Carolyn at the Prom

It was a little bit rainy on prom night, so Carolyn borrowed a bit of Mary Poppins Magic.

Her football player escort led her into the school where two more football players waited to take a prom picture with her!

She's good at all kinds of dancing, even the Conga Line!

(I can't help wondering if ALL high school girls wear high top sneakers to prom these days.)

Now for some 3-D dancing by Miss Carolyn Ruth Anderson!

She danced every dance, not even veering toward the cookie table. What joy, what passion, what a good weight loss strategy!

(Not that she needs to lose weight.)

Do you like to dance?

What do you like to do for exercise?

Fun Farmer's Market!

If you were driving down Highway 18 and saw this smiling guy dancing with a giant sunflower on the side of the road at a Saturday Farmer's Market, what would you do?

Since I am a fan of smiling and dancing, I pulled over. It was an extra bonus that I also saw a "sweet corn for sale" sign, even though it wasn't at sunflower dancer Brenden Whitelaw's booth. Among other yummy looking plants, he offered exotic cucumbers, fancy zucchini, and Scottish kale, which I wish I'd tasted while I was there.

Coming up, not this weekend because of the St. George Ironman competition, which tends to close roads, are lemongrass, dill, kohlrabi, White Spice Carrots (what?!) and, of all things, Cosmic Purple Carrots!

Brenden also sells colorful corn, perfect for fall decorations or eating, and he promised larger ears to come! 

So if you're in the market for entertainment, good conversation, and fresh vegetables that you aren't likely to find at a grocery store, then stop by the junction of Highway 18 and the turnoff to Pine Valley, (which is roughly the center of the town of Central, Utah) on Saturday.

For even more fun, there are other booths there, too, such as easy-to-talk-to Dale in his genuine cowboy hat, offering his homemade flutes and unique one-of-a-kind Western decorations for sale.

You're sure to find something fun and interesting there, so stop by if you can!

Have you ever been to a Farmer's Market?

On the Road in Dallas!

I've had a chance to travel the last couple of weeks! I've most recently been in Dallas, Texas, with my lovely sister Bev and her hunky husband Mark. 

Bev played the flute in school, and she's still got it!

 Bev's friend, Sara, and Sara's daughter, Alison, loved the performance!

My traveling companion was my other sister, Carolyn.

We had a rockin' out dance on Saturday!

 (Macarena, anyone?)

When Carolyn was little, she used to fall asleep doing the spraddle splits. Guess what? She can still do it!

 We loved seeing family, like Bev, Jaren, Mark, Curtis, and Iveth. 

As my old hometown newspaper used to report of social events, 

"A good time was had by all."

Do you like packing a suitcase (or personal item only if you fly Spirit airlines) and going places?

Dancing Carolyn!

My little sister Carolyn watched the SUU (Southern Utah University) dancers at her weekly Special Needs Mutual activity, and then she joined in the fun after the performance!

Ooo-la-la, Carolyn, is that even legal to do in church?!

 Look at that skirt twirl!

 Uh oh, I think I see an ankle.

 Oh, where is the propriety? Now I see 2 ankles!

 That skirt's swishing higher and higher! Change the dance step, girl!

 You can dance anything!

 I'd be falling-down-dizzy after a spin like that! 

 Everyone else is talking... Carolyn's still dancing.

Way to go, li'l sis.

I changed my mind...I decided I have a Jamaican Heart! (And THIS dancin' lady is 97! That's what I'm talking about!)

This is me, only taller, in 47 years!

Why do I always dance?

I had the privilege of substituting at our local elementary school for a week and a half, where I got to do... TA DA! LUNCH ROOM DUTY! It was great fun.
After a few days, one of the students at the lunch table looked up at me with wide eyes and asked, "Why are you always dancing?"
Surprised, I asked, "Am I always dancing?"
"Yes!" several students replied.
I thought fast. There had been some occasions when I was wandering past tables, monitoring students' food intake (or lack thereof) when I'd spun on the balls of my feet, for no particular reason, but it WAS fun to see my skirts twirl out and around. Other times I wore tappy shoes and I couldn't help but tappity-tap them a few times now and then. That must have been the dancing they were referring to.
"Because," I said, "Dancing is good for you. It keeps you healthy and makes you happy. You should try it!"
I caught some incredulous looks, then did a twirl and moved on to the next table.
You know what I didn't tell them? If you do a few dance steps, you can eat your whole school lunch with fewer pounds gained.
And the sweet rolls are worth it.
Oh, yeah!

Miss Utah Danced With My Boy

Kayla Barclay, Miss Utah 2009, (see pix) danced with my son in Show Choir last year. The song was "Accidentally in Love," from the movie "Shrek." When the choir director told Zack he didn't look like he was in love, Kayla spoke up. "I can teach him!"
That's just what Utah needs, a representative who's not only talented, but helpful, too!
She really is a sweet girl. She said "Hi!" to me in the store the other day, just because she saw me. She knew I didn't get a vote in the Miss Utah thing, but that didn't matter. That's just the kind of girl she is.

Baling Twine Necktie

by Shirley Bahlmann
It can be traumatic being fourteen. When my son went to a school dance on Friday, they turned him away at the door because he didn't have a necktie on. Angry and embarrassed, he left, declaring that he wasn't going back to that stupid school on Monday. Well, he didn't go back, because he got the flu, but that's not the point.
The point is that when his 17-year-old brother heard what happened, he said, "If they told me I needed a tie, I would have gone outside and found an old piece of baling twine or something of the ground. I would have tied it around my neck, then gone back and said, 'I've got a tie, now let me in.'"
I was impressed by his ingenuity. His attitude made me want to make things work that really matter to me. I hope you'll keep plenty of baling twine neckties on hand for your emergencies, too.
Cheers!