Alaska

It again has been too long between blogs.  But here I go again, making an attempt to talk about my life to anyone who has the time to read about it.  Just  a day ago I returned from the trip of a lifetime.  My family and I went on a cruise to Alaska.  I have waited ten years for this trip and although it was not the trip I was expecting it was monumental. Let me explain..  After my cancer diagnosis ("you have 6 months to live") I swore that if I lived tens years I would go somewhere fabulous.  Fiji was my first thought but as the tenth year came closer I realized how astronomically expensive a trip to Fiji would be and how much I dislike hot, humid weather. So Alaska seemed to be the perfect option....saving and scrimping for this trip was an all out effort.  Times have been challenging.  But I squirreled away bits of money here and there.  When the time came to pick our excursions for the trip, I was pursuaded not to look at price but  the adventure.  So I opted to go on a back country jeep adventure (complete with indian canoe paddle trip across an artic lake) and a helicopter ride that would land on the Mendenhall Glacier.  I was so excited that I had made the decision to do these once in a lifetime adventures....only to have them cancelled due to poor road conditions and bad weather.  Wow..traveling 2000 miles and shut down!!Bummer.  But we managed to find other fun things to do.  Hey, we managed to find $32.00 in gold while panning and saw the fabulous sled dogs, ate enough fresh crab to make anyone jealous..  Alaska is beautiful...but the most wonderful part of the trip was being with my family..My husband, daughter, son-in-law and my brother.  This is our first trip together, but I hope not our last..  Princess cruises are absolutley amazing..I did nothing but eat and play for seven days.  I cannot wait to plan my next trip..Lord please do not let this take tens years.

Time and other Strangers

Wow, it has been a very long time since I blogged...a very long time. I guess time has gotten away from me. It seems, as time marches on, its passages has gone from snail slow to slow and steady to quick paced to OMG where did the time go.
My birthday approaches and I somewhat conflicted. First of all the date is 9/11...a significant date in history as of 10 years ago (my how quickly time passes you say). That alone makes me wonder about celebrating my birthday. I will also be just that much closer to 60 (still a bit to go but closer all the same). I wonder if I should still be doing the things I do. I still belly dance..I still play with fire..I love to try new and unusual things..Should I still be doing crazy stuff..
After much thought I reflected on one of first blog comments....why must people obsess about age? Age is irrelevant to life. So on my 57th birthday I am taking flying trapeze classes..You read it right..I am off to join the circus. I am filled with fear and dread...excitement and anticipation. My life will be reflected in this freewheeling activity. I am pushing the limits ..but what else is new.! So I had shoulder surgery..so what...So I am afraid of height..There is a net..so I am 57 WHO GIVES A RATS ASS...Life is what you make it and I intend to make the most out of my life...and any one else who wants to join the circus with me...!!

California Winters

As I write this I am painfully aware of what an oxymoron the title is. California, at least Southern California, rarely experiences winters of any magnitude. Sure there are the occasional nights where the temperatures get down right chilly and I am forced to turn on the old heater. But winter...not really. There is noticeable change in the way the air feels. It gets dark earlier and the mornings warrant a sweater. I love those days when it is crystal clear and sunny outside, you walk out a realize it is downright cold. That does not happen much, but I love those days. We rarely get "weather". Rain, snow, hail and the like are infrequent visitors to this part of the state. When we do get the rain the news stations go a little overboard with teasers...Storm Watch 2009. For heavens sake, when is .25 inches of rain a storm. And heaven forbid people on the freeway would acknowledge that a little rain should alter the speed with which they drive..Ahh, the roads are slick, let's go 85 on the freeway!!
That being said, we are supposed to have an El Nino this year. No one seems to be able to predict when or how severe. I have seen several El Ninos in my life..1969 was a real doozy. It was the year my grandfather died..January to be exact. It was right in the middle of a 40 day rain storm. The ground at the cemetary was so wet he could not be buried until April. Then 1972, 1987 and 1997..I remember those. El Nino Winter in Southern California...Wet and wetter...We really have a dilema this time around. There has been a drought with no significant rain for at least five years. We are all praying for some relief from the drought and yet, many are praying for a little more time to shore up the fire stricken mountains. I assure you that if we do have an El Nino, as predicted, there will be much damage from flooding. The forecast is for a significant amount of rainfall much like 1969. Who knows..they call it prediciting the weather..I could predict that I would win the lottery but that is up to the winds of fortune as is the weather.
So for now I will appreciate the chill in the air and laugh when STORM WATCH 2009 shows up on the TV. I will probably not get a white Christmas or even a wet one but that will do nothing to "dampen" my true joy in the season.

Labor Day.....the end of Summer ?

Wow, this summer seems to have flown by. I am grateful for that. Summer is not my favorite time of year. It was when I was a kid..hey, what kid does not relish the idea of no school, summer days filled with swimming, eating, movies, the beach, staying up late and sleeping into the afternoon. Those were such fun times. I was lucky as a kid, having a pool right outside my bedroom, I would get up in the morning (well not too early) and swimm before I even thought about breakfast. Then my mom and would would go out for lunch, do some shopping at Robert Hall or the Five and Dime and then home for more swimming. I do not think my hair was completely dry until I was 18 years old.
But life is very, very different for me now. Summer is just hot and uncomfortable now. No pool..no time for the beach..no vacation (cannot afford it). Not to say that I do not appreciate any time I have...I do. Summer usually means getting ready for our "big belly dance show" and this years it was super duper fabulous bang up, standing room only Hooray!! The pictures prove that. Sewing in the heat..yuck...
Seems like a lot of complaining...hey we have no air conditioning at our house so it is hot...we live in So. California..it is supposed to be hot in the summer. I accept this....and I am grateful when summer retreats and fall makes its way. The best feeling is that first morning...after a hot summer, when you put your feet on bare floor and it is cold...you ask "wonder where my slippers are?"..
The holidays appraoch again..I love the holidays. New dance opportunites..maybe even a new job offer...new exciting thing...coolness...dark mornings and darker nights..blankets, fireplaces, candles...Chili!!!!
So, good bye summer...frankly I know the hot weather is not going to give up so easily but at least I know I do not have to wait too much longer. Where did I put my slippers anyway???

Fire

I hate fire..Well not all fire. I mean the fire that allows us to have hot meals, stay warm in the winter, gaze upon in the fireplace on a cold winter night or happily gather around when camping, those are all great. But I hate wildfires. They always frighten me and make me nervous. Even the ones very far away in another country upset me. Wednesday August 26 a fire started along Angeles Crest Highway..my neck of the woods. It started out small, 25 acres. There were no structures threatened and no winds to push it along. The weather has been very hot and the mountains are overgrown and very dry but there was a fire in Azuza to tend to and it was bigger. I am not saying the fire was not attended to..it was. Fixed wing aircraft was all over it right away. But this fire has a mind all its own. I really feel fire takes on a personality. This one, now named the Station Fire, is evil and wicked and crazy and confused. It cannot make a decision as to what direction it should travel. It is going three different directions. It burns uphill and downhill...it re burns over itself. I shoots flames ups 100 feet and sends ashes everywhere. Many of my friends have had to evacuated their homes. The little fire is now a monster...as of today 85,000 acres. It spread from La Canada to Sunland Tujunga to Acton to Altadena and points beyond. Right now it threatens Mount Wilson. Two fire fighters have perished is it wake and no containment is in sight.
I can stand on my front porch and see flames dancing and laughing...almost saying you cannot control me. We have extraordinary fire teams working on this monster(the press calls it a monster, not me) and I pray they stay safe.
For me..I am on pins and needles. The reverse 911 call kind of set that into motion. So In my stress I painted the bathroom..go figure.
After this is all over (and I pray that is soon) I will again have to clean my drapes, wash everything, scrub furniture and shampoo rugs. The smoke and ash have engulfed our neighborhood. I am just so grateful I still have all these things to clean.
One of the prices we pay for living so close to nature is that we stand the chance of having it all blow up on any given day. Fifty years of no fire and now....well lets hope all those prediction of a El Nino fail to appear and we have a normal rainy season...otherwise my next blog might be about mudslides.
BTW..the picture was taken last night not too far from where I live.....

Man how they grow up

So, last Sunday Amanda, Teresa and I danced at a private birthday celebration for my dear friend Susie. It was actaully her grandson Kevin's birthday..he turned 22. We had danced last year, giving Kevin his own private bellly dance show and he enjoyed it so much he asked us that we dance again this year. Kevin comes out from Pennsylvania to spend time with Susie each August. This year the party was much bigger. And our "show" was pretty well organized. We had a stage, lights, costumes and choreography. The crowd was sort of quiet, something we belly dancers are not used to. We failed to let them know that the more noise they made, the better. So it was hard to tell if the group enjoyed the show...with the exception of one young fellow..He is twelve (he is the less tall young man in the picture). He was very enthusiatic. He was so enthustiastic that while taking photos with his cell phone he fell off his chair...His mortified mother apologized but we were very flattered. Gosh I am no spring chicken so that made me feel pretty darned good.

Thoughts of summer

I have not blogged in a while..been too busy trying to keep my life together. Working three jobs, making hula hoops and sewing sure takes up a lot of time. This June seemed more hectic than others. LSJ performed at Cairo Caravan (formerly Cairo Carnivale) It was held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach on June 6 and 7. This years dance production was "Beyond the Sea". It was a wild fantasy with dancing sailor girls, happy, hooping mermaids and fierce Thai goddeses...Indiana Leela and dispicable Lara Croft character who tumbled to her death with loud cheers from the audience. The costumes and props were a challenge but we managed to get them all completed before the show. We managed to turn a giant lazy susan, wood and canvas into a magical mermaid rock and mystical idol shrine. It was fun. Unfortunatley there are no preformance pictures BUT there are after prefromance pics. Some of us decided to stay aboard the Queen Mary for the night. We had a lovely time. I think I looked pretty not bad for an old broad.
Cairo Carnavan now seems to signal to me that summer is one it's way. It is always near the beginning of June just as the weather starts to get wierd..June gloom here, sunny and warm there...So after Cairo I prepare myself by taking on my summer attitidue...longer days, warm nights all make me restless. I feel the need to accomplish something on a greater, more meaningful scale. So I welcome the opportunity to help Leela with Arabia Summer. A new production scheduled for August 23..I get to dance in several numbers and help with the production. I cannot wait.
Other things are churning in my head...only time will tell how they manifest themselves but for now I am content. But just for now!!