Vail "Vacation" Part I

Well this isn't going to be exactly what you're probably expecting, and not exactly what I'd like to be writing for this initial Vail "Vacation" post, but just bear with me... I'm foreseeing a few Vail posts...

But to just sum things up in a sentence or two, Vail went much better than I anticipated. The very hot Saturday before we left I, following the instructions of the cute med student that sat in on my doctor's appointment, made an enormous vat of very beefy beef broth, and actually packed two thermoses of it in my suitcase. The first year we went to Vail I took a blender... this year it was beef broth. But hey, doctors orders, right? I also had my prescription iron pills and ate my daily serving of red meat. Take that anemia! And praise the Lord I started feeling better on Friday, with our two shows on Saturday and Sunday... just in the nick of time.

Like I said before in Adventures in D.C. Part I company tours are always fun... or maybe funny is a better word to use. You put together a bunch of people prone to the dramatical in close quarters for almost a week and, well, things get interesting. Let's just say it would make an amazing reality TV show. But I'll go into that a little more in the next instillation - complete with photos.

Well I owe a big shout out to all of those people out there who were praying for me while I was dancing in the thin Vail air. It was hard. It was very hard. But I did. And it wasn't terrible. Once Serenade was over on Saturday I couldn't quite let down, but I could let out a huge sigh of relief.
The bane of performing Serenade Russian girls are definitely the four consecutive double-pirouettes we have to do near the end of the ballet, just when you're utterly exhausted. And if double-pirouetting four times in a row weren't enough to make you absolutely dizzy, you have blue-tulled ballerinas piquéing in front of and behind you. This feat was made more challenging in Vail not only by the very bright and disorienting lights, but also by my somewhat blurry vision - a result of oxygen deprivation. They weren't my best - by the fourth one I could barely see, but what I could make out was that I most definitely wasn't behind Brittany anymore... Oops. But I did them and I even left room for the girls to piqué between us. So I'll take it. In my book that one gets marked as a success.

And guess what? I came back to Seattle with a follow-up doctor's appointment on Tuesday and received some pleasantly surprising news. No Anemia! In fact my iron levels were looking great. So it looks like my sudden illness had more to do with a thyroid medication dosage issue than my vegetarian-via-laziness diet. Well at least that's what we're hoping for... If not I guess I'll get to see the cute med student again, and would that be so bad? Naw...

But enough with the jokes... So for those of you who didn't make it up to the beautiful Rocky Mountains here's a little clip of one of the numbers I danced. Hopefully it won't be that hard to figure out which one I am.

Your feature presentation is brought to you by the Vail International Dance Festival via some YouTube action. Enjoy!

Perks

But this makes living in Adultland a little better...

"What's for dinner?" you ask?

Why a small Dairy Queen hot fudge sundae with nuts! Yes, kiddos... I can have dessert for dinner. So there.

Mmmm... SO good!

Don't worry. I had plenty of vegetables this afternoon.

Childhood Grown Up

Well I still haven't downloaded my photos from Vail yet, so y'all will just have to wait a little longer for the Vail "Vacation" posts.

So today before I went to my doctors appointment I made a little stop at the store. Yes. I did leave with a beautiful red-handled bag in my hand. But miraculously I spent less than $35.00! And what did I buy? Take a guess...

August 1st has now come and gone. And this new month rolling full speed ahead brings with it not only the dreaded "Back to School" ads, but also Fall clothing lines. As I walked into Anthropologie today I spied beautiful sweaters, crocheted hats and it made me kind of sad. I'm not ready for summer to be over. Summer's just begun!
Having lived in Adultland for quite some time now, summer is relative. It doesn't mean the same thing as it did when I was a little kid. I don't have 3 months off to run wild in the sun. Nope. Regardless of the sunshine's status I still have to go to work. It just means that maybe I'll return a little browner on Monday, since in Adultland (unlike in Childhood) summer really only exists on the weekends.
But seeing these beautiful articles of clothing somewhat softened the blow of reality.
And glancing at the different styles and trends I was reminded of another tie back to Childhood.

The last couple weekends I've been out at my cabin I've watched the '93 film version of "The Secret Garden." I absolutely loved watching this movie when I was a kid, and I still love watching it now. But I have to say I was really inspired my Mary Lennox's attire.
In one scene she wears this amazingly sweet white blouse with a greenish-yellow jumper, black tights and oxford shoes. Somehow I want to try and translate this outfit from Childhood to Grown Up. I think between the store and the inspiration I can manage this... it'll just take some digging. And that red knit beret hat! Definitely a must have for Fall!
Below is a clip from this amazing movie - the jumper outfit's near the end of the clip. Watch it and be inspired.



The photo above was originally found here. The clip can be found here.

Signs

Wow. I know this may seem like a contradiction in itself, but I really have no words to describe the show that just happened tonight. Honestly, I think I just need to let it sink in a little. Don't worry you'll probably hear about it tomorrow. It was all good. It was great. But I'm just tired. No. Exhausted.

So what's this post about anyhow? 

Well it's about eagles. 

Seriously? Eagles? 

Well actually yes. But let me do a little explaining... 

No. This is not the band I'm referring to (although they are pretty awesome), but the bird. You see eagles have been randomly popping up in my life these days. In fact, before I left for Vail I saw an eagle almost every day, be it on the long pier at my cabin, sitting on that ugly sculpture that resides next to the 520 bridge, or perched atop a tree outside the Roanoke Inn on Mercer Island. They're everywhere. It's like my eyes have the eagle-dar embedded in them. If there's an eagle in the vicinity I spot it. 

So is this a sign? 

Typically I don't believe in "signs," but a while ago I kept seeing Mini Coopers on the road. One day I counted 14 on my daily commute. 14!!!!! I thought to myself, maybe this means I'm supposed to buy a Mini. Ha! If only. This wasn't a sign - I saw the Minis because I wanted to see them. I was just being silly, and foolishly looking for an excuse to indulge in an impractical purchase.

But there's something different with the eagles... 

Well as you know I've recently been feeling pretty awful. Having anemia and my dancing schedule has been stressful, to say the least. There have been days when I've wondered how I was going to do it. If I could stand up in the shower without falling over that was a pretty good start. I've been tired. I've been exhausted. Frankly, sometimes I just want to throw in the towel. I despair. 

But time after time the Lord's brought me back to this chapter in Isaiah - Chapter 40. 

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young me stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40: 28-31

I read these verses and I wonder where my hope's been. M.I.A. - that's where it's been. At this moment I am weak. I am not strong. But if my hope is in the Lord, then He will renew my strength. I will soar on wings like eagles. I will be like my eagle friends I keep seeing. He's reminding me of this. Reminding me to put my hope in Him. And if that weren't enough on a really rough day when I was questioning whether I was actually going to be able to climb this mountain of Vail and dance He said this to me in my devotional. (Yes I realize I quote this devotional all the time so forgive me if this sounds preachy or redundant. I hope instead it blesses you.)

"HOPE is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we're traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven."

So... I'm holding on to hope. I'm keeping my focus on the One who can and will renew my strength. And I'm claiming this promise. I will dance and not grow weary. I will soar on wings like my eagle friends. 

A sign? You decide.

Mass production

Okay so first off I apologize in advance for well, I guess it's going to be the next couple weeks.
My Creative Non-Fiction Writing class is over in, WOW... it's just a week and I'm supposed to have published 10 blog posts since July. Currently I'm at 5.
So in the next week I will be mass producing blog posts. Not ideal because I like to spread the love so to speak. But also it just feels, in a word, wrong. It's like getting those stock letters where your name "fills in the blank" at the top. It's an attempt at personal, but at the same time almost more offensive because it's so not.
Well I hope that these blogs don't seem impersonal or written to just "git 'er done" as my co-worker Abby would say. I hope that they actually inspire something in you whether that be laughter, thought, action, or maybe just a refreshing and much needed escape from the daily grind.

At any rate you can be sure you'll be hearing a lot more from me in the very future.
Topics?
Well next up is one on hope. And then "Vacation" in Vail Parts I... well I don't know how many parts there'll be... Adventures in D.C. turned into a trilogy. But please feel free to send in requests. I'm always up for suggestions and inspiration!

Now it's off to bed. And my hotel room is hot. Too hot. And there's no air-conditioning. I hope I can sleep. Tomorrow's a big day up here at 8,000 ft! Or is it 9,000? At this point it doesn't really matter. And now I'm rambling.

Anemia among other things

Well it's not official yet, but it looks like I have Anemia.
So what does this mean, you might ask, other than bruising like a peach?

Well... it explains why I've been experiencing extreme fatigue (I've overslept my alarm everyday this week), nausea, dizziness, at times racing heart, and felt feverish and overheated. It's either that or I'm pregnant...
Bahahahahaha!!!!! Immaculate conception? I think not. Jesus is coming again but not that way, and definitely not through me... I'm no one's Mary. I wish I were, but, nope... not there yet.

At any rate, we've been rehearsing like crazy the past 3 weeks, learning 3 new ballets (Concerto DSCH, Six Dances, and Glass Pieces), remembering 3 old ones (Serenade, "Cool" from West Side Story Suite, and 3 Movements) and generally dancing full days. Being anemic doesn't make this process easy. In fact it makes it quite challenging, to put it mildly. Needless to say I get home after sweating out all the liquid in my body and collapse on my bed. Forget dinner, I just want to sleep. But no... I have to write papers. Papers on things I like to write about, but papers nonetheless. And with little energy, at times this task seems insurmountable.

"But when I am weak, then I am strong." 

But by the grace of God it somehow is accomplished. So here is a sampling of my writing (complete with photos) on something I dearly love... Enjoy!

At the home where I was raised there live two beautiful Katsura trees. I don’t think they’ve always been as tall and stately as they are today, but like two sisters standing side-by-side, utterly inseparable, they have grown and matured over the years. In truth they are the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever beheld. Their slender bows and branches remind me of statuesquely toned arms – neither bulky nor brittle – outstretching in all directions. Dressed in a graceful green leaf sequined gown that flutters and shimmers with the passing breeze, these sisters ever so faintly exude a perfume of burnt sugar that entrances and allures.

These ladies, these trees, have taught me so much about beauty- true beauty.  You see theirs is a beauty that’s 100% natural. They don’t starve themselves to maintain a waif-like silhouette. They don’t kill themselves with hours of exhausting exercise all in the pursuit of the perfect “bikini body.”  They don’t paint their faces with pounds of make-up to hide unsightly blemishes, and they don’t dress themselves in the trendiest garb in order to fit in. No. These exquisite ladies are true to themselves – true to who God created them to be. Comfortable in their own bark they exude peace; they radiate joy. Can you imagine if instead of wanting to be their gorgeous selves, these Katsura trees tried to be a towering Redwood or a billowy Willow? It sounds absurd doesn’t it?

And yet how many times do I wish I were somebody other than myself? How often do I strive with all my might to be beautiful, as if it were some elusive thing I had to wrestle, beat into submission and then squeeze myself into? Unfortunately, this is how I see beauty. But the sister trees live beauty very differently. They are beautiful. Even in the winter, stripped of their green sequined gown, I have never seen anything more breathtaking than their bare snow laden branches. Beauty just is. No striving necessary. It doesn’t come from a number on a scale or from the clothes we wear, but rather it’s knit into the very fiber of our being, at the heart of every created soul.

I am beautiful. Period. The Katsura sisters taught me this.

These are the sequins I was talking about... 

 Bare branched and beautiful!

Their snow-laden bows remind me of ladies wearing elegant elbow-length white gloves. I wonder what black-tie party they're going to?

Adventures in D.C. Part III - Final installment

I have a headache.
It's now past midnight, I haven't finished writing my paper, I'm hot and I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with me... No, seriously, I'm going to the doctor on Friday.
Needless to say I shouldn't be writing on my blog right now I should be going to bed.
Don't worry this too will happen soon.
But I had to post something.

So D.C. the final addition...
What didn't I tell you?

Well the best and biggest surprise (other than actually getting to go to D.C. in the first place) was that my lil brodder Bear-Bear came down from NYC, enduring a nightmare bus journey, to see me perform on Saturday night. What an awesome gift!!!! I love spending time with my bro! We have so much fun together.
After the show we met up with some friends of his for an excellent dinner at which point we parted ways, but fear not! He met me at 10am sharp for brunch the next morning in Georgetown. And boy was he looking sharp... But then he always does.
We ate at the most amazing little Austrian "Kafe," that was tucked away off the main "M" Street drag: Kafe Leopold. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
The menu is extensive, and everything not only sounds amazing, but looks amazing, from their salads to their desserts. The hardest part is deciding what to order.
Well having scoped the place out earlier (I had lunch there) one item on their breakfast menu intrigued me. I had to order it.
Described as "Scrambled soufflé with plum-compote and currants," Kaisershmarrn mit Zwetschgenroster was, well... I think the photo below can tell you how I, or rather my taste-buds felt about this particular culinary masterpiece.
At any rate I got home and tried to re-create this by scrambling vanilla soufflé batter with currants on a grittle. Yeah. Not so much... I should have just googled the Austrian name for the actual recipe instead of creating my own. Whoops.
So below are some photos of Bear-Bear and Sika (that's my brother and I for those of you who are unfamiliar with our nicknames) in D.C. Maybe when I'm not so tired I'll find that recipe, or perfect my own and share it with y'all. But for the time being you're just gonna have to eat at Kafe Leopold. Sorry you West Coast folk...

Yep. I always order the best thing on the menu...

Thanks Bear for the wonderful surprise and I can't wait to see you in a week!