aurahoops on cbs42 news

For Alabama peeps, you can see us on tonight at 10 on CBS42. I will post a link afterward for others.


ok you can see the clip on my website home.coosahs.net/aurahoops

Newspaper Article on aurahoops from St. Clair News Aegis today

Local Entrepreneurs See Hoop Dreams

By Joel Paris

A hula-hoop is just a hula-hoop, unless it comes from aurahoop, Dana Moore and Janet Richey’s imaginative business.

Aurahoop specializes in custom fitness and dance hoops. They provide hoop dance lessons and hoop making workshops. They also entertain for parties and teach what they call “hulaerobics”.

Each custom made dance or fitness hoop is made by hand and is created specifically for each individual’s height and age.

According to hooping.org, hooping is a term for hula-hooping with large customized hoops. The website also claims it is more fun than the hula-hooping you remember growing up, because the bigger and heavier the hoop, the slower it rotates around your body.

“Our hoops are easy for anyone to use no matter their skill level or rhythmic ability. The hoops are heavier and bigger than the ones you buy at Wal-Mart or K-Mart, so they go much slower around your body, making it easier,” Moore said.

Moore was raised in Pell City and finally returned to her roots in 2007, but not before some unique experiences.

She traveled across the country, living and working in places like Colorado and San Diego before making her way back to Alabama. “I went from selling turkey, avocado and bacon sandwiches out of the back of Crest liquor store in San Diego to marrying my college sweetheart and living in Southside, Birmingham,” she explained.

After praying for career guidance, Moore gave up her career in the life insurance industry to pursue her hoop dreams. “I eat, sleep and dream hoop dance. When I sleep, I dream of tricks and moves. When I hear music, I close my eyes and envision routines to the beats infiltrating my ears,’” Moore said.

Moore’s passion for hooping started one day while she was working as a waitress. One of her co-workers brought a hoop to work. “I picked it up, gave it a spin and was hooked.”

To Moore, the creation of personalized hoops is an artistic expression. She said every hoop she makes is like her baby. “I take pictures of it and name it before I sell it. It becomes a part of me and I hate to part with it.”

When Moore started the hoop business, Richey said it seem only natural to join her. ”It’s the most fun I’ve ever had working out,” Richey said. “It’s great to be hooping with lots of people and to look around and see everyone smiling.” Aurahoop hosts free hoop jams in parks, including one last Saturday at Rhodes Park in Birmingham.

Moore said she has been hooping for three years and absolutely loves it. “Most anyone who tries hooping falls in love all over again and wants his or her own hoop,” she exclaimed. It also serves as a great exercise tool and stress reliever. According to Moore, a hooper can burn ten calories a minute and 600 in an hour.

Moore and Richey are still working out the details for a hoop studio in Pell City. The current hoop headquarters is Moore’s home in Eden.

Hoopers gather together and regularly share new things. “We are getting prepared for next year’s International Hoop Convergence. Hoopers come together to share skills, knowledge and hang out as a whole hooping community,” Moore said.

If anyone is interested in learning more about hoop dance, they can visit www.hooping.org. Moore visits the site each week to get a new track and a new trick.

Aurahoop will hold a hoop-making workshop for Brentwood Daycare on Monday, June 23. There will also be a free hoop jam at Pell City’s Lakeside Park in the near future.

What type of music is played at a hoop jam? “Our specialty is hip hop hoop. We also go from classics like Stevie Wonder, to the Beastie Boys, Justin Timberlake and Too Short,” Moore said.

Hooping is not as safe as you might think though. “It’s sort of an extreme sport. I have sustained many injuries while learning new tricks. Just last Saturday I busted my lip learning how to duck out,” Moore laughs.

For more information on aurahoops, visit their website at home.coosahs.net/aurahoops. You can also email them at aurahoops@gmail.com or call 205-227-0705.

The whole concept is pretty simple to Moore. “The truth of it is it’s just fun. Have you ever seen a person hula hooping that wasn’t smiling?”

aurahoops website

home.coosahs.net/aurahoops

still under construction and not very advanced, but it's all i know how to do!!!

I can see your future!

There are spiritual laws and physical/natural laws that are unchanging. Just as you reap what you sow, you also cannot jump off a rooftop flapping your arms like wings and expect to fly. You will fall. Hello, gravity.

Quantum physics includes a Law of Observation. That law, simply translated, says this: Let's take an atom, for example. Take 1 electron from that atom and place it in San Diego. Take another electron from that atom and put it in London. If you change the spinning direction of the electron in San Diego, it will instantaneously change the spinning direction of the one in London.
However, when 1 person looks at the electron in San Diego, they will see it spinning, let's say, clockwise. When another person looks at the electron in London, they will see it spinning in a different direction. Then another person comes along and argues, "no it's going from top to bottom." And another argues it's diagonal from top left to bottom right. Whatever- you get the point- they all see them spinning in different directions. The bottom line is this: How you expect it to spin is the way it instantaneously starts to spin when you look at it. If you change the way you observe it, it will change. What you look at will conform to the way you look at it.

Well this is also true in relation to people. How I perceive you, you will become. If I perceive you to be a loving, patient person instead of an irritating A-hole, assuming I perceive you to be that loving person long enough, you will eventually become what I had perceived you to be.

Proverbs says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." How we perceive ourselves is how we will become. How we observe others, they will become, if we observe them as that long enough.

This re-emphasizes to me that we need to keep our eyes on the future. Don't dwell in the past. When it comes to people and their destinies, if people think that they have a future, don't their problems tend to get solved more easily? Does this make us responsible before God for how we see other people? Because simply by looking at them we can change them. We need to look for the good in people. We need more people looking at others and giving them a hope for the future. We should see with an end in view that is greater than present day issues. How God sees us is in light of what we are going to become. Shouldn't we look at others the same?

Just a thought. And that doesn't EVEN include my schpeel on the Power of the Spoken Word. I'll save that for another day.

In other news, I am feeling better in comparison. I started myself on an iron supplement yesterday, so we'll see how that helps. I have a very busy May ahead of me. I am planning a birthday party for Ethan. I also have beaucoup soccer games and practices. I am performing at a party for Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. Aw man, I forgot all about Do Dah Day, too. And I'll be hooping in Southside Parks instead of Pell City. WOW. I am freaking stoked!

I'm still bummed that I was unable to go to Hoop Convergence because of all the health issues, but I won't dwell in it. I see many hoop retreats in my future. ;) And I see a healthy me! Thanks for all your concerns & words of encouragement.

I am getting better at hoop-making. Rebecca, I think it was you that told me after about 50 hoops I'd get the hang of it. I see what you mean. WHEW! I am making 4 color hoops now and it gets easier each time.

The kids are great. Benjamin is super-sexy and sweet. I am so blessed to have that man. Cloth diapers are awesome. Life is good.

You guys rock.

oh, and the hoop pictured above comes complete with superpowers.

Peace,
d.

Unreasonable? DUH

I thought I already posted this on my blog today but I am not seeing it. My apologies if it shows up twice. This article was published today. My father is the man that was shot. I was the first one to the hospital that night. I re-live the phone call everyday in my mind and in my heart. What a horrible night. He died on the O.R. table but they were able to restart his heart. Needless to say, this was a devastating and confusing time in my life. I was just thinking about this in the shower this morning, then when I got to work this was the first email I opened. I am curious as to the difference in the definitions of attempted murder and first-degree assault. Anyway, just thought I'd share. My heart is heavy today. I miss the times when things were simple.


Cropwell man guilty of attempted murder
By David Atchison
04-17-2008

PELL CITY — A St. Clair County jury found a Cropwell man guilty Wednesday of the attempted murder of a former Pell City councilman.
Jurors deliberated about an hour and 40 minutes before finding John Tracy Morgan, 40, guilty of the attempted murder of Dale Richey, 59.

"I think jurors were very attentive, involved and interested," Assistant District Attorney Joey Stevens said after the verdict was rendered late Wednesday at the St. Clair County Courthouse in Pell City. "I think justice was served in that Mr. Richey was able to be heard and tell his side of the story. This was a senseless, brutal attack."

Jurors began deliberating about 3:36 p.m. Wednesday. They returned to the courtroom shortly after 5 p.m., asking Circuit Court Judge Jim Hill to again read the definitions for attempted murder and first-degree assault.

Jurors began deliberation again and about 10 minutes later returned to the courtroom with a unanimous verdict.

"I think the jurors were patient, they were intelligent, and they ruled," said Shelby County defense attorney Henry Lagman, who represented Morgan. "I regret they did not find him innocent."

Hill set Morgan's sentencing hearing for Tuesday, June 3, and ordered that the defendant remain in the custody of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department until that time.

"I would anticipate there will be a pre-sentencing report before the judge renders his sentence," Stevens said, adding that the District Attorney's Office will ask for the maximum sentence. "I think he's earned the maximum sentence allowable under the laws of this state."

Testimony showed that on June 9, 2006, Morgan shot Richey, who was unarmed, after he intervened in a verbal confrontation between Morgan and his sister, Richey's wife, Bonnie Morgan Richey.

Richey almost died from his wound. He remained unconscious at University Hospital in Birmingham for two weeks after the shooting. The bullet remains lodged in his spine.

Morgan's attorney contended his client felt threatened and only shot Richey in self-defense because a perceived threat.

According to testimony Wednesday, Morgan has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. The defendant also has an extremely low I.Q. and only has a seventh-grade education.

In his closing statements, Lagman told jurors Morgan's intelligence, mental illness and stress played a part in his actions the day of the shooting.

Lagman told jurors Morgan had a confrontation with his brother Frank Morgan earlier that day, and his sister threatened to have him committed to a mental hospital.

"His reality changed," Lagman said.

He said Richey unknowingly got into the middle of a situation he knew nothing about, and Morgan reacted because of a perceived threat by his brother-in-law.

"Paranoia overcame his common sense," Lagman said.

Psychologists for both the state and defense testified that Morgan understood the "wrongfulness of his actions" on June 9, 2006.

"On the day in question, the defendant appears to have been experiencing delusional beliefs," Dr. Sherry Hills, a forensic psychologist, wrote in her evaluation of Morgan. "Although these beliefs likely impacted his ability to judge the perceived consequences of his actions, the writer is of the opinion that the beliefs did not significantly impair the defendant's ability to understand the wrongfulness of his actions during the alleged offense or impact his ability to appreciate the nature and quality of his behaviors."

Hills evaluated Morgan at Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility last year.

Morgan was also evaluated by clinical psychologist Dr. Robert Summerlin for the defense.

"I believe that Mr. Morgan had an awareness of the legal wrongfulness of his actions but felt justified to protect himself by whatever means available," Summerlin testified.

Stevens told jurors in his closing remarks that it was apparent Morgan knew what he had done was wrong, because he fled the scene and disposed of the gun.

"He appreciated the wrongfulness of his act," Stevens told jurors. "If he didn't, why didn't he just stay, stick around. Instead, he ran away."

He said Richey did what any reasonable person would do that day. He just tried to break up a verbal confrontation between a brother and sister, his wife.

"What is unreasonable is to get shot and almost die because of it," Stevens said.

My heart is breaking...

I kept getting more and more sick. I thought, "What in the heck is wrong with me?" I don't party. I get 7+ hours of sleep every night. I eat well. I stay away from caffeine and don't even like candy. I get plenty of exersize. I am happy. But for 3 days I haven't been able to get up and do a thing. Not hoop. Not even talk. It hurts too much. I haven't been able to take care of my kids. My sweet Benjamin has had to step in and be a single dad while I lie in bed.

I knew Tues of last week I was feeling sickly. I figured it was a sinus infection since my nose was burning so much. I had a few antibiotics left so I started myself on those, but my body was not responding. By Saturday I was running a fever. By Sunday I was worsening, and I knew I would have to see a Dr. I rolled myself out of bed and into the Dr.'s office yesterday for a lovely diagnosis of Mono. He told me I absolutely would not be able to go to Hoop Convergence. Said camping and hooping is the last thing I needed to do right now, and ordered me to rest for 10 days. Apparently, hooping can rupture the spleen during mono infections? I just sat there and cried. I feel - there's not even a word for it. Sad. Angry. Impatient. Tired. Hungry. Scared. Like a toddler whose lollipop has been torn from his grasp. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I just want to lie on the floor and throw a temper tantrum or something. And I probably would if I had that much energy. Just typing these words is more than I've done in days. I am so freaking sad about this!!!

I guess on the bright side I have lost 5 pounds.

But now I don't get my honeymoon. :(

I regret to tell you this, Jewels, but I don't think I am gonna make it. It has been with great anticipation that I have been counting the days to meet all of you beautiful people, but my bubble has been burst. $^#*.

I'll get that honeymoon ONE DAY. For now, I'll have another cup o' tea.

*kicks desk* ouch.

Cleansing & Purging

Thanks to all of you for your emails, thoughts, prayers, & encouragement. It all warms my heart so much!

This has been one heck of a month.

I got my CT scan results. The radiologist says I have several cysts on my left ovary. The Dr. sounded rather surprised since the pain and burning sensation I'd been feeling was on the right side. He attributed that to the fluid that leaked into my abdomen when the cyst ruptured. The good news is that the largest cyst is only 1 cm right now. He wants to wait and see if they will resolve themselves. He cleared me to "ease" back into hooping and, uh, "relations". Ha. Ease. That was last week.

This week my belly looks like a basketball cause it is so swollen and sore. My husband's best friend is the dr.'s son. He called his dad last nite and told him how big I am. Doc said it could be from the baruim sulfate and contrast dye from the CT scan. Said sometimes it can make u swell like that, especially if you have any G.I. problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (that's lovely). If I remain swollen he wants to send me to a GI specialist. I have already gone thru this SO many times in my life. They send me to all kinds of specialists and no one can ever find any scientific, physical evidence of anything wrong with my body or my organs.

I have no doubt this has come about because if the season in my life I am in right now. I am going thru a time of deep cleansing and purging of bad roots and reactions in my life. I believe that sometimes God can use dis-ease to bring to surface what lies deep in our hearts. He does not give us dis-ease. Rather it is a manifestation, a symptom of a heart condition. He is trying to bring something to my attention because it needs to be purged. There's a root of fear that I am not dealing with, and it has been comprimising my immune system. It's all so DEEP. Ugh. It's exhausting, but I know in the end I will be free.

And then the stress with the dog did not help. We picked her up from the vet that first day she was diagnosed and brought her home. She was telling us thru her soul that she would not be able to heal in that place, absent from love and her family. She came home and defied the laws of doggie diease. So now I can say that I, too, have seen a dog survive parvo and thrive with my own eyes! This is after the vet promised bloody runny poo, loads of vomit, total dehydration, a necessary I.V., and perhaps death. Everyone kept telling me, "Put her down. She's not gonna make it." I refused to believe it! And so did Benjamin. He said God did not bring this dog into our lives to allow her to die from a tragic illness. He made herbal tea for her every day and gave it to her thru a liquid syringe. She had a rough 3 days or so, but then she slowly started eating rice and now she is feeling great! She has started putting her weight back on and is very happy. Thanks to Caroleeena especially for her advice and giving my husband some comfort over the telephone- and to Janet for contacting Caroleeena when my internet was down. You guys are life savers. (Rebecca- that's why I had txt you when you were in L.A.).

Between my insurance deductible and the vet bill, I had to spend every dime that I saved for convergence. I am sad about that. But I received my first two orders for hoops this week and things are looking up. I picked up my hoop for the first time in a couple of weeks last nite! I WILL make enough money to still come and I WILL have enough for gas!!! I am gonna go ahead and speak that into existence.

My husband is my knight in shining armor- everything I ever dreamed. My children are beautiful, intelligent, creative and healthy. I am not starving. I am not cold. I have a pillow on which to sleep every single nite with a roof over my head. I have wonderful people that care about me (aw, thanks to all who's reading). I am doing better than most, and for that, I am thankful.

So, be well and be blessed. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts. I freaking love you guys.

Peace.

Update on Toby Lor-El

After boohooing for several hours yesterday and reading so many negative pieces of literature regarding dogs with parvo, I rushed to home to see my husband. Our cat, Ashe, was sitting on the doorstep like queen of the castle or something. She stretched out then slowly moved out of the way. She definitely didn't miss the dog. LOL. Benjamin and I then went to the vet's office to see Toby. We approached the front desk & the lady behind it asked a younger girl (the vet's daughter) to walk us back to isolation. Her back was to us, but because of her body language and loud sigh I wondered if she was rolling her eyes. "Yea- gimme a minute," was her reply. Then the lady behind the desk said to her co-worker, "They're the ones whose dog's got Parvo." The other lady just raised her eyebrows and kind of shook her head.

Toby was in an isolated room in a tiny cage. She was all alone. There were no IVs in her or anything. She urinated at the site of me cause she was so excited (she normally does not do that). She leaned against the railings on the front of the cage while I stroked her nose and chin. I could tell she really just felt rotten. Benjamin talked to the vet's daughter about her experience with "Parvo puppies". She said, "You just can't tell. We had one Jack Russell that got it and he got alot better. We thought he was gonna make it then we came in here and he was dead." Wow, that's encouraging.

We changed out the newspaper and padding in the cage as we waited on the vet to come in and see us. When he did, I asked him if they had given her any IV fluids. He said they had not because there had not been any need. He said she was in the very early stages and the virus had not even gotten into her bone marrow yet based on her bloodwork. He said we have an advantage in that she is 6 months old and stronger than a smaller, younger pup. Whether or not she makes it thru it depends on her immune system.

I felt so weighted by her being in that tiny cold room all alone. I asked him if they were going to do anything to her there that we could not do at home. He said no b/c her stools were loose but there was no diarrhea or vomiting yet. But he did indicate that we would see that in the coming days as the virus makes its way thru her intestinal tract and releases toxins.

Toby is a very verbal pup. She sings along to music and tries to talk to us. She started talking and play-growling, then she got frustrated and was biting on Ben's fingers. We knew she was trying to tell us she just wanted to go home. She wanted to be comfortable and be with us.

I asked if we could take her home. Vet said since she was in such good shape that he felt ok about us taking her home, but if she started having diarrhea/vomiting/getting dehydrated we'd need to bring her back since she'd need IV fluids. He sent us home with pills for nausea. He also mentioned that she hasn't really been depressed but if we noticed a change in her mood to please bring her back. He said even as poorly as she felt she really didn't act all that depressed.

I asked him about homeopathic treatment methods or herbal remedies. He shrugged them off. He did tell us that he wanted to wait in giving her antibiotics and let her body produce it's own antibodies until the virus got into her marrow. He said we should bring her back in a couple of days and have her blood rechecked. He gave her a second dose of nausea meds, and we took our baby home.

She did ok on the car ride. I know she was glad to be with us. I stopped and bought her some Propel and some Gatorade. Did you know all that stuff has citric acid in it? Seems like that would be hard on her stomach. Anyway, she vomited as soon as we got her out of the car.

We taped garbage bags to the floor in the foyer between our bedroom and the living room and put newspaper down. That way she could still be near us while we watched tv and slept. She drank 1/4 bottle of Propel and looked genuinely content to be home. I mopped all the floors with bleach water and poured bleach on the vomit outside. Never thought I'd be bleaching my grass. She was glad to see the kids when they got home. They loved on her and talked to her.

This morning I went to talk to her and she had not vomited or had a BM at all. She did pee twice. That is a great sign! She wagged her little tail at me. I just pray that she continues to do well throughout the day.

As far as the vet goes, we paid $170 dollars for him to draw some blood and give Toby a pill then stick her in a closet in a metal cage, where he said she'd have to stay a week. I'm not impressed by this Vet.

I do thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. You are all so supportive and full of positivity. I LOVED the daily coyote blog. i wish I'd seen it sooner! And, ya know, all day long Tribe is the only place where I heard ANY encouragement that the dog would pull thru. Everyone else said it was a lost cause. But you guys were there to give me hope. Thanks so much. It really helps to know that people have seen loved doggies make it thru this just fine.

I will keep you updated on Toby's progress.

Oh- and I had my CT scan done today. Should have the results Friday.

Love to you all,
d

Dr.'s order: No Hooping! oh, and your dog might die.

What a horrendous day.

2 weeks ago today I felt cramping in my stomach. It began like menstrual cramps, then became more specific and moved downward, like upset stomach kind of cramps. It got worse over a period of 5 hours. I couldn't go to the bathroom. The cramps continued for 3 days but finally got better. Then exactly a week after they started, the cramps returned. This time the pain was only on one side, the right side, beginning perpendicular to my belly button and moving downward following a C-shape. My husband mentioned it might be my appendix so I went to the Dr.

Blood work did not show evidence of appendicitis. Dr. seems to think it was a ruptured ovarian cyst. The Dr. ordered an ultrasound, but evidently did not find whatever he was looking for because he is sending me for a CT scan tomorrow. Or perhaps he DID find what he was looking for and needs to CT scan for further clarification. I don't know. I am waiting on a call back form his nurse to explain.

So, my lovelies, I have been ordered to refrain from hooping and, well, any other "activities" that might jarr my ovaries until further notice.

Guess it's a good time to work on those isolations, huh Caroleena? Your video is right on time.

In other news our sweet doggie has been diagnosed with Parvo. My husband is devastated. That dog is like a child to him. I love her, definitely, but I am not nearly as attached to her as my sweet Benjamin. Although I think I have outcried him today over this. :( As of right now I don't know if she'll live or die. Please remember our sweet Toby. I pray that she is comforted as much as possible in the next few days.

What do you do in a situation like this? We can't pay a huge vet bill. We can't stand to put her down either. But I will not let her suffer. It is such a hard place in which to be. I am morally obliged to speak for her but cannot seem to find the words, only tears.

Do Dah Day 2008

Do Dah Day celebrates 29 years of fun and good causes on May 17. The annual festival, which has raised more than $500,000 since 1992 for Jefferson County animal shelters is one of the city’s most cherished springtime events. Festivities include the annual parade (it starts at 11:01 a.m.) as well as music and fun in Caldwell & Rhodes Parks in Birmingham’s Highland Park neighborhood. They can always use more volunteers for the event as well. Don’t forget about the crowning of the Do Dah Day king and queen on the 16th at Do Dah Eve!

I plan on being there, hoops and all! Any joiners?