Open Wide!

I went to the dentist yesterday for an evaluation. To see what braces could do for me, what kinds of braces there were and, more importantly, how much these braces may cost. . .

I'm getting braces next month.

However, this was after 3 hours of evaluations, impressions (with the goopy ceramic stuff that they say should taste like fruit punch but doesn't), discussions, calculations, and bargaining.

And after all this, I've concluded that orthodontists should NEVER eat onions for lunch. No matter how tantalizing the sandwich.

Of Beauty

She Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that 's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.


And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

~Lord Byron

This week, my grandmother is ending her battle with kidney failure and old age in general and is getting ready to head home beyond this world where my grandfather and her Savior has been waiting for her.

And its time. She is tired, her body has given out, and she is at peace with going. And yet, I look at her and her life and her sweet personality and the memories we've had with her through the years and I'm saddened. Not hopeless, but saddened.

Because when we lose bright stars like her, the world becomes just a bit more gray.

Of Dancing

This past Friday, Greg and I started taking ballroom dancing lessons. It only took 5ish years to convince him (even our wedding wasn't much of a motivating factor) but proves the saying "If at first you don't succeed; try, try again".

We signed up. And so inspired 2 of our neighbors that they and their spouses signed up too. And off we went to our first night.

When we arrived, we had to wait outside as the last class finished up Salsa lessons. As they all filed out, one guy was near to staggering, and he took a deep, shaky breath and admonished our group: "Prepare yourselves, it's brutal in there". I could feel fear start to creep into the hearts of our men. But, we as women were undaunted, and we led them to the dance floor to commence with our training.

We started off with the two step, and aside from the fact that I was using my hand-hold on Greg's right arm to attempt steering him around the dance floor, that went really well. . . until the dance instructor saw what I was doing and quickly admonished me and then made the whole class do an exercise in posture and resistance in you ballroom 'stance'. Chagrined, I made more of an effort to follow, and not lead, but by then we were learning the tango and I could barely keep up, let alone boss the situation around. Greg had a rather difficult move that involved him turning around me, while I stepped in between his legs, and then we both do another turn, and end up going back the same way we were coming from.

It looks amazing, but is difficult. And when both of you as dance partners are rather tall, you tend to make up a lot of ground practicing this move.

And so we started lapping people left and right - careening down the dance floor one way, my cheeks flapping in the wind as Greg whipped me around and I felt the awesome power of G-forces, and then it was back down the other way with much the same speed and length of stride. I could see the fear on our friends faces as we bore down on them, and as they anticipated our approach they would lose focus on their own steps and stomp on a few toes. Before you knew it we were back down the other side of the floor, terrorizing complete strangers, most of whom would not stand their ground and choose instead to scatter in front of us like frightened chickens.

It was awe-inspiring to feel the power our tango had on the group and not even the dance instructors could put us on the right track - we were a Force Unstoppable by mere man.

We were a giggling Force Unstoppable by man.

And afterwards the 6 of us went out and had some beers and dinner, and recounted the harrowing tales of trying to dance together as couples, and the strange parallels it bore to an actual relationship. Who was willing to lead, who was willing to follow, who could hold their posture with resistance, who was a limp noodle....and I think it's a good thing we're all taking this class together. Perhaps all young couples should be required to work together in this manner.

Either way, we're all looking forward to this coming Friday, when we get to learn 4 more sequence of steps, and hopefully, are a bit better (and maybe slower) than we were last week.