I had a touch of insomnnia. Now I have a tummy ache from not being able to sleep. I don't feel good.

My new PA speaker rocks. It goes so loud you can hear it outside. Absolutely no distortion. Worth every penny. The down side is the speaker stand is not user friendly. I have to return it. I can get the speaker on it, but I can't get it off. It's really hard. Even for my husband it's hard to turn the knobs. It holds the speaker for sure. I got one student on Saturday who came in and started dancing because she said she heard the music outside! Very cool. I'm so immature. I like loud music.

I've been asked to choreograph a dance for an August Quinceañera. Rose said her daughter likes my class and would like me to choreograph it for her. I said, "I don't know. Let me look at some YouTube videos first." I didn't know "Surprise Dance" was a traditional part of a Quinceañera. I checked out YouTube and man, there are a lot of, can I just say it, slutty Quinceañera dances. It's a sweet 16 party, but in Mexican culture it's for age 15 instead of 16. You'd think that if the parents put on a big party for their daughter that the daughter would want to show herself entering womanhood as a respectable woman, not as a hooker. My goodness. Well, I am certain Rose's daughter is not interested in such a dance. They are a wonderful family and will have a beautiful party.

So anyways. Saw them Saturday and the daughter hugged me and said thank you for doing the choreography for her. She's a sweet (and smart) petite little thing and I feel like an Amazon woman when I hug her. But I admit I was surprised because I didn't yet agree that I'd do it. I looked at her mum and said, "Did I say I was gonna do it? I don't remember that!" Haha! But I like Rose so much. I want to make Rose happy. So I will be glad to do it for them. That is what I want to say.

But there is one thing worries me. I've never choreographed a dance. What do they see in me that made them think to ask me. If only I can see me through their eyes. What did Eleanor Roosevelt once say? "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." I also like "Just Do It." And perhaps I can make a practical application of one I read today on the Zumba instructor's forum when they were talking about whiners, "Suck it up, Princess."

Potential is nothing unless I use it. (This saying is by me.)

A wedding video

I found the sweetest wedding video ever.  Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Highlight of my day

The highlight of my day was that I forgot part of my new routine.  Let me just fall on my sword and be done with it.

But Rose still hugged me after class and told me I was awesome.  Of course, she exaggerates.  She hugs me every night no matter what.  She's waiting for word on her mama in Texas.  Her mama has battled pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer and is nearing her end on earth any day now.  It's been very hard on Rose.

Two new gals came up to me and said how much they liked the class.  Made me happy.

Still want to fall on my sword though. I did perfectly fine when I did it at home today.  Just completely blanked out.  Rawr!

He came home from his first half day at school.  I was on pins and needles and said, "So.  How was it?"  He says, "Mamma, it was great."  Wow.  That makes me happy.

He wrote two pages about himself for the teacher.  He had a bit of reading to do as an assignment.  It's a Christian school so the article was about the lagamorph.  Rabbits.  It's about how the evolutionists have a problem with the wittle wabbits because they show no sign of evolution.  The little feet and teef they have from millions of years ago show no changes whatsoever, thus indicating that God made the rabbit as the rabbit and that's that.  So I had him review the biological classification chart and we read the article together.  Hope it helps him.

Felt kinda just okay in Zumba.  Had 13 people.  Flubbed 16 counts of the new routine I introduced today.  Completely, completely forgot what to do for about 15 seconds.  Makes me so mad!  Boo boo.  I'll get it Thursday though.  Announced that I'm getting a 1000 watt PA speaker and everyone was very happy.  Gonna order some Zumba tops for some of the ladies.

Piglets have about 113 day gestational period.  That means our little piglet is in his momma's tummy right now.  Our piglet to be.  Son will pick one out April 1st.

We put our baby in a very small Christian private school for one and a half days a week.  I miss him.  I'm lost.  What to do with myself.  I hope he likes it there.  It could be very good for him.

Nice New Background

Wow.  I like my new background.  I was going to use the New Year's one all year because it was purple and I like purple, but this one is better.  Brown haired girls.  Like me.  At least, used to be me.

I ordered my new PA speaker.  Should be here by Friday.  I phoned the store to be sure there was a real person to answer questions and the customer service was excellent.  A guy talked to me about speakers and sound and dispersion and speaker stands and answered all my questions.  It weighs 32 pounds.  About as much as a big baby I figure.  I'm gonna put in a rolling luggage carrier to transport it. 

Next I want to order some Abba Zabba candy bars.  I've wanted one for the longest time.  Can't find them anywhere though.  Tonight our son was eating taffy candy that was watermelon flavored and it was nasty.  It didn't even smell good.  It made me really want an Abba Zabba.  I'm gonna buy a box of them.  The only place you can buy one as far as I know is at the rest stop in Bakersfield, California.  There's a gas station stop there that has every candy under the sun. 

My back pain has gone.  I don't know why I got it and I don't know why it went away.  It was hurting all the way down my thigh sometimes.  My achilles' heel is doing well.  It would hurt after class.  I got a little pad for the heel of my shoe and it's helped a lot.  Praise the Lord.  And I expected no difference because two people said the heel inserts didn't help them.  I'm just glad it has helped and I hope it continues to do so.

I'm really embarrassed that my boom box is on the fritz.  I can't stop thinking about the new PA speaker I've ordered. 

I have a new routine almost ready.  Tuesday, maybe Thursday I can do it for class.  I hope for Tuesday.  I did my whole hour routine (in my at-home dance studio!) today because I practiced only the new routine yesterday.  I felt strong. 

I'm thinking to start a journal about how my body feels.  I'd think that exercising so much I'd feel fantastic every dang day, but I don't.  I get a little this wrong or a little that wrong, an ache, a pain.  Gotta dance through it and smile big.  But one day last month I felt totally good from head to toe.  I wanna see if there's a pattern.  I know there is for the stinkin' headaches I get.

Mayela has offered her garage for Saturday Zumba.  I'm still looking for a place for Saturday.  She's real nice this Mayela.  I like her.

A new top

I got a new top online and it's so cute.  I love it!  It fits.  And it was only $20!

I'm in heaven

Ohhhh, my husband put up mirrors for me tonight.  I love him so.  I have mirror for six feet across and five feet high.  We set them about ten inches above the floor and I can see my feet and put my arms up and see my arms fully.  It is splendid.  It's the best dance set-up at home I've ever had in my life.  The floor is perfect and our son waxed it for me tonight.  On hands and knees, he cleans every corner and crevice and makes it shine so pretty.

I placed my portable ballet barre in front of the mirror.  Oh I can't wait to practice tomorrow!

I'm not teaching tomorrow though because I haven't found a place for us.  I tried a county location and they charge $300 per day and $400 cleaning deposit.  I don't think I quite have $700 dollars for every Saturday!  Sheesh.  So Diane is putting me on the agenda and on the 18th the board will decide if they are willing to rent to me for 10% of what I earn.  I hope they will say yes.  I have two more places to inquire about next week.  Surely there is a place for us somewhere on Saturdays.

Our son has discovered the show "Golden Girls" on tv.  I find it amusing that a 13 year old boy likes "Golden Girls." 

Zumba on Thursday night was excellent.  Way better than on Tuesday.  I was disappointed with myself Tuesday.  I made up for it on Thursday.  As soon as class started, my tummy ache went away.  As it always does.  And by accident I made everyone laugh.  After class I was explaining how Zumba is like taking care of your car.  You gotta change the oil in your car and do maintenance.  And you gotta take your car out on the interstate once in awhile to blow the spark plugs out.  I said Zumba is like that for your body.  I just wanted to give everyone some encouragement.

Tomorrow I'm going to blow over half my total earnings on a speaker.  I hope it sounds as good as I hope.  My little boom box has speaker rattle.  It's quite sad.

Uh oh.  I don't feel so good.  My tummy feels bad. 

Went to see a place for Saturday Zumba class but the lady I need to see wasn't in.  Still have no venue for Saturday Zumba.

Am trying to remember my newest dance with confidence.  I was sort of iffy on part of it Tuesday.  Don't know what happened to my brain.  Gotta do better tonight!  Surely my stomach will feel better by 5:30pm.  Right?  Right.  

I'm sitting at my desk watching Bella eat.  We lunged her and she did well.  She has a preference for one direction over the other and she's improving at going counterclockwise.  Her white fur is cooler than her black fur.  I can really feel a difference in the white and black when I pet her.  It's just like we learned in fourth grade - wear white to reflect sun and black to absorb it.  We love to see her run.

I have thank you notes to write.

I have the new routine memorized, but I wanted to have two or three by now.  Only have one done.  Maybe I can get one of the other two down within two days.

Really need to worsh my hair.  I did my toes red last night.  I got inspired from reading Miss Paper Mache's resolutions.  Another one she has that's unusual and I liked is to buy something for someone else once a month.  I think I can swing that.  I'm going to try.  Whoops.  "Do or do not do, there is no try."  Okay, I will do it.  Starting, starting. . . sometime this month.

Need to rewrite my bio.  Not feeling too verily galvanized for it though.

Bella just plopped to the ground for her afternoon power nap.  She likes to take a 2pm nappie.  She's a horse with a schedule.

The roller rink is closed for assessment for structural defects.  This is not good for my Zumba class at all.  January is a good time for growth and I had to teach my Thursday class in a the very small studio downtown.  Nadine said she'd call me today, but I think she may be off work.  She always responds quickly to texts and she hasn't and no one is answering the office phone.  I'm in limbo.  Limbo.  My students are waiting for an email today about where class will be held tomorrow.

For school we read "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child" about mortality.

Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves, like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow’s springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

Auld Lang Syne

I haven't seen any of the movies she mentions and I can't stand Lesley Stahl. Oddly, I always thought the song had to do with forgiveness, but it seems I was all wrong. It's about remembering.

Written by Peggy Noonan. . .

Days of Auld Lang What?

The origin of the New Year's anthem—and what it means to us.

You know exactly when you'll hear it, and you probably won't hear it again for a year. The big clock will hit 11:59:50, the countdown will begin—10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4—and the sounds will rise: the party horns, fireworks and shouts of "Happy New Year!"

And then they'll play that song: "Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and days of auld lang syne?"

It is a poem in Scots dialect, set to a Scots folk tune, and an unscientific survey says that a lot of us don't think much about the words, or even know them. The great film director Mike Nichols came to America from Germany as a child, when his family fled Hitler. He had to learn a lot of English quickly and never got around to "Auld Lang Syne": "I was too busy with words like 'emergency exit' on the school bus," he told me. "As a result, I find myself weeping at gibberish on New Year's Eve. I enjoy that."

The screen and television writer Aaron Sorkin, who this year, with "The Social Network," gives Paddy Chayefsky a run for his money, says that every year he means to learn the words. "Then someone tells me that's not a good enough New Year's resolution and I really need to quit smoking."

"Auld Lang Syne"—the phrase can be translated as "long, long ago," or "old long since," but I like "old times past"—is a song that asks a question, a tender little question that has to do with the nature of being alive, of being a person on a journey in the world. It not only asks, it gives an answer.

It was written, or written down, by Robert Burns, lyric poet and Bard of Scotland. In 1788 he sent a copy of the poem to the Scots Musical Museum, with the words: "The following song, an old song, of the olden times, has never been in print." Burns was interested in the culture of Scotland, and collected old folk tales and poems. He said he got this one "from an old man"—no one knows who—and wrote it down. Being a writer, Burns revised and compressed. He found the phrase auld lang syne "exceedingly expressive" and thought whoever first wrote the poem "heaven inspired." The song spread throughout Scotland, where it was sung to mark the end of the old year, and soon to the English-speaking world, where it's sung to mark the new.

The question it asks is clear: Should those we knew and loved be forgotten and never thought of? Should old times past be forgotten? No, says the song, they shouldn't be. We'll remember those times and those people, we'll toast them now and always, we'll keep them close. "We'll take a cup of kindness yet."

"The phrase old acquaintance is important," says my friend John Whitehead, fabled figure of the old Goldman Sachs, the Reagan State Department, and D-Day. "It's not only your close friends and people you love, it's people you knew even casually, and you think of them and it brings tears to my eyes." For him, acquaintance includes, "your heroes, my heroes—the Winston Churchills of life, the ones you admire. They're old acquaintances too."

But "the interesting, more serious message in the song is that the past is important, we mustn't forget it, the old has something for us."

So does the present, as the last stanza makes clear. The song is not only about those who were in your life, but those who are in your life. "And there's a hand, my trusty friend, and give a hand of thine, We'll take a right good-will draught for auld lang syne."

To Tom Coburn, a U.S. senator from Oklahoma, the song is about friendship: "I think it's a description of the things we lose in our hurry to do things. We forget to be a friend. We have to take the time to make friends and be friends, to sit and tell stories and listen to those of others."

Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana said he always experienced the song as celebratory and joyful until something happened in 2004. Mr. Daniels was running for office, and it became a new bonding experience for him and his father, who followed the campaign closely: "He loved my stories from the road." The elder Daniels died unexpectedly in August, "50 days short of my election as governor." At a New Year's party, the governor-elect heard the song in a new way. Ever since, "I hear its wistfulness."

Lesley Stahl of "60 Minutes," enjoying one of the great careers in the history of broadcast news, thinks of childhood when she thinks of "Auld Lang Syne": "I see New Year's Eve parties going way back, all the way back to when we were little kids and you had to kiss someone at midnight and you had to sing that song." She interviewed Mark Zuckerberg recently. "Maybe in the age of Facebook you don't lose old friends," she says. "Maybe it's obsolete." Maybe "they'll have to change the song."

For the journalist and author Marie Brenner, the song didn't come alive until she moved from her native Texas to New York City, in the 1970s. That first New Year's in town, "Auld Lang Syne was a revelation to me. . . . I thought, this is beautiful and maybe written by a Broadway composer, by Rodgers and Hammerstein." She saw people singing it "on the street, and at a party in a bar downtown." There was "this gorgeous moment when everyone seemed to know the words, and people looked teary and, yes, drunk." They played the song back in San Antonio, "but it took me coming to New York to really hear it."

The song is a staple in movies, but when I asked people to think of the greatest "Auld Lang Syne scene," every one of them had the same answer. Not "When Harry Met Sally," not "Out of Africa," not, for film buffs, Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush." The great "Auld Lang Syne" scene in cinematic history is from "It's a Wonderful Life," which Mr. Sorkin puckishly describes as "Frank Capra's classic tale of an angel who takes up the cause of a progressive in order to defeat a heartless conservative. It's possible I'm misinterpreting the movie, but the song still works."

The scene comes at the end of the film. Friends surround George Bailey, recently rescued by an angel. Someone bumps against the Christmas tree and a bell ornament makes a sound. George's daughter says, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings," and George looks up and winks. "Thanks, Clarence," he says, as the music swells. God bless the baby boomers who discovered that film on TV after their elders dismissed it as Capra-corn.

Tonight I'll be at Suzie and Joe's, with whom I worked at CBS News in auld lang syne. I'll think of some who won't be entering the new year with us—big, sweet-hearted dynamo Richard Holbrooke, and Ted Sorensen, counselor to presidents, whose pen was a terrible swift sword. I'll take a cup of kindness yet for them, for all the old acquaintances in this piece, and for the readers, for 10 years now, of this column. We mark an anniversary. Thank you for being in my life. Happy New Year.

[This article is found at WSJ.]

Lemon cake and revival

I'm baking a lemon cake.  It smells so good in the house.

Revival.  The coming revival.  Yr, basically it's a great and mighty moving of the Holy Spirit (God) across the land touching hearts and minds.  There have been a few revivals in history.  I guess the most recent one was in the '70s and I kind of remember it.  In my high school there were a few Jesus freaks and they were part of that revival.  Before that, in the early 1900s there was one called the Azusa Street Revival.  It went on for three years.  The denomination that my church belongs to is an outgrowth of that particular revival.  

God decides when revival will come but we're supposed to be prepared for it whenever it happens.  We're supposed to pray about it in advance.  And we should be studying the Holy Bible and know what is in it.  Everyone has an opinion.  But opinions are like noses - everybody's got one.  So a Christian ought to know what the Bible really says so we're ready to apply it when the chance comes.  This one I just memorized, "Jesus said, 'You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.'"  Wow.  It gave me pause for thought and I figure the verses that stick in my mind must be for me.

Revival starts within the church.  Believers get tired or stale or lukewarm or just move away from godly living.  First they get "revived."  From there it spreads like fire to those outside the church just like Pentecost (when the fire went into the upper room where the apostles were) which was at first just for the Jewish people, but it spread to the Gentiles.

You can't quote me on this as I could be mistaken, but I think God can also bring up a new generation that is part of a major revival of faith.  I think this is very possible and even likely.  In the Bible, one generation equals 20 years. 

And also, revival is preceded by bad times, spread of corruption, and moral depravity.  I think we're there?

It's exciting to think there could be a revival in my lifetime.  I'd like to see it and be part of it.  Since I inadvertently played my pastor's sermon over the loudspeakers in Zumba dance, I've had full blown conversations about church, religion, and God break out in a small group who attend class.  I don't start it, but I listen and sometimes comment.  I've found out one gal in my front row leads a Catholic church youth group. I think God is stirring things up around me.  He's telling me to be awake.  Awake.

I hope I explained it okay.

Oh.  And my husband, I hope will be part of it.  Lately he's been coming to church.  I mean, like even more than twice in a row.  And last Sunday he wore a nice white tailored shirt.  Yeah, no kidding.

Resolutions

Hate the resolutions.  My husband likes to needle me and ask me what my New Year's Resolution is because he knows I'll get really mad.  Resolutions.  Bah!  People never keep them.  Mike once said his resolutions are three: 1) Eat more, 2) Watch more t.v. 3) Exercise less.  Haha!  Now that's the spirit.

Secretly, I might have one or two this year.  1) Pray more.  2) Study the Bible more. 3) Be the best Zumba instructor I can be. 4) Take an active part in the coming revival.

But now why should I stop there.  I should 5) Be a better wife.  6) Be a better mother.  7) Practice being a friend.  8) Keep house better.  9) Cook more.  10) Read more.

Alrighty.  Getting depressed now.  May as well throw in 11) Be a better daughter.

I did have a really nice talk with my dad tonight though.  That's something.

Why

Why did I hang up my white camisole top in the closet.  I'll never find it there.  Tonight I found it though.  I could have worn it sometimes if I knew where it was.

I had friends over.  I mean, it wasn't Jehovah Witnesses knocking on my door.  Let me say it slow.  I had friends over.  Wow.  Two at once.  Two with shiny hearts and bright minds and faces I like to look at.  How could I meet two people at once whom I like.  It's a minor miracle.  A Christmas miracle.  Perhaps Zumba was by divine appointment.

An epitaph

"Are the things you're living for worth Christ dying for?"
Epitaph of Leonard Ravenhill

I want to remember this one.

Tonight, finally, I have "Sabor A Melao" memorized.  Aaaaah.  Yes.  I do it over and over.  I wonder when will I ever get this down.  Then suddenly it all clicks.  It's not a fast dance.  Looks cute, but is actually quite slow.  Barely warms me up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW0GrugEoyk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Tomorrow

Tomorrow we're taking the day off of homeschooling.  Saturday, Mayela might come over and bring some tamales.  And she gave me a small Christmas gift in class and so did Rose and Tina.  Awfully nice of them.  Awfully nice.  I was very surprised.

Nine more days to practice three new routines.  Wanna start the new year with a bang.  Maybe I'll do a 'bring a friend, get in free' deal.  I need to do something special to draw in those New Year's Resolution People who will come three times then quit.  Hmmmm.   Gotta think.

I edited a song.  Used Audacity to deleted a foul word.  I think I did a fair job.  I have to test it out on some unsuspecting people.  There's a blip, but it's only a half a second long.

So happy

My blood pressure is lower than my sister's. And I'm four years older than she. Noony noony noony! Nanny nanny nanny! Lalalalala! And she's making me doubly happy because she's mad about it. She said so. She said she suspects the blood pressure taker machine was out of calibration. Hehe!

Her Zumba teacher is off galavanting (skiing somewhere) so my sis says she's getting fat and flabby from not dancing. She's littler than I am but weighs more because she's got so much muscle. Fat, my eye.

Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas is four sleeps away. My sister says it needs some decoration but now I'm kind of attached to it the way it is.  The present is to him from her and her family.  She's tends to be very organized and orderly.

Shucks

I hate it when everyone is in bed and I don't get any more emails.