And that's that.

Just being stupid on Christmas

https://youtu.be/7G9vWDqZKqc

Why not

Naptime

dance spirit

G'day, mate!

Thought I'd share a little bit of my everyday, since that's what we do here at everyday...

Today's everyday is every normal weekday morning.  Normal days, school days, work days.  That wonderful window of time, after I drop off my son at elementary school and before my teenage daughter gets up to do her homeschooling.

I walk in the door, sometimes with a load of groceries to put away, and am met with the usual chore: cleaning up the breakfast mess and emptying the dishwasher, putting away the clean dishes.   I help myself to a second or third cup of coffee, eat some toast with jam, and put on the jams.  Pandora shuffle, that is..

And before you know it, a job that might only take 30 minutes, suddenly gets stretched into about 2 hours!

Here's why, it's the music, the solitude, and this empty space next to the kitchen, this wide open space with the smooth wood floor that just BEGS to be danced upon!!!

It's the area that's supposed to be the eating area, but we put the dining table in the next space instead, so we can get out the back door easier.

(and Why yes, that is my handcrafted lovely white "Christmas tree" below, made out of a wire tomato cage, plastic grocery bags, sheer curtains, white tulle, and leftover decorations. thank you, thank you very much...)

Anyway, so now I shall attempt to illustrate for you the dances I perform in this said dancing space.  Since it is rather difficult to photograph myself in the perfect moment of a dance move, you will be better acquainted with my repertoire through my colorful squiggle drawings, as seen on the left side of each sequence.

First, my response to the big, happy, big band Christmas music I've been treating myself to lately:
gigantic leaps and bounds, sweeping Broadway style moves, imagining I'm on Dancing with the Stars..

                                 

And then maybe some more of these lovely tunes that make me want to...

SPIN!!!

                                     
And then perhaps it's time for a little Black Eyed Peas or something more hip-hop/club/gangsta style:

            

And finally, in my most personal moments of pure abandon..when I'm truly worshipping in my dance...


    

(ok, you're right, of course i'm not truly in the moment of worship there, but more in the "hurry up stupid timer already, take the picture before my head snaps off, my big fat 140-pound vertebrae pop out, so I can take a breath already...)  (and why yes, that is my big fat muffin top dunlopping over my big fat yoga pants..)

You're welcome.

Two hours later and I've found my peace again.  Got my groove back.  Can only do that in my alone moments, those crazy "dance as if nobody's watching" times.  Oh sure, I love performing for my kids, whether they like it or not, I always add a chasse-turn-pirhouette-and-leap to my smoothie and snack service.  But the more serious dancing, it would take a real kindred spirit, a soul mate, to really share that with.  Dancing on stage is different, I've loved times of performing worship dance in a large church where all you can see from the stage is lights beaming up at you and you can't see who's out there so it's easy to dance your heart out. Dance for Jesus.  But sharing something so personal as a real spirit-led dance, in a smaller space.. that takes a special audience, someone who can be trusted.  Who knows and feels the spirit that moves you.  I miss that about the worship dance team I used to perform with years ago.   Still longing to be part of that type of group of people again.  People who share that love for worship, that understanding of how music and dance are the very instruments that express our hearts to God.  I don't need someone saying "oh that's nice" or give me a technical play-by-play critique of how they "liked how you did this or that when the music did this or that".   I just move when the spirit says move.  And i'm blabbering and not making sense. and this has gone beyond the definition of light fluffy everyday stuff so bye.

Show's over.  Move along.

       

Taco Thursday!!

Buen provecho!

Monday appointment

Ok doc, work your magic...

Afternoon sun

Good morning

mood

Ghostwriter

No big deal, but this is actually one of my own blog posts tweeted about below...I ghostwrote it for this bridal site.

Check out @ArmenianBridal's Tweet: https://twitter.com/ArmenianBridal/status/730465531841511424?s=09

, just finding my junk online. Kinda fun.

Good gloomy morning

Halloween 2016

Happy Day after the Day of the Dead, or something like that...



Just slappin' up a few pics of our recent Halloween gig here.. starting out with some Jack-o-Lanterns. (thankful it's too dark to see the multitude of disgusting fruit flies hovering around these filthy rotten pits of slime..)



Nothing too fancy here, but had fun scaring little kids with the evil guys in the 2nd floor windows (can't really see the posters in photo) and also a big furry spider on the porch, connected to a fishing line controlled from inside the window, we really freaked out some little tikes by jerking the line just in time!  ha ha, also grisly sound effects CD playing from open upstairs window.



me and my co-hort in crime, Sam: too old for treats, not too old for tricks!!



Colby (the skeleton) and his new neighbor friend Dalton (Grim Reaper) and Dalton's niece Bentley (Dory) go on a wild ride through farm fields on a golf cart, courtesy of Dalton's mom and teenage daughter (mom of
Bentley, it's complicated..)

 dem bones, dem bones dem- DRY bones!

Surveying the loot.  Sweet dreams!!

Here i go...

Shrink time!

Giddyap!!

Horseback riding for Sam's 14th birthday!!

We had a great time riding this morning!  It's a beautiful fall day here, still warm but not too hot.  Drove out to this horse farm where they give lessons, trail rides, and board horses, too.    We got a quick lesson in the ring, then the 4 of us, (me, Sam & 2 guides) hit the trails around the property.  Up and down through tobacco and bean fields, past a pond and rushing streams, a few old deserted farmhouses, and all accompanied by 2 very lively, friendly dogs! 

 I loved these dogs!  They seemed to be in control of the whole operation; from being the first to welcome us at the barn, to trotting alongside of the owner's horse and then checking back on the rest of us in the line to make sure we were all coming along ok.  They were some kind of mutts, one had the shape of a corgi, but maybe they had some sheepdog in them, the way they were so good at "herding" us along.  They loved water, and stopped a couple times, once to lay on their bellies in a big mud puddle formed by a tractor tire in a harvested tobacco field, and then to jump in the pond to cool off.

ok, more about the horses!  I rode Gypsy, and Sam rode "Miss Tough", I think it was.  It had been years since I'd been in a saddle, but it didn't take long to relax and enjoy the swaying motion and to get my posture right so I could control the horse and keep myself from flapping up and down too much if she started to trot!  Heidi, I can see why you love riding so much!

Sam had a good experience, too.  She said she'd like to do it again sometime.  I'd love for her to take advantage of their volunteer program, where you can ride for free in exchange for working at the farm now and then, shoveling horse manure and stuff like that.  

Time to get busy and bake Sam's cake!!!  

love, jenner

Weekend survival kit

#espressodarkchocolatecaramelicecream
#whitezinfandel
#3000sqftaintbigenough
#comequickmonday
#solongdiet
#welcomebackbellyflab

Lean lunch

Now THAT'S a sandwich!
#sortalean&clean&green #sorryilovecarbsnotsorry
#moreleannewscomingsoononsisterblog
#waitforitlikewaitingforhalloween

smithfield

Hello, it's me again!  

Trying to get back into blogging after a bit of a hiatus, since this City Mouse moved her whole cat and caboodle out to the Country.  Still unpacking some boxes, figuring out how to organize things and adapt to life in That Area Near that Small Town No One's Ever Heard of so I just say "south of Raleigh".   So I'm just here today to record some more observations so far.  That's all this blog is anyhow, just a personal blog of my life, recording some events and moments along the way.  Nothing deep from the blue abyss of my soul.  No inspiring journeys in art or fitness, those are blogs, too, which I also plan to light up again.  But for now, just some more first impressions of this new planet called JoCo that I've landed in.  

Today I took another trip to Smithfield.  Had to get a library card so I can check out real books, but mostly, hopefully, e-books.  Reason is, I've learned, is that the old library here, and the whole town itself, can be described (by me) in one word: Depressing.  Yeah, I don't mean to sound snobbish or anything, but it seems that the further I travel east, the further things go downhill.  Homes look poorer.  Stores dirtier.  And the people all STARE at me like I"m some creature from outer space!  Maybe it's my imagination, but I definitely feel like I stand out in that town.  Went into one little thrift store (can't help it, I'm a diehard Junker!!) and immediately these 2 older frumpy ladies gawk at me, make some comment and turn back around, huddling together like they're whispering about me.  Paranoid?  Maybe.

Then I hit up a second thrift store, (ok, right, so maybe it's just the weird thrift store clientele to blame here..) and I overhear one woman say to another, "Who's that?" and the other: "I have no idea".  

LIke, what's the deal, am I wearing a sign that says something like, "I'm a stranger here, yes, I am a hoity-toity city b(*&(* from the Congested Area of Relocated Yankees and I think I'm better than you"?????

oh well, at least i got to look through this fun pile of old record albums.  

The ol' 33 rpm ones. 50 cents a pop!

And check this out, this dude is serenading the womenfolk on his accordian and the chicks are all like, swooning and getting all hot and  bothered for this weirdo.

ha!

                                      And that's about it.  The sights of small town America.

Walked by this Ava Gardner museum, which was by the library and not far from a Republican campaign center with big ugly TRUMP signs all over.  yuck. (even Ava looks pissed..)

Even the gyms leave a bit to be desired.

Sorry, but only one star for this town.  And that would be the collective merit of the outlet mall and the one Starbucks.  

Carry on wayward son. Nothing to see here.

Catch you back at the watering hole.  Gonna wrap up my hands sometime soon, get back to some boxing in our new "home gym", aka, the bonus room.