Toothless and Chatty
Hullo sisters! So I have just returned from my first encounter with anesthesia. Not to worry, nothing serious, I've just lost two and a half bits of wisdom from my jaw (a.k.a. got my wisdom teeth out). I had one large one and two little nubs that shall no longer trouble me. Yay! Now I get to eat a whole bunch of Haagan Daz and watch movies all day. Though, even as I type, the numbness is beginning to be replaced by pain. *sigh* Anyway, before I got my teeth removed, I just returned on Saturday from a week in Santa Fe where I was taking Suzuki Violin Teacher training for Book 1. It was because of this event that I was not at the lake last weekend with Laura B, (though I did get to see her the weekend prior, as well as Lauren N. :) :) :) ) Devon, and Lizzy :( but it was a very informative and learning week, I feel far more prepared to teach the ten year old violin student Cara handed off to me to teach this fall. It's going to be great. I have all kinds of new ideas and methods.

Before Santa Fe, I was at the lake with Laura loo and her fam, and her friend Ann, chizzillin, skiing, kneeboarding, tubing, turtle racing, eating yummy yummy food and hangin' with the fam. I love Laura's family, they're awesome. I got to hear about Ally's (Laura, is your sister's name spelled with an i or a y or an ie?) SCA experiences (and smell them, whew!), dance lindy with Eric so much so that we roused Laura's dad from downstairs (apparently the cieling was shaking), heard a bit of Dana's violin practicing (Rode etudes! Yeeha!, I feel your pain, Dana), talk religion with Aunt Nancy, Laura's mom, and Grandma Jean, help supervise the lifting of a very large oil tank onto a trailer with Laura's dad, bro, laura and ann, (in our pajamas no less), see the skiing superstar that is Laura's dad, (way to slalom, Glen!), witness the crazy/hilariousness of laura's cousin Ryan playing the accordian, tube (or perhaps fly would be a better term, we got some sick air) side by side with Ann behind Laura's dad's excellent boat driving, and stay up late into the night putting together a noodle-puzzle with Laura, Eric, and Ann, jiving to Eric's sweet (albeit only a remnant) music collection. It was a good time. The whole time I felt so at home and relaxed, which is kind of unusual for me around anybody but my family. I just felt like I could be myself, not feeling obligated to be talkative and social, but not too shy to never say anything. It was so peaceful. I hope all you kids who came on Friday and after had a good time too. Share your stories and pictures!

Work is now over for me (actually, it's been over for two weeks now), and on Thursday I head south to Socorro, NM for August Folk Dance Camp! yayayay! This year we are doing Bulgarian and African folk dances, and I am really excited because I like the intricate, fast and tricky footwork of Bulgarian (as well as the sweet 7/8, 11/8 9/8 time signatures and rhythms), but I want to get better at the carefree looseness of African movement. AND, John, Terri and Isabel are coming to August camp! Yayayayaay!! Then they'll be in town for about a week, and I'm driving home with them to stay for another week to see their new house (and maybe visit some friends in Texas). I'm not a fan of being the only kid at home, and am a little sad John grew up so fast and had a kid and all and moved away, so it will be really good to see him again. Strangely enough, in some senses, I've been learning in myself what a kind of odd relationship we have. He's my brother of course, but since I don't have a biological father, he's sort of sometimes played that role. Actually, the more I think about fathers, I am kind of formulating a theory that I've just had a bunch of father-figures in my life, from this friend of my mom from folk dancing, to my soccer coach, to my brother, to my friends' dads, to my favorite high school teachers ... it's interesting.

Anyway, I'm just sort of typing whatever comes into my head. I feel pretty chill right now. Oh, so remember when I mentioned I was learning about Meyers Briggs personality types? Well, (and both my mom and Laura S. can testify to this) I got really excited about this personality type idea and just all the different aspects and subdivisions of people's personalities and the way they function and relate to one another as a result. Like, REALLY excited. It's just all so COOL! (so be forewarned, if the topic comes up, I'll go off for a good fifteen minutes or so, it's my latest rant/interest) Anyway, Well I picked up this other book from my church's book fair, "The Other Side of Silence" by Morton T. Kelsey, and I've only just begun it, but it is really cool It's main focus is a handbook for meditation, but he is a very logical, real and helpful author particularly because he is very focussed on integrating ideas from psychology and devotional classics to aid one in one's faith journey and relationship with God. I find it very useful already, and he's only talked about the need for psychologists and spiritualists to compare notes, intimacy in relationships, art and meditation. Man, does he have some cool things to say about art. Maybe I'll post some quotes soon. Anyway, it's a cool book and I'm excited to start it.

Molly, I'll definitely keep Marie and your fam in my thoughts/prayers she's a hero, go her!, BML, I'm thinking of/praying for you and home and God, I have every hope and confidense that our daddy will see you through, Laura S., I pray for your kids and all of the Casa caregivers keep on heapin' up the love, and don't forget to refill, Lizzy, those beeeeautiful loaves are indeed beeeeeautiful and I'm so glad you get to be your awesome Russian self, you make me smile :) keep experimenting with desserts, SOMETHING's bound to taste good, any further insights on the future of humankind? D-vo, how ARE you, girl? How's dancing? How's the life plan, or the day by day?

Ok, I love you all humongously (even more humongously than my cheeks right now, and believe me their growing) << before and after pictures to come!. And, I have to admit, I think there are still some strains of Anesthesia running through my veins because I feel unusually chill. I think I should practice this kind of state of chillness more often, it makes it easier to be open and relational. (but w/o the drug thing)

anyway, ta ta for now! peace and all good,

maria
- posted by maria @ 1:31 PM