Belly Dancing this fall – Wednesdays~!

Veil action

Halyma’s FALL 2016 Classes – Bellydance

Sandy Hill Community Centre – 250 Somerset East – 613-564-1062
Call to register with the barcode and your pin number or register online at  Ottawa.ca
Bellydance Level 1  Learn the basics and have some jungly sparkly fun on humpday!
Sandy Hill 613-564-1062 
Wed. 6-7 pm  September 14 to November 16 <10 weeks>
Code: 1048409
Price $89
Bellydance Level 2 You know the basics, so let’s bring it up a notch and add some extra props, live drumming and more!
Sandy Hill 613-564-1062 
Wed. 7-8 pm September 14 to November 16 <10 weeks>
Code:1048413
Price $89

Morning after vacay day 1…

Camping! That’s what I was smelling!
The hallway was being filled with stuff, my two leggers were being so feisty, and I spent yesterday morning banned to my food room. 
And now I’m snuggled in bed with my polar in a cocoon of warmth!
I was happy to do lots of sniffling yesterday- and there was extended two legger family time.
We stopped at “duck town” where I ran around smelling the local ducks and so wanted to grab the red rooster – but alas. 
Then it was mom of my hoo man visit time, and lots of smells there!  
Then I slept in my jail for a whole long time and awoke to the fun of watching my hoo mans building my room!!
It took them awhile to get my mat down but eventually I got settled.
One final jaunt took us to more family with half size hoomans buy I was stuck on Mom’s Lapp most of that time. And. That was day 1

August – around the corner…

This summer has been particularly busy with my “day job” at TAV-Creations.com. And I am looking forward to taking my annual break for most of August.
That means I’ll be updating like crazy before I disappear from the internets and let my dog Sprocket take over the daily visiting of websites and journalling our adventures when she sees fit.
For now – my fall schedule is online and registration begins in mid-August.
And here’s some fun pics, just because I’m taking a few minutes off from sewing!

A moment of gratitude….

A ” your memories” posting on Facebook just popped up, and it references a previous June where I was in the final stages of preparing for that year’s OCCP.
With my present workload in my “day job” at TAV Creations, the new location rocking the appointments, and just a general feeling of “wow, I have a lot on my plate!”, I wanted to send out a quick thanks to Mia and Danya.
Immediately upon talking with me in January/February about the June show, hearing that I was not going to be organizing one, they stepped up to the challenge and are organizing the Shimmy Into Summer Showcase on June 21st.
They offered spaces to many of the dancers who have participated in the past OCCP’s and are themselves in the final stages of prepping for the summer show!
Thank you ladies!
I am very much looking forward to participating in your event in less than 2 weeks! Bollywood For Fun will be there as well as my mixed level Sandy Hill class!

And we danced! 

Today was day 2 of the Tamarack  Ottawa Race Weekend and a few weeks ago, I managed to connect with the folks running it. A few emails later, one important request to Siddiqah of Fat Cat Bellydance, and suddenly Ottawa’s Belly Dancing Community was back at the marathons! 
  
Thank you to all of the amazing dancers who came out and cheered, played zills, veiled and generally showed the runners we were there to support their efforts!
And thanks to Michel- husband of Siddiqah- his support of our community was extra helpful today!
Yay ladies for a great return to the Ottawa Race Weekend 2016! 

weight training and mindful eating

It’s a constant journey – this whole concept of living and not doing things to excess, finding balance…etc etc.
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Accountability, having someone guide you, finding experts who remind you of all the things you probably have already read/heard/seen but let slide,  are all factors in trying to be healthier.
Tendonitis hit me last fall and I’ve been seeking out different ways to inexpensively deal with it. Physiotherapy is not inexpensive, but sometimes you have to get that little bit of extra advice and manipulation to get you on track. Also, hearing how it’s going to take a long time to heal – it took a long time of doing things badly to cause it – means that I know I will have to keep working at it/ resting it when I can.
As I approach bridal season – it actually really kick started this past week – I know I’ll really have to pay attention and take the time to do the strength training for my back < here’s the concept – using the arm muscles more than the back to do things seems to have contributed to the problem, so increasing my back strength and “putting my back into it”  will help take the pressure off my arm and elbow>.
This morning I had my once/month training session at Free Form Fitness and we went full body workout. Everything was put through its paces.
My hamstrings are already talking to me as I have begun cycling 2Xweek, about 50 minutes out and 50 minutes home at the end of the day.  On the alternate days, I’m trying to leave early enough to get off the bus at Billing Bridge and walk the 30 minutes to the studio. And at least 15 minutes of walking past the end of the day before I hop onto the bus.
Mindful eating is the real challenge for me. I don’t mind eating stuff that’s notoriously bad for me, I don’t mind at all.  Alas < yes, alas>, it makes a difference in how I feel, the numbers I’m tracking < a bit of scale and a bit of measuring tape, but not being too tough on myself about it>.


While I have lost about 5 pounds since January, it’s very slow. I had a back injury, the elbow thing, still on my journey with anxiety and lots of factors are making ti seem like I’m not making any progress at all. And it can be easy to slip into that space of “what’s the point”, when it seems like the efforts are wasted.
<sigh> ….
Apparently, the possibility of age being a factor is coming into play as I approach “middle age” as well – whatever! Actually, if my grandmother lived to 96… oh, yeah, ok it’s looming. But what thought process – if you think about how the first “half” of your life involved learning to talk/walk/think/develop skills etc. and you potentially have that same amount of time to continue to learn and grow…oh.. too much thinking for a Monday.
Well.. this was more a ramble than a journey into deep insight, but that’s ok too. I’ll continue to dance with amazing friends, explore finding balance in food and activity, and take my #zeropeopledays very seriously as I am much better with others when I take some time to recharge and do other stuff…
here – have a Sprocket pic! and a great week on your own adventures!
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It's Souk Day

Up early to finish organizing my items for my booth/table at the Ottawa Souk.
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It’s wonderful to see new co-ordinators taking on the adventure and making it their own!
Congrats in advance to Jehane and Lisa-Marie for their energy and hard work in co-ordinating today’s event!
Details are here.
And I am looking forward to only having my booth, workshop and performance with Bollywood For Fun to concern myself with today!
TAV Creations-OttawaSoukWorkshop
I attended a Walrus Talk this past week and one of the speakers, Zahra Ebrahim, talked about finding others who can do what we do, so that we are redundant but not obsolete. And I connected with that so completely.
Having retired from organizing the Ottawa Dancers’ Bazaar after my last one in October of 2013, and seeing others pick up the torch and give it a go, was my first step in opening myself up to other opportunities. This year, I stepped back from co-ordinating a June OCCP < Ottawa Community Class Party> and two lovely ladies, Mia and Daniya, immediately stepped up and are hosting their own event, and inviting those performers who would have been at the OCCP to join them at their Shimmy into Summer showcase.
And I am still busy. #bridalseason #bollywooddance #havingalife
Letting others have the chance to show off their skills and bring new ideas and fresh approaches to the community is a blessing and rejuvenation for us all.
At this point, I have been casually asked if/when I will give up the Dancers’ Newsletter… And it’s a question worth considering. I spend more time of late encouraging people to consistently submit their information, but often to “crickets” so, sadly, not everything gets included.
I do not pick and choose what events I’ll list – I leave that in the hands of the promoters and organizers to send me their information. But people are busy and I totally understand that.
For now, I’ll continue to offer this community service to share what information I am sent, but is everyone already seeing this information on Facebook anyway?
Thoughts?
Do you get the Dancers’ News? Do you use the online page rather than receive the email version?  Do you even remember that it exists?
Does it help you to see the events in a list format where you can scroll through?  Or do you use Facebook to keep track of the events you plan to attend?
What about classes? Do you go online to Ottawa.ca to find the classes you want to attend, or check the school board sites directly?  Or does your teacher email you directly every session to remind you to sign up?
I’d love some comments and feedback or you can email me directly if you have thoughts but don’t want to share them publicly. Halyma@bellydancingforfun.com or leave a comment below.
And come say hi if you are at the Souk today!
 
 

Non mutant Black Forest cupcakes

I  did start with a simple chocolate cake mix, cherry pie filling and premade vanilla icing. Sometimes it’s just gotta be that way.
Once the cupcakes were baked and cooled, I cut the little funnel shapes to give room for the cherry pie filling.
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Then I dug out the one icing tip I have and taped it securely into the bottom cut corner of a large ziplock bag. ( I know/ so not eco friendly today, but I’m using a car sharing service to drive later today, so that’s something, right?)

I blobbed the cherries into the divets and then piped the icing around. And now they sit in the fridge chillin’ until it’s party time later today.

Here’s what I did with the removed cake:
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And if you are wondering why “Non-Mutant” BFcakes – see the mutant ones here…it’s all about your audience!

The "butterbeer" recipe…

So…yeah…it’s pink, not caramel coloured…
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I walk through the LCBO and see Dr. McGillicuddy’s Intense Butterscotch and have to find some way to get  creative with it.  And with searching, “butterbeer” comes up..click through for the original link I used to get a concept of how butterbeer is meant to taste….
Then I did what I always do, and got creative with it.

Canadian ButterBrr < yes brr> Concept Drink:

In a pitcher, mix:
1 litre cream soda < yes – that’s why it’s pink>
1 litre club soda
15 ml vanilla
about 125 ml each – or to taste:

  • Dr. MCGillicuddy’s Intense Butterscotch < see link above>
  • Vodka – your choice
  • Sortilege – Maple flavoured whiskey – Thus the Canadian touch!

Give it all a stir and pour some out into glasses.
At this point, it’s good to taste it to make sure it’s on track, and you can adjust your quantities now if you want it sweeter or less sweet…
Whip up a small amount of 35% whipping cream < about 60 ml worked for us>, adding just a little bit more butterscotch < 10-15 ml> into it.
Gently glob it < yes, glob it>, onto the liquid in each glass and some will float down and the rest will create the beer like head.
Now. Enjoy.