...petting the stingrays...

When Andy and I honeymooned in Mexico, we decided to take an excursion to Xel-ha, an outdoor adventure park. It was there that I went snorkeling for the first time. As we were floating through the water, looking at different colored fish, Andy called out, "Look, Sharon, a stingray!" I immediately screamed and jumped into his arms, a difficult task considering we were treading water. My fearless husband laughed as I clung to him, unwilling to even look in the water.

The Saint Louis Zoo is home to Caribbean Cove, where cow-nose stingrays, crabs and little baby sharks dwell peacefully together. Did you know that stingrays are docile creatures? Like dogs and cats, they're just looking for a little love. So the zoo allows people to pet and feed the stingrays for a mere $5. But, if you get there in the first hour that the zoo is open, they let you pet them for free!

Was I brave? Watch the video and see for yourself!

Do I deserve this treat? Was I brave enough to pet the stingrays?

Always teaching me how to be brave by example.

Are you brave enough to pet a stingray?

...are you ready for an adventure?...

Are you ready for an adventure?

One of the many benefits of my hard work on the patio is the opportunity to sit back and enjoy it. This morning I did yoga on the patio and then read the news.

I despise the news, mostly because of the biased reporting on both ends of the spectrum. I find myself regularly rolling my eyes when they make their own opinions obvious. But I'm fully aware that part of being a good citizen is to be informed. So I started a new habit of news reading this week, and my patio has made it an easy transition thus far.

Of course, the very first article that caught my attention was the plight of the nearly 300 school girls in Nigeria who were kidnapped by the militant Islamic group Hoko Baram last month. Some of these girls are the ages of my nieces, the ages of your daughters. There have been reports of mass marriages, with these young women being “given” to members of this detestable and despicable group, and the ring leader has said that he will sell these girls in the marketplace.

What kind of morally depraved human being snatches innocent children and rapes them or sells them to be raped? I do not understand the world I am living in...and I'm feeling helpless, as if my hands are tied behind my back and I am forced to watch this injustice play out.

But it doesn't have to be that way...

The Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco has been a dream race of mine for several years now. And this year, I'd like to run to raise funds for the A21 Campaign, as they seek to bring traffickers to justice and as they create spaces for young women to experience hope, healing and restoration.

So I'm calling all my lady runner friends!

This is a huge race, and most female runners want to do it. (At the finish line, local firemen dressed in tuxes hold silver platters with signature blue Tiffany & Co. boxes as the finisher's “medal” is a Tiffany designed necklace.) Therefore, getting into the race is based on a lottery drawing. A little bird revealed to me that groups have a better chance of getting in.

Would you consider running with me and raising support as well? It would be a most amazing girls weekend! The lottery has not begun yet, but it will be up soon, so don't wait to make your decision. Please contact me today if you are at all interested. Even if you've never run a day in your life, I know that, by October 19, you can be ready!

So I ask again, are you ready for an adventure?

For more information on the Nike Women's Half Marathon, click here.

...my garden...

Sunday's performance was superb! While I have no recording to share, I heard great comments and encouraging remarks. My body shook the whole time, but I loved sharing my heart.

I came home and treated myself to some dark, dark chocolate, as I relaxed in the anti-gravity chair on our patio. As I gazed around the patio, I knew I needed to get to work. So that's been my adventure the past few days!

It's not been easy. Gardening is dirty, sweaty work. But I must say, our little oasis was worth all the hard work. As I sit here, resting back in the longe chair, a light breeze is picking up the scent of the woodland phlox and dancing it around me. I've been breathing a bit more deeply tonight. 

There are still a few things I need to do. We need some string lights and I'd like to hang some of those hanging pots. All in good time. 

Here's what I've planted:

Gerbera daisies

Dahlias

Impatiens

Pansies

Woodland phlox

Strawberry bush plants

Lettuce

Spinach

Green and red peppers

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Squash

Peas

Beans

...and something else...haha! I can't remember! Oh, well. I look forward to being delightfully surprised. 

Also, everyone is welcome to come hang out on our patio! 

Hope you have a wonderful week!

ps. Farmer's tans are in this season, right? If not, I'm in trouble.

...Cinco de Mayo...

Cherokee Street - the only place to get Mexican food in St. Louis...and the best place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

So that's what we did!

The people, the music, the dancing, and the heavenly smells of all kinds of Mexican food filled the air as we walked the street. We tasted chicharones for the first time (just found out, while making sure I spelled the word correctly, that they are fried pork skins.) We danced, we ate, we laughed, we played. It was a fun, entertaining and exciting way to spend the afternoon.

Though I had never ventured down there before, I'm looking forward to going back!

For more information on Cherokee Street, click here.

Here are some highlights:

Welcome to Cherokee Street!

Dancing in the street...

So we joined them!

Not sure if this will post, but here's a link to laugh at!

Everyone should experience these once in their lifetime - but only once!

If you like Pina Coladas (oh, we do!)

A view from the rooftop

The sun setting over St. Louis

Strawberry Margarita cupcakes made by Karen to end the evening!

...making new friends...

Look at that face! Don't you just want to kiss it?

I love meeting new people, and what better new little person to meet than Ella Rose!

Born to Cedrick and Emily just five months ago, she is already ahead of the curve. She bounces like a pro, her super strong legs propelling her off your knees and into the air. She is super chatty, always wanting to join the conversation with her babbling. She's quite observant, always wanting to see what is going on around her. (She took a shine to staring at Andy. I can't blame her; he is so cute!) And she's a super chill kid, at least from what I saw tonight. Even though she didn't get her nap today, she never cried or yelled once. She just decided to take a quick cat nap so the grown ups could talk for a few minutes.

Cedrick and Andy lived together before Andy and I got married. (Actually, they lived in a two bedroom apartment with four other guys.) Not sure how they managed, but I know that Cedrick played an important role in Andy's spiritual life and he still remembers their time together fondly. We couldn't have been happier for him when he met and married Emily. She's a beautiful and authentic young woman who can speak from the heart in a way that is genuine, but not sappy. I've yet to meet many people like her. And she loves and respects Cedrick, which makes her that much more wonderful!

As we grow older and delve further into our own relationship, Andy and I are realizing how intentional we have to be with all our relationships. We were so sad when, months after she was born, we realized we hadn't actually met Ella. With social media, and all the pictures that I see and like on Facebook, I forget that I haven't actually met some of these sweet little people in person. So we scheduled a dinner for tonight at Dewey's Pizza. (You know how we love Dewey's Pizza.)

Catching up was such a treat, and that's what it was, mostly catching up, and also oooing and ahhhing over such a cute little one. When we first set up the double date, I wasn't sure what to expect, or how I would react. You see, Ella's due date was just a few weeks earlier than our December 21 due date.

Would I be able to respond to her? Would it hurt to much? Would I pine for the child I lost?

But you know what? All I saw was Ella, and her utter adorableness. I saw Cedrick and Emily's excellent (but exhausted) parenting skills. And I didn't wish for something different. In fact, I didn't even think about it at all.

I just enjoyed our two and a quarter friends.

Make some time this weekend to enjoy the people you love. You won't regret it!

...practice...

With performances coming up this weekend, the majority of my free time has been dedicated to practicing.

Yulia, my accompanist, and I were able to steal a few moments before teaching this afternoon to work out some of the kinks. For the accompanist, this is a challenging song, because it frequently flips between time signatures. We had to patiently sift through all that more than once, and it still needs work.

I have a love/hate relationship with performing. In all of the plays and shows I've ever done, I've always wept bitterly before going out onstage, terrified of the attention, the stares, the potential for failure. For my college senior recital, my advisor sent me to a doctor for heart pills, because he was so terrified I wouldn't make it through. I obviously survived, but I've lived in fear of performing for too long.

I have opted out on more than a few of these performances, much to the chagrin of some of my colleagues (I'm looking at you, Mort!) So this year, I'm putting myself out there and I'm going to do it, even if I choke. I guess it's all a part of life, and perhaps it will make for a good story.

I still have a long way to go before Sunday. If I can find someone to record it, I'll post the finished product then.

Is there something holding you back? Are you ready to let it go?

Update: Wanted to share a video of our practice but it's not ready yet, according to Vimeo. Will post soon!

...dance party...

It's been a busy week, and with a house still in shambles, and trying to work out all the details surrounding that, I haven't had many adventures.

Frustrated with my lack of planning and desire, and perhaps filled with cabin fever, I pushed the furniture around in our living room until I had a big open space. I pulled out a speaker, made a playlist and grabbed Andy's hand, and we danced around the living room in our socks.

I LOVE dancing, and by dancing, I mean jumping, twirling, leaping and twerking all around our finished basement, which is currently under construction. I never allow Andy to stay with me, though, because he doesn't like to participate, he only likes to watch. One time he made fun of me, so I now ask him to leave the room so that I can unwind.

But not tonight!

I grabbed his hand and pulled him up and out onto the "dance floor." We're not skilled dancers, by any means. But we had a blast doing: the lawnmower, the grocery cart, the sprinkler, the wax on, wax off, the drop it low, and lots of other really dumb things that we made up in the moment. We laughed a lot, and after just a few songs Andy laid down on the couch, too tired to continue. I kept going, but I didn't make him leave.

I'm thinking one of our adventures this year will be to take dance lessons...we'll see!

On our playlist?

Happy by Pharrell Williams
I Wan'na Be Like You by Robbie Williams
LA Calling by Crystal Fighters
Love Is All I Got by Crystal Fighters
SexyBack by my boyfriend Justin Timberlake
Save the Last Dance by Michael Buble

What's on your dance track playlist? I could use a few new ones...