Yes. . . . It is Possible to Patch Ballet Shoes!

This is a little trick that I figured out so that I could go to a ballet workshop with out holes in the toes of my shoes (yes I am a bit of a nerd :). It has helped my shoes stay intact longer than they would have, and it really isn't very noticeable. Note: My ballet shoes are canvas- I don't think it would work on leather.

Step one: Choose the Correct Fabric. Make sure that the canvas's weave is about the same size of the weave of your ballet shoe. The fabric in the picture is a little too patterned, but if you have a pattern that isn't extremely colorful or busy, you can use the wrong side.

Step Two: Cut, Pin and Sew. Cut a circle out of your fabric that has a half of an inch extra all around. Fold the fabric under and pin it onto the shoe. The more pins you use, the easier it will be! Use as small stitches as possible, making sure they are close together. Don't sew on the leather sole of the shoe. This part can be difficult, but it's doable.

Tada! The canvas will stretch a bit and mold to your foot. It is much easier to dance in un-ripped shoes- believe me! It is a pretty simple project that is quite effective!

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

-Pandy

Counts

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! One, two...... Coupe on six, remember?

Lord, Sometimes I feel like I can never get the counts right. Somehow I slip and then I have to fumble to the right spot. Lord, I want to stop fumbling. I know I can never stop totally, but please give me the strength to keep on. I realize my misteak too late. I fumble. But You never fumble. So I come to You. I'll follow You, Lord, because you're the only one who ever gets all of the counts right.

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

The Climb

She looked up to the mountain high,

and began ascent, feet on the fly.

She swiftly ran up yonder hill,

quenching all anguish with her will.

She now began to climb the slope,

her heart so full of joyous hope.

And quickly passing all the rest,

she climbed up to a higher test.

Sweat rolled down her work-tight face

And carefully she slowed her pace.

“I don’t see need to hurry hear,

my courage daunts all far and near!”

And turning with defiant glance,

her eye caught a girl up yonder path.

So then, in haste she climbed again

sure not to lose, too sure to win.

She climbed up higher and tried to trip

this girl who made all of her dreams slip

With faster pace and stronger lead,

she felt that she just must succeed!

As higher climb slowed her quick trod,

a hand reached down from that coveted spot.

“Just a bit more and then we’re there.”

Said this strange girl with motherlike care.

And then together, both in lead,

They were humbled to succeed.

So when you feel your sure and true

to be the best at what you do,

just follow those who take the lead

and that is the key to succeed.

For to aspire to be their best

is God's humbling improvement test.

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

I've got this Joy-Joy-Joy-Joy Down in my Heart!

Yes, I talk about joy allot on my blog. Why? Why didn't I call my blog "Sit on the floor with depression"? Well, aside from the fact that that name sounds downright awful, that's not what I want the world to see in me. Here are my reasons:

Reason Number one: When walking into WallMart, Cub, Target, or really any other store, I see billboards and pictures plastered with smiles. The smiles of models who pose in a very exuberant manner, smile, and wait for the camera to click. But what happens afterward? Do they continue to smile and skip about, carefree and unaware of their troubles? I don't think so. Now, to the casual observer, the world doesn't seem to have much to be joyful about. But look harder. There are thousands of miracles happening all around us every day! People are recovering from diseases, babies are being born, Mass is being celebrated, friends are being made...etc, etc. That is one of the reasons that I want to be joyful.

Reason Number Two: Granted, all of these miracles are happening, but babies are being killed through abortion, Christianity is outlawed is several countries, and people are dying from diseases......etc, etc. I'm not ignoring all of that. Remember Saint Paul? He rejoiced even though he was put in prison and killed. Remember Saint Agnes? She was as happy as a bride when she was lead to her death. Why? Because the peace of Christ was in them! They had the God-given batteries of joy- knowledge of God's love and confidence in salvation.

Reason Number Three: Bored people. So many people look bored on the outside. Too cool to be impressed, to show respect, to be kind. Too sad or lost to live a life of true joy. And that is sad. Wait! I'm working on being joy-full, not sad-full. And this is why I am joyful because of sad/cool/both people: First of all, by nature, I like to oppose people. I am working on this, and someday I hope to over come that. Secondly, those un-joyful people aren't lost! I want God to shine through my joy, showing others that they need something to fill their lives like that. And the only thing that will fill their lives in that way is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Yes, the world needs more joy. And I hope, by God's grace, to bring about a small part of it.

Lord, please give me the courage to spread your joy! I want your peaceful happiness!

~Pandy

The Bronze Bow

Now, this should be known to all of my followers and consumers of this post: I love to read. Yes, it's true. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. Truly. I love to read. :)

As you now know, I love reading- and this is what I have been reading lately:

SPOILER WARNING!!!

"He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze."

The Bronze Bow By Elizabeth George Spear. This is one of my favorite books. Daniel is a young Jew who ran away to the mountains to escape the tyranny of the Romans, and his bad experiences as an apprentice to a blacksmith. There he joins a band of men who are making ready to fight to fight the Romans. Daniel works for this cause too, until his grandmother dies and he is forced to take care of his sister, who is possessed by a demon. Daniel begins his new life and prepares a group of boys to fight the Romans. He begins to hear about Jesus, and watches Him teach, wondering if He will deliver them from the Romans until he is convinced otherwise. After realizing that Rosh, the leader of his band from the mountains isn't the messiah he was looking for, Daniel relapses for a while, but continues to nurture his hate for the Romans. After Daniel's small band rescue a friend from the Roman's galleys, they don't try to reunite; the death of one of their members has convinced them against it. Daniel's sister Leah has made friends with a Roman and after Daniel's outburst at finding out, she relapses into complete silence and fear. The book ends with Jesus curing Leah and Daniel accepting Christ. It also has a romantic element to it, but I won't spoil it too much. It is an exiting book sprinkled with Spear's lovely description of emotion and landscape. I enjoyed this book immensely!

I'll try and keep an update of all the books I read. Happy reading!

The Joy of the Lord is my strength!

~Pandy

Snowflakes

It is finally snowing! Little white flurries, slowly falling to the ground without a sound. They all seem to have a purpose; a place to go. They aren't in a hurry to get there, however, they dance about creating a lovely silent melody.

Each snowflake is different. There have never been the same two snowflakes. Ever. Just like there is no person quite like another. I love to stare at pictures of snowflakes under a micro-scope. They are so beautifully unique.

WOW. God is so creative! He created millions, billions, trillions of dazzling snowflakes. And he created people too. If He can make a snowflake so gorgeous, imagine what He can do with us!

Thank you Lord, for the joy of snow!

~Pandy

"Did you know that doing the splits can make you flexible?"

He he! I couldn't help using this quote from my dance teacher. She was shaking her head at my class while she watched us try to execute that particular stretch.
So, this is how I practice the splits, as taught to me by one of my teachers. It has helped me keep my hips square, and made me much more flexible in the log run. Note: As all splits are, this exercise is done completely in parallel. EDIT:  I have recently discovered that not all splits stretches are executed parallel.  I would suggest doing this stretch turned out, since you would want to be turned out when doing a grand jete, or any other split-type jump.

Step One: Prepare.

Begin by positioning yourself on the floor in a deep lunge with your back knee on the floor, and your front knee directly over your front foot. Pull your back foot back as far as you can, but remember to keep both hips facing straight ahead. Your weight is balanced over your front foot. Stretch for 8 to 16 counts.

Step Two: Shift Weight
From your lunge, lean back so that your front leg is straightly pointing ahead, and your weight is balanced over your back leg. Feel your front leg stretching forward. Stretch for 8 to 16 counts.

Step Three: Do the Splits!
From the position in step two, stretch your front leg forward into the splits position. Keep your hips facing front the whole time! Stretch for 16 t0 32 counts.

Remember- always be properly warmed up before you do the splits. It is allot easier and you are much less susceptible to injury.

This stretch is great for practice in hip alignment. It has taken me time to get the splits and I'm still working at it, but it looks clean and nice when you get it.

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

~Pandy

Heaven and Dance- My Thoughts

Many times, while I dance, I feel discouraged. Then again, often I feel encouraged and invigorated by the strenuous exercise that unfolds to create an enchanting and graceful story in dance. The "enchanting and graceful story" that sparkles on the stage and inspires so many, doesn't just happen in performance and ballet class; it can be compared to our lifelong struggle to Heaven. When "you didn't brush through the floor on your tendu", or "your hips aren't square in your grand jete", you don't just give up! You keep going, correcting, and making mistakes, and trying again. This is an example of a Christian's struggle to heaven. If the saints gave up each time they sinned, what would happen? Many of the most amazing and inspiring Doctors of the Church led an at-first sinful life, but were converted and completely reversed their life, starting anew in Christ.

I don't want to give up! Not in dance, and not in my spiritual life.

Lord Jesus, please give me the strength to pick myself up again after each of my mistakes; I want you to be the center of my life. At school, at home, in all I do, even at the barre.

~Pandy