All That Dancing - It's hard to believe that I only started in ATS bellydancing just ten months ago. I met Twisted Gypsy (a troupe of dancers and drummers) at Potrero (an SCA camping event every year over Memorial Day weekend), and became friends easily and quickly with Jen. We connected on Facebook, I checked out her website, and discovered she taught a Monday class just 3 miles from my work place. I danced through the summer and into fall, adding a Friday dance class, adding a Tuesday drum class, adding a second Tuesday drum class, on and on. By December, I was invited to dance with several other level 1.5 students at the Holiday party. Six months in, and I was already ahead of schedule. I'd be told that most folks take about a year to really master level 1.0.

This winter session, I had added private lessons for one class session, to learn the Level 2.0 material. My Monday lessons are taught by Cassandra, and both she and Jen recruited me up to be a TA for them each of their Level 1.0 classes.

Now my most-expanded dance session starts this week: 1hr Level 2.0 private lessons Mondays, 1 hr Level 2.0 class Tuesdays, 1 hr Level 1.0 TA and 1 hr Level 1.5 class Thursdays, and another Level 1.0 TA class on Fridays for 90-min (possibly followed by 90-min of Level 1.5). I've managed to maintain one 1-hr Level 1 drum class, but I've had to postpone Level 2-3 drums to enroll in the Tue Level 2.0 dance class.

Yesterday, I registered for Tribal Fest in mid-May. I'll be taking one 2-hr class each Wed, Fri, Sat, and Sun and two 2-hr classes Thu. And I couldn't be happier.

A few summers ago, some of us were preparing for our annual "Hogwarts party" and I found myself gasping for breath after just playing a single game of Quidditch. So I started an intense focus for six weeks, to get ready for the "big Quidditch World Championship." When the event finally arrived, I played in every Quidditch game all day Saturday, plus in the championship game on Sunday. I was able to physically keep up, after just a 6-week intensive preparation.

Tribal Fest is in just a little more than 6 weeks. Time to get focused, to be able to dance intensively for 2-hours per day, 5 days in a row, including one day I'll be dancing for 4-hours.

Here we go!

* * * * *
Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: Rae and Renata, for hosting all those Quidditch tournaments, teaching me I can do this. Mina, for all the Quidditch training we did, down in the park. Jen and Sass, for believing in me now. And all the friends this weekend who told me there's less of me when they hug me now.

* * * * *

On Another Note: Crafty Things! - Last week, I posted about my floral hair clips: http://cayswanncrafts.blogspot.com/2011/03/floral-hair-clip-frenzy.html

I also posted some new items in my etsy store:

• Design your own (large) floral hair clip
• Design your own (medium) floral hair clip
• "Carnival Confetti" yarn, which I spun while I was at WOWE