Just Dance

JUST DANCE!

When I was a teenager, or even before then, I loved to dance. My dream was to become a Broadway dancer, you know, like in the musical Chicago. I truly thought that one day I’d do that, but then life puts us on different paths than the ones that are old stars in our eyes. Not bad forks in the road, just a shift in priorities or perhaps an even more exciting direction. I did take ballet lessons in my twenties, but ooh, that was not a pretty sight.

I still listen to music that makes me want to get up and move. I jiggle all the way to work listening to upbeat dance music. I have not been to a night club in eons but just might have to do that in the near future, just as research mind you—I have no intention of looking at the cute young hotties out there these days—or maybe I do! Hey, I ain’t dead yet, just married :-) For a long time. To a man who doesn’t like to dance anymore. I don’t think he was ever very crazy about dancing but he’d let me drag him out onto the dance floor after he’d had a few. He’s really a sweetheart.

Now I’m dancing for the exercise--in private. I turn on my favorite dance music and just make myself move as I do things around the house. I have let myself get way too out of shape, so now I have to work doubly hard to get the extra pounds off. So…I say just dance.

IPod Music
Move While You Walk

Here is a “short” list of some of my favorite current dance songs – I have so many that I decided to list just a few of the songs that are now playing on the radio: Check out the music videos on Youtube too, they are always lots of fun, quite creative and very interesting! And even if this is not the kind of music that you normally listen to, just give it a chance. Sink into an alternate personality and let that crazy wild WOMAN/MAN out of the closet!  I think you will be surprised at how it makes you want to move your mojo and it’s quite fun. You just might feel like a teenager again, I know dancing makes me feel younger, even if I have to do it with myself. Hmm, maybe I could hire a Gigolo to take me dancing. :-)

I have these on a playlist on my Ipod© and walk to the music too, and it helps me speed walk on my work breaks, kind of sort of a speed walk - working on that too! But here's a good list to get you moving whether it's walking or dancing! Enjoy. :-)

Happy Dancing

Wendy Treitel

Just Dance by Lady GaGa
On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez
Bow Chicka Wow Wow by Mike Posner
Grenade by Bruno Mars
The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars
E.T. (feat. Kanye West) by Katy Perry
Higher by Taio Cruz
S&M by Rhianna
The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani/Akon
Animal by Neon Trees
Cooler Than Me by Mike Posner
Get This Party Started by Pink
Raise Your Glass by Pink
Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake
Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You) by Enrique Iglesias
Won’t Go Home Without You by Maroon 5
I Like It by Enrique Iglesias
Teenage Dream by Katy Perry
All The Right Moves by OneRepublic
Gotta Be Somebody by Nickelback

The Moon And It's Effect On Our Moods

Ever since I was a little girl, (and I’m not divulging how long ago that was so forget it!) I’ve had this fascination with the moon, like zillions of other people I’m sure. I swear, when I look up at it at night, I know I can see that “Man in the moon”. Today I was feeling a bit sluggish and I wondered if the moon could be the cause.


Admittedly, I’m hooked on my daily horoscope that I get on my IPhone©  every day and along with it comes my Tarot Card reading, so I decided to check my out for today and see how close it comes to how I actually feel. I’m always testing them :0)   Today’s said:

“You’re in a right sulk today, dear Wendy. The alliance of the Moon and the Tower is indicating some aggravation within the family or relationship. Instead of retreating into your shell with an ugly smirk, just say straight out what you want from your relationships, be they with a lover or family. There’s no worse enemy than silence when discontent sets in.”

Well, I guess my mood is because my twenty-seven year old son is moving out (he’s been out and back a few times, not unlike myself when I was young), but I am genuinely happy about his moving on up and out into the big bad world, again.

Anyway, my point is that the moon definitely affects our moods and it has now been proven that this is indeed fact. Below I have listed several website that have some great information about the moon and how it affects our moods.

The Moon and You

By Daniella Breen

http://www.usenature.com/article_moon_cycle.htm

Moon Phase Calendar for June, 2011 and other interesting info about the moon – I was especially interested in the Blue Moon as I had the opportunity to see the last one that occurred and even took a picture, although with my camera it just looked like a normal moon, but I know better. J I swear that’s not a fish story either.

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases_calendar.phtml

The Spiritual effect of the moon on man:

http://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/articles/id/spiritualresearch/spiritualscience/spiritualeffectofmoon_on_man

Nice website: You will have to copy and past this website address into your browser to get it to work:

Ecogirl and Cosmoboy’s Blog
http://ecogirlcosmoboy.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/top-ten-ways-the-moon-affects-us/

Happy Moon Mood to you all!

Wendy Treitel

Joplin, MO

I would like all our readers to keep my hometown Joplin, Mo in their prayers. As many of you know, last Sunday Joplin was hit by an F5 tornado and 133 people were killed. Thousands of people have been displaced and have no where to live.

I’m very happy that all those in my family are alive, although several cousins lost every thing they owned. There have been many tales of people helping the survivors with every day needs and keeping them fed.

Mostly they need prayers.

We can all say every possession can be replaced, but that’s hard to convince a seventy year old man whose wife died of cancer two years ago. All he wants is a picture of the woman who held his hand for fifty year, now that’s gone forever.

There are a lot of heartaches and many trials ahead for the residents of Joplin, and I hope you will keep them in your hearts and prayers.

Thank you.

 

Write On!

Geri Foster

Wave the flag.

Click here: Memorial Day - Arlington (Trace Adkins) : CoolestOne.Com

It says it all, doesn't it? 

Life is good, because they served.

Ella

My strangest peccadillo

Okay, I have some quirks. A LOT of quirks but all-in-all I think I’m pretty normal.

I do, however, have one odd quirk and I’m sure it drives the people around me nuts, though they humor me a lot.

I change my sheets every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY.

If I don’t, if I try to sleep on the sheets I slept on the night before, I inevitably wake up at one or two in the morning, itching like crazy, having tossed and turned in the hours beforehand and change it anyway. So, I always change the bed.

I can even tell when in a hotel, if the sheets have not been changed. I’m sorry environment, but my peace of mind is more important to me. Once, when Ella and I were at a conference in Houston, I put the “please change my sheets” card on the bed. That night, as I’m getting into the freshly made bed, I touched the sheets and found they’d not been changed. Yes, I can tell simply by feel. I was not a happy camper and let the hotel know about it.

It was too late to have them changed and I spent a restless, uncomfortable night, even though the bed was huge and I slept on the mostly un-slept on side.

I know, I know, it’s crazy. Ludicrous, even, but hey, it’s just how I am.

And yes, I have an insane amount of sheets. More than can comfortably fit in a large hope chest.

As I said, the people around me humor me about it. When I ask for sheets for Christmas or my birthday, they no longer say “Again?” but instead ask “What color this time?”

My boyfriend only had 2 sets of sheets when we started dating a year and a half ago. He now owns 5 sets. Since he has to pay to wash, I tote the sheets with me and take care of that part. Fair is fair. I’m nuts, but I have some sensibilities.

Because there must be balance in the universe, my kid is the exact opposite of me. He doesn’t even sleep on a sheet. It’s creepy. I’m just saying.

Let sleeping dogs lie ... comfortably in fresh sheets!
Photo courtesy of Csuka András

I   know that I have way more oddities about me than that, but really, I think this is probably the most fun. It’s certainly an interesting conversation piece. 

What about you? What’s your strangest  peccadillo?

Happy reading,

Jennifer August

Drawing on the Exciting Energy of Others



Books and Stories
Getting Published! Woohoo!

 A lot of good things have been going on lately. My friends are getting published and I feel the hum of their energy as if it were my own.  In my many years of searching for inner peace, as with many of you I’m sure, I’ve read volumes of self help books, been in therapy, joined group sessions and attended various churches in order to make myself “well and happy”. It seems I’ve always been searching for something elusive. Something I just can’t seem to put my hands on or sink my heart into with a frenzied passion like other people seem to possess.

I wish I had known this a long time ago, but now I know my passion is writing and writing for success. I’ve known I wanted to write and become a published author for years, sure, but not to the extent that I feel it now, and that I was willing to truly work my ass off and sacrifice certain things for it.

But I am now.

 I want to taste that sweetness, feel that rush, and own that victory! I want to be able to hold up my hand the next time a speaker asks, “How many of you are published?” I will get there, this I know, somehow, some way, I will get published.

I feel honored to be able to surround myself with some amazing women and men whom I get to call friends and family. People who are as determined as myself to reach success and who are doing it in a wonderfully positive light.

Woohoo, doing
the Happy Dance!

Congratulations to all of you who have published recently, and an especially big congratulations to our own Jennifer August and Roxi Cox.

You ladies rock!

Thanks to you all for allowing me to drift into and soak up your dynamic light! You are awesome and I am privileged and blessed. Thank you, God, for giving me this opportunity. And thanks to my family for having confidence in me.


Positive energey looks
kind of like this to me.
Soak up the rays!


To me there is nothing more energizing and motivating than the power emanating off of people who know where they are going, know what they want, and are going to go get it, by God!

I love it!
I want it!
I will get it!  

Happy success seeking!

Wendy Treitel

Revisions

How to start? Where to begin?
These are critical questions for the beginning of a new manuscript and usually something I get wrong the on the first draft. Thankfully, in fiction there are rewrites.
Revisions aren’t easy; usually it’s a struggle trying to decide what to keep and what to change. What changes make the story best? How to make the changes and keep the elements of the story you envisioned? It’s always a struggle.
But trying to get it right from the beginning is the hardest part. Life doesn’t always follow the prescribed pattern. Neither does fiction, but as the writer you control that-right?
Sometimes.
Maybe.
Well, no not always. That’s why there are rewrites, so you can make it better, make it the best.
I guess you can tell I’m struggling with the rewrites. Strike this, save that, change the wording here-all notes that must have your attention.
The reward, the part I’m having trouble envisioning, is a manuscript that is better than when you began. So I’ll get back to it!
Life is good. Enjoy the rain.
Ella