Ikea and Camp

Well, today is suppose to be a productive day.  I get to sit at home until our IKEA furniture is delivered.  This could take all day, but I'm not trying to think about being trapped in my own home all day long.  Rather, I am going to take this opportunity to work vigorously on my Girl's Camp stuff (and to also look at/write blogs).

I wish I could say I was making all my girls personalized, hand-stamped stationary or some cute little hand-out that has a die-cut shape of the temple on it, but I am not the cool of a leader.  

Besides, I think the girls will have fun just the same, with or without fancy hand-outs.  

I already have one idea for a devotional, I'm just stumped on a second idea. 

Should I talk about modesty? or entertainment?

Or should I remind them of the importance of writing in their journal?

Maybe remind them of the importance of living an honest life?

I feel like I do this with my Primary class as well. Like I need to tell them EVERYTHING I can so they are prepared for the yucky stuff that goes on out there.  

I'm getting excited for Girl's Camp.  I had some pretty great memories growing up.  I hope my girls will have just as much fun.

The Hamptons, Dahling!

I made a trip last weekend with my friends to perform at The Jewish Center for the Hamptons out on Long Island, specifically the East Hamptons. It's about 3 hours from Midtown Manhattan.
My friend, Adam, choreographed an evening of dance in the most beautiful synagogue. The JCH put us up in a neat, old house a cross the way from the synagogue Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of where we performed, but I did get some of the surrounding neighborhood. We had about 4 hours to go explore and walk around the area.



This is the house where we stayed


This was gorgeous inn down the street and a cute house with beautiful Hydrangeas in the yard.


Let's explore....Amelia and I went to the beach. So beautiful!


We had a room with 4 beds in it! It felt like a slumber party!
Adam entertained us with movie reenactments! And then we went
out for drinks and Pelligrino at this downtown restaurant.

Help!

My Dear Blogging Friends,
This may seem strange, but I'm very desperate and I know I can turn to you for support.

You see, I have an addiction.

I was in Arizona when I began to watch "So You Think You Can Dance" and well, I am anxious to see who will dance the best jive. Who will perform with the greatest of ease. Who will be kicked off?! But I have no TV! No way to pacify this craving!! They are already down to the top 8 dancers and I have to see who wins!!! I mean, I suppose I could wait until it's all over, but I think I might EXPLODE!!!

ahem...sorry.

If you too, suffer from this addiction, please call me. We can do this together, discussing the abstract beauty of Mia Michael's, Ave Maria. Or who makes the best pas de deaux.

Please don't think less of me. I usually have more self control.

(heeeellp)

Visiting AZ!

I'm here in Mesa, AZ visiting my family, while my husband is back in NYC working hard to bring home the bacon! Mmm...bacon. I miss the guy.

In the Woolf family we have our priorities. So as soon as I got off the plane, my mom picked me up to take me to my sister's house to watch "So You Think You Can Dance" (I love this show. And am unofficially announcing, that I am auditioning next year).

If you look closely, you can see that my niece and nephew are hard at work, playing their Webkins! Treyjen is a professional computer gamer. He will be in the sequel to "Fist Full of Quarters".

My parents get fresh local produce from Bountiful Baskets Co-op.
It's about $16 for all this produce! They got mangoes, plums, cilantro, onions, honeydew, nectarines...And everything is DELICIOUS!

So what do you do with all this food?

You make a Bob & Larry!


(Sorry. Don't know how to flip that picture.)

Yesterday, we went to THE GREATEST Frozen Yogurt place in the state of Arizona! Heck, I'd venture to say it's the best FroYo place in North America! Mesa Frozen Yogurt rocks my world! And it's $2.00 cheaper than what Tasti-D and 100 times for flavorful!

I also went for a swim in my sister's pool and I hate to say it, but I got sunburned. GRR! I don't want to get skin cancer! But hanging out with these cuties was worth it!

My saucy new bike!

It's a MongoosePro, Rockadile! It came with nice little reflectors and slightly used helmet.

AND IT'S RED!  It's the neatest thing.  My sweet husband searched all over Craig's List and totally scored with this bike!  It was a great deal.

I keep trying to find time when I can go take it for a ride.  I still get a little 'Bike Bum' when I'm out riding around too long, but it's worth it in order to see NYC in a different way.

Our first bike ride started in our neighborhood (Dyckman-200th St), we then biked all the way down to Battery Park City.  Basically the whole length of the island.  The path we took went along the Hudson.  It was such a gorgeous ride being on the water.  It was fun discovering some new sites.  

These sites are actually pretty close to where we live! I want to do a picnic/photo shoot in the little column walk way thing.

I have more pictures, but my computer is taking  years to upload anything!

Don't worry, I'm planning many more bike rides and I'll post more pics!

Quickie Post

About a month ago my best friends came out from Atlanta for a visit:

We went to the manicured gardens in Central Park.

Julia and I went to 3 VERY different auditions.

We made and ate several delicious dinners.

Watched So You Think You Can Dance.

Went shopping.

Took Joe Lanteri's awesome lyrical class.

Did a cool treasure hunt.

Baked delicious whole-wheat chocolate chip cookies.

I love these guys and miss them terribly.

I'm just glad that email and cell phones

help keep us in contact. If only there was transporter

from here to Atlanta.  Or if we could just Apparate.

Since gas prices and airlines are cutting us any slack.

Gratitude

I just got out of church about half hour ago and I am feeling very grateful. 

I am grateful for:

-the joy and lightness I feel after being inspired at church

-the wise and faithful leaders of the church.  For their diligence in their callings, and the examples they are to me.

-lessons in church that always seem to apply to me, at that particular moment in my life

-missionaries and their examples of obedience and courage

-for my simple, but heartfelt testimony of the gospel

-being able to read the ensign and be inspired by the life of Prophet Thomas S. Monson

-the simplicity of the gospel

-Book of Mormon stories

Going to church is so simple. But it is such a great blessing.  I wasn't expecting coming home from church, feeling so light and happy.  Whoohoo!

You Are Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Do have those moments where you think life is totally sucky and wonder, "How is it going to get better from here?"  Well, I have the solution.

Step 1 - Gather up all those bad thoughts that brought you to this icky state

Step 2 - Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed

Step 3 - (you might be catching on, already...) Kneel down

Step 4 - Begin praying to your Heavenly Father about whatever is on your mind

A few minutes ago, I began to fill up with all those yucky, discouraging thoughts.  I was getting grouchy and I wanted to solve my grouchiness with a bowl of ice cream!  

But, I found praying was much healthier for me.  And I came out of it feeling, strangely GRATEFUL!  Who'd a thought! Grateful.

Well, that was my experiment. But, I can't convince you.  You'll just have to try it out yourself.

1-0-5

Today's Heat Index in NYC was 105 degrees.  

A day like this makes me miss Arizona.  

I want to go swimming.

one word

Answer the following with only one word.
1. Where is your cell phone? ....................table
2. Your significant other?.......................performing
3. Your hair?....................................sweaty
4. Your mother? .................................INCREDIBLE
5. Your father?..................................healthier
6. Your favorite thing?..........................chocolates
7. Your dream last night?........................dance?
8. Your favorite drink...........................seltzer
9. Your dream/goal?..............................company
10. The room you're in?..........................livingroom
11. Your children?...............................heaven
12. Your fear?...................................failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years..........Improved
14. Where were you last night?..................SoHo
15. What you're not?............................confident
16. Muffins......................................scones
17. One of your wish list items?.................airfare
18. Where you grew up?...........................Arizona
19. What you read last...........................Scriptures
20. What are you wearing?........................skirt
21. Your TV?.....................................Harry Potter
22. Your pets?...................................none
23. Your computer? ..............................rose
24. Your life?...................................confused
25. Your mood?...................................guilty
26. Missing someone?.............................husband
27. Your car?....................................subway
28. Something you're not wearing?................makeup

29. Favorite Store?..............................Pathmark
30. Your summer?.................................travel
31. Like someone?................................husband
32. Your favorite color?.........................white
33. Last time you laughed........................today?
34. Last time you cried?.........................today

Happy Mudder's Day...

to all you amazing, talented, multi-tasking, beautiful 

Moms!  

I hope to be as awesome as you one day!

Performance

Hey if you're free or need ideas for a date night--

I'm performing at LaGaurdia High School on Friday

May 16th @ 5:30pm and 7pm (that's right 2 

opportunities to see the show!).

It's a formal showing of choreographer Adam Barruch's

work.  It's an excellent performance with beautiful dancers.

And it's not a huge commitment, the showcase is about 40 minutes.

Did I mention....IT'S FREE!  Just email or call me if you plan to come.

sorry there wasn't a cool picture. I tried to post the flier, but it wouldn't work.

New Stuff

I got two new gadgets this week!

Nathan and I have been wanting to eat healthier lately, ya know, more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, very little meat. Word of Wisdom style. But I told Nate that the best or easiest way for us to do that is if we eat more leafy green salads. This is fine and all, except that pre-washed salads are usually expensive or, in the recent past, despite the label of being "pre-washed", I've come across a bite of dirt from my bag of greens. Yuck! That's definitely one way to promote "freshness". Stick some dirt in there to make it taste like you're eating it straight out of the ground!

Anyway, I felt strongly about this salad idea and thought rather than going the packaged salad route, we should purchase a Salad Spinner!

2 weeks later, I found a something in our fridge.... It is the coolest! I love pulling the zip cord and watch my lettuce spin out of control, whisking away all the water.


Item 2:

We've also been wanting to purchase a sewing machine. For the same reason why we wanted the salad spinner-to improve our lifestyle and hopefully making us more provident. Well my inspired mother went online to Costco.com and found a machine similar to her's for about $130 . Which is a pretty cool price for a new LCD 70+ stitch sewing machine. Despite it's awesomeness, we hummed and hawed about the $130 machine..."do we really need one?" "maybe we can wait", etc. But my wise mother urged us and so now, we are happy to say that we are owners of a brand new Brother ES-2000 sewing machine. Check it out!

Mind you, I haven't touched the thing. Although, I really wanted a sewing machine...i don't really know how to sew. BUT, I had a lesson when I was 12yrs old and plan on familiarizing myself with this lovely instrument. I'll start small with hemming pants and curtains, then move onto Simplicity and McCall's patterns (i hear their easy).

I know that if I truly were provident I would manage to dry my salads with a towel, or become really skilled at hand-sewing, but I can't say that I have any regrets about purchasing either item.

Hi Everybody!

"Hi Dr. Nick!"

(simpson's quote)

Here's the 411, the ammo, the hash, lowdown, hot poop, what's what, the inside story...about my jaw

Let's start at the beginning:

Well, to be totally honest, the surgery was a bit traumatic for me.  The prep wasn't too bad.  I tried to make everything light-hearted by cracking lame jokes to the doctors and nurses. 

They had me hooked up to an EKG monitor, put a tube in my nose that hooked me up to an oxygen tank and finally an IV for the moment when they'd put me under.

I sat there in the cold, sterile room for a good 45 minutes before it all began, which wasn't too bad, because I sat there playing with my EKG monitor.  You know to see how I could change the little waves on the screen, ie. flexing muscles, breathing slowly, etc. 

 

During this time, I contemplated whether I wanted to try to remain aware during surgery.  I knew they would give me an anesthetic that would render me unconscious for the entire procedure, but I also knew that if I really wanted to, I could remain alert, for the most part. 

The idea of being totally knocked out and not in control of my body, made me scared.  

So although, I dreamed of pink fluffy clouds and fuchsia stilt walkers, I remained alert of most conversation and all of the yanking and pulling they had to do.   

I am beginning to forget details, but a week after the surgery, I could recount a lot of what happened during that traumatic experience in the clinic.  

In the end, I was so grateful for what the oral surgeons had done (i say surgeonS because there were 3 of them altogether.  One operating, one assisting, one stabilizing my jaw, aka holding it)

that I woke up at 5am the night after my surgery and wrote thank you letters to both Doctors.

I think I embarrassed them when I gave it to them...Oh well.

-------

One month later

-------

I am doing very well!  I am not in pain.  Occasionally I feel some aching in my jaw, but I'm guessing that's just due to the healing process.  

To keep the holes in my jaw nice and clean, I have to irrigate my hole AND my tube after every meal.  Kind of gross/cool to see what comes out!

My next appointment is set for April 15th.  They'll probably do some xrays then to see how my jawbone is doing.

Every now and then I get a little anxious for really chewy/crunchy foods, but I am reminded by family members that I ought to be careful.  They're smart to tell me so.

Thank you again for praying for me and encouraging me when I've been sad about this whole situation.   I express gratitude to my Heavenly Father for you and pray for you also.

Photos will be shared of THE TUBE, but that will be posted later and with GREAT WARNING, for anyone who is REALLY squeemish.

I hate it when...

people neglect their blog. It annoys me when I'm not updated every week. However, that would make me a hypocrite! So, I updated my blog. I'm alive, healthy and sleepy. There you go. The end.

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

I go into surgery tomorrow afternoon (March 4th, 1pm EST) to have my Odontogenic Keratocyst removed and replaced by a tube which will drain the cyst, allowing bone to grow back! Yipee!
So thank you to everyone who kept me in their prayers. It's because of your prayers and your faith that 1 out of the 3 cysts started to deflate, so my jaw is already trying to grow bone.

So I love you all and pictures of my swollen face will be posted soon!

Quote of the Day!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson from the book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

"You watch your phrase-ology!"

I've always been fascinated by some of the phrases I've heard in my young to adult life. Such phrases have come from my mom, grandma, some East-Coasters, and of course I did some of my own research on the internet.
I can appreciate how idioms offer such distinct and creative imagery, like giving instruction on how to suck chicken eggs, or not touching something with a ten foot pole. A ten foot pole? Why bother?

Share, if you'd like, some of your own cooky phrases. Please, enlighten me, as well as the blogging community.

"More than you can shake a stick at"
a very large number of something.
*I find this imagery hilarious...my mom does a good impression
of this.

"Don't try to teach your Grandma to suck eggs"
Don't offer advice to someone who has more experience than oneself.
*did your Grandma ever suck eggs?

"Put your nose out of joint"
Hurt your feelings or upset your plans
*that would hurt

"Dead cat bounce"
A small and temporary recovery in a financial market following a large fall.
*cat lovers WOULD NOT like this one.

"As easy as pie"
very easy.
*now this doesn't make ANY sense. Have you ever made pie?
It's NOT easy! I guess it's the irony that makes this idiom so
useful. Or that one would be so accomplished and efficient at everything else
that making pie would be a piece of cake...er I mean, simple. Now if we were talking easy as EATING a pie, that would definitely apply to me!

I don't know if I am strong enough to remain optimistic through all of this anymore. Fear is so potent sometimes that I can't grasp hope. I sound so fatalistic don't I? I guess I can't help but be a little dramatic, it's in my nature to be bit of a performer.
But it honestly has been a little bit like a rollercoaster...
I know I have plenty to be grateful for and that there are many who are praying for my benefit, and I thank you. I have felt your prayers and they have sustained me. So I guess, instead of falling into the depths of despair, I should give thanks for my friends, family, and to my Heavenly Father.