Torture

Torture. I'm torturing myself.

My sister and I started an English Country Dance(ECD) group in Omaha last December, going from knowing no ECD to teaching it in two weeks. Then I kind of took it over, because I do that sometimes and Jen is busyer than I am, anyway. So every once in a while I get to studying dance music and easy dances we can add to our small collection. Today was such a day. Our next dance is in two weeks, and I'm planning on introducing a few new dances to our group.

As far as music goes, basically, if it's not on Amazon, I'm not buying it. When you get into such an obscure genre like dance music from the 18th century, there are some poor sound quality albums out there, and I want quality sound. And we need lively music, people! We're dancing, not trying to get to sleep. I want a cross between bluegrass music and Irish, with the refinement of colonial dance tunes. It drives me mad to spend hours looking and only find a handful of tunes that will work. Obviously we don't have a live band.

Then I get to finding new dance instructions to use at our next dance. It's not too hard to find actual dance instructions; but it really, really helps to see a youtube video of the dance before I go teach it to thirty people staring at me from the dance floor. So again, if I can't find it on youtube, sometimes I just have to ditch the dance because I can't understand it.

I really enjoy ECD, which is surprising considering my history with dancing: I have none. My sister danced from an early age. I never did a dance step until in high school our home school co-op gave a country line dance class, of which I took one session and was terrible at it. Then Wham, I discovered ECD and loved it.

So in the end, after spending hours and hours studying dances, gathering information, sampling and purchasing music, I have to wait for a once a month event at which I can't even dance all the dances because I'm one of the callers! And the guys wonder why I get upset when they don't ask me(or any other girl, for that matter) to dance! One word: Frustrating. Two more words, for the guys: Learn Chivalry.

Currently Reading

Don't expect me to get through these books quickly though!

Countdown

We are leaving for PHF Thursday morning. There is very little time left us. Two things are foremost in my mind: The dance on Friday night, which Jen and I are in charge of, and our guests coming Sunday night after PHF.

I'll probably have nightmares about forgetting all the dance music, or the sound system not working. Once that is over I'll rest easier.

I really care how the house looks. When guests come, I want the house clean and somewhat stylish and the food prepared. When guests stay overnight, the whole house must be cleaned. Our house may not be especially large, but it sure collects dust fast. And it's full of stuff(not my fault). Mom gave up decorating(and cleaning too, almost) a long time ago, so I have a lot of freedom to decorate the house as I like: But there still remains the fact that it's a hundred year old house, decorated when I was too young to care in cheap furnishings(we're Scottish) and 1990s floral(Mom again), and eight people live in it. It's enough to drive me mad.

I certainly hope that someday I have my own house to decorate as I wish. Until then, may God blind the eyes of our guests.

Fixed

Yes, our washing machine was fixed, thankfully. Despite the cost it was still cheaper to fix it rather than buy a new one or a used equivalent. We ladies are so thankful to have means to wash clothes again, and the pantry is super organized thanks to the temporary upheaval.

Mom is still recovering, well over a month since she first got sick. She's only able to speak in a whisper, and she's amazingly forgetful, but her energy is coming back.

Dad and Caleb have been working long and late on the upcoming Providential History Festival, which is the only conference of it's kind so of course we are very proud of it, but it's a lot of work. Dad's attitude towards his new job is totally different from his old one in that he stays late on his own initiative. There will be no rest for the weary until PHF is over.

Jen started teaching ballet classes again this week, so while she stresses over eleven classes in four locations and fifty students, I'm housebound as long as she has the car. I've been busy enough it hasn't mattered so far, except I had to drive the van in to the business today. What van, you ask? Oh, let me tell you about it.

We acquired Hank right before our family reunion in July, since our mini-van died at Presbytery and we had no way to transport our whole family in one vehicle. Some friends sold us their ancient(for a van) 15 passenger at the kind price of $650. We were desperate to get a van quick, they were desperate to get rid of it, or something like that. Hank is huge, old, ugly, the AC doesn't work, and in short, I hate it. Hopefully neither Dad nor the family that sold it to us will read this blogpost. It's not practical to drive due to gas costs and it's uncomfortable to ride in. And I had to drive it for the first time today. Life is an adventure, I'm telling you.