I bought Furry Husband and I some tickets to the Ft. Collins Lincoln Center to see Tao - a Japanese drum troupe.
Wow.
Amazing, amazing, amazing.
The coordination, precision, athletic-ness, strength, art, grace was incredible.
There were drums - sometimes as big as a VW beetle - and someone would stand in front of this ginormus drum and wail on it. The intricacy of the rhythms, the skill at creating soft drumming and then so loud you felt your rib cage rattle.... oh, it was just so fantastic.
I had goose bumps during most of the show.
There were 4 or 5 women in the troupe. Most of the numbers had them in backless outfits and damn if they did not have the most muscular, incredible backs of all time. There were several numbers where the men wore no shirts and they had zero body fat. They all held low squats and lunges for long amounts of time - sometimes carrying large drums, other times leaping light as a feather out of the pose with so much explosive energy.
The complete mastery they had of their bodies was just beautiful and awe inspiring. If you ever get a chance, go see these people. They are amazing!
http://www.drum-tao.com/en/
If you watch the 2008 Australia Tour video clip, it shows an entire number so you can get a sense of what they do. http://www.drum-tao.com/en/video_gallery/index.html
Tho' watching a video clip vs. being there live and in person with the energy and sound moving you is like night and day.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
On no posts....
Hmmm - this winter has been sort of slow and boring for blog posts. It's been cold and I go to work, come home, cook dinner... we eat... we play with dogs, feed horses, milk goats....go to bed, rinse and repeat.
I've been a bit of a weenie about riding in the cold we've had recently... go figure. We can get up at 4:30 AM, bundle up and take the dogs for a 2 mile walk under the stars and yet, when I get home and it's cold and dark I have no desire to climb up on my little red mule.
Debbie clinics have been cancelled due to snow and people unable to dig out trailers and I guess it assists in the "no motivation" piece of riding. I'm looking forward to longer days and sunlight for me arse to hit the leather again!
Dog agility has also been postponed several times due to snow. Hopefully this weekend I'll get a ride in with Rex AND an agility class with The Toe! What a concept.
I've been continuing on with my clean eating habits... no grains, lots of veggies (who knew brussel sprouts were so friggin delicious roasted in olive oil and salt til they are all carmelized and scrumptious nuggets of yum?) and yummy animal protiens - fish, chicken, beef, pork... little sugar (1-2 squares of 85% dark chocolate a night along with a glass or 2 of red wine, some fruit here and there) and I've been working on my bodyweight exercises. I feel stronger and healthier than ever...
As I continue with my bodyweight exercises things will only get stronger and better... it's fun and interesting to feel my body change as well as my moods/energy/mind getting stronger and happier. Never thought I'd feel this good again thanks to Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ for all the free info you could want, free e-fitness book, free e-cookbook etc. etc. etc.)
Check out these awesome blogs:
Team Gorilla - I look at this site every day to keep my motivation strong. Strong women working hard and getting stronger! Amen sistah!
http://wildgorillaman.blogspot.com/2012/02/wednesday-warmup-strong-is-new-strong.html
This woman is also very inspiring, check her out
http://www.nancyjohnsonchavez.com/
And this is a great site for fitness/nutrition geared for women tho' any man would get great info here as well:
http://www.stumptuous.com/no-weights-no-problem
I've been a bit of a weenie about riding in the cold we've had recently... go figure. We can get up at 4:30 AM, bundle up and take the dogs for a 2 mile walk under the stars and yet, when I get home and it's cold and dark I have no desire to climb up on my little red mule.
Debbie clinics have been cancelled due to snow and people unable to dig out trailers and I guess it assists in the "no motivation" piece of riding. I'm looking forward to longer days and sunlight for me arse to hit the leather again!
Dog agility has also been postponed several times due to snow. Hopefully this weekend I'll get a ride in with Rex AND an agility class with The Toe! What a concept.
I've been continuing on with my clean eating habits... no grains, lots of veggies (who knew brussel sprouts were so friggin delicious roasted in olive oil and salt til they are all carmelized and scrumptious nuggets of yum?) and yummy animal protiens - fish, chicken, beef, pork... little sugar (1-2 squares of 85% dark chocolate a night along with a glass or 2 of red wine, some fruit here and there) and I've been working on my bodyweight exercises. I feel stronger and healthier than ever...
As I continue with my bodyweight exercises things will only get stronger and better... it's fun and interesting to feel my body change as well as my moods/energy/mind getting stronger and happier. Never thought I'd feel this good again thanks to Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ for all the free info you could want, free e-fitness book, free e-cookbook etc. etc. etc.)
Check out these awesome blogs:
Team Gorilla - I look at this site every day to keep my motivation strong. Strong women working hard and getting stronger! Amen sistah!
http://wildgorillaman.blogspot.com/2012/02/wednesday-warmup-strong-is-new-strong.html
This woman is also very inspiring, check her out
http://www.nancyjohnsonchavez.com/
And this is a great site for fitness/nutrition geared for women tho' any man would get great info here as well:
http://www.stumptuous.com/no-weights-no-problem
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Chicken Tomatillo Stew
I don't post many recipies here, however, we made this for the first time last night and it was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!
We are supposed to get a storm blowing in today and this soup is perfect for a cold, wintery day stuck inside.... so warm and a lovely level of heat without being hot or spicy... warms you up all the way around!
We are supposed to get a storm blowing in today and this soup is perfect for a cold, wintery day stuck inside.... so warm and a lovely level of heat without being hot or spicy... warms you up all the way around!
2-3 poblano peppers
1-2 jalepenos
2-3 red or green peppers (optional)
1 cubanelle pepper (dunno what this is and they didn't have this sort of pepper in our grocery store - we used an anaheim pepper and we threw in a serrano pepper too)
1-2 small yellow onions
2-3 garlic cloves
chop all
add
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 Tbl cumin
1 24oz jar of tomatillos
1-2 jalepenos
2-3 red or green peppers (optional)
1 cubanelle pepper (dunno what this is and they didn't have this sort of pepper in our grocery store - we used an anaheim pepper and we threw in a serrano pepper too)
1-2 small yellow onions
2-3 garlic cloves
chop all
add
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 Tbl cumin
1 24oz jar of tomatillos
2lbs chix
4C chix broth
we put it all in a crock pot on low for 8 hrs... shredded the chix with 2 forks in the pot when we got home....
scoop into a bowl, add a little sour cream....AMAZING!
Recipe says you can add or subtract as many veggies as you like.
4C chix broth
we put it all in a crock pot on low for 8 hrs... shredded the chix with 2 forks in the pot when we got home....
scoop into a bowl, add a little sour cream....AMAZING!
Recipe says you can add or subtract as many veggies as you like.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
yo-yo-yo word....
No. Not that sort o' word...not to yo' mutha...
WORD for the year.
Yesterday was my lunchtime yoga class. I absolutely LOVE my instructor, most of the things she discusses before class really resonate with me for some reason. They click and make sense in my little life. Yoga is my brain candy... I like the peace it brings the hamster running on the wheel called "my brain".
WORD for the year.
Yesterday was my lunchtime yoga class. I absolutely LOVE my instructor, most of the things she discusses before class really resonate with me for some reason. They click and make sense in my little life. Yoga is my brain candy... I like the peace it brings the hamster running on the wheel called "my brain".
Yesterday she talked about having a word for the year... said she asks people to think of a word specifically on Nov. 1 - something to do with alignment (some of the yoga concepts are over my head - can only take so much in) and it becomes this seed planted in the ground to grow in the coming year, right? A visual about your word.
I was not in that particular class... I didn't know about the word thing...and of course it is fine that you didn't have a word in November and she asked us to think about what a good word for the year might be.
My word flashed into my head like a giant neon sign.
Right around November 1 is when I wanted to become stronger and started investigating the body weight stuff... I have been thinking STRENGTH since November. Took some pix o' myself November 2nd to track progress and body composition changes. Co-inky-dink? I think not.
This may be too fru-fru for you vs science based - maybe a little too Mulder and not enough Scully - and yet, I think things happen for a reason and there are no coincidences.
When she was talking about all this and how right now is the "quickening" when your word is really wanting to burst forth and you have all this energy surrounding your word and what it means to you.
I've had this renewed energy and increased motivation for my workouts....? Furry Husband was saying the other day I seem a little "obsessed". Heh. Me? I have had a lot of excitement about it - reading and researching it all.
Very interesting.
My word, that I didn't have to think about and have been focusing on since November, is STRENGTH. And of course this can cover many other aspects of my life - not just physical strength but the strength to do what I think needs to be done vs. what others think (I think I easily cave to go with status quo), emotional strength (to conquer fears I have) etc.
Just thought it was cool.
She said to think of your word often - when you are lagging or tired think of your word and it will help you move toward that word. Of course it goes right along with setting goals, it's not like it's magic or some sort of yogini juju ... sure is a neat way to think of it tho! An idea, planted... growing and becoming something of substance in your world/mind/body.
Now, think of a word YOU want to focus on this year. Let's move toward that idea, word, goal, concept in 2012...
AND speaking of strength... here is a YouTube link for some amazing "wow" factor. This is my body weight role model, Al Kavadlo. Check this man out... talk about some serious STRENGTH. Dang.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Ch-ch-ch-changes....
Flying changes that is.
I really try to be a good student, do my homework and progress. I took it seriously at the last clinic when Debbie told me I needed to work on my flying changes every time I rode Sera.
I started at home with the simple changes - canter, walk, canter. Making sure Sera was really round and through and not inverting or getting stiff in her neck, back or jaw when I asked... I did them all over... long side, diagonally across the arena, figure 8s, half circles etc. I did them with various canter strides in between too. Sometimes 5 strides, sometimes 10 strides. I made them as unpredictable as possible so she'd really be listening to my seat and legs.
And every once and a while, I asked for a flying change. If she got stuck and it didn't happen, no big deal, I continued on with my simple changes. I'd ask for a flying change again somewhere in the middle of all the simple changes.
I got a flying change on each side. They were kicking out and not beautiful but I got them and I was excited. I called Rex and left her a babbling, incoherent voice mail I was so excited.
I had a ride with Rex that weekend and told her (coherently) how I did them at home... she asked me to recreate it. I did and I got the flying changes again.
However, I had a big light bulb moment.
This work is new to me and I've never ridden Third Level before... all this work and all these new maneuvers are as new to me as they are to Sera. No one trains her - I take lessons but she's never been schooled by a professional on her back. I've never ridden a school master horse to teach me how it is supposed to go. We are really the blind leading the blind as we move up in Dressage.
It was discovered while riding with Rex and our discussions in my lesson that I was thinking about simple changes when asking for flying change. I was focused on half halts and slowing Sera down for the change like I do when I am collecting her to ask for a walk from canter.
Rex told me to stay forward - don't slow, keep her over her back, deep AND keep her forward through the change. Sera still kicked out but it was one kick vs 3 or 4, the change occurred faster, smoother and it was more on my aids. The canter stayed the same rhythm before, during and after the change.
Ohhhhhhhh! *ding* And there is your light bulb!
Probably elementary to those who have schooled them and ridden them before... to me, it was so exciting! Like Helen Keller asking Anne Sullivan for the word "water". I LOVE learning the new movements and how to ride them effectively.
I had a clinic yesterday with Debbie and I hoped she would see improvement too - that I wasn't "imagining" our flying changes had improved. I do have a pretty active imagination....
I explained to her my light bulb moment with Rex and she also had a moment of raised eyebrows as well..."oh, I didn't realize you thought to ask for them that way but it makes sense that you did".... she asked me for a flying change.... and another... and another... I must've done 6 or 7. I've never ridden that many all in a row....I didn't think I could. I didn't do my simple changes to warm Sera up either.
Guess what? I did them! Got changes every time! Debbie pushes me to ride harder and to ride better and that is a good thing!
She did see improvement...less kicking, quicker reaction... she says riding at Third Level this summer is very attainable. I really may get my USDF Bronze medal this year.
I asked if she would get on Sera so I could watch her do some changes. Debbie was happy to do so, she's never been on Sera before - we were 3/4 done with our ride time, Sera was warmed up, working and going well.
Yeeeowch! When a trainer gets on the horse that only you ride? Your horse shows all your faults and weaknesses in your riding. Horses don't lie. Debbie didn't do any changes but she certainly zero'd in on my weaknesses!
It was good for me to really see Sera worked correctly. While I truly thought I was making the corrections and adjustments in my riding the way Debbie was asking me to - I clearly was not . I'm too "nice"....not that I need to be mean or iron fisted - I need to be much more firm.
I'm not doing myself or Sera justice if I let things be "good enough". I need to expect more from myself and from my little red-headed mule. I understood - she can do the work - I can do the work - it was a really great visual to have Debbie ride so I could clearly picture what is needed.
Sera has to be more committed to the outside rein - I'm to practice letting go of the inside rein for longer periods of time - seeing how long we can go with Sera truly in that outside rein.
Sera has to be able to move forward in collection. No more eeking the reins out little by little.
Sera has to be hot off my leg. No more blowing my leg off... she must respond exactly when I ask.
I got back on after Debbie tuned Sera up with the above concepts and yes... the difference was big. It will only help us in progressing onward and upward. It was a great ride and another really great light bulb moment. I've got a lot of homework til the next clinic Feb. 8th.
I love these moments ... and I absolutely love my mare for having so much try in her and working so incredibly hard.
I really try to be a good student, do my homework and progress. I took it seriously at the last clinic when Debbie told me I needed to work on my flying changes every time I rode Sera.
I started at home with the simple changes - canter, walk, canter. Making sure Sera was really round and through and not inverting or getting stiff in her neck, back or jaw when I asked... I did them all over... long side, diagonally across the arena, figure 8s, half circles etc. I did them with various canter strides in between too. Sometimes 5 strides, sometimes 10 strides. I made them as unpredictable as possible so she'd really be listening to my seat and legs.
And every once and a while, I asked for a flying change. If she got stuck and it didn't happen, no big deal, I continued on with my simple changes. I'd ask for a flying change again somewhere in the middle of all the simple changes.
I got a flying change on each side. They were kicking out and not beautiful but I got them and I was excited. I called Rex and left her a babbling, incoherent voice mail I was so excited.
I had a ride with Rex that weekend and told her (coherently) how I did them at home... she asked me to recreate it. I did and I got the flying changes again.
However, I had a big light bulb moment.
This work is new to me and I've never ridden Third Level before... all this work and all these new maneuvers are as new to me as they are to Sera. No one trains her - I take lessons but she's never been schooled by a professional on her back. I've never ridden a school master horse to teach me how it is supposed to go. We are really the blind leading the blind as we move up in Dressage.
It was discovered while riding with Rex and our discussions in my lesson that I was thinking about simple changes when asking for flying change. I was focused on half halts and slowing Sera down for the change like I do when I am collecting her to ask for a walk from canter.
Rex told me to stay forward - don't slow, keep her over her back, deep AND keep her forward through the change. Sera still kicked out but it was one kick vs 3 or 4, the change occurred faster, smoother and it was more on my aids. The canter stayed the same rhythm before, during and after the change.
Ohhhhhhhh! *ding* And there is your light bulb!
Probably elementary to those who have schooled them and ridden them before... to me, it was so exciting! Like Helen Keller asking Anne Sullivan for the word "water". I LOVE learning the new movements and how to ride them effectively.
I had a clinic yesterday with Debbie and I hoped she would see improvement too - that I wasn't "imagining" our flying changes had improved. I do have a pretty active imagination....
I explained to her my light bulb moment with Rex and she also had a moment of raised eyebrows as well..."oh, I didn't realize you thought to ask for them that way but it makes sense that you did".... she asked me for a flying change.... and another... and another... I must've done 6 or 7. I've never ridden that many all in a row....I didn't think I could. I didn't do my simple changes to warm Sera up either.
Guess what? I did them! Got changes every time! Debbie pushes me to ride harder and to ride better and that is a good thing!
She did see improvement...less kicking, quicker reaction... she says riding at Third Level this summer is very attainable. I really may get my USDF Bronze medal this year.
I asked if she would get on Sera so I could watch her do some changes. Debbie was happy to do so, she's never been on Sera before - we were 3/4 done with our ride time, Sera was warmed up, working and going well.
Yeeeowch! When a trainer gets on the horse that only you ride? Your horse shows all your faults and weaknesses in your riding. Horses don't lie. Debbie didn't do any changes but she certainly zero'd in on my weaknesses!
It was good for me to really see Sera worked correctly. While I truly thought I was making the corrections and adjustments in my riding the way Debbie was asking me to - I clearly was not . I'm too "nice"....not that I need to be mean or iron fisted - I need to be much more firm.
I'm not doing myself or Sera justice if I let things be "good enough". I need to expect more from myself and from my little red-headed mule. I understood - she can do the work - I can do the work - it was a really great visual to have Debbie ride so I could clearly picture what is needed.
Sera has to be more committed to the outside rein - I'm to practice letting go of the inside rein for longer periods of time - seeing how long we can go with Sera truly in that outside rein.
Sera has to be able to move forward in collection. No more eeking the reins out little by little.
Sera has to be hot off my leg. No more blowing my leg off... she must respond exactly when I ask.
I got back on after Debbie tuned Sera up with the above concepts and yes... the difference was big. It will only help us in progressing onward and upward. It was a great ride and another really great light bulb moment. I've got a lot of homework til the next clinic Feb. 8th.
I love these moments ... and I absolutely love my mare for having so much try in her and working so incredibly hard.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Denver National Western Stock Show
It's that time of year. Stock show! Furry Husband and I went last Thursday - we like going during the week when it's a lot less crowded. It was sort of a boring stock show day, no big events going on, but still FUN!
We got there around lunch - Furry Husband got his corn dog - THE, one and only, annual corndog! I got some ribs... we went to the coliseum because we thought they had a ranch horse class going on, only it hadn't started yet, it was collegiate judging.
.
.
There were groups of all different animals... 4 angus bulls set up over there, a group of 4 herefords in a pen at the end of the arena, 4 sheep held in head stanchions at the other end of the arena, another set of 4 sheep moving in a small round pen, 4 pigs in another round pen over yonder. There must've been a couple hundred college age people/teams with clipboards. The sheep in head stanchions were being felt and fondled while other groups were standing around or in front of the other animals evaluating, taking notes, judging.
The entire coliseum was empty - absolutely NO ONE in the stands. Just the few hundred college kids evaluating animals in the arena below.
.
.
We sat down to watch while we ate.
.
.
The announcer gets on the loudspeaker and dismisses the Junior Teams from the floor. Suddenly the area we are sitting in is flooded with college kids. The announcer comes on and says, "The people in section 219... please move... to the people in section 219.... please remove yourselves."
.
.
We are the ONLY people there... Furry Husband gets up and promptly leaves.
.
.
Uh... honey? A little help?
.
.
I'm stuck in my seat, I have my purse, napkins, plate o' ribs, plastic forks to gather up and my hands are all covered in rib juice - not making for a seamless escape....all the college kids are filing into the seats around me. I'm trying to lick and wipe my hands off as fast as I can to grab my stuff and get out.
.
.
Lucky for me, Furry Husband came back, took my plate and we moved... sheesh! They didn't have the area marked off or anything... and there was NO ONE in that coliseum, I swear!
.
We walked around and looked at vendor booths... fun to see everything. Got a pair of leather gloves at the Carhart place for $16... Dave got a pair of warm chore gloves there too for $8... I bought a book at a vendor that has all horse books...I'd read about it, wanted it, forgot I wanted it and there it was on the display table... so got it.
.
The Eighty Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts - about a time in 1958 when a poor Dutch immigrant buys a big grey plow horse from the kill van for $80... he needed a new lesson horse for the place he teaches riding lessons... they become the TOP Jumper competitors of the day - he earns the nickname "The Flying Dutchman" and the horse was named Snowman....true story.
.
.
We walked around and looked at vendor booths... fun to see everything. Got a pair of leather gloves at the Carhart place for $16... Dave got a pair of warm chore gloves there too for $8... I bought a book at a vendor that has all horse books...I'd read about it, wanted it, forgot I wanted it and there it was on the display table... so got it.
.
The Eighty Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts - about a time in 1958 when a poor Dutch immigrant buys a big grey plow horse from the kill van for $80... he needed a new lesson horse for the place he teaches riding lessons... they become the TOP Jumper competitors of the day - he earns the nickname "The Flying Dutchman" and the horse was named Snowman....true story.
.
I read the first couple chapters and I'm totally sucked in - it's gonna be a good book! Love those sort o' underdog/rags to riches stories!!
.
.
We left after walking around a couple hours... stopped at Odells brewery on our way home in Ft. Collins... sat and talked and had a beer in PUBLIC with real people all around. We seem to rarely meet for beers or go out to dinner not on purpose, guess we just get busy with other things so when we do meet in public, it feels so out of the ordinary.
We always talk about how weird that is - how rare our forays into public, popular, crowded places are...tho' I suppose once everything you love is at home, there is not much reason to go out looking for entertainment!
We always talk about how weird that is - how rare our forays into public, popular, crowded places are...tho' I suppose once everything you love is at home, there is not much reason to go out looking for entertainment!
.
Well.... that's my story anyway and I'm stickin' to it! (Besides, it sounds much better than being a 41 yr old boring cat lady recluse...grin)
Well.... that's my story anyway and I'm stickin' to it! (Besides, it sounds much better than being a 41 yr old boring cat lady recluse...grin)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Crazy Cat Lady?
Furry Husband called me yesterday to ask if I had anything to add to the grocery list because he was going to stop at the store on the way home.
I told him I loved him SOOO much, that I had something to add to the list but I would stop at the store to pick it up myself. That is the depth of my love for him - I would not make him buy tampons.
He laughed and asked if I would pick up some cat food too?
I went to the store to buy feminine product and a ga-zillion tins o' cat food. I don't know why I found that to be such a funny scene at the grocery store check-out line....
tampons and cat food in my little basket.
I shoulda added a couple pints of ice cream and a cat brush.
I told him I loved him SOOO much, that I had something to add to the list but I would stop at the store to pick it up myself. That is the depth of my love for him - I would not make him buy tampons.
He laughed and asked if I would pick up some cat food too?
I went to the store to buy feminine product and a ga-zillion tins o' cat food. I don't know why I found that to be such a funny scene at the grocery store check-out line....
tampons and cat food in my little basket.
I shoulda added a couple pints of ice cream and a cat brush.
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