Myrna CG Mibus - Idyllwild

I just signed up for yet another round of 30 Days of Biking . I honestly have lost track of how many of these I've done. Thankfully, other people are keeping track - according to this Pioneer Press story by Molly Guthrey , 30 Days of Biking started six years ago. So, if we're in the 6th year and there were a few bonus rounds in September a few years, this will make my 8th 30 Days of Biking - or something like that. I guess the number of challenges I've done doesn't matter as much as the fact that each April I get out and I ride my bike every day and doing so makes me feel good. If this lovely spring weather we've been having sticks around into April (please! please! please!) then this 30 Days of Biking will be a piece of cake compared to other years when we've had snow, cold, sleet and rain to ride in. I do have a busy schedule this April because I'm in a musical, Oliver ! It's likely my rehearsal and show schedule will be more of an issue for me tha...

It's Monday and normally I'd be getting ready to head off to Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra rehearsal tonight but I won't be doing that for a few months. Why? Well, I did something sort of crazy, I auditioned for a Merlin Players theater production and I got a part. I'll be playing Sister Robert Anne in a Nunsense musical directed by Julianna Skluzacek -  Meshuggah Nuns . Meshuggah, by the way, is a Yiddish word meaning crazy . Huh? Yiddish words in a musical about nuns? Well, yes - because the Nunsense Sisters are on a "Faith of all Nations" cruise where they were to see Fiddler on the Roof but the cast, save the man who plays Tevye, all get sick.  So the Sisters and Tevye put on a musical review complete with Fiddler on the Roof type songs. Sounds crazy? Yeah - but most of all it sounds fun! We started rehearsals two weeks ago then, thankfully, had last week off which was a great relief because last week was the craziest week of the year - the first wee...

My kids, Rose and Ryan, started a theater day camp today called Young People's Theater Workshop (YPTW). YPTW is a program put on through the Northfield Arts Guild  during which the kids, grouped by age, write a play, rehearse it, and then perform it at the end of the three week session. Rose loves the camp and this is her fourth year. In her first year I saw a huge change in her confidence from the beginning of the session to the end. She has grown each year since and I expect she will benefit from the camp again this year. Ryan has never been in YPTW and has been somewhat reluctant to go. But, to save on gas (it's a 30 mile round trip to town), make our schedule easier and give me time to work, Owen and I decided that Ryan should give YPTW a try. Given how good the program has been for Rose, we're hoping Ryan will benefit from the program as well. I dropped the kids off this morning and right off the bat Ryan found two friends from his class at Greenvale. He found...

Both kids are in camp this week. Rose is gone from 9:15 to 2:00 each day at Young Peoples Theater Workshop - a wonderful theater camp put on by the Northfield Arts Guild. Ryan is at Science camp this week from 9:00 until noon. While it appears the camp schedule allows me some time to work, reality is that I spend a lot of time driving to and from town to get the kids. Today, though, I have the morning at home and some time to myself before I head back to town to get Ryan. I thought I was going to have the morning free to work but we have people coming over for dinner so I need to at least clean off the kitchen counters and wipe off the patio table. I'd also like to prepare some food, fold the laundry and, oh yes, do some work in my office. Did I mention that I only have an hour and fifteen minutes to do all this (and take a shower) before I need to head back into town? I wonder why I set impossible goals for myself. Perhaps I need to slow down or set different kinds of goals - ...

My daughter, Rose, turned eleven on Sunday. I could get all sentimental and tell you about the day she was born or how I made up a little birthday song that I've been singing it to her - but I won't.  I need to go to bed, really, and if I start writing about my daughter and reminiscing and all that I'll be up all night and will likely end up in tears. Rose on her 11th Birthday. But I will write a bit about Rose and her Birthday because I feel like doing it. I'll just write a bit. I promise. I'll even talk about bicycling (!) and I'll stick to the facts, mostly, so I don't get all weepy. Though I am prone to crying so we'll see how this goes... Rose (in dark green, front and center) and her friends with their paintings Rose had six friends over on Friday evening for a Painting Party led by artist Carla Thomspon at the Northfield Arts Guild . They painted and laughed and had fun. Each girl painted a scene on a block of wood - and every one was a beau...

I'm happy to report that I am keeping up with the 30 Days of Biking challenge and have biked every day since I started. I even hauled my bike to a belly dancing forum and biked when I had a break from my workshops. Biking through the hotel parking lot I found a path and followed it for three miles or so. It was great fun! Today was a day when I didn't really feel like biking but I went ahead and rode my bike anyway. Glad I did. It felt good to get out and forget about the day and think only about miles per hour and how fast I was spinning. I'm starting to view riding my bike as a highlight of the day. I never thought I would end up viewing exercise of any sort as a reward but I am starting to view cycling that way. This is progress. I also never thought that I would come out of a belly dancing workshop with tips on how to better ride my bike. But - surprise! - I did. I attended the Northland Belly Dance Forum on Saturday where the featured guest teacher was a belly dan...