Feiseanna and Highland Games and DANCING oh my! And a new competition season means YOU need some awesome new stuff to get you through in style. What's that you say? No cash dollars in your pocket? Well, don't you worry 'cause TheGirls @ IHTD have got you covered!
ALL SUMMER LONG we're running Summer Shout-Outs, a great new contest that lets you earn money to spend in the shop just by wishing your dancing friends good luck at their comps or congratulating them on a job well done! PLUS we are getting it all started TODAY with a huge week long prize extravaganza with super prizes EVERY DAY from us and our very generous sponsors. You can win
IHTD Signature Bags and Costume Carriers Hoodies, Yoga Pants & Jackets, Shorts, T's and Tanks Advanced Highland Technique DVDs from ToeandHeel.com Gorgeous Jewellery from Triskelt and As Luck Would Have It DELUXE FeisFaces.com Memberships Dance-Proof Mineral Makeup Yummy Bath & Body Stuff PLUS our famous Ghillie Slippers & PJ Pants!
All the details on how to enter are up on the website here:
And without further ado, the winners of the March MadLibNess contest are Jess by vote and Kathleen by random draw! Kathleen's entry wasn't put up for voting so as not to split the vote, but it's too funny to let it go unseen (any of the rest of you Highland dancers agree Christine Lacey is a world leader? ;) ) so here it is:
Dear Christine Lacey:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both smarmy and full of pickles as well as being the most soporific holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the fried green tomatoes, drink the molten gold and listen to the galumph that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all that mesmerizing peach fuzz?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a chihuahua is definitely in order! Wearing chartreuse, mollycoddling a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Argentinian and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a curtsy I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my elbow.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Kathleen
It's also worth noting Kathleen is one of FOUR entries to feel the spirit of St. Pat's in her elbow ;)
In other news, the kickoff week for our amazing summer contest has been postponed until June 7th to 13th -- we are working hard on merchandising a brand new exclusive design for the Ontario Closed Highland Championships on June 5th, including a ghillie bag for every competitor and some sweet hoodies (yes, for the guys too!) and yoga jackets dancers will be able to order from our website after the event -- as with all of our signature designs, it will be available in your choice of tartan.
Samples of the clothing will be there at the competition registration desk to check out and try on!
So this is way overdue, my apologies. Part family chaos, part some supply issues with the business that needed my immediate attention, part a new job pour moi and most shamefully, my total inability to figure out how to get a poll INSIDE a Blogger post. Which I tried to figure out on my own using my mad programming skillz, couldn't do, and then found out the solution in 5 minutes by Googling. Arrgh.
So here's how it works: Read all of our hilarious entries below (you can visit the contest page on the website to remind yourself of the word list here. Also I've highlighted the words our contestants submitted). Vote for your favourite until midnight EST on May 24th (that's Victoria Day for our Canadian readers). The voting results can be seen at any time, but we'll make the official announcement of the voting winner and the random draw winner during our summer contest kick-off week between May 25th and May 31st.
Yeah, you read that right. SUMMER CONTEST! It's going to be (a) huge, (b) running all summer and (c) not very technically demanding LOL.
Entry 1
Dear President Obama:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both strong and full of Irish Dancers as well as being the most graceful holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the chips, drink the water and listen to the feet pounding that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all that fantastic feis?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a trophy is definitely in order! Wearing purple, smiling at a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Irish and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do front clicks I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my legs.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Amanda Bridgid
Entry 2
Dear Pol Pot:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both curly and full of chairs as well as being the most squishy holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the mashed potatoes, drink the mouthwash and listen to the thunderclap that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those prickly pandas?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a smoke alarm is definitely in order! Wearing periwinkle, chafing a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Icelandic and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a Grand plié I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my humerus.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Lauren
Entry 3
Dear Kim Jong-il:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both chubby and full of medicine balls as well as being the most hairy holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the spaghetti and meatballs, drink the bio diesel and listen to the screech that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those lovely fish-sticks?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a shoe box is definitely in order! Wearing puce, twirling a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Peruvian and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a hand jive I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my spleen.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Stefanie
Entry 4
Dear Queen Elizabeth II:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both colorful and full of shoes as well as being the most prickly holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the Moonpie, drink the Orange Crushand listen to the thud that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all that quick sock glue?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a cat is definitely in order! Wearing green, dancing with a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Irish and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do twists I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my nose.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Anna
Entry 5
Dear Gandhi:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both lovely and full of kilts as well as being the most delectable holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the shortbread, drink the whiskey and listen to the bagpipes that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those inspiring lakes?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a horse is definitely in order! Wearing turquoise, leaping a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Scottish and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a twirl I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my elbow.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Tara
Entry 6
Dear Mary McAleese:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both effervescent and full of panic buttons as well as being the most lupine holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the tofu dogs, drink the dishwasher detergent and listen to the wailing bagpipes that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those frozen keyboards?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a capybara is definitely in order! Wearing lavender, failing a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Kuwaiti and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a double treble I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my cervical rib.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Laurie
Entry 7
Dear Oprah:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both hilarious and full of double wigs as well as being the most shameful holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the bananas, drink the gatorade and listen to the dum-diddily-dum that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all that ancient duct tape?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a nappy/diaper is definitely in order! Wearing aquamarine, destroying a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Australian and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a rock I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my ear lobe.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Rebecca
Entry 8
Dear Gandhi:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both bloody and full of fishing poles as well as being the most shiny holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the macaroni and cheese, drink the maple syrup and listen to the honk that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those juicy alarm clocks?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, an acoustic guitar is definitely in order! Wearing teal, bending a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Finnish and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a moonwalk I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my shoulder blade.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Jess
Entry 9
Dear Queen Victoria:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both expensive and full of mailmen as well as being the most bright holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the nachos, drink the radiator fluid and listen to the birds chirping that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those bold parks?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, an airport is definitely in order! Wearing purple, swimming with a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Brazilian and especially DANCING are all highly recommended-- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a moon walk I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my elbow.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Kira
Entry 10
Dear Michael Flatley:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both shiny and full of cactus as well as being the most scratchy holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the broccoli, drink the lemonade and listen to the bang that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those wet apples?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a pillow is definitely in order! Wearing violet, laughing at a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Irish and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a treble I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my wrist.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Rachel
Entry 11
Dear Ban Ki-moon:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both fruity and full of swords as well as being the most tartan holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the neeps, drink the single malt and listen to the clank that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those amazing cars?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a pen is definitely in order! Wearing magenta, teetering a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Canadian and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do an assemble I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my ankle.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Kathy
Entry 12
Dear Dalai Lama:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and notjust in Ireland! It is both loud and full of Ireland as well as being the most colorful holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the beef jerkey, drink the Kool-aid and listen to the yelling that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those wild sisters?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a dog is definitely in order! Wearing pink, dancing with a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Korean and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do an axel I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my belly button.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Sabre
Entry 13
Dear Obama:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both spacious and full of bobby pins as well as being the most hilarious holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the lasagna, drink the bleach and listen to the honk that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those smelly balloons?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a donkey is definitely in order! Wearing magenta, gesticulating at a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Indonesian and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do spring points I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my spleen.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Margaret
Entry 14
Dear President Obama:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both sparkly and full of rainbows as well as being the most chewy holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the corned beef, drink the Guinness and listen to the Ta-Da! that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all that bouncy Sprite?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a wig is definitely in order! Wearing emerald, stamping on a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Scottish and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a footloose I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my ears.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Maiti
Entry 15
Dear Netinyahu:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both prejudicial and full of riboflavin as well as being the most exotic holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the chipotle cheese curds, drink the Drano and listen to the squeak that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those gelatinous cephalopods?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a disco is definitely in order! Wearing saffron, propositioning a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Narnian and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a cabbage patch Ifeel the spirit of St. Pat's in my uvula.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have tocall me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Susan
Entry 16
Dear Dalai Lama:
I think St. Patrick's Day should be a national holiday everywhere, and not just in Ireland! It is both handsome and full of mailmen as well as being the most loose holiday on the calendar. It's only on St. Patrick's Day, as you eat the nachos, drink the iced tea and listen to the woof that you truly get to feel a little bit Irish! Shouldn't every country have the day free to enjoy all those hard doors?
If you need some recommendations on how to observe the holiday, a fireman is definitely in order! Wearing blue, dancing with a shamrock, maybe learning a few words of Scottish and especially DANCING are all highly recommended -- in fact, as a dancer myself, whenever I do a bell hop I feel the spirit of St. Pat's in my elbow.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you'll have to call me later -- right now I have dance.
Love, Jenn
Thanks so much for reading and voting! Don't forget to come visit us during the week of May 24th to 31st for the final results and to take part in the summer contest kick-off!
Greetings faithful readers! Welcome to the end of March. I try not to wait till the last minute to post, but I have decent excuses, I promise!
It is currently 1:04AM EST on Tuesday March 30th. In a mere 14 hours, I will be headed to the airport for my flight to Scotland for the 2010 World Championships, hooray!!
A little Easter candy to help keep me awake!!
Unfortunately for me, I still have quite a number of tasks related to my full time job to accomplish before I leave the country, so it will be quite a late night/morning at this point. I'm a nerdy IT analyst by day and a crazed Irish Dancer by night; yes, I do dramatic "costume" changes a la Superman in the coat closet at work ;) My work teammates and other IT department counterparts do know about this tiny Irish Dance obsession I have and are wonderfully supportive!
So, how was everyone's St. Patrick's Day show season also known as March Madness? (channeling the NCAA university basketball tournament held every March if we do have non North American readers)
I personally find shows much more stressful than a feis. I get nervous for group numbers because I don't want to let the other members of the dance down if I miss my cue, fall on a slippery floor, or have a costume malfunction. The same goes for team dancing. I also work myself into a panic making sure I arrive on time and don't get lost while finding the building address. Brenda, my trusty GPS, helps me there ;)
While shows can be stressful, they can also be incredibly rewarding. The genuine smiles on the audience faces and their appreciative applause make performing a joy.
One of my best friends, who started my Irish Dance adventure with me almost 15 years ago, brought her son to watch me dance for the first time in a public setting. You can bet I'll try to get him to start dancing some day, only if he chooses ;)
Myself and Brody
Brody is much more interested in his cookie than posing; can't say I blame him!
I was also in charge of co-chairing a Pub Night to help fundraise for the Worlds. While it was stressful planning raffle baskets, food, musicians, and decorations, it was a huge success. The best part of the evening was my dad watching me dance for the first time in 9 years (He is Type A like me and a noisy, somewhat unorganized feis would put him in overdrive)
While I may moan and gripe about St. Patrick's Day and the work involved, Irish Dancing is something that I can't imagine my life without. Some days I wonder why I put myself through the intense pressure, long practices, saving my pennies for softshoes instead of going out to lunch, and sometimes putting my social life on hold for feiseanna, majors, and performances. Plain and simple... it's because I love it, it completes me, and makes me oh so happy.
I now present to you, how Irish Dancing has blessed me:
Life long friends who are support you in good times and bad
The ability to travel the world
Posing in front of Big Ben
Self portrait at the Giant's Causeway
To enjoy the simple and extremely random situations
A very scary clown building at the Syracuse Feis
Flexing our muscles in the official "Flex Area" in the back of a grocery store to warm up before a show
Most importantly, I find that no matter the competition result, I am so proud that I have worked hard and been able to accomplish so much in Irish Dancing. I never thought when I started my journey 15 years ago that I would still be dancing, no less at the World Championships for the 4th time. After the competition in Glasgow, it is off to Paris and Amsterdam for a vacation.
I will be sure to have many pictures and stories to share when I return in April :)
It is now 2:00PM EST.... and I have finally finished, with 1 hour to spare. Nothing like last minute.
Greetings all! Happy end of February! I'm sick and tired of the snow that's been dumped on my neck of the woods, so roll on spring!
Today I'd like to discuss a somewhat amusing subject that all Irish Dancers can relate to: What exactly is in our dance bags? Is there a small life form growing in there? Maybe a bubble/poodle sock we haven't seen since 2002?
I have a very bad habit of "dropping and running" In fact, my nickname in the family is the "Queen of Drop and Run". I stuff things in my dance bag and go off to the next practice,performance,country...
I gained inspiration for this post from a popular YouTube video tag of "What's in my purse", like the video shown below. No worries parents, this blog is rated G for all, so I picked a post that anyone can watch. You would be surprised how many consonant and vowel bombs (if you get my drift) can be unloaded in one video, but I digress:
If I showed everyone what's in my purse, you would most likely hyperventilate from laughing so hard. I live out of my car and purse; it's not a pretty sight at the moment. My purse of choice is a very large Puma bag that can hold half of the contents of my bathroom :)
Luckily for everyone reading, I had a feis last weekend, so my dance bag is remarkably cleaner than usual. So, let's take a peek at what was in my bag yesterday:
So here she is! Totally and completely stuffed to the gills and the zipper is only about 75% functional, but it's nice and compact, so I know my limits on how much of my dance items I can squish in there...
Should we open up the zipper and see what is inside? I have to admit, I was frightened to look...
Looks pretty kosher to me, let's keep going...
Ahh, yes... the Irish Dance essentials! Here we have my very old hardshoes that I refuse to give up. I am a stubborn mule about them; they are my BABIES and I will not break in new shoes *pout* We also have my practice ghillies and my feis gillies. Also shown are my 4 pairs of elastics to keep my hardshoes on my narrow "boat" feet.
Here we have some "feis leftovers". They generally don't stay in my bag too long after a competition, so I can make room for other unnecessary items! Shown are my lovely mint green bloomers, a hair doughnut so I can find my inner Marie Antoinette, 1 hair elastic, and 1 bottle of Rimmel Sun Shimmer. I use my Rimmel as "touch up" tanner, as I usually do a horrible job with my self tanner. I'm so pale I have to start tanning 3 evenings in a row before a feis.
Fairly self explanatory ;) I like to not offend my fellow dance mates with questionable scent sensations after my 400th Drunken Gauger set in a row...
I'd like to call this picture my "Ode to being an 'OLD' Senior Lady". Ibuprofen for those muscular aches and pains and/or a headache from 12 pairs of feet dancing in hardshoes at one time, my inhaler for when my exercise induced asthma comes out to play (Usually at the most inopportune time, like at the Worlds) and Biofreeze, which is the magic that pushes me through each dance class.
Continuing with my tired Senior Lady theme: Cough drops to keep my wee lungs open and actually processing air so I can finish my reel without collapsing mid step,as well as my ENERGY BOOSTERS, so I can keep up with those little wipper snappers (U8's and U9's) who keep on dancing even after their turns! We have a lemon protein bar, some delicious (NOT) orange energy Gu, and a packet of Gatorade!
Tissues! For all those moments in your life, like: Dance Class: *sob* I cant, I just can't do the hornpipe stamina again, please put me out of my misery. Feis: *whimper* I can't believe I just danced off the stage (been there, done that twice in one feis season) or why didn't anyone tell me I had lipstick all over my teeth? On the way HOME from dance class: *sniffle* Why does "Chariots of Fire" make me emotional every time I listen to it?!?
Handy tools of the trade! Gaffers tape that I slather all over my shoes to at least try to prevent me from falling on my toosh, one fabulous blister band aid, and scissors that are useful for much more than just cutting tape, shoelaces, clothing strings...
You can never have too many of these! Bobby pins help me attempt to keep my curly, unruly ginger POOF in line from start to finish at class or a feis.
The randoms!! Arguably the best finds in any dance bag, as it makes me wonder "What was I thinking when I placed that item in there?" I spy with my Ginger eye: my practice and general usage iPod, (I am an Irish Dance music JUNKIE, I constantly need fresh tunes or I get bored) Boots brand facial cleansing wipes that are particularly useful post-feis before going out to dinner, shoe polish for my held together with "love and tape" shoes, 1 empty bottle of sock glue, a headband to again help keep my hair out of my face, and a set of iPod speaker parts... the parts for the speaker whose power supply blew out a year ago, whoops :-x
And LAST but certainly not LEAST
Antibacterial spray: Because small children, though adorable and endearing, are full of lovely germs ;) I spray liberally before, during, and after class. Sometimes I spray their hands too!
Just to make everyone giggle a bit more, I have BONUS FOOTAGE of two of the shelves in my apartment bathroom! I can count 8 personal health/injury care products in the photos below. How many do can you find? *hint* One of the items is Tums, which are for pre-dance class or pre-feis nerves, haha.
I couldn't believe I had all of those products just sitting on the shelf. I couldn't make up that arrangement if I tried! All my non-dance friends get a great giggle looking at what's in my apartment. Therapy wobble boards, ice packs, muscle rub... I think that's what most young adults have in their apartment, right?!? * crickets chirp loudly*
Not to end this month's blog on a "Debbie Downer" note, but Aly and Nic have graciously given me the opportunity to share my thoughts, so here I go:
As some of you may know, my 21 year old brother Scott, the ONLY person Oliver (the family cat from January's blog) loved, passed away suddenly a month ago. It has been an extremely emotional month and will be for a long, long time. I want to thank all of my Irish Dance friends for their love, support, online and real hugs, and their friendship. My Irish Dance family is as much of a family as my blood family: Always there for a chat or a shoulder to lean on.
Scott was a brilliant poet and a master of the English language. He had the ability to craft poems so beautiful and so thought provoking that it was astounding. I also needed a dictionary and thesaurus to read them, but that's beside the point ;)
While I'll never do him justice, I'd like to share some of my thoughts:
Carpe Diem! Do what you love and always follow your dreams. Take the time to tell the people you love how MUCH you love them. Don't sit around waiting for life to happen, go and DO it! If you have always wanted to go skydiving, pick up the phone and make an appointment.
At the end of a bad feis or a plain old "no good, very bad" day, just remember that a brand new day is right around the corner. Laugh, live, love and ENJOY LIFE!!!
Also, a little Scotty-ism: Always dress smashingly from head to toe; you never know what occasion you may need to be prepared for. ;)
I take comfort that I now have a very special guardian angel watching over me. Scott, look out for me buddy. I miss and love you!
As some of you may be aware, we've got a fabulous new crafter here at I Heart That! Dance: Head of Papercrafting and Senior VP in charge of Things Which Require Gluing, Laura Church! Proud mom to both a Irish dancing daughter and son, she'll be filling out our shop with her amazing cards, scrapbook kits and other fun stuff during the coming year.
And we are extra happy to introduce her work by blogging about a wonderful charity effort she is involved with: The Boom Effect. "Sonic Boom" is the alias of the daughter of podcasting pioneer Tee Morris, co-creator of Podiobooks.com, writer of four social media books, and the first novelist to serialise his novel.
Tee's wife Natalie passed away suddenly on January 5th, 2010, leaving him raising his daughter alone. From The Boom Effect:
The podcasting, writing, and social media community gathered around and within days had raised over $10,000 to cover funeral expenses and other pressing bills Tee was facing. This response was incredible, and showed just how much Tee has touched the lives of others.
However now, as a community we are turning our attention to Sonic Boom’s future. She is only five now, and relying on Tee to provide everything for her. We have the aim of providing a trust buffer for her, so that she can go to college if she wants.
Nothing is going to replace her mother, but the funds raised will give more opportunities . So writers, podcasters and creative types of all stripes are offering up items for auction.
Laura, a self-proclaimed Podiobooks addict, has donated one of her amazing pre-made scrapbooks for this auction -- her page for the event can be found here:
Now I’d like to introduce you to a very special member of my household..
Meet Oliver
*holds a few seconds for a collective “awww”: 5, 4, 3, 2…*
Ok,now that you have that out of your system…
Oliver is the "family" cat that lives at my parents’ house. I certainly wouldn’t want to claim sole ownership of the cute yet incorrigible little fuzzball.
I travel to and stay my parents house to attend dance class on the weekends, as I live an hour away from one of my school’s locations. Oliver only has to tolerate me on the weekends.
Oliver is not a people person. He’s not a mean or outwardly vicious cat; he’s just a cat with a fierce independence streak. Oliver doesn't sit in laps, nor does he really like to be pet or loved by people (The only person he really adores in the family is one of my brothers, the middle child). He’s quite content to find a hiding place in the house or claim ownership to any bed he fancies, much like Goldilocks. He then will give you annoyed look if you try, to say sleep in your own bed, when he’s occupying it, much like this:
Oliver and I are like oil and vinegar. I tend to “love him up” a tad too much. An extra hug here or there really ruffles his feathers. He only goes into my room for my bed, since I’m not there most of the time, or to look out the window to dream of being a free cat in the great outdoors.
"Please, someone... anyone.. let me outta here!!!!"
For the most part, he avoids me like the plague and trots very quickly away from me if I’m in his general direction (thanks to my affinity for forehead kisses).. except in one special situation ;)
The basement in the house is his domain. It houses all of his basic needs (food, restroom, toys) plus oodles of hiding spaces. The only place he really wants to “play” is in the basement, which unfortunately for me, is the only place I can practice when I’m here on the weekend.
The fact that I’m occupying his basement whilst practicing makes Oliver think that I’m there to cater to his every whim; I can’t very well shut him out of his “room”, so practicing becomes somewhat of a challenge, as I’d like to illustrate below.
Picture this: It’s a cold January evening and a fire has been set at the hearth.
Hmm, does anyone see Oliver basking in the glow of the flames?!?
Well… maybe he’s enjoying the peace and solitude of his personal kitty bed in the kitchen?
Nope! He must be on the move, maybe hiding under a bed or near a heat register… I guess I’m in the clear to practice!
I did have my camera running during a few test trebles. Usually this gets him running into the basement from wherever he may be lurking. Unfortunately, like most animals, they don't do something when you want to catch them in the act.
However, just a mere 10 seconds later, a certain someone appeared, trying to lure me into playing by showing some affection, instead of practicing my hornpipe drills!
Please excuse the nasally Northern voice. (Anyone want to hazard a guess at where exactly I'm from based on my accent?) You never really know how horrible you sound till you get it on camera! *mucho embarrassing*
So, being a dedicated dancer, I continued my quest to get some work done by ignoring my practicing "buddy"...
As you will see below, Oliver stalks in the background during my practice sessions, usually looking pathetically at his favorite little orange ball and then glancing longingly at me, hoping against hope that I will stop my work and play a little game of fetch. He is also fascinated with the mirror that I have in front of my singular floorboard to practice. He has come dangerously close to knocking the whole thing over.
Anytime I stop to: think about what I want to work on next, have a sip of water, or change music from my hornpipe to my set, he will come up and rub against my legs to attract my attention. Yes, this is the same feline that runs away from me at any other opportunity.
In the clip below, he also manages to knock over the camera…he’s lucky it just fell back on the chair:
I really hope my TC's don't find this.. sorry about the arms and hand, it was for demo purposes only ;) :-x *nervous giggle*
So in the end, I really do think that deep down, Oliver has a secret evil plan to make sure I can never get a good practice session done when I’m at home. Thanks to my little fuzzy friend, it’s a pretty safe bet I’ll never be the next Michael Flatley ;)
Maybe he’d be a little nicer to me if I didn’t do things like THIS:
Don't you wish your pets had thought bubbles? I'm not sure I'd like to know what he's thinking anyway ;)
