In My Words

Inspiring toward potential...

MissRosie — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:34:30 GMT

I've been following the Olympics with Ken for the past week and a half, and have really been enjoying watching the gymnastics, diving, and track events. I missed ping pong and badminton (which is apparently the most watched game in the world!), and we're catching the last of basketball now. It's really a suprise to myself that I've even been watching the games. I didn't have a television in my living space for eight years, and it wasn't until I moved in with Ken two years ago that I started to share my space with a Tube again. I never watch t.v., and have never really engaged with the Olympics, which seems surprising to me now, as I have discovered that I LOVE the Olympics! I love the sport of it, the human competition, the spirit of playing to demonstrate the most skill in just the perfect time. I love the community of it, the gathering, the general peace of it. I love the tragedy, the heartbreak, the drama of seeing the full spectrum of human emotion. It's delicious! I love the creativity, and I am coming away from the past two week so incredibly inspired. After watching women's gymnastics, and the women's track events, I am inspired to train again to be stronger and have more endurance. I have loved watching these athletes, looking so sleek and powerful. Over the past month, I have spent time thinking about how during the past eight months I have not been fueling my body in the most optimal ways, finding myself thinking many times, "I can do better than this. This is just habitual." I've also realized how much endurance I have lost since I stopped riding bikes so much and teaching so many fitness and spin classes. I've had a growing desire to get back to a concentration on building and honoring My Body Temple. The Olympics have been the catalyst that has spurred me to action in being more active and making optimal food choices. Today I ran for the first time in nearly two years, and I kicked booty! Ken and I jogged and then did some hill intervals. I feel awesome. I've had a growing interest in getting a bike, and I think I'll be picking something up in the next few months. It's really enjoyable to me to notice just how much I am enjoying the journey of my body and my fitness levels. It's a total wave, and I am heading into a period of dedication to my strength and fitness. What I am paying attention to is the acceptance and love of whatever shape I am in. I remember times of having an attitude of myself of not being where I wanted to be, of body loathing, and of not feeling good about myself. When I catch myself thinking, "Oh, this is a habitual way of eating," I simply enjoy it for what it is, rather than getting down on myself, and i completely accept the consequences of whatever that action will have on me. I now AM where I want to be, AND I want to be stronger. I love this journey. And because I'm now driven from a place of healthy desire, rather than a place of lacking, I am more motivated to do things like run, or make more time to hoop or stretch, and actually enjoy those activities even more. Below is a link to a video of two young women who have inspired me during these Games. Watching these two makes me think about what the human body is capable of through dedicated practice. I think about how young these girls are, and then I think of older athletes who are in their 40's and still competing in the Olympics. It inspires me to see what potential I can manifest in my own being. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSZyYbObrxA So much gratitude for the Olympic athletes who have delighted me over the past weeks.

Buy My Car!

MissRosie — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:04:18 GMT

1984 Brown Mercedes 300D TurboDiesel Runs on straight vegetable oil, biodiesel, or diesel Converted for SVO with a fuel loop return, which can be shut off to run diesel. 188K miles Good condition, runs well. Body in good condition: No scratches, 1 small ding on right side of car. Upholstery in good condition: 3 minor cracks on driver's seat, 1 minor crack on passenger seat. Automatic windows: Sunroof works, all automatic windows work. Auto locks: Air locks work Odometer and clock work Radio/Tape deck work Trunk works Upkeep & repairs: The front right wheel area is making a squeaking/creaking noise. Mechanic said it would cost $600 to repair. One of the fuel filters requires frequent replacement when using veggie oil. Paint touch up: there are a couple chips around the gas tank door. The seal around the left rear passenger door has come undone, and can be easily repaired. The seal around the right rear passenger door is starting to come undone (both due to repeated contact from fitting items into the car). The net magazine holders on the backs of the driver's seat and front passenger seat both need new plastic frames to hold them in place. The vehicle is located in San Francisco, CA.

Driving too fast...

MissRosie — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:31:51 GMT

I just had a waking dream that stirred me to arise and write. My heart is rapid and my mind still groggy. I sat up, pulled my laptop over to me, and checked my email to see the status on some information I am awaiting regarding a current project. No news yet. I think this dream has something to do with that project. In my dream I was driving fast going northward along the segment of Highway 101 that occurs between Lombard street and the Golden Gate Bridge. it was a little bit different, as there were more exits along the stretch of road in my dream, however it was difinitively that area. Interesting because I recall having dreamt about that area before. I was driving and had an urgent sense to exit the freeway to where the car could slow down. But I was going too fast, the car was moving too fast, for me to get over. I wasn't wearing my seatbelt. There was an air of apprehension and fear. I cut a motorcyclist off, attempting to get over to a left side exit. When I realized that, I immediately overcorrected, pulling way over to the right. The car turned sideways. I slammed on the brakes, jerking the wheel, and the car went skidding to the road's edge. There was only a partial curb preventing my car from sliding off the edge. I wasn't wearing my seat belt. I opened the door to use my foot to push against the pull of gravity on the car. The gravel moved beneath the car's wheels as it inched closer to the edge. I thought about a plan of actiion, fearing that there was only a moment before the car and I went sliding over the edge.. And CUT! I woke up. Yikes! Thinking, "What the heck was that?" I don't have vivid dreams very often, and this was incredibly vivid. Interpreting dreams and making them meaningful and timely is something I like to do. What this dream means to me is that I am going to fast toward some thing, and I have all of these signs saying, "Slow down over here," but i keep missing them and driving on regardless of how I'm feeling. This is super timely, given that I have spent the last two weeks in an old pattern of super work productivity. Lots of new projects that I'm creating and managing. Lots of collaborations. Lots of time spent in activity without the necessary rest and nourishment. Today, fortunately, I am putting on the brakes a bit. That's the reason I was napping, and how I was able to have this dream. I'm going to do some more research before moving on with this certain project over which i am having some fear arrise. Intention for Today: I am making the time to plan and complete my photoshoot shot list. Today I am focusing on that aspect of work. For myself, I am spending several hours with Audree making bike hoop racks for us to enjoy. For myself and for Ken, I am tidying up our home, moving stacked projects out of our bedroom into the places they need to go, emptying out cluttered drawers, and putting away my costumes. I am at ease in my creating, knowing that everything will happen smoothly as I tidy, and balance all aspects of my life.

Just when I thought I'd be towed...

MissRosie — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:40:09 GMT

I was en route to teach in SF this evening, heading up Kearny from 3rd st. It was 5:20 p.m., and I had the perfect amount of time to arrive to the studio punctually, and prepared to meet one of the newest Hooliehoop teachers, Kimi for additional class training. I was just about to cross Post St. when my car shuddered a morose vibration that shook the entire car, sending the vibration through me and a stack of hoops and class equipment contained withing the shaking machine. She shook. I pumped the accelerator, and then....and then... And then she wouldn't roll no more... My plan to get fuel after class was seriously derailed as the car burned through the remaining vegetable oil that I had just poured into the tank, not but 20 minutes earlier. Apparently the gas gauge is just a little off. Ha. Showing that some fuel still remains, when in fact, the fuel tank is drier than the Mojave desert in August. So there I was, pulled over next to a red curb, in a bus lane on Kearny during rush hour, in a tow away zone. "Ok, it's 5:25, and Kimi is awaiting me." Oh what to do? I called Ken who was at work, and willing to help, only I was in "I MUST get to class" mode, and couldn't conceive of waiting 5 minutes to try to solve the situation. So I decided that the best thing to do in that moment was to get to class asap, and let the car be towed. Not ideal, by any means, and it would have meant a $140 towing fee plus a parking ticket. And what was I to do? Show up late to class, leaving a new teacher and 18 people waiting for me at the front door? No way! THE HOOP MUST FLOW ON! I unloaded the sparkly hoops, grabbed my mics and two bags, and right on cue a cab pulled up. Excellent! Went to class, totally relaxed, having accepted that, "It is what it is." I was just about 10 minutes late to meet Kimi, not bad given the circumstances. She offered to go deal with my car, and I thought about it, and then said, "No, this is more important." I really impressed myself in that moment. Letting my personal situation fall by the wayside, as I stepped up to meet the commitment that I had made to my students and new teacher. I was accepting that I had made the error of trusting that the car would run with the guage so low (yet again), and now it was time to say, "Dealing with that can wait." The best part of the situation was yet to come...Ken met me after class and said, "Your car is still there, and there's no ticket." NO WAY! I was fully expecting the requisite journey to the Hall of Justice where I would wait in line to pay a bunch of money to release my car from impound, where it would have been marked by some obnoxious yellow wax crayon that doesn't wash off, and rather needs to be scraped off with a razor blade, but which *does* inform everyone that the car has indeed been recently towed. (Can you tell I'm no stranger to SF towing procedure?). Lol. Class was great! Kimi is doing a fabulous job in training, and I am thrilled to have her on board with the new and developing Hooliehoop team. In closing, mucho mucho mucho gratitude to my husband who is a role model for all husbands. My Goddess, what a blessed woman I am be in marriage with this man. Thank you for your gererosity my love. p.s. The video is done! Check it out: http://www.vimeo.com/1554123

Here we go again...

MissRosie — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:37:33 GMT

Thursday marks Day Two of filming for my performance demo. We got about 50% of the shots done on Tuesday. I was hoping to get it all done in one day, but we had some hold-ups, and I just really didn't want to rush, and since Gregg was fine with shooting a second day, I opted for the extension. Tomorrow we'll start with some LED hooping at 5 a.m. in SOMA, then head to Twin Peaks for Sunrise (if the sky is clear), and then down to the Financial District for some 7a.m. morning rush Stilt Hooping. Ha. That's a funny idea. If the sky isn't clear at sunrise, then we'll meet again at 7 p.m. for a Twin Peaks sunset session, which might turn out better anyway. Well, Ken and I are officially going to Burning Man, after some waivering, and after overcoming our solid commitment to *not* go. I've got a discount artist ticket, we're going to keep things really simple, and we're leaving on Saturday morning before all the hullaballoo and exodus traffic. I've been invited to perform on Friday night at the center of Center Camp in $teven Ra$pa's Variety Show. We're working on coordinating one of the marching bands from the earlier Marching Band Competition to play during my hoop set. Marching bands are SUPER fun to hoop to. Tonight was the Hooping Bootcamp Level 2 workshop in SF. All of the students were returning students, a reflection that feels really rewarding and good. It shows that they're finding value in my classes. It's such an incredible journey to watch people as they blossom into hooping, growing from feelings of uncertainty and fear, to feelings of joy, pleasure, and wellbeing. I love that my work never feels like work. Much gratitude to those of you who continue to allow me to contribute to your life.

EARLY a.m. Hoop Shoot

MissRosie — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:41:41 GMT

Today I arose at 3 a.m. to put on a costume, makeup, and dress my hair to go out at 4 a.m. and be filmed fire hooping. I hired my friend Gregg Marks to shoot a day's worth of footage for me, and he'll be editing it together for my performance demo. I've been wanting to create this project for over a year, and finally, NOW is the time! Yay! At 4 a.m. I drove down from Yerba Buena Island to Treasure Island (the two islands are connected), and picked Gregg up. We drove around for a few minutes scouting a location to shoot. Found an interesting stone wall on the facade of an old abandoned grocery store. We got started late, as I realized neither of us had matches or a lighter. Brilliant. I searched around in my trunk, found my car emergency kit, "Sweet! This will have matches." Oh, just kidding. No flare or matches in the car E kit. "Oh, my uncle's old EMT bag; I bet there are matches in here..." Yes! Only, they wouldn't light because they were so old. Ended up packing up, driving back up to YBI, got two boxes of matches and then drove back. Did four burns with one hoop. Then drove back up home, changed costume, hiked up above our house, hopped a fence, and filmed on this big flat mysterious building structure that's an old bunker or heli landing pad or something. Burned three times with two hoops there, then headed out, racing the sunrise. Back home, changed again in costume three, and then it was on to SOMA to find an "industrial" backdrop. Ended up shooting in front of a brick wall with my LED hoop, which wasn't too spectacular, given that it was almost 7 a.m. and the sky was well lit. Came home, took a nap for a few hours, and now I'm up working. Gregg and are getting together again at 2 p.m. to go film some "crowd" shots. We'll be going to Union Square in one costume, to the Powell cable car turn-around in another costume, the Hyde St. cable car turn-around in a third costume, and then Fisherman's Wharf in one of two stilt costumes. Still have a couple little errands to run to prep for these outdoor performance shots. I'm going to go get one of those little teenie top hats to wear with my circus striped pants and a black vest. It's really a lot of work to plan a shot list with costume changes. Thinking about what will work together, gathering it all, and then packing it accordingly so that it's easy to put on at the right time takes a lot of logistical thought. Then there's also the consideration of what to put on when, as some costumes share pieces, so it makes it easier to wear those costumes consecutively. But I also have to consider what the makeup changes or additions will be. I usually start with the lightest makeup first, and then add on from there. Face paint is the trickiest, as it needs to be washed off if I'm wanting to make it look really different within the same shoot. I am really thankful to be working with Gregg. He is really professional, calm, and easy going. The demo will be finished this week, and then I'll have it up the website and youtube.

Come Back To The Middle

MissRosie — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:57:51 GMT

Wow, this weekend was intense. World Hoop Day was a real pleasure on Friday. There were tons of kids there during the day, and then we had a fun hoop jam in the evening after people got off work. It was really cold and windy, however we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless, as we gifted hoop after hoop after hoop. I was really looking forward to this weekend to catch up on some household stuff. This was one of the rare weekends where I didn't have any big commitments, other than co-teaching a class on Sunday. This past week and weekend was a turbulent learning experience, as I caught myself in an old pattern that really took its toll, catching up to me on Saturday afternoon. At one point in the last year and half I got into the habit of awaking and going straight to work on my laptop, sending emails and taking care of other Hooliehoop business. In doing so, I would usually not pay attention to my body's need to eat something, and so would go for hours running on empty. On Friday I barely ate anything until the evening when I craved comfort food and ended up making food choices that I know do not nourish me. On Saturday i again awoke and started working right away, with the intention of heading out to the farmer's market around 1 p.m., to be followed by some acroyoga with Ken. Again, I didn't eat all morning. What ensued was a total meltdown that began with intense frustration and irritability. Fortunately Ken wasn't around, and what bore the brunt of my irritation was a bunch of bags of costumes that I launched into our living room from our front door, before shutting the door in a huff, and hurrying to the car. Once I was in the car, I thought, "I am really irritable! What's going on?" And then I just started crying. I was totally stressed out and felt depleted. I realized I hadn't eaten, and then I got really upset over the fact that I hadn't been taking care of myself. As this is the only body I have for this life, it's really important to me at a core level to be taking excellent care of myself, and the fact that I had been doing the opposite and actually harming myself was really upsetting. And so I let the storm come on. I let out all kinds of pent up energy, and visualized my personal energy matrix, thinking about how we store energy as tension in our body. I wailed, and let that tension out. I sobbed, and felt hidden knots in my chest and stomach open up. Ah RELEASE! I thought about how good I was going to feel once I let all of this out. And so I kept going. Just surrendering to my need to let it all go, and lose control. And then it was over. Peace came over me. A complete sense of relaxation as my breath returned to normal. I made a commitment to myself then that I would start eating my green smoothies every morning. I have to say that yesterday, Sunday, I felt *amazing*. A complete turn around from Saturday. This weekend also saw a malestrom of communication frustration between me and Ken. Without rehashing the details, I am satisfied to say that the result of two big arguments was a commitment to calm communication that supports our marriage. That said, this weekend was emotionally rich, going from amazing joy to surprising anger and sadness. I love that about being human. The ability to feel so much, and I so relish those times that are in contrast to the times and the feelings that I really love, as I know I can always return to feeling great, simply by taking responsibility for my feelings and my reactions to my thoughts. My Affirmations for August 11th, 2008: Today I set the intention to take ever-more responsibility for my wellbeing and for how I communicate. I commit myself to loving, compassionate communication, especially when I feel frustrated around something. In these situations I breathe in calmness, and remember that I am committed to my personal evolution, and that of humanity, and that such evolution is based on openness, collaboration, and care. That feels really good! "Come Back To The Middle" is the title of a song by India Irie, and is about returning to one's center and seeing both sides of things. One of my favorite lyrics is, "Don't make no mind about falling down, 'cuz it's when your in that valley you can see both sides more clearly." ~Rosie

Wonderful feedback from last week's Teacher Training

MissRosie — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:14:44 GMT

From one of my trainees last week... *** Rosie, Thank you very much for an amazing experience! I really enjoyed the training, and I learned so much. I really appreciate all of the time and care that you took in creating this program and helping us feel supported during the training. Fitness and dance are very, very new for me, but I'm no stranger to teacher professional development, and this was an EXCELLENT program. (As part of my graduate school research, I study teacher professional development for science education.) You have a wonderful presence in the classroom, your observations and feedback were on target and given at a level of specificity that was extremely helpful, and you are very inspiring. Thank you, thank you, thank you! *** What a blessing this training was. I felt really solid in my offering to this group of women. AND I came away with ideas on how to make the training more fun, inspiring, and connecting. I'm excited for the next one!

World Hoop Day costuming into the weeeee hours....

MissRosie — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:58:52 GMT

I was telling my dear friend Susan tonight that sometimes I get so wrapped up in creating things that I forgo or forget really important fundamental things. Like paying the rent. Or eating. Or sleeping. I spent tonight working on my stilt costume for World Hoop Day. Hoopin' Annie requested special white costumes for a photo that she has in mind. There will be five of us in white, all hooping together. I started sewing at Susan's at about 10:30 p.m., with the intention of being home before midnight. However, my stilt pants led to the creation of a top, a belt, arm gauntlets, and a shrug, and now it's nearly 3 a.m. Yikes! All things in due time... Right? I am SUPER pleased with the results of my costume, particularly given that I made most of it out of clothing I recycled through purchasing at a thrift store. I am looking forward to sharing my new costume tomorrow. For MCing I'll be sporting a skirt with a beautiful bustle and a sweater top that ties and wraps around, all from my wonderful friend Anastazia, who's costume design label is Bad Unkl Sista (www.badunklsista.com). I am still deciding on a head piece. Perhaps my Goblin Bonnet (for the whole Treasure Island/Peter Pan theme), one of two funny little elf hats, or of course my signature hair ties - aka Rosie Doos. I am really proud of Annie and her husband Kevin who have been working really hard, and long hours to pull this WHD together. Momentum is gathering, and I know this year is going to be great, and will further develop a solid foundation for future events. WooHoolie!

Hoop Home Dreamin' & the new Hooliehoop Blog!

MissRosie — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:20:53 GMT

Today saw the launch of my blog on Hooliehoop. We haven't linked it to feed to Tribe or Facebook yet, so I just cut/pasted this from Hooliehoop.com. I'm excited that pretty soon I'll have the ability to post pics on my blog as well as other people's YouTube videos that I find interesting. It's going to be really cool, and I'm looking forward to showing some of my fav. videos through my site, with the intention of sharing more hoop inspiration. The blog can be found on the Good Stuff page under Rosie's Blog. I was just practicing my twins hoop hand work outside, as the bay breeze blew up the island slope, chilling my skin. Even though the sun is out, the weather looks beautiful, and I was working my hoops, I couldn't help but feel cold. It made me wish that the ceilings in our home were higher, so that I could practice more inside at home. I just got off the phone with Kaos (Kevin, Hoopin' Annie's hubby), talking about World Hoop Day preparations for Friday. I am honored that they invited me to MC the event. Very sweet. We'll be gifting over 800 hoops. It's WILD! DJ's, classes, hoopin, of course. If you're in the SF area, please join us on Treasure Island from 1-9pm. Oh yes, there will be fire also. WooHoolie! I do hope you will join us... WHD San Francisco:http://www.worldhoopday.com/San_Francisco_888.html GO Annie, Kevin, and everyone who's been working their booties off to make this happen! What a tremendous and delightful vision. I'm really excited about this being my first blog post on Hooliehoop.com. I have plans to add youtube videos onto the blog in the next few weeks, at which point I'll actively be putting new hooping videos up for y'all to learn from. And going back to that whole being able to hoop in my home more, I'm going to put this out to the Universe: So here is my vision for our new home that is coming sooner than we know it: Our next home is on an island, or is close to the Bay, or is ideally in the forest near a river and with stunning natural landscape views. It has high ceilings, of at least 12 feet, and the floor plan is open and spacious. It is a perfect setting for the community gatherings that we love hosting. The kitchen is much larger than our current kitchen, and hosts a big island with bar stools, and overlooks the main living area. The living area is again open and spacious, and is large enough for 5 people to hoop at once without hitting anyone or anything, and the central part of the room is ideal for hosting acroyoga play dates. Outside we have a HUGE vegetable and flower garden where we grow all kinds of delicious edibles that feed us most of the year round. The rive or stream is a short walk away, and we also have a wonderful giant hot tub/endless pool, or some kind of big inviting hot pool of water. Today's gratitude: Today I am thankful for this blessing in disguise of my car being unavailable to me, as this situation has reintroduced me to exploring public transportation, and experiencing the slower pace of life without a car. Today I got to do something that would not have otherwise happened, had my car been running. I got to ride double on one bike with my friend and web guy Jason. We rode in the sunshine to Cafe Gratitude where we enjoyed vegan nutmilk shakes. It was really fun, and I felt like a kid! Thank you :o)

On Foot

MissRosie — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:04:23 GMT

When Ken and I bought a 1983 turbodiesel Mercedes that runs on veggie oil, we were thrilled with the new found freedom of petroleum-free driving. A few months later, Ken bought a 1984 brown one, same model, for himself, with the intention of selling his 17 mpg fancyshmancie car. Soon after adding the necessary components to run the brown car on veggie, I blew the transmission in my gray car. The gray car then sat in the mechanics shop for something ridiculous like 8 months, as our under-staffed mechanic sort of attempted to look for a used tranny. We ended up investing a new transmission to the tune of $2500. Wah wah. BUT the car started running great! For about a month. Until it stopped. I checked all the fluids, replaced the filters that I know about, but it still wouldn't run. Mechanic said it's probably a third filter, which he'll have to change. So, back to the brown car, which I had been driving for the 8 months while the gray car was in the shop. As soon as I started driving the brown one again, I thought, "Why haven't I been driving this? It's running great!" And then I went to turn off the car. "Oh yes, I remember now..." The car doesn't turn off when I pull the key out of the ignition. It's like a poltergeist car. But if I try to drive it without the key in, the steering wheel locks up. This apparently is not too uncommon with these cars, because it happened on my gray car also. Back in the day when I was driving it. The only way to turn the engine off is to open the hood and manually hit the engine kill switch. Every time I park somewhere and want to turn the car off. Which is probably about 6-10 times per day. So the brown car doesn't turn off. But I'm driving it anyway. Then the passenger window won't roll up. And THEN on Saturday at the teacher training, my mom was helping me and went to take the car to put a little diesel in it so that she could drive it home and put veggie oil in it. She comes back 15 minutes later, and says, "How do you open the gas door?" I say, "As long as the car isn't locked, it opens." So I go to help her, and low and behold, the gas door won't open. Ok. That's new. Long story short, we end up getting the car to the mechanic's where he's fixing the engine shut off, the window, and the gas door. Yay! I've been using this time to explore NOT having a car, and it's been really wonderful. I took the bus from the island into the city on Saturday. It was really quick and easy. I rode the bus around town yesterday, and also took a cab, and today I'll be taking the ferry to Marin for our weekly Shamanic Cheerleaders business meeting. Using public transport, and being on foot is contributing to a slower pace, which is something that I've really been wanting. I'm going to do some math, and see what I really need a car for, how often I need it, and see if I can make due with public transport. and City Car Share, of which I've been a member for years. I'm sure it'll probably be cheaper than replacing part after part after part on these old cars. So now I'm in the market to sell both of them. ASAP. Ideally, I'd like to pass these cars on to a mechanic who would like to buy them cheap and fix them up. I don't recommend them for someone who would have to pay to have them worked on. They are already converted for straight veggie oil, and both can run biodiesel, or regular diesel also. Know anyone who fits the bill? Well, I'm off to my first appointment. After riding in with Ken to work this a.m., and spending some time at his office, I think I'll take a nice walk. Or maybe I'll bus it. Sheesh! So many options! LoL.

reInspiration

MissRosie — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:08:24 GMT

It's been about 3 weeks since Movement Play, and we just completed the Level 1 Hooliehoop Teacher Training this past weekend. With so much preparation over the past few months for such big events, I haven't spent much time hooping. It's been great connecting with my SF hoop friends whom I've been spontaneously hooping with more frequently. Also, just checking out hooping.org, as well as watching others' videos has whet my palette to get my hoop on again. I've been playing around with twins work, and flowing with some really nice vertical side weaves and polyrhythmics. I have a new set of mini hoops that are lime green. I'm enjoying playing with them. It's amazing how there's always more to learn and I'm constantly discovering new ways to grow with hooping. A special thanks to Rich for showing me his sweetest tricks. I decided that August will be a month of eating raw and vegan, although I'm enjoying some quinoa tonight, as there's not much else to eat in the house, since I haven't had time to grocery shop. I spent today vegging out, in a post-Training recovery period. I have to say I'm in need of deep rejuvenation after this weekend. The training was great, with such a spectacular group of women. I was so impressed by how much they were paying attention to the course content, which showed when it was time for them to each develop and teach their own class at the training. I've come up with some great ideas to evolve the next training to make it more fun and bond the trainees even further. I feel so blessed, and I am grateful for everyone who has helped support the growing success I continue to experience every day. So long as it is in the highest good for all, I call into my life an ever-more strengthening community, increasing financial wealth and security, and soaring optimal health in every aspect of my wellbeing. Love and blessings, I'm off to hoop in our front yard. Promises of a new video soon...

HOT HOOPING FOR BURNING MAN (Class Announcement)

MissRosie — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:11:52 GMT

Get ready for Burning Man with these Beginner and Intermediate Hoopdance Classes! Whether preparing for the playa or not, join the Hooliehoop teachers for these great one day workshops in San Francisco and Berkeley! Hooping 101 - Berkeley TWO DATES: August 3rd or 10th A two hour intro to hoopdance. Join Hooliehoop teacher Mai for this action packed learning experience! A perfect class for those who have never hooped before, AND for those who would like to review beginner moves such as Spiral Up, Spiral Down, Forward and Backward Angle Hooping, and Shoulder Hooping. Sundays 8/3 & 8/10 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. @ 7th Heaven Yoga REGISTER IN ADVANCE ONLINE Hot Hoop Trix with Miss Rosie - Berkeley August 11th An Intermediate & Above Skill-Building Class Make your moves POP! And wow your audience with these super spicy tips and trix! Wed. 8/11 7:45-9:15 p.m. @ 7th Heaven Yoga REGISTER IN ADVANCE ONLINE Hooping Bootcamp Level 1 - San Francisco August 18th A 2 Hour Kick-Booty Intro to Hooping with Miss Rosie! Perfect for those who have never hooped, and those who want to review and brush up their foundational skills. Mon. 8/18 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. @ The Center for Transformation, SF Hooping Bootcamp Level 2 - San Francisco August 13th Evolve your hooping in this playshop with Miss Rosie! Learn duck-outs, pizza tosses, stalls, and more advanced reverses. This class is perfect for those who have completed Hooliehoop Series 1-B or Hooliehoop Series 2, or who have comparable experience. Wed. 8/13 6 pm. - 8 p.m. @ The Center for Transformation, SF FOR MORE INFO & TO REGISTER: www.Hooliehoop.com

Being smarter and more efficient feels GOOD.

MissRosie — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:38:31 GMT

A few months ago my business coach shared with me that it usually takes about 18 months for an entrepreneur to be able to relax into running her/his business. I'm finding this to be wonderfully true! It's been about a year and a half since I started Hooliehoop. I'm now leading my third teacher training, and it's getting easier and smoother every time. I have invested enough creative hours at the computer that I have excellent teaching materials for all sorts of classes, workshops, and trainings. The company has evolved and people are wanting more and more to be involved, either as students, teachers, or support staff. It's really fun to see this growing, and it is deliciously satisfying to be able to share hooping with students, and watch them grow over periods of months. I am satisfied with my class offerings, and it's thrilling to think of how I've tweaked class titles, descriptions, and marketing materials to make them desirable and activating to students and prospective students. Today I am celebrating my efforts and successes (and mistakes and lessons!) in growing this business. Today I am grateful for Nola who runs our product operations, for Mai who spearheads our classes in Berkeley and crafts our mini hoops, and for Norma who just had her first baby and who crafts our fancy dance hoops so perfectly. Thank you! Along with the business running more efficiently, or perhaps I should say me running my energy more efficiently, I am finding and creating time to spend with friends. This photo is from the amazing, studly, and always extra friendly (watch out ladies) Rich Porter, who is creating some crazy project with his architecture firm for the upcoming Slow Food Nation event. His wife Lauren, and our friend Susan, helped create two rows of sticky tab/earing-back/fishing line thingies that you see here. Thanks for the laughs Rich, as always.

Teaching, and BM possibly?

MissRosie — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:18:30 GMT

Today was the last class of Series 1-B. I have spent almost 2 months now with 15 people who have gone from being total beginners to hoopers who flow. It is so rewarding to see the joy that they are creating in their lives. I've looked forward to seeing them every week for nearly two months, and I am so grateful for their continued support. If you're reading this, thank you for being a source of enjoyment for me. So I'm now considering going to Burning Man for two nights. I was very committed to not going. And now, I have so many good friends and hoop friends who are going that it's very very tempting. I'm thinking of renting a car that Ken and I can sleep in, taking a little cooler with food, my hoop, 2 costumes, and rockin' it out. We'll see...Gotta run it by Ken. Preparations for this weekend's teacher training are going really smoothly. It's amazing how so much work over the past year and a half has created multiple income streams for me that are now really easy to work with. I'm enjoying it. I also just signed another 3 month private hoop client, whom I'll be seeing twice per week for 30 minute sessions. I am thankful for Jason McClain's Coaching the Life Coach program, which has helped me evolve how I earn my living contributing to others. Thank you Jason! The next training I'm working on is the Level 2 training, one aspect of which will coach teachers on how to generate greater revenues through teaching private clients and performing. Very useful information coming on the way...

Going Erotic

MissRosie — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:33:27 GMT

I was hesitant about posting this, due to its nature. But I figured, "Hey, this is an important aspect of being human, and of loving." Tomorrow is my husband Ken's bday. I spent 9 hours today filming and editing my first ever erotic video, for him. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun creating something spontaneous. I woke up, trained a client, had breakfast, and then thought about what I was going to do with my day. It was supposed to take a couple hours. I started working on it at 11am and finished at 8 p.m., telling Ken that he couldn't come into the room I was working in (my film studio, if you will, a.k.a. our bedroom. ha.). I filmed the whole thing using the camera built into my laptop (hilarious), and then edited it on iMovie. The soundtrack is "GoldDust Woman" by Fleetwood Mac. The film is beautiful, and sensual. Not corny, typical male-centric porn stuff. Rather a husband's wife visually and erotically expressing her love for him. Yum! This was new and uncharted territory for me, and I have to say that I enjoyed making this film for Ken tremendously. I can't wait to see his reaction. hehe.

All Good...

MissRosie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:39:56 GMT

Aside from crusty dried up eye drop gunk in my eye lashes, I feel awesome! My vision is steadily improving. I can already see really well. My eyes get dry really easily, so I'm applying drops frequently. I'm going back to the Dr. today for my follow up appointment. I spent the second half of yesterday getting caught up on organizing the hoop class schedule for August, during which wei're offering some great pre-Burn workshops. Looks like the teaching tour is going to have to wait until September. I'm also prepping for next week's teacher training, happening on the 2-3rd. I met with a couple of the registrants on Wed, which stoked my enthusiasm for training new teachers. I love my job. This photo is from Thursday last week, a milestone for me. I was hired for the VIP premier of the new Batman movie. It was a milestone because it was one of the highest paying gigs I've done so far, and it was really encouraging of me charging what I've been wanting to earn for performance. Part of that equation has been the evolution of me offering performance packages that draw on my diversity of skills. I used to just offer hooping for x minutes for x dollars, which didn't get me very far. Now I schedule a package for 2-3 hours that includes stilting, gogo dancing, fire performance, ambient characters, face painting, and of course hooping. At this event I had 6 costume changes, all in the theme of the event. Another evolution for me has been in the realm of wellness coaching. I'm working with two clients right now who are providing me with the opportunity to really use diverse skills that I have been learning in Jason McClain's coaching the life coach program. It is SO rewarding to see these clients transforming over a matter of just a few weeks. I"m looking forward to what the following months will bring for them and myself.

I Can See Clearly Now! (Well, Almost...)

MissRosie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:47:06 GMT

I went in for LASIK today at 6:45 a.m. The doctors started testing my eyes at 7 am, and I was on the laser table at 8 and done by 8:15. I then kept my eyes closed until 2:30 p.m. by sleeping. My vision is fuzzy, as expected to be, and I'm applying eyedrops like a drip irrigation system running constantly. When they had me lay down on the table, it was comfortable. One of the doctors had already applied anesthetic eye drops to both eyes, so my eyes were kind of numb. Then they put a patch over my left eye, and taped open my right eye, applied more numbing drops, used some kind of wire eye speculum to keep my lids open, and then put some kind of heavy circle thing on my eye ball. Yes! On my EYE BALL. It pressed down until my vision went dark. I couldn't feel a thing. Then they used a teeny blade (or so i was told after) to make an incision in the cornea. Ok, here comes the part where I got tense. The whole time I'm supposed to look at the orange target in the center of the laser machine. When the Dr. got ready to applly the laser for 25 seconds, it was crucial for me to follow the orange dot. I thought, "Oh, no! What if I don't follow the dot and my eye gets zapped wrong?" I have never been aware of being as tense as I was. My breathing was fast and shallow, my heart beat rapid. I felt like my dog Romie who gets really intense separation anxiety when I put him in our house and leave. At first I felt like screaming, "Let me up!" And then I just started counting the seconds. I made it to 15, and then the right eye was done. They fiddled around, put a contact on my eye to keep the corneal flap in place, added some more drops, and then an eye patch. Then the left side. I knew what to expect, took deep breaths, and relaxed into it more. Overall a great experience. I'm anticipating waking up and seeing tomorrow without contacts or glasses for the first time in several decades. Whoa! If you're interested in seeing if you are a candidate for LASIK or PRK, I saw Dr. Scott Hyver (as advertised on the radio!) for a free consultation. They also offer interest free financing for those who qualify. http://www.scotthyver.com/

My New Eyes

MissRosie — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:22:24 GMT

I'm getting Lasik in a few hours. I need to go to bed, but I am hooked on answering emails, something that hasn't happened in many days. I'm preparing to bid my glasses farewell after 20 years of service. I don't know what I'm going to do with my remaining unopened contacts now either. I was offline from the computer for a day, as I went with Ken on Tuesday evening down to Pescadero to go camping with his family. We had a super lovely quick trip. The Half Moon Bay area of Hwy 1 is beautiful. We stopped at a small goat dairy and bought fresh goat cheese. It was super yummy. And on the way back we purchased some new dalia plants for our garden. Dalia's are both Ken's and my fav. One of the plants that we purchased has a bloom that is literally larger than my head. Even larger than Ken's head. And that's saying a lot. Ha. I have so much more to say, and I must focus and get to bed soon. Love to you all.

Summer Tour Planning

MissRosie — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:46:32 GMT

I'm planning my tour route for hoop workshops for this summer. I'm looking at doing a west coast tour from LA to Vancouver in late July. If you're interested in having me come to your town to teach, lemme know, and I'll see about putting it on the agenda. I'll be teaching a lot of intermediate and advanced classes on this tour, as well as some beginner classes. WooHoolie! ~Miss Rosie

Whips and Fire, OH MY!

MissRosie — Wed, 07 May 2008 08:33:57 GMT

Tonight I taught my first intermediate/advanced workshop, called Deep Grooves. It was a really inspiring experience, spending time with great hoopers and being able to contribute to their hoop practices. Hooping is so incredible in its ability to bring people from all walks of life together, to have a great time, and generate more wellness in their lives. The past year has offered such tremendous growth. Back in 2006 I started writing down what I want to manifest in my life, and in only a year, so much of that is coming true. It's stupifying, I must admit. I only started really hooping in January of '07, and since then, Hooliehoop has been blossoming. Tomorrow I'm going to be on a quick segment of View From The Bay on ABC 7. If you happen to be near a tv at 3p.m. I'll be on some time between 3 and 4pm. The new Hooliehoop website is about to launch, which has been an experience of at least one major life lesson (around money and paying for services in advance). As I was writing the content for the new site, I really enjoyed explaining a bit about my business philosophy, which is centered around the development of an evolutionary co-operative business paradigm, rooted in a staunch believe in the abundance and potential of hoop business for all those who want it. I definitely believe that the more people there are hooping, the better off the world will be. In that, I have given up on viewing anyone as a competitor, basically because I know that no one can do exactly what I do, just as I can't do exactly what anyone else does. It feels great to operate in sacred commerce from this place of confidence. I found myself at one point last week in a discussion with a business associate, and came to the juncture of deciding to either a) contract and deny this person an opportunity to promote their business, or b) help this new entrepreneur by lending them a hand. I decided on the latter because I want my company to be a company that helps other entrepreneurs come up with it as Hooliehoop experiences ever-greater success. This business model is not about "get as much of the market and as much money as possible." For me it's more about "Get as many people to hoop as possible, so their lives will be better." That feels good. Another interesting thing that happened this week is that the location that I usually teach at in SF got flooded, and now the carpets have to be replaced! What an usual thing to happen. I'm seeking another location for the Series I that is supposed to begin tomorrow, however, we may have to postpone the start date until next week. Experiences like these definitely keep me on my toes. Otherwise I've been busy running the operations of the company, including training my mom to take over managing the supply chain for the new online store. She's been rockin' it, and it's been such huge help having her around. I took my mom to the Fire Drums festival this past weekend down in the Santa Cruz mountains. I fire hooped about 12 times in two nights. It was SO much fun! Being in the center of 6 blazing spokes, fuel burning...ah that sound is amazing. I also purchased a set of fans and danced with them for the first time ever. I ended up giving myself a minor burn on the back of my hand. Wah wah. I also learned how to use a whip, and now I'm aspiring to crack the whip while hooping. I played a bit with that while putting on a show at the How Weird Street Fair (my absolute favorite street fair!). I have plans to buy a fire whip, and then combing fire hooping with stilting and whip cracking. Crazy much?

Super Foods

MissRosie — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:23:04 GMT

I started taking some super foods last week that I've never had before, and they are having a tremendous impact on my consciousness and how I feel each day. Last Wednesday I started drinking Island Fire, which is a Noni juice elixir with ginger, turmeric, and some other things. It's SUPER spicy! For most of the past week I would pinch my nose while I drank it, and immediately chase it with a shot of water. I was drinking about 4 oz. per day. By Friday I was sleeping an hour and a half less than usual. I found myself waking up naturally at 730, which is truly delightful, given that I normally would never wake up at that time. I have more energy and clarity, and so I started giving it to Ken, too. The first day that I gave him a shot in the morning on an empty stomach, he said that he had the most productive day that he can remember. I got introduced to Island Fire by one of the owners of the company that distributes it, Adam of Elements For Life, whom I met at Cafe Gratitude last week after one of the employees said, "Go talk to that guy, he's giving a way free noni shots and has a really cool company that's giving all of it's profits above costs to evolutionary projects." Sweet! That sounds cool... Now I'm hooked on the stuff. I strarted drinking it on an empty stomach every morning, and I drink more throughout the day. So that was last Wed. Then on Friday, I recognized this guy at the Digital Be-In at Temple, but I couldn't place him. I asked my friend, who's that? "That's Adam." I thought, "Huh. I know him from somewhere." Then I passed him later in the club and said, "Do I know you?" And he said, "You look really familiar." Yadda yadda...We couldn't place each other at that moment. Then on Saturday, I'm at the New Living Expo teaching my class at the Conscious Dancer space, and who do I run into? Adam, carrying a box of Island Fire. "Now I know where I know you from! You're the noni guy!..." I told him about what has been occurring for me, and he said, "You should become a wholesaler if you're drinking that much." So he gave me his card, and then gave me a bottle of Island Fire AND a bottle of Gold Rush. I had bought a bottle of Gold Rush before, but didn't drink it all and it oxidized, so it wasn't edible. Gold Rush is a colloidal gold solution of water that is saturated with gold particles. Elements For Life creates this liquid up at their laboratory in Novato. Adam recommended drinking some with the Noni. So I started that on Monday. THEN last night, I decided to go to Cafe Gratitude after my late class ended in Berkeley. Instead of going to the location in Berkeley, I decided to go all the way to San Francisco, bypassing my house on YBI, and heading into SF, which would mean that I would have to backtrack. I thought it would be quicker for some reason. It was divine intention. I walk into the restaurant, am saying some hellos, and who's there? Adam. And Chad, the cofounder of Elements For Life, and Smiley, one of their chemists. They were finishing up a business meeting with a guy who makes concentrated marine phytoplankton superfood. They were just about done with their meeting, so I joined them, and I got to sample the phytoplankton. After 45 minutes I felt high! I bought a bottle of it, and just had some today, along with Gold Rush, and noni. I'm flying! Their website is http://www.noblelifeelements.com/

If I forget my child in Oakland, does that make me a bad mother?

MissRosie — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:32:17 GMT

So yesterday I was picking up hoops from my hoop-crafter, and I was chatting with my mom, mind racing a million miles per minute, thinking about what needed to get done next ("Hurry! Hurry!" my mind exclaimed, as usual...), talking talking, opened the car door, one of the dogs (Romeo the little brown one) jumps out, I *do* notice, continue loading the hoops, thinking, talking, thinking, moving way too quickly, "Good, got the hoops loaded," "Ok! Let's go!" And off we drive. I make it 20 minutes up the freeway to Berkeley before I exclaim, "MOM! IS ROMEO IN THE BACK?!" Oops. Mom drove off and left her baby in the streets of Oakland. I called the hoop-maker and she went outside of her house, and called him. Fortunately he came. That'll teach 'im to be jumpin' out and running off. This little dog is a total stud. A few years ago I entrusted his care to my friend Damon, who, at the time, was living in the city of Richmond. I went off to Hawaii for a week, and it wasn't until I returned and called Damon to collect the dog, that he told me Romie had been missing for 6 days. 6 days! He had jumped out of the kitchen window the second day I was gone. We found him the following day, a week after he'd gone missing, hiding under a minivan. He was *filthy* and emaciated. When we finally found him, he was so excited that he peed himself. I sure love that dog. So just because I forgot him yesterday doesn't mean I'm a bad mom. I realized it means that I need to S...L...O..W down and appreciate what I have accomplished for the day. Nilam wrote a comment on my last blog post about that, and her words popped into my head as I was heading back to pick up the dog yesterday. Take the time to acknowledge what you have created and accomplished for today. WooHoolie!

Movement as Medicine

MissRosie — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:54:34 GMT

I have had an amazing evening, and such a reminder on how important language is in shaping my experience. I was working with my mom on hoop biz all afternoon, and by the time I drove her back to SF I was feeling "really overwhelmed." It was 5:30 and I wanted to make it to Berkeley in time for Karri Wynn's last NIA class at Studio Rasa, which is closing this week. Had this been a normal class, I would have fore gone it in lieu of staying at home and coping with the "massive amount of work to do at home." But given that this was the last NIA class at Rasa, and that Karri had invited me personally, it was important that I be there in gratitude and support of the space, teachers, and owner. For at the least the past week, I've been in a state of identifying with "overwhelm," and as I began to move and dance in class, I found myself loosening up with an upwelling of emotion. I started to feel really alive and vibrant again. And really sad. "Wow...I didn't realize how much this community means to me," I thought as I felt tears welling up. I danced through circles and patterns with about 25 other people, and had a deep emotional movement that left me uplifted and joyful. At the end of class, there was a beautiful gratitude ritual. A lovely woman with a sweet voice set up a devotional space in the center of our circle and spoke on gratitude. One of the first things that she said is that gratitude and grief are bedfellows. When she said that, my heart sunk to think that this was my last time at Rasa. Bittersweet tears slipped from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, as they did for several people, particularly the teachers who were present. She continued in saying that grief is the doorway for gratitude, as we see how much something has meant to us, and how much we have valued it. After class I said my, "See you later..."s and headed out to my car where I had a call with Jason McClain. I'm taking his program Coaching the Life Coach, which is a profoundly savvy program for improving my business. I am learning so much through it. Tonight we had a short support call for me to basically utilize Jason's skills in whatever way served me best then. I was still emotional from the class, and told Jason that. We spent the remainder of the call doing an exercise that really helped me to put the "overwhelm" into perspective. Jason shared with me that overwhelm is typically not caused by having too many tasks to do, but rather by not making the time to do the things that nourish our souls. Excellent food for thought. After we hung up, I decided that I wouldn't work tonight, that I would go to Gratitude for some dinner, write this blog entry, and spend time with Ken reading before bed time. I also made these commitments to myself: to move more each day through walking our dogs, dancing, or stretching; to take the time to eat and nourish my body with good food; to organize my schedule so that I am not working until 3 a.m., but am rather in bed at a decent hour and up earlier in the morning. In just 15 minutes, Jason helped me to completely shift my relationship to my life in this moment. I have also agreed to return to my awareness and sensitivity toward negative-association words such as "overwhelm", particularly when I am talking about my own experience. I can now look at the pile of papers on my desk, and say, "Ok, I'm going to spend 45 minutes tomorrow organizing that, as well as 30 minutes walking the dogs." And then suddenly, everything in my life is much more manageable, as I know that there is time enough for everything to *eventually* get done.

Finally! (...and hooping in D.C.)

MissRosie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:03:53 GMT

As a testament to how abundant my business tasks have been lately, and how consumed I've been with Hoolie biz, I've been meaning to write this post since Friday... Ken and I ventured to Washington D.C. this weekend for a little vacation. The mini vacation was inspired back in December when I heard about a showing of Macbeth that was happening in two locations only, New Jersey (of all places) and D.C. This particular production is special in that the special effects were created and directed by Joe Teller, of the Vegas magic act Penn and Teller. Since I had never been to D.C. or seen a Shakespeare play, we booked a little weekend getaway. We had a fabulous time! Took a red-eye on Thursday night, arrived Friday at 6 a.m. Fortunately our hotel let us check in at 7 a.m. We did some touristy stuff: Fri. visited Capitol Hill, had a tour with a Representative's aide, and that night walked from the Jefferson Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial, via the FDR Memorial. If there are two things D.C. is abundant with, it's memorials and statues. I found myself very inspired being in the presence of these monumental marble and bronze sculptures of founding fathers and influential presidents and men and women. Being there brought this to the forefront of my mind: Human potential is limitless when we stand in our power. I really got the sense that politicians, founding fathers, presidents, and other notables, are all simply ordinary people living extraordinary lives. There is no doubt in my mind that living an extraordinary life is possible for anyone. As I walked along the Tidal Basin with Ken, I was reminded of a conversation we had had earlier that week. We had talked about fear, and fearing the situations that people face today. Over the past few years I've had an underlying fear that things are deteriorating, that we are increasingly living in a police state, that our freedoms are being eroded, and that we (in the Bay Area) are going to be attacked by our own despotic leaders in some kind of false flag terrorism. (http://www.google.com/search?q=+false+flag+terrorism&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a). This fear has been the result of many influences: current event knowledge, climate change, media, scared friends, sacred public... And it has cultivated in myself what has amounted to a planning of my future so as to attempt to remove myself and my family from whatever violence I imagine happening. Talking with Ken really brought me back to living in the now, and planning our future *intelligently* and out of what we want, rather than what we fear. I realized that living with this underlying fear of some impending doom does not serve me, and it rather detracts from me focusing on all of the positive development and connection, and community building that are indeed occurring. He shared with me that every generation has lived through an era of dominance by someone. Of violence and cruelty by someone or some group in power. A specific example he shared was about a private security guard and detective agency established in 1850, which was hired by businessmen of that era to destroy unions. He shared with me that this company's guards would pull union organizers out of their homes at night and brutalize or murder them, so as to stop organized labor. It really struck me that the times we live in now are sociologically quite similar to eras prior. What we face now with this current Administration and corporate injustice is similar to what the American colonists faced with King George III when they sought to declare independence. As long as there has been absolute power, there has most likely been corruption and tyranny, akin to what we see today around the world. On that note (and back to standing in front of statues in D.C.), looking back into history via memorials and museums, I am incredibly inspired to dream of what ordinary people can accomplish when each stand in our power and stand together. We are far from powerless, and I realized while I was in those marble temples that we, people now, people of today, people reading this, could build nations if we empowered and organized ourselves to do so, and implemented that with the utmost dedication and preparation for sacrifice. I've been reminded that anything is possible, and from here I am choosing to build my future on what I want, rather than on fearing what could come. It's a really liberating feeling to allow myself to let go of doomsday scenarios. I'd say that is one major gift that I have come away from D.C. with. While I was in D.C. I met up with some local hoopers as well as a couple who drove down from Baltimore. The jam was organized by Surprise! (aka Katie), and there were about a dozen women there, some of whom had just started hooping that day. On this coming Friday I'm flying back to North Carolina for Hoop Convergence (http://hoopconf.com/), and am SO looking forward to taking classes from other teachers who have different styles and techniques. I'll be seeing some of those D.C. hoopers again next weekend. WooHoolie! ~Rosie