JAN 30

Wow, January has flown by!  So I finally heard the words today in ballet I've been waiting on....you're making progress!!! What?  Was el capitain speaking to me?  I'm making progress?  I let that sink in for a few minutes and realized I guess just by balancing myself (holding onto the balance bar) is progress. Not such a big deal after all.  Just when I think maybe, just maybe the dictator is warming up to me, she walks by yelling in her Brazilian accent,  point your toes, Connie!  Elbows in, chest out, knees out...I remind her to tell that to my knees and elbows and toes!  I'm actually teasing her.  Isabella is the sweetest, tiniest little gal I've ever met.  She has taken this lump of clay and started shaping it into, well, I'm not sure what yet because she's still molding me.  What a good first decision I made for January's  New Years Resolution...ballet.  In Martha Stewart's words...it's a good thing.

JAN 27

Well, I've gone and done it this time.  I don't know what I was thinking but apparently I wasn't thinking at all!  I signed up for the Spring recital.  Ahhhhhh.  Look, don't invite me if you don't mean it.  My instructor  assures us she will have two routines choreographed for the different levels of talent.  She assures me she won't let us look bad.  I don't know how that's possible unless we are just going to stand there and maybe do a couple of grand plies...(that's a sort of squat for all you non ballet people)  Well, it should be quite the production and it will either get great reviews for what we new beginners have learned or it will end up on America's Funniest Videos.  Hey, that may not be so bad...it would be a shoe in to win first prize!!  I think when this is all over I will write a new book...Ballet For The Plie Challenged.  (sub-titled...Ballet For Dummies...)

JAN 23

Ballet class is coming right along.  I think this is my fifth class and although I'm still in the "beginner" category, I feel I am ready to promote myself to level 2.  (My instructor does not feel the same way)  I want to say my ballet instructor is nice, but she is not!  Just when I think I'm balanced and doing a  good job, she takes the balance bar away!!  Who does that?? She likes to watch us sway back and forth on one toe until we topple over like a fish out of water....lot of flopping going on. To top it off at the end of class she did it again.. she ...had the talk.  The dreaded talk.  Spring recital...She's getting very excited about this recital and I can say she is alone in her excitement.   Now she's talking outfits.  I've got news for her....I'm saying no no to the tu tu!!

JAN 20

No ballet today :(  I am actually looking forward to this form of torture.  Even at two days a week, I feel my balance and flexibility already different.  (not necessarily better, just different)  Ok, so I will practice the routine that I can remember until I get to class on Thursday and realize I didn't remember it so well.

JAN 19

So I'm a bit bummed because there is no ballet tomorrow in honor of MLK day.  I just started and I can't afford to fall behind with the spring recital in a couple of months!  I'm thinking of putting up a wall of mirrors in the basement and a bar (not for drinking!!)  for balance.  I'm sure my husband won't mind my borrowing some of his "man" space.  He probably won't even notice...Yes, I think that's the plan.  Demi plie...demi plie...grand plie...into the bar and around..or something like that. :)

JAN 17

So I am now getting excited for the "spring recital"...I think.  I figure this will get me motivated to practice my ballet at home.  Problem is, I can't remember the steps once I'm outside the class....maybe for February, my new year's resolution should be a memory class.

JAN 16

Ballet this morning!!! Class is getting so comfortable.  Not that I'm getting any better, I'm just enjoying it more and more.  My instructor is so gentle and kind and she's a very good liar!  Good, Connie Good!!  (yea right)  It's ok, there were new gals in class today, so now I am three classes "up" on them :)  Everything was really going well in class until the instructor said two words that almost made me pass out....SPRING RECITAL.  What???  Look, it's one thing for me to prance across the floor in front of the class, but to do this in public??  Not yet sister, I don't think so!  Maybe I'll just play the tree...oh well, we'll see by spring how far I've come to decide on this spring recital.  She can't force me! I'm older and bigger, yes I said bigger!  (That just tells you how small this gal is)  Actually, maybe if I practice really really hard, I could be the princess in the spring recital!! Yes, that's my new goal now!  Watch out class, I won't settle for less.  Spring recital or bust!

JAN 15

Such a busy day!!  Dentist, oil change, dinner and more painting.  It's amazing how fast the day goes when you are busy...just finished in time for American Idol :)  (My winter pleasure)  Ballet tomorrow!!

JAN 14

So in between my ballet lessons, I am painting my son's room.  He is working in Tampa for the winter so I thought I would freshen up his room.  I already purchased new sheets, comforter, blinds, pillows and the paint.  The walls right now are white (mixed in with all the finger smudges and such) so I didn't want to keep the same color.  I went to the Walmart mis-mixes and found a color or three...three shades of brown to be exact..  When I opened the first can and started painting, it was an aweful green/brown mis-mix for sure.  After it dried, it actually looked pretty good.  That was the first two walls.    The second wall is a nice complement  to the first wall and I think I'll get creative on the third wall with a pattern.  My fifth son sent him a picture of the semi-finished room.  His response....she's dead.   That's ok, wait until I hang the pictures I bought of a basket of kittens...

JAN 13

So ballet part duex was today.  I can't tell you how hard this workout is!!  Just to put your leg in the position they are asking is a major feat.  I realize all of my online studying  I did to try to skip to the head of the class went out the window when my instructor Isabella changed up the routine!!  She didn't tell me she was going to do that.  So now I have to learn new steps when I haven't really gotten the old steps down yet.  Oh well,  and one and two and down and up and hold.....hold.....hold.....now breath....WHEW!

JAN 12

Trying to shake myself of some sort of bug before my next ballet class.  Funny how I thought my body wouldn't work but physically I feel fine it's the congestion I caught from someone, somewhere.  I blame my third son who left last week a little under the weather.  He left his germs back home!  Resting until tomorrow:)

JAN 11

So my second ballet class is Monday.  I decided to go online this weekend and lookup ballet lessons for beginners so I could practice.  Brown noser that I am, I want to impress the instructor as to how much I retained from only one lesson.  If nothing else, I'll be able to enunciate those French words perfectly.           P L E E A Y ...DEMI  P L E E A Y ...

JAN 10

The day after my first ballet class and I feel really good.  They said I would be so sore but really I'm not. (I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing)  I stretched for a very long time prior to my first class.  I will go back on Monday for lesson 2.  This will last all of January and longer if I see some potential in my ballet future.  Who knows, the Nutcracker happens every year....

JAN 9

Well, today was the big day.  I got to class at 9:00am.  Of course I was the first one there.  Finally, the others showed up and class began.  It was surprisingly fun and hard.  I actually worked up a sweat.  The instructor was tiny.  She couldn't have weighed more than a feather.  She recognized that I was new and I do mean NEW to ballet.  She was very attentive to me and helped me through day one.  I will go back on Monday.  I was not the best in class for sure but in my mind I was not the worst either.  I have some balance!!  I was so proud.  And one and two and three and four!!! :)

JAN 8

So I found a dancewear shop nearby and decided to take the "ballet shoes" from Target back and get me a real pair.  My whole life I have worn a size 6 shoe.  Still to this day, I buy size 6.  Ballet shoes are basically a stiff sock.   What size you say I bought?  Size 7!  Size 7!!  Are you kidding me?  I think it was my big toe nail put me over the edge.  Had I trimmed that darn toe nail, it would have measured size 6...so now I have official ballet shoes...yes size 7!

JAN 7

Day two of freezeagedon...ballet class rescheduled for Thursday.  I will find a ballet class for Jan if I have to twirl myself there!  Everything has closed down and cancelled because baby, it's COLD outside.  That's ok, I'm planning future months of my 2014 experiement...onward and upward :)

JAN 6

MY FIRST BALLET CLASS WAS CANCELLED DUE TO BAD WEATHER...IS THIS A SIGN?  (RESCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY)

JAN 5

SO TOMORROW'S MY FIRST BALLET CLASS...HMMMMM.  CAN'T TELL IF I'M EXCITED FOR THIS OR A TAD NERVOUS.  NOT SURE HOW HARD THIS IS GOING TO BE.  IT IS A BEGINNER'S CLASS BUT NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS.  I BOUGHT MY LEOTARDS AND BALLET SHOES.  THEY PROBABLY AREN'T OFFICIAL BALLET SHOES...I GOT THEM AT TARGET.  SO WHAT, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE THE BLACK SWAN OR ANYTHING, JUST WANT TO LEARN THE BASICS.  HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I THROW MY BACK OUT BEFORE I TAKE MY FIRST LESSON?  SHOULDN'T THAT HAPPEN DURING OR AFTER?  OH WELL, I CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT...I HOPE I CAN DO IT :)

JAN 4

JANUARY MAY PROVE A BUSY MONTH FOR ME OR I MAY HAVE TO MOVE MY SPANISH TO FEBRUARY.  NEXT WEEK THE CINCINNATI BALLET IS OFFERING FREE DANCE CLASSES.  I'VE NEVER TAKEN A DANCE CLASS IN MY LIFE.  I WILL BE ATTENDING THE ADULT BALLET CLASS--I HOPE MY BODY ATTENDS WITH ME.

JAN 3

WAITING FOR MY SPANISH CDS TO ARRIVE.  IN THE  MEANTIME I HUNG A NEW CLOCK IN THE FAMILY ROOM (IT'S SOMETHING!)

JAN 2...

SO IN KEEPING WITH MY RESOLUTION, TODAY I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO TAKE SPANISH LESSONS FOR JANUARY.  I KNOW A LITTLE SPANISH FROM THE 7TH AND 8TH GRADE BUT WANT TO EXPAND ON THAT VOCABULARY.  I ORDERED MY CDS AND WILL ATTEMPT TO TAKE ALL OF JANUARY TO BEGIN MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTION WITH LEARNING SPANISH.

HASTA LUEGO!

JAN 1

I DON'T USUALLY MAKE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS, BUT FELT THE DESIRE TO DO SO FOR 2014.  I DIDN'T WANT TO GO DOWN THE USUAL PATH OF DIET AND EXERCISE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I WISH TO RESOLVE IN 2014.  I HAD A HUNGER TO ENRICH MY LIFE IN NEW WAYS.  I DECIDED THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE YEAR I TRY NEW THINGS.   I RESOLVE FOR THE YEAR 2014, TO TAKE ON A NEW PROJECT EVERY MONTH.  WHETHER THAT PROJECT IS A NEW CRAFT, TRYING A NEW RESTAURANT, OR PAINTING SOMETHING. IT WILL BE NEW TO ME.  I HAVE GIVEN MYSELF A FULL MONTH FOR EACH PROJECT SO AS NOT TO CUT MYSELF SHORT OF TIME.  I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS NEW YEAR FULL OF HOPES, DREAMS AND NEW EXPERIENCES.  THAT IS MY 2014 NEW YEARS RESOLUTION!