Class Notes and Links

Here are some more classes, events and links.

You don't have to be Jewish--I'm not, and I like to put on my dancing shoes and get funky with the Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band. Anybody with basic knowledge of their instrument can get involved in the band which plays music from the Jewish culture of Eastern Europe. If you don't have any musical background and you want to get a piece of the action, that's ok, too, the Rikud Yiddish Dance Troupe doesn't require any experience in music or dance. The dance group will teach you the (easy) dances during rehearsals with the band and then you can help lead the dances. Get more info from my good friends at www.nahalatshalom.org .They are hooked up with everybody--once I was photographed by a yellow-robed Buddhist monk while I was dancing in the sanctuary.

Another of my favorite places for folk music and dancing is at the Grecian Festival at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church. That also just happened in Oct. and I was there both nights. They had live music, great food, performing groups, and open dancing. This great party always happens during the Balloon Fiesta.

.  Clear plastic hoop-houses are cheap and easy to make. The hoop parts are made of plastic drip irrigation tubes cut in pieces and I just found a dump pile full of it when I was looking at the graffiti mural behind the neighborhood store. Keep your eyes out for landscaping materials, they're everywhere if you use your imagination...We had the kale live through -6 F temperatures a couple of years ago.When it heats up in the summer you can take down the plastic and put up shade cloth to protect the plants from the hot sun. They sell shade cloth in the plant and hardware store but if you don't have a budget for it just improvise. Old sheets and curtains from dance studios have been used around here. If you want lots of free advice about your garden that is specific to the region where you live, the New Mexico Master Gardener's manual is online at www.nmmastergardeners.org   Here's an unpaid advertisement--I can't wait to take the truck out to Soilutions and get a truckload of certified organic compost. That's www.soilutions.net for current goods and prices. They have compost, mulch, shredded wood, pecan shells and it's a really cool place to go, bring the kids. There are lots of trucks and bulldozers, too, if that's what they're into. Take the yard waste there instead of the dump and pick up a load of compost or mulch while you're there Strategic yard waste management can save you time and money and also help save the planet--it's a great excuse to be outside and enjoy nature. No matter where you are, it's a good idea to get your plants at a locally owned store because they will have just the right plants for the climate. For example, I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, it's the desert, and I need to know just how much water it doesn't need, and how much sun it can stand. My other home town is in east central Illinois, it is cloudy, wet, and muddy and the plants are usually going to want all the sun they can get. I'm sweeping and raking the stray leaves out of the paths and driveways and then putting the leaves on the landscaping.

Here in New Mexico winter is arriving right on time (Halloween) and cold sensitive plants such as chile and tomatoes are starting to freezeIt's always a good time to mulch around here because it keeps plants cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Mulch is any kind of plant material that can go on top of or into the soil to hold water. One of my favorites is aged straw. I get the bales new for decoration and then after a while I whack them and use them in the garden beds. The ones out in the front yard have a few pumpkins and gourds for the holidays. I also save the leaves from the previous fall to put around the plants and make composts.. They are free. I just rake them up and store them. 

 Dry weather is a great time to wash things out in the yard. Then you can take the water and put it on the plants. I've got a big jar of natural soap and after I wash things I dump the water on the garden and the landscaping.. Get out the dog blanket, the car seats for the kids and other messy sticky stuff and wash it outside when the weather is warm. Even in the winter we sometimes have good washdays here. Be shure to cover the outdoor faucets and drain the hoses so they don't freeze.

The picture below shows Malé Fainke of Mali, West Africa putting a new head on a djembe.

One more thing to enjoy in the digital age is internet radio. There are so many thousands of stations and podcasts and archives of broadcasts that it's hard to know where to start. The best way is just to search something like "punk rock internet radio" or "internet radio--French--sports" and they will give you a list. The Microsoft tuner that comes with Windows Media has it's own list of different stations and I found a couple of my favorites there. Here's some of my favorites: www.folkalley.com for folk tunes, www.addictedtoradio.com has dozens of stations including reggae, blues, cajun and bluegrass, www.originradio.com has African hits, www.cocoradio.com is a reggae station from Accra, Ghana, and www.batanga.com has all different kinds of Spanish-language music from Mariachi to Flamenco to the Cumbia. Another gold mine is www.live365.com, they have hundreds (thousands?) of different stations from all over the world. Some of them you have to be a member to listen to but others are free. Nowadays these all have apps for smart phones. My own home computer is hooked up to the '96 stereo via an interface. The African guys in the back are endlessly playing youtube. If you love music and dancing from different cultures, youtube is the holy grail and it's free. This picture is from a few years back, it shows dance teacher Nia Harris on the dance floor.

Face Book is also a great way to stay in touch with favorite musicians and to keep up with local events and performances. For example, there are several flamenco performances coming up this weekend and they send me posts about their upcoming shows and recitals. If you are a big reggae fan like me, there's a NM reggae page on FB with updates about shows in the area.

 "The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start". If you need to lose some weight, you will probably burn a few calories rolling on the floor laughing as you read the life story of John "the Penguin" Bingham. The man who later became the Penguin was a middle-aged, overweight, smoking, drinking, couch potato who decided to change his attitude and become a runner. He is the author of "The Courage to Start", "No Need for Speed", "Marathoning for Mortals". The Penguin is now retiring but his work lives on at your local library or bookstore.  The Penguin presents his experience with getting fit in a way that is fun and entertaining all the way.  Dealing with yourself doesn't always have to be a trauma...No guilt trips or depressing statistics here, just fun stories and good pratical advice. 

Whether you call it Middle Eastern, Belly Dance, or any other name, this is a dance form that is fun, it's a great workout, and you get to enjoy music from different places and learn about their cultures. Find out about classes, workshops, and events at www.nmbellydance.com  There are teachers, studios and classes all over the state so check and see what is in your area. While you're visiting this page, please read the Statement of Ethics. Dancers in all styles could benefit from this.

There's also a performing group called Desert Darliings. I had a great time at their recent show, La Sirenita. They are on Face Book if you want to see pictures of that show. 

Dancer, teacher, and performer Lucy Kozikowski rocking out before dance class in the photo below.

Read the news from Africa online from over 60 different news sources at www.allafrica.com , news in English and French.