Jacob Jagger & John B
It’s about that time!
I’ve been dancing with a kiddo who has come soooo far not only in the area of dance, but within himself. When we first met, he was very upset. He didn’t like the new place he was entering and hated the stairs he had to climb in order to meet this new girl in his life that he was to dance with. He didn’t like to dance, except his signature “rock-out” move, which is just that-back and forth rocking-and well…our first meeting ended up with my husband holding Jonathan for over 30 minutes just to calm Johns nerves and help dry his tears.
It’s been over a month of dance practice once a week. He got used to the old stairs. Now, John has entered three new dance practice spaces and new stairs with new lighting, but the same dance partner. I won’t downplay it, every new building he entered was a large challenge for him, met with tears, frustrated out bursts and even hitting his head at times. Every time, I waited…and we started up our old dance moves again. With his mother by his side, concerned for her little boy, I never said we HAD to do this dance competition and always left the door open, but lightly encouraged us to stick it out together and learn and grow as a team. He’d start again, muscle threw his fears and anxioeties…he would melt down, but build himself up again because of his mothers support and my consistency.
Tonight is the big night. BUT REALLY…last night was an amazing event all by itself. It was dress rehearsal for Jonathan and myself. We had our matching cut-up, red, t-shirts on with our names across the front and a metallic silver rockin’ guitar boasting center t-shirt stage. It was our turn to go out and shine. John nervously walked up the ramp behind the dark stage and we navigated around the junk in his path. I remember wishing that it had been cleared up for us, but he seemed to be alright at the moment. We both saw the light at the end of the tunnel and he looked at me. His face lit up and that crooked smile blazed out!
He hit the stage like a tiger! I was beside myself!! Suddenly, there stood a strong young man with such vigor, I could hardly keep myself together to lead him once the music started! The lights the previously annoyed him and two days previously had helped in his crumbling, now seemed to feed him! What a surprise and joyous dance we had. I’ll never forget those 2 minutes on the stage with him and I can only hope things just keep getting better.
During the process of learning from one another, he’s cried & I’ve cried. He’s learned how to move his feet from side to side and I’ve learned how to move my feet as a leader. More to come on this later….until then, please stop by and meet Jonny…cast your vote too if you like! http://www.thearcjackson.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=279&Itemid=113 for Johnathan B and Ila S.
Thanks WordPress folks…you are such a support.
ila selene
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- Heidi Aphrodite Photography, Seaside Oregon
Here we go folks! I told ya…we are doin this music thing….here’s one more step closer to the ultimate goal. Photoshoot for album covers and more 
I also aded behind the scene shots for fun… ENJOY!
“nibble on those glasses”
grrrr
Duck face-ummm really!
I’m getting ready! Here’s the photographer Heidi!
I view the world threw a lens really. Like a photographer I tend to change the lens to match the need I have in-front of me. If I need to see an up close specimen I change my lense. My vantage point of the situation is one of focus and quiet determination. I observe all the crevices and details of the matter, sometimes taking a massive amount of time snapping shot after shot of it, just to try and get the correct angle so it speaks. Every item has a story to tell, everything has a history…even a fly has been places and seen things. That fly carries with it, the remnants of history and although may not have collected the parts of the world you or I would like to dream of vacationing, still, the fly has captured life.
I’ve never felt so small and yet overwhelmingly connected to history as when I saw the Redwoods in California. The very air I breathed had been cleaned and filtered by the same trees that someone thousands of years ago took in. Visiting this place, not only will I return soon, but I found myself beyond normal everyday inspiration. I wanted to capture every piece of it as much as I could. I couldn’t take pictures, so I did as I had once done when I was young.
For many years, I could not afford the luxury of a camera, instead I snapped shots in my head. When I was a child I would think, “How would I take this picture if I did have a camera” and shoot away I would! From landscapes to when I got older and was singing with groups that traveled, I would “pretend” shoot and banked photos for when I need it. The same went for the Redwoods.
In those mental photography moments, I wanted not only the up close rivets and shifts of bark, but the landscape of masterful beauty in my mental bottle. I took out my broad spectrum lens for those timeless mental embossing. I view the world like a photographer….so I take pictures too, but some are only meant for my mind to see and my eyes to absorb…the rest I get to share with you.
I’ve worked in the school system for years helping homeless kids, ages infant through college, reach their educational goals. My mother retired as an elementary school teacher and her mother before her. In those years, the three of us have seen a gradual disconnect happen. Fear has been a driving force behind it all. Guns, bow and arrows and raw violence are the possible tools used to express it, but I feel the lessening of human value and general human needs continues to fester. If not guns, poisonings, if not poisoning, violence. If not violence seclusion and utter separation from one another will become our truth. In that truth there is no understanding or respectful value of one another, only grief and pain like that we are all experiencing today. Unless we meet each other halfway and bring communities together–with all our uniqueness–fear/pride will overcome. When I perform tonight with others from the community trying to lift up the hearts of our community members, I have suddenly found myself in a place of absolute dismay and grief, mixed with a feeling of responsibility to reach out to others and try to support-however I am able. What I’ve seen lacking in the school systems & society & clubs/organizations is the inward focus & unconcern for other human beings. I will do my part tonight in helping bring our communities back together & grieve with strangers. Letting people know that everyone has purpose and therefore should be supported and valued. (mental health support services come to mind) Today, I will continue to receive phone calls from scared friends who are parents and simply listen to them. If we listen & work together we will drown out fear. Without fear, we are more secure and stronger as a Nation. Whatever weapon of choice is considered, the person thinking of these types of horrible actions are less likely to attack. I agree Bryce Graves…it’s a productive approach to ask open-ended questions with the goal of reaching absolute truth. If we all take that approach in each of our communities or circles of influences, we’ll get to the heart of the matter and actually make change.
Now that you’ve read my repo-prep Part 1, here is what happened the day-of…plus a little fun intro—enjoy! Because it’s just not worth stressin’ over…life happens. Laugh anyway.
Why mope around and sulk? Why allow feelings of negativity, sadness, helpless or failure creep in? You and I both know those choices lower your immune system and invite you to gracefully bow-out of life into the unforgiving sick-bed. NO THANK YOU to that hot mess!
I called the towing company a couple of days before to arrange for the car pick-up, so I made sure to clean out the vehicle and drink lots of water to help calm possible upset nerves or stomach.(see previous post) To avoid mental distractions, I chose not to mention the arrangement to anyone until the day-of, when I let my husband know that today was D-day. In the interim, I had insured he had lots of water too. Also, he’d wanted a colonic, and I knew the day after he’d had his first session, he would be tired or as I like to call it, the “colonic day of rest” would hit, so I’d hoped this would happen the day the towing truck would arrive to take away the car. It did. Let’s just say he was very relaxed…no extra stress was taking my man down!
As for myself, I was looking forward to an inexpensive DIY spa treatment.
SO…for all of you out there who are singing, ”oops I lost my house” or “dang I lost my job” and in my case “frankincense and mir! I’ve lost my holiday-ride!” take this tip from me. Take care of yourself & do it, the old-fashioned way. If you have a partner, be sure to get them in on the spa-action too. Be creative, you’ll both need a bit of TLC mixed in with some of these spa-treatment ideas and moments to relax. Things happen in life, but don’t let it take you down.
p.s. Hugs go a loooooooong way.
This is what I did: (hope you like the pics too)
#1=Work out, more water and more work out! My husband and I hit the gym. (yep, he rallied even after his first ever colonic visit…he’s superman.) Remember: liquids + vitamins.
#2=Let the Spa begin!
- Time to drain! As a singer, I have to sing even when I can’t talk, so that means I need tricks up my vocal-chord “sleeve” in order to allow the show to go on. One way is this helpful invention called NeilMed Nasel flow, which is a Neti-pot system. I’d had my hubby do this (with our filtered water OF COURSE!) a couple of days before, so he didn’t get run down. Today was my turn and that is how I decided to start my spa treatment session!
Neti-pot love: It’s pretty easy. Boil water in your tea-pot (we have the best water filter ever, but I boil it anyway. It’s more peace of mind and it feels better luke-warm rather than cold water…yuck). Mix the saline solution packet & water in the blue pot. Place spout comfortably in one nostril, tilt head and let it flow! My throat, ears and nose always feel a lot better. I wouldn’t recommend this on a spa-day if you’ve never done it before, but it was a great beginning to my afternoon of treatments for my body-care and needs.
- After my nose was feeling the saline-neti-pot-love, it was time to focus on my hair. Get the hair prepped for a shiny new start with Baking Soda! I chose really simple DIY Spa treatments.
Hair Paste: Mix together filtered water and Baking soda to create a paste. Put paste all over damp hair, pile hair on top of head and set timer for 20 minutes. Let mixture sit in hair. This is GREAT for removing gunk, dindge & unwanted product build-up! It was kind of messy, but an easy clean up.
- My hot water was already warmed up from the epi-pot and ready for my face steaming session, so all I needed now was a spoon full of sugar…yum! I quickly (and easily) put together the body & face scrubs. See below.
Here’s the body scrub: Brown sugar, olive oil & honey. There are MANY DIY scrubs to choose from, but again~I was keeping it simple. I made sure there was a nice balance of brown sugar to olive oil…I like more brown sugar then liquids…and then added a tsp or so of honey. Doesn’t it look glorious?!
Here’s the facial exfoliant (below): Brown sugar and honey. The picture is before they are mixed together (I used my ring finger to mix & apply to my face right before my shower.) Pretty simple huh? I set both mixers off to the side ready for later use. I still had my hair to wait for and I knew exactly what to do while waiting…
- Time to steam! To open the pores in my face and get ready for the wonderful sugar exfoliant awaiting me in the bathroom, I used my previously heated water as well as created a relaxing atmosphere. Grab something that takes you to a happy place that can participate somehow visually during your steam session. I chose a hand cockade heat-pad to put my steam bowl on. It was made by my grandmother and was a gift from her. When I saw it, I felt better, so I used it. I put some tranquil music on lightly in the background. I knew I had wonderful goodness waiting for me in the bathroom and my husband was recovering/resting in the bedroom. The kitchen dishes were stacked and ready to be washed later and I was ready to let life go for the next 5-8 minutes.
Get Steamed: My grandmothers creme colored heat pad is placed under a clean pan I have. I grabbed some bright and cheery colored cloths to drape over my head and trap the steam in as well as a smaller cloth to dab my face. (choose more soothing colors if you’d like, just pay attention to what you are attracted to…listen!) Place large cloth over and behind head, drape to the sides of bowl while hovering over steamy water. Allow steam to comfortably breeze over face and let outside air in as desired. Breath slowly, calmly and release muscles in face and throat and finally the rest of the body. Clear mind and enjoy.
I took the face steam items to the bathroom with me. Here’s how it went and let me just say, I felt WONDERFUL afterwords.
- Mix facial scrub and begin lightly massaging mixture in circular motion on face, being careful of eye area and the tender skin there. My face was damp from the steam, so this process was heavenly. Rinsed off hands & pat dry.
- Lightly dry-scrub entire body with a small natural sponge using circular motions. Started at top of feet, up the legs, to the mid-section and ending finally at the upper body. A good dry-scrub helps flex off dry layers of skin as well as stirs the skins’ circulation-pot to get the blood flowing and ready for a nice showered sugar scrub.
- Put body scrub in shower, shut-off 20 minute hair timer & started the shower. My face was brown with my scrub, my hair was white with baking soda paste, my nose was draining from its earlier irrigation & I was NOT thinking of my repo. (I bet you forgot just now too huh?!) Time to get in the shower!
- Circular motions to help rinse off face, rinsed hair and then used my sugar scrub for the body. I would recommend concentrating on hand and interlaced finger massaging with the scrub and hitting the nails too. Of course be sure to scrub your toes and any rough areas. Scrub it all people!
- Rinse well to get all the sticky off!
- Pat dry
- Drink water & tea
The results?
AMAZING!
I’ve never done this before and not only did I feel and see the awesome results for days (so did my husband), but I was relaxed and happy. I didn’t use a bunch of expensive chemicals on myself & I didn’t hurt the environment. I woke up my husband after I had taken care of myself, got him some water and he took care of the dishes for me. Then he enjoyed the sugar scrub too and used it up. Later, he and I went out and picked up my new-to-me used vehicle and when we returned home, the repo-man had come. That was that and THAT was alright with us. The rest of the night was … well spent. 
#3. Picked up my new used car from a friends house…making payments and fixing it up now.
#4. Remember…challenges equal opportunity.
Hope this helps you all too.
