade I step on the edge of the guy's foot (with my left foot) and land on it the wrong way. As a quick stab of pain shoots up my knee, I am propelled around the circle back to home. As the dance goes into the final bars, I flatly refuse to dance. I sat down for as long as I could, but as every person is entirely necessary.....I HAD to dance!!!!

Can anyone spell: PAIN?!?!

I was completely preoccupied for the next 7 rounds (we repeated that song 3 more times, the next song 3 times, and the last song 2 or 3 times...). I moved as little as possible and sat down and elevated it as much as modestly possible.
By the last two dances I was no longer feeling as much (probbably due to a brain overload!) and I was able to jaoke and make fun of everyone.

Back at home I laid down for about 10 minutes and was limping for the rest of the night (pain sensors tunred back on!). I finally took pain medication so that I would be abe to sleep.

Oh, these feeble knees!

Life so far: Update on the knee and hair

I have been absent again, but I had an enforced computer absence for other reasons. *grimace*

The turkey "holy-days" were grueling as far as constant movement and standing. My knee was in pretty fragile condition after them. The food was plentiful, but I found that I could not eat as much as I might have. Baking takes away my appetite. BUT, I did snack on cookies for the next 3 weeks!

Life these days is all-or-nothing. One day will be a complete drag, with nothing going on and nothing significant to do, and the next is full-throttle all day. Then comes weeks like this week, where Monday was blah, and then from Tuesday afternoon until Thursday night I had enough time to breate, but not to shower. (I curled and hair-sprayed my hair on Tue, and then had to make it do until Th. night. I couldn't brush out the spray, and I didn't have time for a shower! The curls had melted by 11pm anyway, so I was left with a "beach"shag that melted and frizzed anytime I tried to "do" something with it. Maybe this is what "afro" hair feels like?) I but on a self-made-crocheted beret on Wed, which may or may not have helped anything, and on Th, I put it in a ponytail and tired a western hat to hide the grease.
Moving on--------

My knee has also been in high demand for our weekply Square Dance sessions in preparation for the PA Farm Show competition being held Jan. 11th. For the first time in 3 years (as long as I have been with this group) and for the first time in....well....as long as anyone else can remember--there have been more guys than girls. Even some of the girls who dance (or prefer to dance) in the "boy" position (it does not really matter, as long as they use thier hands right) have had to switch over. Therefore, I have to dance all the time, every dance, whereas I had been able to sit out when not needed previously (I am a good 2 years older than most of the kids, so I come in as a "helper" when necessary). Last week I took medecine and danced without consequences (so I thought). Then, as I lay down to sleep, the medecine had had time to wear off, and my knee began to inform me of the drastic things I required of it...
Lets just say I slept fitfully that night.

This week.....I forgot to take anything. And I was a suddenly a very akward dancer. Besides being careful about what moves to make on dances that I was woefully unfamiliar with. Not only are there a whole bunch of new people (which can be good), but most of the new people are very young children who did not learn calls, or missed beginning weeks, or mixed up the calls, or forgot them since. This makes for some really messy squares. AND most of all, it makes for super slow weeks. Up until this week we had not done all the dances in a row...and this week was filled with mistakes and re-teaching easy stuff (a slide-through? OK, so I admit I was the one getting this wrong, but I had never danced slide-though boy, before!!) , and finally giving up on the break square (where everyone whi is NOT dancing this time dances to keep up on what is going on).

Today there is a big snow, which cancels the party I was supposed to be going to.
It is now scheduled for the 9th. Which speaking of boring-and-then-full-throttle...I have something going on then. And on the 10th is a final practice, and the 11th is the Farm Show....
Pass the Ibuprofen!

Update

Yeah...I thought I should update:

So...I have updated!


lol

OK, so I will do something substantial.
Info for those of you who weren't at TeenPact:
May 5th is Yellow Ducky Day. Stuart L. is a genius.

TeenPact was amazing....it was TeenPactic....again. I have not found an organization that can change people's lives so substantially in four little days. That is why I love TeenPact.
That is why everyone should go to TeenPact. Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photo Shoot

Monday (the 13th) was my younger brother's Volleyball tournament. I took my camera and persuaded a dear soul to sit for a photo shoot.
I must say we had great fun, and I definitely want to do this more. Besides, the better I get the more I can charge (which right now is nothing).

First, we sat around flowers, and I told her to smile or pose. She didn't trust me very much, and was unsure of exactly how all this would look/turn out, etc.
Then.....a wonderful thing began to happen as she got comfortable with me and the camera. She got ideas (and all photographers should listen to ideas) and began playing around.Playing around = having fun

Having fun = real smile
Real smile = AMAZING picturesAmazing pictures = "win!" (as she would say <3)

So....

I have not been writing, dear readers, in case you hadn't noticed (in which case, it is probable that you are not actually frequenters...only occasional-passers-by). I have not been able to summon up epigrams which shall amuse you, or platitudes which confuse. Politics has been another round of partisan-this versus partisan-that which are a complete waste of time, energy and effort, since the best actors are not in Hollywood, but in D.C.
I have not found things very inspiring with which to challenge you faith and strengthen your trust in Him.

What are my excuses?

Well, first, I have been going at least 3 times a week to York to be part of a drama, which I was lucky enough to be included in. If any of you have time and money to waste, and REALLY want to hear me speak 13 lines, shout from offstage, and sing a little, I can oblige you.

Then, there is my overall lowness of mood, grouchy-ness, and ill-humor because of the dreary, grey, dull, dark and all together miserable seasonal conditions we have been enduring. Not only has it stopped my fount of inspiration, but contributed to a very fussy depression and there is, of course that certain activity which has ended and shall not be resumed until October. (PSD Depression, as a friend classified it)

Therefore, I have made a search of previous entries and things I have compiled on paper, and quotes I have catalogued.

So, it is up to those of you who actually READ my blog.
Do you want poems?
Do you want quotes?
Silly or serious?

I await your verdict.

Today is.....

SQUARE DANCING DAY!!!!!

*celebrates*


YAY!!!

Enjoy, y'all!

The Girls

Farm Show 2

I am sorry for not being more complete. I had a specific amount of time in which to post which ran away rather quickly.

Here is the video OS (Oldest Sis) took of the second competition dance. She got most of it...except for about 3 seconds in the beginning.

She was unaware of the necessity of keeping the camera vertical, and felt sure of a better shot holding it lengthwise. So, I am putting a disclaimer. I will not be held responsible for any neck strains, aches, pains, nor will I compensate any monetary amount in fixing said injuries. Enjoy at own discretion.

Note: the camera focuses in on my younger brother's square for a couple seconds. They are the ones in red and black.

Note 2: yes, there is a mess up. Apparently the judges missed it. (providence, perhaps)

Oh....and this was the outcome of the night:

BLUE RIBBONS!!!!!!

Farm Show!!!!

Yesterday was the 92nd Annual Farm Show Square Dance.

We had practiced the day before and in a sweltering room above the pine tree exhibits...and I must say that we did marvelously!! (Pictures, etc. by oldest sister) We are promenading to our square.

This is a short clip of our first warm-up dance

This is my square waiting for the Division C dance.

Happy Farm Show Week Everyone!!!

Update:

I have been banned from computer for some time, therefore I have not updated, or responded to any recent comments.

My plays went ok. My performance was sometimes comical, and other times just sad. The first night I was much to quiet, and my aim was very bad!! (I throw candy to the audience in a part of my play)

Yes, Rache, they thought the accent most unique, and since I was the only person really doing it I stood out. One person who knew me in a different context was really, really shocked and impressed by how 'well I did it' which was probbably very bad according to any knowledgeable judge.

For those of you who were not initiated, I played the part of an old Russian grandmother, and when I decided of my own volition to add an accent, I called up a lovely friend who was from around there and who would naturally know all about what to do and how to roll the tongue properly. (though...I did forget the "ing-a" a couple times!!!)

Thursday, I said a line to early, and therefore messed up the dialogue and said the opposite of what was intended, but the church had SUCH amazing resonance that even the people who could not be heard were able to be understood.

Saturday, Bethy returned from her missions trip, and we finally had a camera, so all my pictures are from this one play. I missed coming in because we were all talking behind the curtain...but I guess it didn't show. I hit people with candy, and burst out laughing, which made me loose my train of thought. I then messed up a very serious dialogue, and had to run through it again...and apologised to the audience. Then, after forgetting my last sentence, I waited for my 'son' to say his line. He was awaiting my last sentence, so he said nothing. I assumed that he had forgotten his line, so I went on on the next sentence I could remember......which happened to be a whole page away. Thus, a whole chunk of the story went missing, and most of the little details were left hanging. We finished off in good style, and I only wanted to get away and have a good cry.

Because of the rectangular set-up, the cast had to sit behind a room-divider the entire play with the lights off so as not to distract....so I got to sit in a corner and no one knew what I was doing. I managed to fake a smile for the rest of the play, remembered the rest of my 5 lines, and bore out through Cast & Crew pictures, family hugs, congratulations from everyone on what a great performance it was, and the last piling of things into their respective owners cars.

I do not know if I was meant to be included or not, but as I was standing by the director's daughter, she could not help but invite me to an unofficial cast party at Friendly's, as she was inviting a couple other people. My dear oldest brother stayed behind to drive me home in his car, and volunteered to take me. I decided to go...thought not with much gusto, as I had a bad headache He scolded me for crying, and told me he had enjoyed the performance, and not noticed any problems but my 'sorry'. (which was unutterably sweet of him)

Because we got to the restaurant first, the manager kept on addressing me, who had no idea what was going on, and who was in no way able to organize for an American group of an unknown number at a very strange restaurant. My dear brother paid for some ice cream, and made the night much more enjoyable that it would have been by opening up conversation with some people, and getting things going. I left glad that I had gone, and in a much better frame of mind than I was before.

The next few weeks were filled with a whole lot of 'preparation-for-guests' cooking, and 'making-up-for-the-people-who-are-gone' work, and 'why-is-the-house-such-a-wreak' cleaning, and a bunch of other things which might possibly bore you.....

So I shall end with what we did last night......

Cut deer!

(Note: the WMD you see pictured here is a sundang (soon-daung)....and is very, very, very common in the RP)

Another amazing Square Dance