Why do we do what we do??

I have my pointe shoes on again. Just for barre right now, but I am hoping to eventually wear them for the whole class. Today I wondered who in the world would think up such a strange (and truthfully, barbaric) contraption to wear on one's foot. My conclusion? It must have been a man, because no woman would willingly put herself through this torture. Let's talk about the downside of pointe shoes: Blisters. Bruises. Foot exhaustion. Difficulty doing anything in a graceful manner. Sound fun?
Ballet has never been an activity for wimps. Many a teacher has said to me, "If it doesn't hurt, then you aren't doing it right." Yes, that is true for many things in ballet. As a ballet instructor myself, I have had so many beginning adult ballet students say to me, "I never knew it was this hard!" One reason this is true is because ballet dancers, unlike weight lifters, are not allowed to show any sign of strain or stress as we do our thing. We must always look cool, calm and collected, and elegant. When you watch a professional dancer perform thirty two fuettes in pointe shoes, it often looks like she could do it in her sleep. But it is a trick! She's just a good actress.
So why do we do what we do? For me, it is something that came alive in me at a very young age. I saw Suzanne Farrell on Sesame Street and instantly wanted to be a ballerina. Something in my soul was set on fire and I haven't been able to shake it since (though sometimes I'd like to). It is my outlet and my way of expressing the artistic part of myself. I can't get away from it. I took a break from dancing for a couple years while I was overseas and I am quite sure some of my emotional struggles during that time were due to the fact my soul was being stifled.
I find it fascinating that many people have the same passion for other things like skiing, crafts, running, animals, nature. It's beautiful how we were created with that specific spark inside, just waiting to be lit, at the first sight or experience of our own special thing.

Prom, everyone's favorite high school memory.... Right?... Right?

Last night I had a dream that Casey and I went to prom together. It was far and away better than my actual prom experience. In my dream I had those fun butterflies in my stomach and we actually liked each other! I was wearing this awesome off white strapless dress and a green wrap.
My actual prom? Let's just say I have some nice pictures from that night, but in these photos I look far happier than I actually was, due to my immature date ignoring me and hanging out with his sophomore friends at their own table. Then, he ditched me right afterward because he had a "curfew." HA! That's what I get for panicking, and asking someone for fear I wouldn't get to go at all, and not waiting to be asked (girls, you know what I mean, right?). Casey apparently had his own not-so-nice prom experience: "My prom was waiting in the picture line for two hours." At least I got to dance with my friends a little bit! (Janet, if you're out there, thanks for making the night fun for me. You rock.)
Here's what propose-- we all share about our prom experiences. C'mon. It'll be fun.

9/11

Today is the eight year anniversary of the tragedy. I am praying for those people who lost friends and family, and all those affected personally by what happened. Even years later my heart is heavy for what they must still be going through because of our fallen world and how badly sin screws us all up.

Also, I am thankful that sin will not have the last word. We have a Savior who will come and rescue His kids from living in such a broken place where such tragic things happen, and also save us from ourselves: "Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25)

In the meantime we have Him to hold us and comfort us in times of sorrow, and to catch our every tear in His hands.

Labor Day, Doing Nothing, and Miracles

Today Casey and I looked up Labor Day on our modern-day online dictionary/encyclopedia, Wikipedia. The beginnings of this holiday seem to be rooted in a workers union. Something about a nine hour work day... And parades. Lots of parades. With people giving speeches at these afore-mentioned parades.

These days, seems like the title Labor Day brings to mind other words: Camping. Hiking. Barbeque. Well at least that's what it brings to my mind. How about you?

I didn't do any of those things today. What did I do, you ask? Well, I would be glad to enlighten you.

Nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing... I woke up and did nothing for awhile. Have you ever been depressed by doing nothing on a pretty day? I was, today. So I got dressed (not well, however, but that's beside the point) and I went to Target. That place is amazing. I found some treasures and came home. But I still felt a little bit down, unsatisfied, for some reason. Then, I did something else. I listened to a lecture on the miracles of Jesus for a bible study that day. A few friends and I listen to one lecture a week separately, and then get together at a coffee shop once a week to talk about what we liked/didn't like/thought about it. Yeah, it pretty much rocks.

So, that's what I did. I went to meet my friends at the coffee shop and talked about Jesus and His miracles. It's funny, Jesus has a way of slipping into any of my bored/depressed moods and splicing it up with delight and wonder. Reminding me again that He is pretty amazing and that He is part of my life, part of me. I may be feeling a little/a lot blue-- but He has a way of wrapping His arm around my shoulder and squeezing it, and somehow I feel lifted, inspired. And yet, also smooshed against His side, secure. That's a good feeling.

Nutella.

Nutella is good. On anything. This morning we put it on buttered toast and it was heaven!! If you haven't tried it, PLEASE. Do yourself a favor and go buy some.


It is a chocolatey-hazelnutty spread that I discovered in Florence. After difficult days, us girls would sit in the kitchen and scoop it out with cookies. That, together with being able to unload my day with my lovely girls, would make everything better.

Breakfast Triumph!

For a while now I've been eating peanut butter on toast, with honey, for breakfast. I need protein if I am going to go take class or go to the gym, and anything except peanut butter tends to be too heavy on my stomach. I had resigned myself almost totally to an eternity of toast and peanut butter (the other option is falling over in exhaustion halfway through ballet class-- not pretty). UNTIL...
My friends on facebook have shared with me many other options for breakfast involving the energy-giving peanut butter. Today I tried a waffle with peanut butter and applesauce on top and it was delicious. Not to mention it got me totally through my workout. I know this is a silly thing to blog about, but if I can help just one other person out of breakfast boredom, it is worth it!
Tomorrow I am going to try another version of today's breakfast: toast with peanut butter, applesauce and cinnamon on top microwaved for about 30 seconds. Yes, it's true-- I lead QUITE an exciting life :).