I woke early.  At 10:30am.  With Zumba music playing in my  head.  Then I got butterflies in my stomach.

Twenty-two students Tuesday night and I expect a generous turnout tonight too. I'm learning and improving as an instructor I think.  To my mind, the class is a little bit easy but to non-dancers and those who are just getting into a fitness routine, it is not.  I've slowed myself down a bit and took more time to do the steps without style and flavor at first and then as a song progresses add style so they can digest the steps more easily.  I'm not sweating as much but it appears the students are getting a good workout.  I forget that I'm in fairly good physical condition and then I would tend to go all out in the routines and I think I was alienating new students.  On Tuesday night I had that realization.  I realize now I must cater to the needs of my class.  It is not my own workout.  It's for them.  I learned this from Diane at Zumba.com.

I'm excited and anxious for class tonight.  The new routine I introduced Tuesday was a hit.  I believe a few people might come back just for that one song!  "Taki Country."  I earned enough Tuesday night to help with the new car payment.  Praise God.

Also on Tuesday two ladies came and watched and they spoke to me after class and sounded very interested in returning to do the class.  I hope they enjoy doing the class as much as they enjoyed watching it.

God is great and greatly to be praised.

It went very well and on my husband's advice I decided not to make an announcement to the entire class, but rather take the one person aside and talk with her when class was over.  She started to cry and apologized half a dozen times before I even said three words.  We talked a few minutes.  She hugged me.  I hope it never happens again.

I think she's a binge drinker.  That's my take.  My heart breaks for her.

I got two new tops for Zumba.  I like them both.  Discountdance.com.  One is blue (basically) and the other orangeish with purple.

The bottom one is my favorite.  They fit perfectly.  Snug but not tight.  I needed some tops with a crew neck for my kid classes at the Christian school.  I noticed the handbook says no cleavage allowed and almost all of my Zumba racer back tank tops show cleavage when I bend over.  I wish they'd stop making the necklines on the Zumba clothing bigger and wider and deeper.  My very first Zumba top that I ever bought is just fine.  All that I've ordered since that one have gotten lower and lower in the neck line.  I might stop ordering Zumbawear tops.

The order turned out so well that I went to dancewearsolutions.com and ordered a few more crew neck styles.  They were cheaper and I hope they'll fit since a couple were on sale and therefore, nonreturnable.

I had 16 students in my adult class Tuesday!  That's a jump up from the eight or so regulars that have stuck it out with me all through this miserable hot summer.  Finally the weather is decent and some peeps I haven't seen since May have come back.  Sold more toning sticks.  I'm so happy for that.  The toning routine addition has been a hit.  I want to add another one - the African song one.

My sis got to attend my class last night.  She was a hoot.  Noisier than most of my regulars and she made the class so fun with her clapping and woohooing.  She loves Zumba as much as I do.  She burned 500 calories.  I was disappointed I didn't make her burn more.  I wanna second chance!  I can do better!  She did say her bum is sore today and so I think I can take credit for that.  Yay!

A new, fresh day. How will I use it? I got my period and I feel like laying in bed all day. Can't though. I have a zit under my chin, so I wanna stay home all day but I can't do that either. I have Zumba tonight.

For the adults I'm working on a fun song called "Zumba He Zumba Ha." For the kids next week, I think I'll do a bit of dance history and teach them how to do the Twist. With style.

I ordered a new pair of pants for Zumba and I hope they fit. They look cute in the pic. They have a wide foldover waistband which might look good on me if it shows the curve of my lower back. Most of these kinds of pants make me look like a puffed up marshmallow because I'm short waisted. They're worth a try. Love the tie-dye.

I also ordered a top. Got a size large even though I'm not a large, but their tops run tiny a lot of the time. If it fits I'll wear it for the free class that I plan to give to celebrate my one year Zumba anniversary in August. I'm giving a free class for my Zumba people to thank them for coming to my classes.

I ordered black in adult size, of course. Ha! Who grows out of loving fringe?

Just found a note by the computer in the kitchen. Husband and son have gone to look at a used horse trailer! It's almost all the way in Alburquerque. They'll be home about 3pm. I hope it's a good buy at a good price. Bella goes to begin two months of horse training next week!

My new pants

Here I go to work!  In my tie dyed supplex lycra flare leg pants. 

Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hager has been abducted by aliens.  He says they downloaded his brain, or uploaded it, or both.  Happened in Fontana, California.  I didn't know he was a member of Montrose.  We luuuuved Montrose in the '70s.  Rock Candy.  Rife with angsty, angry lyrics and head banging for the 17-year-old.

Excellent article at WSJ, "Why do we let them dress like that" today.

Saturday night we went to a Zumba master class in Cruces. It was good. I want to try some things Nathan Blake did. Someday. I want to learn how to split the class and dance two sides facing each other.

I have two friends. I think. And I thank God for that. They are beside me in the photos. I feel good to be with them. They are both beautiful to my eyes. Mayela drove. She offered and I said okay. I didn't tell her the lights hurt my eyes at night, so I was very glad she offered.

Yesterday I learned I am in Uncle Jim's will. I feel bad about it, but happy also. Shocked. Undeserving. All the nieces and nephews are named. Ten of us. I cried to hear of it. My dad, dear, sweet, tender Dad, said, "Aw %$#*, you're not gonna start whining and blubbering now are you." lol. I'm used to him by now! I am a new creature in Christ, praise be to God! Uncle Jim and Aunt Delores worked hard all their lives and accrued much. I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that my sister and I would be in a will, in his will. He left $100,000 to his dearest sister who is closest to his age. She is my Aunt whom everyone loves. I think she can't stop crying. She misses him. They were close. It was always cute to hear the siblings chide one another. I will miss hearing that banter between all of them. If only we could save time in a bottle. If only.

Simply the best

I had simply the best Zumba comment ever today.  After class I walked outside to put my speaker in my truck and two of the ladies were chatting.  I overhead the word "inspirational" but I assumed they were having some kind of non-Zumba related conversation.  They stopped me and said how much they liked the class, that the music was so inspirational.  And then the lady with no hair told me she's had chemo and that she believed that coming to my class helped her avoid a blood transfusion recently.  She said her blood levels were good and she was convinced it was attributed to her coming to Zumba once a week.  Wow.

It made my day.  It made my week.  It made my month!

I have two Christian songs in my playlist.  One hip hop, one for cool down.  I pray each person is blessed when they come to my class.  I pray before class.  I pray after class.  Without fail.  Sometimes I even thank the Lord while I up there dancin'!

ZumbaZumbaZumba

Can't stop thinking about it lately. Had 32 in my class Tuesday. I'm stoked. Floating.

There is a new girl in town got licensed to teach. I called her, congratulated her, and invited her to teach a few routines in my class. She was surprised and I think is looking forward to doing it. She'll be in my class Saturday. Had her over yesterday to make sure her iPod will work with my setup and we could hardly stop talking to each other. I like her. I hope it goes really well Saturday. I took the high road. I want to have a positive working relationship with her.

I just introduced a quebradita routine last week. Seems everyone likes it. It's high intensity. And next week I'm doing a reggaeton song. Reggaeton. It's a vast wasteland as far as lyrics. Full of misogeny and violence and raw sex. I settled for the violence aspect. Found a song with no profanity and it's only about a boyfriend threatening to shoot another guy if he messes with his girlfriend. Well, I need one serious reggaeton song to round out my playlist and I need also to keep class appealing to the younger crowd. Actually I love the reggaeton beat. It's the words that are so repugnant. I'm doing Prrrum and the routine is here. The routine is very good.

I already have my next two routines selected. One will be a second song routine, a merengue, from Zumba on their DVD. I like it because one step is where you hold up your arms as if you're at a concert and they're playing your favorite song. Okay, I sound like a blonde, I know it. The other! I wanna do "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner from 1973. Fantastic song. Starts with probably the most famous locution on a song ever. I found a base routine and I'm going to change it up a bit. Gonna add a bit more of original Tina moves to it. I saw some routines to this song with moves like a body roll, but to me, that doesn't work. I was there in 1973. You need to use some moves from 1973, not 2011. Man, it's musical history. Give it some respect.

A student in class asked me if I could come to the private school where she teaches and teach a Zumba class to little kids. I told her it can't be Zumba because I'm not licensed to teach little ones, but she said she didn't care. So I'm going to teach a movement class and not call it Zumba. I can do that. I've already picked some cute, cute songs and a game. I'm looking forward to it. Can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm am looking forward to it. Songs I've picked so far are Xibom Bom Bom," "Funky Town" by the Chipmunks, and "Magic" by Selena.

Bible study is going great. The Bible, it's like gold. Pastor made a remark that stood out to me. His son died only last year of leukemia. It's not right losing a child. It's been hard on him and on the family. I feel so bad for them. How they must miss their son so. He would have been 40 this year and left behind three kids and a beautiful wife. Well, someone commented on how God always has a plan and God had a plan when he took Pastor's son. Pastor said he prefers not to say God took his son, but that God received his son. Mmmmm. So true.

March 13 is the time change and March 20 is the first day of Spring. Time is moving so fast.

BP

Went to the doctor to get Zovirax for the herpes simplex type1 that was attacking my lip. I got to walk around all week and teach class with a giant scab on my face. So nice. Good thing I saw the doc too because although it was too late to use it for the scab on my lip, as soon as the lip one went away another started on my nose. The medicine worked on that one and it didn't break out! Thank you, Lord.

My blood pressure (BP) was 112 over 60. Pretty good!

Zumba is going well. My Saturday class is still small; six people last week. But it has a good vibe and I like it just as much as the larger weekday classes. It's a wonderful thing to see people gettin' into it and knowing the routines without having to look at me 100% of the time. When I look out at class and we're all dancing in sync it's very cool! Also, last Saturday I forgot my place in a routine and I looked at class and they were all doing it correctly. I took their cue and got right back into it. I loved it! I was happy. Also notable, at the last class I had no stomach ache, no retching, no having to go to the bathroom 10 times before class. Amen to that. I get a wee bit anticipatory before we start, but that's within the realm of normal. We like the realm of normal.

I haven't put up a photo for so long. Here's a camel. He lives in New Mexico. She, I mean. We petted her and she was so sweet and gentle. Her feet sink into the ground. That's what camel's feet do.

I had a Zumba song that I introduced on November 16. I tell ya, I had the impression no one liked it. The very first day we went through it - at the end there was dead silence in the room. You coulda heard a pin drop. Okay, I says to myself, maybe it's because it's new. We'll do it a few more times, see if they warm up to it. It's a song by Ivy Queen, reggaeton genre. We did it seven times and I decided to rotate it out. First day we don't do it, two people ask why we didn't do it and said they missed it. Sheesh kabob! I told them, ifns you like a routine you gotta let me know! You gotta clap or say something to me otherwise I'm trying to figure out if peeps like it or not. Haha! Live and learn.

I'm practicing a new cooldown routine this week, then I have two salsas I'm going to learn. One is a traditional salsa and the other a hotter "salsaton"; a blend of salsa and reggaeton. I felt guilty when I put my first playlist together back in August, that I had not a single salsa routine. Whenever people think of Latin music the first thing they think of is salsa. I looked and looked and did not find any salsas that moved me. When it rains it pours. Now I will have two at once!

For those who don't

I came upon a first last night.

The site for Zumba instructors has several active forums with scads of good information so I visit every week. Many instructors share choreography. They put up videos of their routines on YouTube and Facebook which is awesome for newer instructors like me. But if the routine is on Facebook it's a drag because I don't do Facebook. There it is. I've told people I don't do Facebook, but I thought I was about the only one. Seems like everyone here is on it.

Last night there was a link to a dance I was interested in and then I saw it was a Facebook link. I figured, too bad for me. I missed out. I kept reading and the very next post she came back and wrote, "For those who don't do Facebook, the video is also on my blog." Whoa. For those who don't do Facebook? Yay! I'm not so alone as I thought evidently.

Wonderful Compliment

On the phone today a friend told me she's been hearing all kinds of good things about Zumba.  Her friend told her,  "The Zumba teacher makes us think we can dance like her."

Totally made my day. Totally needed to hear it.

Sunday night

I trimmed my hair myself 3/4 inch last night. Now I'm at 47 3/4 inches. It looks much nicer and the comb goes through the ends smoothly again. It's taking long to get to 50 inches. I first hit 47" in April of 2010. Trimmed in May; ends were scraggly. Trimmed again in July; ends accidentally got pulled into a fan, twice, and got scraggly again. Well, the trailer is narrow and it never occurred to me my hair would go in the fan. After two times, I was very careful! I will call 2010 the year of growing yet standing still. I want to do an oiling soon with my cap that I've only used once.

The newspaper man took a photo of my class last week. He sent it to me. I'm in the pink and black and those are my awesome students. I pray for them each week. I look forward to seeing them and hearing about their accomplishments and even aches and injuries! I wish he'd taken more photos. He came and left so fast. I'm collecting money to place an order for my class for Zumba tops next week! I hope it might give me some extra advertising when people wear them and get asked where they got them. I hope.

I only had four people in my Saturday class. That's the smallest I've ever had. But it was the first time in the new location too. I suspect with the holiday season approaching people may be busy on Saturdays. I will still go though because I need to do my whole routine three times a week for sure. Whether I have a teensy class or a large class I do my best to them happy they came and give them a great and thorough work out. The girl in the white shirt and shorts is pregnant so we will be having our first Zumba baby next year!

Cha cha slide

I have a new cool down song for tonight. I've been using Lluvia, a Spanish song from Zumba, but I have to say it never moved me. I only chose it because I had all my other routines ready and I needed something a.s.a.p. for cool down. I hope Mr C's Cha Cha Slide Part 2 will make 'em smile. It'll take the 20-somethings back to the dayz of 8th grade. Me, I'd never even heard of it till last year. I was surfing music at YouTube when we were in San Diego and asked a friend of our son's if he'd ever heard of this song. He started dancing it right there in the trailer. Says, yeah, that's old. Little stinker.

I've been wanting a ballet barre. I think I'll ask my husband for a portable one from Amazon.com. He made me one once. Out of PVC, back in, oh, 1987. But I had the whole garage to dance in and he attached it to the wall.

Cold sore on my lip. Don't know why. I'm all perfectly pretty much well balanced currently. I did vacuum and wash all the floors in the entire house at 9:00pm last night which my husband says is the wrong time to do housework. I told him, if I've got the feeling then I've gotta go with it. Who can say when the right time is to do housework. Is this written somewhere or something? Is it in the law books or what?

29 and 17

Yesterday I had 17 students. Same as last Tuesday. Last week, Thursday, I had 29 students. I tried not to think about all the eyes depending on me for steps while I danced the routines! The Lord has richly blessed my Zumba venture. I wonder if 29 will ever happen again. Think I'm going to move my Saturday class from the small studio to the larger venue.

Today my husband went with me and looked at the sound system and he figured out how to connect my boom box to it! Now I can play the music from my iPod and the sound will come from their two huge speakers. Ooooh la la! Sounded great. Loud. I like it loud. I can stop and start the music easily and I don't have to step on a chair then onto the stage, then walk into the sound room. That was quite lame. I've been having to set up my music so it's ready to start and then when 5:30pm hits I'd have to step on the chair, pull myself up on the stage, run round a corner to press "Play" and then come back out, carefully yet quickly step down on the chair so I don't break my neck, then get in front of class to begin. One less thing to be anxious about now. Thank you, thank you.

And I added some scary sounds in between tracks just for fun for Halloween. I got the intro to Jaws, a door creaking, a guy screaming "Help me!" and a couple others. I hope they find it amusing. I wanted to do a routine to "Ghostbusters" and I downloaded it from iTunes, but I couldn't think of good choreography fast enough.

I have small tummy ache for some reason.

I realized last night that for the first time in 13 years I'll have my own money to buy a Christmas present for my husband. What will I get him? I have no idea. Now that I think of it, I can never afford the things he wants. Hmmmm. He gets me everything I want but I only get him little things. Wonder why he stays with me.

We watched on tv last night the story of the Chilean miners being saved. Incredible. Husband and I were using up the tissues! What a story. It was Plan B, a company from Tennessee, that made it to the miners. Incredible. The Chilean government asked the world for help. Obama should have done the same during the BP oil spill rather than spurning international assistance so that only the American union members could work on it. The environment will be paying for that decision for a long time to come. I am looking forward to Tuesday. Someday, I hope ObamaCare will be repealed. Pelosi said, "Let's pass this bill so we can see what's in it." What? And now not one Democrat in the country is running on the "accomplishments" of this administration. Course, the health care is only for us peons. The Congress people get their own health care. They made sure that was in the bill. ObamaCare is so good then why won't they use it for themselves. Word.

Here comes tomorrow

I got up to eat some graham crackers and milk. Since I've starting teaching Zumba classes I can eat absolutely anything I want.

I'm looking forward to class tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to class tomorrow. I look forward to dancing, yes. But tomorrow I have to announce that no toddlers or children are allowed in class. Two mamas brought their little ones to class last Tuesday. It's just not going to work. It's not good. My insurance doesn't cover that kind of liability and neither does the youth center. I hope I don't offend anyone and make any bad blood but I must do what I must do. I will feel bad if I lose the two mums because I understand that it's a challenge getting childcare. Actually, I'm going to try to tell the mums each personally, but I'll see how it feels and I'm prepared to announce it if necessary. I'm going to make a 8.5" x 11" sign too. On bright colored cardstock. One that no one will read. Man, I need a front man really bad so that I can just dance. Bah.

Half an hour before class I set up the music at the roller rink Tuesday to use their music system. Tested it out. Set it on pause so all I had to do was run in and hit "play." About ten minutes before class the electricity man came and turned on the air for us which was very, very nice, but when I was ready to start class I went to turn on the music and he must have hit a breaker that turned off everything in the little music room except the light bulb. Geez Louise. Help me. Help me!

So I used my boom box. I always take it now no matter what because I had sound system problems at the gym once. I learn quick. Good thing.

I put up a sign asking folks to sign liability form before entering and no one read it. Haha! Help, help! So at end of class I asked people to be sure to fill one out and seven people brought me forms. I had 17 in the class. Biggest so far since I started my fresh start. When I reach 22 which is one more than the most I had at the gym when I quit, then I will feel accomplished.

I pray that I'm sowing good seeds.

Son finished writing a memoir for eighth grade composition. He wrote about Winston and the fair. I think he produced a pretty good piece. It took a week and a half and should have taken a week, but I try to disregard time. Education is a marathon, not a race.

There was a quilting class I wanted to go to. I found out about it at the fair, but they meet at 9:30am. I got out of bed at 9:25am, so it didn't work out for me. Again. I'll try next week. No big rush I guess. I started the quilt three years ago.

Zumba was great

For this little town, great is to have 18 people in Zumba class. Wow. The energy was so fun. And I didn't get as sick with anxiety before class. Maybe it'll start to fade now. I would not mind at all. Suddenly today I feel like practicing and learning new routines. My desire was getting all crushed and spit on by the evil anxiety. It made me not want to dance and that's highly unusual for me. I just couldn't drag myself into practicing at all for the past three weeks and before that I practiced day and night. Night practice was in my dreams.

There was one new person tonight. All the others are returnees. Well, check this out. She said her doctor told her to get to a Zumba class. I said, "Whaaat?" And she pulled out a prescription from her purse and there on it I read the word "Zumba." No way? Way! Way cool. Zumba - it's doctor recommended.

After the hip-hop Christian song, "Boomin'" by Toby Mac everyone clapped. They liked it! I do it exactly like the vid except with no push-ups. I love the boot camp move down to the floor and up. I had three men in class tonight. I'm going to pay special attention to pick routines that are not too girly.

Kathryn, I got the jimmy finger this morning and accidentally deleted your nice comment from yesterday where you were commiserating with me about volunteering. My fingers were still asleep and I don't know how they did it.

I am

I am a Zumba instructor! I did it. I taught my first two classes this week: Wednesday evening and Saturday noon. Yeah, I was scared but it was worth it going through the scariness.

At the Wednesday class I was the most nervous. I did about an eight minute talking intro since none of the students had taken a Zumba class ever before. I had an outline and tried to keep it brief. It went well except sometimes I had to take a big breath because I guess I wasn't breathing. Haha! And my mouth was super dry from nerves. But I did it. That's what counts. Karol said she couldn't tell I was nervous, but she was way in the back row. But it's true that nervousness often doesn't show as much as we think.

On the dancing part, I made no errors on Wednesday, not one, but I did on Saturday - about three. I just kept going. I didn't have a meltdown or make a big deal of it. Yay me. It's not easy dancing through a mistake. I hope it'll get easier. And it was a routine that I know inside out too. Go figure.

Next week I'll be teaching a full hour. Technically, I only have 40 minutes memorized but many brand new teachers do a few songs twice because it's such a daunting task to memorize 60 minutes right off the bat. I think the students will like it because part of the fun is that after you know the routine then you can add style and flavor. That's when the real fun kicks in. I think they will not mind doing a few songs twice while I learn the new routines to get up to 60 minutes. I really needed to get out there and start. I had a fear that I would spend so much time practicing that I'd finally, ultimately, do nothing.

Somebody took my Zumba flyer off of the bulletin board at the market. Who did that! My husband said someone probably just wanted to take it home. Why I oughta. Now I have to get another one made. That costs $1.20.

Fifteen people came Wednesday and 14 on Saturday, but a few of the Saturday people had been there Wednesday so they were repeats. That's good though. They came back. We'll see how many will pay five bucks to come though.

After we did the Kulikitaca song everyone clapped. That was neat! They were sweating too. And at the Wednesday class it was cool because after some of the dances there would be all manner of chatter and laughter. It was very uplifting.

Today I had a bit of an odd fellow in the class. He was waving his arms around kind of funny. We have that sort of thing here. He was a nice enough guy though. Harmless. And one lady chose a spot, strangely, right next to me. I had to make my steps very small on the side she was on. I didn't want to offend her since I don't know which people will become regulars so I smiled and made due. One lady came in wearing 1.5" platform sandals. I said she couldn't move in them. She'll hurt herself. I can't remember if she left. Either another lady brought her shoes or she left. I can't remember. I'm sure that even if she tried she would not last long in those shoes.

I got a compliment from one lady, she's from church, who said she's noticed I've trimmed down. I said, yeah, my back doesn't hurt much anymore (from strengthening the abdominals) and my husband says I'm leaner and meaner. She asked how long it took and I told her five months. She's already taken her measurements and seems serious about losing weight. I was very encouraged by that because she's just the kind of person I hope the class will appeal to. I talked to her and told her that if she wanted even to bring a chair to sit in to rest, she is welcome to. I got that idea from my sister.

Finally, I'm in a position where I can give back to the community. I want to serve the community well. I remember once my pastor said that as we become older we should become teachers. It always stuck in my mind. And there is so little here in the way of extracurricular endeavors to get into shape. There's no YMCA, or I should say "Y", no active community center or city recreation department. I hope I will be successful with this endeavor.

I bought a Samsung washer and dryer online tonight for delivery to the store and we'll pick it up. I am waiting till we get them and move into the house before I wash my Zumba pants. I'm not even running those babies through the laundromat washer/dryers. I'll wash them by hand. My husband said I can order another pair. I am happy for that! I have some regular black dance pants but the crotch kind of creeps down. Very uncool to have to pull up your pantaloons while dancing.

Big ticket items

Went to Cruces and got home at 5:30pm. It was 106 there and on the way home it rained which brought temp down 20 degrees. Then it went back up at home.

We bought our son a desk from Office Max. He chose a corner desk to make the most of his small space. It's laminated, but it's all his and it's brand new and on sale. Husband and I looked at washers and dryers, flat screen tvs, and sound systems. We are so out of the loop technology-wise that after two minutes of looking at each item we were overwhelmed. We did decide on a tv one step up from what I had been considering. We like the LED backlighting and four HDMI connections for streaming from the internet. He said he'd consider a Maytag washer/dryer set when I was only considering Samsung, so I'll widen my research on that. We decided a HTiB (Home Theater in a Box) is best for our needs sound-wise. We used to have a Yamaha sound system with gigantic speakers. Good thing we didn't keep it. It would never fit in our new space. I don't want to bother with putting a system together piece by piece and I don't want wires all over or to have to spend time putting speakers on the wall, so a real surround sound system is out. We happened to walk by a Bose system that sounded good and was so small! It's only three speakers and a remote. I have to admit I always wanted something Bose and though not every Bose product is a good deal, I think this one is. So I'm reading, reading, reading. It was nice when we lived in the Bay Area because just reading the tech section of the Silicon Valley newspaper (The Mercury News) naturally kept us up to date about what products were good or mediocre or no good. Now I'm running fast as I can to get educated to spend our money well for best value.

For the furniture I decided on the same pieces but without the stars. I guess stars are kinda Texas. I love Texas. I sure do. But if I had a symbol in our living area I'd rather use the zia from the New Mexican flag. I thought the star was kinda Amish too. I love the Amish. But they're in Pennsylvania.

I think I just memorized another routine for Zumba. It's for the song "Rock Around the Clock." A 1950s tune. It's in my head. I'll have to see if my body can do it this afternoon. Tomorrow's my first class. I feel well. Excited. I had a bad stomach ache for a week and a half, but yesterday and today it's gone. I ate a big full taco lunch yesterday. It was sooo nice to eat a good meal and feel relaxed. I've been having to eat such tiny portions because my stomach was tense. I'm in a prayer group and my friends are praying for me. "Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." And "God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind." And then the Holy Spirit showed up Sunday night and was so sweet. Church went on for two and a half hours. I went up to alter call and let the Spirit fill me up and I'm still in the flow with it. I praise his wonderful, magnificent, glorious name.

Paperwork and prep

Straight out of the camera.  A rarity for me because I can't control myself from highlighting this or that, messing with exposure and paintbrushing.  I smiled big.  I have some others that look like I have the crazies.  Emailed one to my husband and I walked over and said, Look at my smile, it's not too bad.  Hey, I said, you need to scroll up to look at my smile. He's such a man. Wished I'd shot the other side so my tattoo isn't sticking out right in front. I forgot about that.

I needed a photo for my flyers so I can print them and stop thinking about it. My husband traipsed through the hot desert on my behalf and scoped out a fine juniper tree with shade for me to stand under.  I was thinking a perfect venue would be a photo at the gym or the studio but I don't want to wait, plus a lot of the Zumba girls use photos from in their house or out and about doing whatever. I'm using the photo on top.  Usually I delete photos that show my turkey gobbler profile (the second pic), but that's what it be like.  Fifty one years takes its toll and I accept it. I'm alive and an imperfect jawline is small payment.

The real truth is, I wish to get it fixed someday but my husband doesn't want me to because he doesn't want me to accidentally die getting cosmetic surgery.  I don't do well under the knife and he knows it.  I do too, so shame on me for wishing. I say, better to die skiing or hiking or anything, even eaten by a bear, than plastic surgery for vanity purposes.  It wouldn't make a good headstone - The beloved Lil lies here.  Died from neck lift with platysmaplasty (that means with an incision under the chinny chin chin and behind the ears).  I'd never do anything to the eyes though.  I see people with bald looking, sunken eye sockets from having their eyes done.  Too chancy.  Eyes give such character.  I don't mind some sag in the eyes.  I should try to make peace with this whole aging thing.  Naaah.  Who am I kidding!  Can't do it.  No peace. 

I will drop off the flash drive with the printers tomorrow.  I still need to get a liability waiver.  Need to distribute the flyers in town.  Then I'll be pretty much done with all the setting up.

I'm memorizing the cool down routine today.

The meteor shower the other night was excellent. There weren't lots of them as when we were at Joshua Tree National Park a few years back, but the ones I saw were very bright and very long and quite spectacular. It was worth a rotten night of sleep. I jumped awake when a mosquito bit my index finger and it was then I finally surrendered and went inside to my comfy bed. Checked the clock and it was 4:00am. I always want to be at one with nature but I end up coming inside. Last time I slept outside a huge wind storm came up.

The Perseids

I'm going to sleep outside on a cot tonight to watch the sky.  I think I might be a day early though, so I'll have to sleep outside tomorrow too.  And the moon is just a couple days past new, just 6% full according to my sidebar moon, so it's small and won't interfere with its bright moonlight.  Ooooh la la.

I purchased liability insurance of one million dollars today.  I'm scared and excited.  Excited and scared.  No, not scared.  Anxious.  No, I need a positive word. Uneasy?  Queasy?  No.  They're positively not positive.  Eager.  Excited and eager.  Eager is a weird word though.  Kind of like "yearning." 

I'm looking forward to being a Zumba teacher.  I start on August 25th at 5:30pm.