A Trip To The Farm

Last October I joined a board recruitment volunteer project for an organic farm learning center.

The timing of this project was perfect in a few way. First, I had just rolled-off my first board recruitment project so there was no lag time between projects. Second, a few of my friends had joined a farmshare that past summer so I was in the process of learning about the organic farms and the urban farming movement. The project lasted 9-months and during that time on several occasions are primary contacts with the organization had mentioned that we were welcome to visit the farm once the summer months were upon us.

"Hell yes!" I was totally up for such an experience. Throughout this project I had learned tidbits here and there about organic farming which made me want to know more. Additionally, I wanted to see the program our efforts would hopefully enhance firsthand. Unfortunately, once the project was over coordinating such an outing fell by the waste-side... That is I took the bull by the horns and began to coordinate things.

Today, three of our six team members made a trip out to Caledonia, IL for a walking tour of the Angelic Organics Farm. For approximately three hours we toured the grounds . . .

Before I go into some of the details of the tour, I would like to say I did have my camera with me and took LOTS of picture; however, it appears I cannot find my card reader (or my SD cards that were with it) at this time. So, any pictures I took are being held hostage until I either 1) find my card reader; or 2) decide to buy a new one.

The first half the tour focused on the principles on which the farm is run, learning about the different types of equipment used and the types of vegetables grown on the farm. During this portion of the tour, the group got the opportunity to sample various veggies currently being grown. They are were tasty! I have to admit I was naive to exactly how much goes into growing fruits and vegetables, let alone organic farming. It is not something I really think about when I am at the grocery store picking out these items. After today I a new appreciation for the process.

Before embarking on the second half of the tour, our guide talked about various structures on the grounds such as their clay and stone oven that was built in a day, or how they have an architect that specializes in building structures out of trees and tree branches versus pressed wood that you would get from Home Depot of Lowe's. The structure we looked at were amazing and I was impressed by the capabilities of the stone oven.

The second leg of our touring focused on the animals that currently reside on the Angelic Organics farm. Amongst the animals on this farm you will find cows, goats, chickens and a horse. I would like to note that the farm does not have any sheep. This made me a bit sad as I have a special affection for sheep, but since there are places local to me were I can visit sheep I was not too sad.

The cows that reside on the farm are there to produce manure which is used during the farming process. The milk that comes from the goats on the farm is used to make cheese. The chickens lay eggs every 24 to 48 hours. Our tour guide mentioned to us that they typically have eggs available for sale, but recently the chickens were not producing enough so there were none for us to buy. This was another thing I was sad to hear. Back in December, each member of my project team had received a dozen of these organic eggs as a thank you for the work we were doing. It was the first time I had had organic eggs so I took one of my store bought eggs did a side-by-side comparison. The eggs I had received greatly surpassed the eggs at home on so many levels - (i.e. appearance, taste). One of the things about this visit I had been looking forward to was purchasing some eggs. (Oh well!) However, as we walked around this area of the farm, someone found a bunch of eggs nested in two different areas of the field. Apparently not all the chickens were using the chicken coop to lay their eggs as they were suppose too. Yes, the mystery surrounding the low-levels of egg production had been solved! All that said, I have to admit it was tempting to take one of the eggs that got laid while we were visiting the chicken coop, but I didn't. I did, however, get to hold a newly laid egg... it was amazing,simply amazing. One minute there was nothing in the nest and the next minute there was an egg; warm to the touch.

After the tour concluded my group had one more objective in mind - we wanted to meet Farmer John. One of our group members had interviewed him as part of our project and we thought it would be nice to make the in-person connection. For me part of my interest in meeting him had to do with the fact that I had watched the documentary about him and his farm - "The Real Dirt On Farmer John." It was an excellent documentary on the history of the farm and I'm glad I saw it before I visited the farm. It truly enhanced my experience.

Typically Farmer John doesn't meet with the tour group because he is a very busy, however he was kind enough to visit with us for a few minutes since we had worked on a project that would have an impact on the learning center that is associated with his farm. During this time Farmer John took us to a few areas that weren't covered on the tour such as some of the living spaces that are on the farm for those staying overnight. Also, we saw were the farm staff gathers to hangout and relax and the kitchen which has a table that holds up to 18 individuals for periodic farm staff meals. It was an honor to be given access to these areas. For me it really brought together what I had learned about the farm from the movie and on the tour. Additionally, getting to meet Farmer John was a wonderful experience. I got a true sense of his passion for farming, and organic products.

All said and done, my experience today was one I will treasure for years to come. Also, it has given me a greater appreciation for the production of fruits and vegetables, organic products and farming in general that I will carry with me each and every time I visit my local grocery store.

Until later . . .

They Should Call It A crackPhone

For the Thursday blog project this week, Melissa asked the group: What is your biggest addiction or vice?

"I don't know what I did without this thing."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say that about their iPhones. Before I got one, I'd chuckle whenever I heard this statement made. Then I got one. . .

It didn't take me long to realize I was going to be addicted to my iPhone. FireFly was with me the day I purchased it and she just laughed at me the whole time we were hanging out that day. I even apologized profusely to her as I sat at dinner and played with my new toy. I also I issued an apology on this blog to everyone I ever gave a hard time to about type of behavior and to anyone I would potentially offended in the future.

I was sure my addiction to my phone would subside over time, but it hasn't. Now I hear myself saying, "I don't know what I did without this thing." (Mainly to other iPhone owners.) Thankfully I haven't met one iPhone owner who feels differently.

My iPhone does so much for me.... It wakes me up in the morning with a very loud, yet effective, blaring alarm noise. I use it to time exercises when I'm working-out. Need a calculator? I got one! When I don't know where I'm going (or I've gotten lost) the Google Maps app gets me to where I need to go. All my favorite tunes are housed on my phone as well. Also, I have many game options (Words With Friends being my most recent favorite) to play when I'm bored. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses can be accessed within seconds. Oh, and if I lose power I'm not worried - I've got a flashlight as well! I could go on about all the countless functions my phone serves, but I think you get the point.

With that in mind I probably futz with it more than I should while I'm hanging out with friends. I'm not exactly sure why I feel the need to look at it all the time. Maybe it should be called a "crackPhone" instead. Hmmm... I don't know that Apple's marketing department would go for that. Regardless, I'm glad I took the plunge. I can say with 100% confidence it was money well spent - even if it meant taking on this new addiction.

Now that I've told you about one of my many addictions, please take a look at what my fellow bloggers have to say about their addiction or vice:


• Merryland Girl (Melissa)

• Mom of Many (Susanna)

• Momarock (Sara)


Until later . . .

It Wasn't Physical But It Still Really Hurt

For the Thursday Blogging group project this week, momarock picked the topic: What is the worst physical trauma (or pain) you've ever been in?

Before I start with my post, I want to say I thought LONG and HARD about what I was going to write about and kept coming back to this. This is truly the worst and most painful trauma that I have been through in my life . . . .

Throughout my life I've been bumped, bruised and even taken to the hospital for a sprained ankle after the tires on my bike slipped and landed my left ankle (which might I say had already been sprained once before this incident). However, the greatest physical trauma I've ever experienced, and left the greatest scar, did not come from being physical injured.

Unless you are close to me, you probably would not guess I am a Domestic Violence Victim Survivor. On the surface I look like your average, middle-aged women going about her day-to-day life, but that is not the case . . .

Sometime ago I was associated with someone who was emotionally, psychologically and mentally abusive. Like most domestic violence stories it did not start out this way. The individual in question was kind and caring - someone I was very close too; however, overtime that changed. Before I knew it, the kindness and caring also came along with put downs and anger... and then violent behavior such as throwing things in my general direction when they were mad at me. All the abuse came to a head one evening and ultimately ended in an arrest.

In the early days, after the arrest, I did not sleep well. Insomnia and I were best buds and I got to know the late-night/early-morning TV schedule extremely well. As one would imagine this took a toll on my energy levels during the day. I was extremely thankful I had a few places at work to take naps on my lunch hour. However, that just was not enough rest to get me through the day and when I would get home from work I would immediately go to sleep after I ate dinner. This only furthered my sleep deprivation issues. I could usually run this pattern for three or four days at a time before needing to have a marathon sleep session - 12 to 14 hours of sleep at one time. Naps in the middle of the day on the weekends were a given.

Another physical reaction to all this trauma was that I lost 20 pounds in about a month and a half. During that time period someone once told me I needed to eat more... I simply replied that I was eating - a lot - however my body was in such an alarmed state that my metabolism was burning those calories quickly.

All the "physical stuff" last six months, tops. That is why I say "it was not physical, but it still really hurt." In my situation, I feel the physical effects were the easy part to get through. I still had many emotional wounds to heal. As I ventured into the legal portion of my domestic violence experience, I learned that since I had not been physically hurt should the continuation of the protection order I had petitioned to get extended be contested there was a chance it would not be granted. At that very moment I couldn't even begin to explain how devalued I felt. I remember standing in the courtroom feeling completely blind-sided. On many occasions I commented that I recognize the legal system needs to have tangible guidelines in order to convict someone of a crime; however, I am here to tell you being told, during some of the worst hours of your life, that since you do not have a physical scars the person who you fear the most in life may be allowed to be in a room alone with you just adds to the already deep-seeded panic and anxiety you already carry around on a daily basis. (A feeling that is like a paper weight on your shoulder.)

Being put down and manipulated, amongst other things, takes a toll on ones being and can mess with them years after the abuse has ended. For me, it's been a long road. It's been difficult to mend the wounds that formed so quickly. In the beginning, when I would talk about what happened, I would cry uncontrollably. No matter how hard I tried, the tears would emerge as soon as the words came out of my mouth. I would shake and my heart would race. Then, over time I stopped crying. Soon after that I stopped shaking and my heart stayed at a steady, regular pace as I would relay details.

These days, I can talk about those times as if I were talking about what I had for dinner. I do not break-down anymore. (At least I don't 99% of the time.) Actually, I think those that know me are amazed by my ability to talk (and write) about those times in such an unemotional and matter of fact way, however that doesn't mean I still don't feel the pain.

I am not the person I was before the abuse. This event undoubtedly changed me. When I say that, I like to think of the positive ways it changed me. It's motivated me to help others like me heal. It's forced me to really be sure the people I am sharing my life with are good people. It gives me the motivation to give myself a swift-kick in the ass when I can recognize I need it the most. However, I also recognize that it has changed me in negative ways as well .... and I am constantly trying to minimize this part of things.

I really wish I could fully put into words the hurt I felt from this experience, but I will never really be able too. Unfortunately, you need to experience it yourself to understand. That is why I really hope you don't understand. Ultimately, it's my hope that I do not know many who can relate to the pain I experienced.


Now that I have talked about my most traumatizing pain, please read what my fellow blogger have to say . . .

• Merryland Girl (Melissa)

• Mom of Many (Susanna)

• Momarock (Sara)

Until later . . .

Passive Aggressive Thoughts?

For sometime I've wanted to use "Passive Aggressive Thoughts" as a subject for one of these thoughts posts.

As time went by I found myself wanting to talk about this idea of how these thoughts posts could been seen as passive aggressive. That has since flowed into how blogging can be passive aggressive...

I believe blogging itself can be a passive aggressive activity if you want it to be. If you know who your audience is, or potentially who they may be, it's easy to tailor the message of your post to a particular party(ies) rather than face them directly.

When I first started this blog I will admit there were posts that were passive aggressive. When I look back on them I'm not proud of this fact, but I am mature enough to admit what it was I was doing. I guess at the very least I am proud I can recognize that simple fact.

I am also proud of how open I've become on this blog. Over the past couple of weeks I've written in some depth about topics I would not have ever written about even last year. I am thankful that I can do this. I am thankful that I have the confidence to write about personal matters in a way that I feel others can relate too, yet do not complete violate the privacy I hold so dear. With that said, these days, any passive aggressive thoughts expressed on this blog are not on purpose. More so they are the result of wanting to express some thoughts I have openly, but not as openly as I would others. These are the thoughts are about things that are truly personal - and a lot of times emotional.

I guess that was my first "thought" for this post... With that in mind, it's time to get to the others -- others that I hope aren't passive aggressive either:


• I don't really know any of my neighbors, and they really don't know me. However, this morning when I was locked out of my place one of them was kind enough to offer to help me. It was really thoughtful and kind - especially since the whole situation made me run late which just added to my frustration.

• To add to my day, I got yelled at - twice - for something I didn't even know about. Even when I tried to explain why I wasn't sure I got yelled at even more. When I told a few people about all this later on in the day their reply was, "It's been over a week and you've only been yelled at twice.... You're lucky!"

• Three years ago knitting saved me from the craptaism going on in my life. It sounds overly dramatic to say, but it's very true. Nowadays it's not knitting that saves me from craptaism, it's running and derby.

I started to run again because I remembered it was something that made me happy. I decided that doing things that made me happy would help me remain happy when things craptastically sucked.

As for derby.... my venturing back into the world of skating started back in January when I went ice skating. I was like a little kid again. It was the best three or so hours of my life. (At least at that moment in time.) Then, when I got back on roller skates again... I was in heaven! Nine years ago I turned in my skates (at the time roller-blades) because of an epic fall I took while blading. I wish I hadn't let that fall make me so scared to get back on skates again. I keep remembering that whenever I take a fall. I don't want that to be the case again as I've totally been bitten...

• While I was skating this weekend I found myself thinking that the next guy who's lucky enough to call me his girlfriend has to be able to deal with all this derby stuff. Furthermore, it would be rad if he were to like skating (ice and/or roller) himself.

• For the longest time my wedding dress was at my former neighbor's home where I had left it the day I moved out of my old home. Then after I picked it up it lived in the trunk of my car for sometime. After that in a closet in my place. On several occasions I've tried to figure out where to donate it too. Goodwill? Salvation Army? Consignment shop? Recently, as I was cleaning stuff out I came across it and wondered why I still had it. I put it in a pile with all my donation items. I felt that was the best way to finally commit to getting rid of it. Finally, I found someone to take my wedding dress. Someone I knew who is studying fashion design. They are excited to be getting it and I'm pleased that I can help them out. I'm glad they will be able to use the fabric and give it new life.

However, even more so, I'm excited to get it out of my life - FINALLY! There is no place for it in my life anymore. There hasn't been for sometime.

• This is one of those times I might be passive aggressive. It's something that I get a bit emotional about. I'm still trying to reconcile the fact that I still care. Especially since I realize though I still hold hope of a second chance, but realistically know that its potential is slim. Whatever happens I'm trying to remind myself that this is the way it's suppose to be.

• I spent two hours in my car this evening. It took me TWO HOURS to get home. I wasn't pleased, but I manged. As a "reward" I treated myself to a bad-for-me dinner. As I walked to my place I spotted a new friend I refer to as "The Twin." (A long story that I might tell one day.)

The Twin and I randomly bump into each other now and then.... I guess this was one of those times. When I saw The Twin I decided it was ok my commute had taken so long, otherwise we probably wouldn't have seen each other. I guess things happen for a reason?

• Kind of circling back to when life is craptastic . . . when I'm down and out I have a tendency to withdraw. I make the decision for others that they don't want to be around me. I want to say that I am extremely thankful for those that remind me why I shouldn't do this and furthermore those that make sure I don't do this - or at least don't do it for too long.

• Elephants. There are a lot of elephant cliches going around these days; mainly between BFF and I. There is a "purple suede elephant" in my life that I really want out of the room, but I just can't seem to make it move. Hopefully this will change soon ....

Ok, though I'm not sure that I've totally accomplished what I wanted to with this topic, I think that is all for now. It's late, I'm tired and I have an early morning. So possibly I will revisit the topic, however for now I will say ....

Until later . . .

Derby Digest: Something To Do With Falling

Well, it happened. I knew it would happen, I just didn't expect it to be so soon. Furthermore, I didn't expect that it wouldn't be at an actual practice or bout.

What am I talking about? Well, this past weekend I fell while skating and bang-up my right knee. At first glance it looked awful - I think I actually saw the color purple around the edge of the wound. As I said, I was at an open skate time at a local rink. What adds more insult to injury is that it was during an adult skate and the rink floor was basically empty. I couldn't blame it on someone else being in my way.

In the seconds that proceeded my fall, I had four thoughts. Oddly enough the first three were not "OUCH!"... they were:

1) CRAP MONKEY! I hope this doesn't screw-up my knee and make it so I can't run or go to derby practice.

2) SO THANKFUL we practiced falls this past week!

3) Must get up and keep going!

4) Oh, yeah... OUCH!

Oh, now that I think about it, there was another thing I thought... "Man, I shouldn't have left my knee pads in my bag."

Clearly the first thought I had shows where my priorities were at that very moment. I didn't want this fall to effect my ability to participate in derby or running. I believe this to be a valid concern. I can't image not being able to run or participate in derby. Especially so early on in my derby career. As for running... my race is fast approaching and I'll be damned if I'm not able to participate because of one fall.

Thankfully, we practiced how to fall this past week. There are several types of falls we practiced. When I heard we were going to learn how to fall I was nervous. I mean who the hell purposely makes themselves fall? Also, I wasn't sure how good I was going to be at falling. It became apparent, fast, learning how to fall wasn't going to be a problem for me. I got three of the four fall down pat right away. Here's the thing... what's I've since learned is that at least knowing one "right way" to fall makes all the difference!

After the fall I picked myself up and tried to get going again. Seriously, I tried skating another lap around the rink. Though the thought of "OUCH!" did enter my mind at this point, I felt like if I were really serious about staying with derby it was important to keep going. However, then my responsible side kicked-in and realized I should at least take a few moments to survey the damage, clean it up as best as possible and ice it a bit. So that is what I did.

During this process I thought a bit about why I didn't put on my knee pads. The reason - I didn't think I'd need to for open skate. Derby practice, absolutely! However, open skate... really?! Needless to say, going forward, anytime I put on a pair of speed skates I will surely put on knee pads as well.

This fall was not epic when it comes to falls. Back in 2002 I fell roller blading and banged-up my knee a lot worse. I would say the damage was at least double of what my knee looks like at the moment. With that in mind, any fall shouldn't be taken lightly. As I've been managing the after effect of all this I keep thinking about how falling on the rink is like falling in any part of your life... it happens and the important part is how you pick yourself up and move forward. After I cleaned-up the wound and took some time to ice it, I got back on the rink and continued to skate. I didn't want this incident to stop me from doing something I love and enjoy so much.

Cleaning up a wound is like taking care of yourself after taking any kind of hit in life. I'll admit there are "life falls" that I have not managed as well as I've managed this recent skating fall; however, I guess the important part is that I learn from those times and constantly work to improve the next time.

Today, my knee is much better than it was yesterday, and I fully expect it will be even better tomorrow so I will keep on keepin' on because I know that is what I'm meant to do.

Until later . . .

Hey There Sexy!

For the longest time, my friend Yelper would start our chat conversations with by saying, "Hey Sexy!"

I'd cringe each and every time; "Sexy" was not a word I thought described me. Cute, pretty, sweet...ok, I'll go with those; however, "sexy" was a word I was not comfortable being use to describe me. Eventually, we once had a long discussion about why I wanted him to stop this behavior.... and afterwards he respected my wishes.

It's not Thursday, but this is my Thursday Blogging Group post... For this week's post I simply gave the group a topic and asked them to write about it in anyway they saw fit. The topic: Sexuality. .

Writing about the topic of sexuality of is a fitting way for me to end the summer. I feel it's been an ongoing theme in my life over the past three months. (Before I continue, I feel the need to say what I'm about to talk about is not about sex itself. This is NOT about my sex life.) What it is about , however, is the transformation that I have felt over the months when it come my comfort with my body and how I perceive other view me.

A few weeks ago, in the post This Baby Got Back I talked about the body issues I've had over the years and why, though tempting, I wouldn't opt for plastic surgery to resolve them These issues have fed into how I see myself, how I feel about myself and my sexuality.

The first time I had to really confront any of these things recently was back in June when I started running and working out. The extremely hot weather this summer forced me to wear workout clothes that I would otherwise would have not. Normally I am all about an over-sized t-shirt, however because I needed to stay cool my typical running attire has been a sports top and a pair of long boxers. The first time I wore these I was extremely self-conscious. I felt extremely exposed. Overtime, I got more comfortable I got more comfortable with this attire, but I still struggled with my comfort level.

I'm not sure when the switch flipped and I started feel more comfortable in my skin (or more comfortable than I ever have). I think it was during the month of July sometime. This summer, the heat was awful and instead of my normal office-friendly khakis during the week I opted for sundresses. I looked nice and keep cool-ish... or at least cooler than I was in long pants. As a result, people started reacting to me differently. I know it sounds silly, but I could tell a difference. Before I knew it, I was wearing sundresses and nice clothes not only during the week, but on the weekends as well. It made me feel good about me. For the first time, in a long time, I would look in the mirror and really liked what I saw.

Tying all this back to the theme of sexuality . . . I think being comfortable with yourself is an important part of sexuality. A lot of people I know took notice of this change in how I presented myself to the world. There was also a noticeable difference in my openness to express my sexuality. I'm not blatant when it comes to expressing my sexual side - or at least not in public. However, as I was making the transition I did notice a desire to have at least a bit of a subtle sex appeal.

The more I learn about roller derby the more I realize that there is a subtle sexuality to the sport. Though it isn't required, a lot of the woman who participate in the sport rock sexy looks. As I was shopping for derby duds last weekend, I found myself checking out the possibility of purchasing a pair of hot pant (aka - Daisy Dukes or Booty Shorts). This is something I've never purchased before and honestly didn't think was a look I could rock. However, when I started my derby adventure I promised myself I would try things that were outside of my comfort zone...

I have to admit, I kind of miss Yelper starting our conversation with "Hey Sexy!" I'm comfortable with it now and don't mind being described in that manner. When I think of this I smile. I like that I'm in this place when it comes to my sexuality. It feels nice to have the confidence to feel this way and furthermore be able to admit it.

Now that I've shared some thoughts of mine on sexuality, please take a moment to read what my fellow bloggers have to say:

• Momarock (Sara)

• Merryland Girl (Melissa)

• Mom of Many (Susanna)

Until later . . .

Derby Digest: Fresh Meat

About two months ago I started to entertain the idea of participating in Roller Derby. Though I had heard things about Roller Derby hear and there over I hadn't really paid THAT much attention. It took my friend mentioning an ad she saw on Craigs List to really get my attention about the sport and move me to learn more about it.

At the time I had heard that a local team was looking for new recruits, I was waiting for fate to determine what road I would be currently be traveling. There was a clear "if, then" situation taking place - If B, then not A OR If not B, then A. In early August that path was clarified and I was on my way to joining derby.

In the weeks that followed I experienced some interesting reactions to this decision. Most of the guys I told were taken a back by what they heard. My favorite response was the dude at Sports Authority who said something to the effect of, "You must be one tough chick." Hmmm . . . Tough? I don't know about that. When I told someone who was female the typical response was typically praise for what I was doing and then I was asked if I was going to rock fishnets as part of uniform. (Apparently for some people derby is about the clothes, not the sport. Oh, and your debry name.)

Getting back on skates after close to 20 some years was nerve-racking. I had been ice skating back in January and I thought I would have no problem making the transition. However, I was wrong. Prior to my first derby practice I went to a local rink on a open skate night. Once I got my skates on I can only describe how I was as shake-e-e. My first time around the rink I stayed as close to the wall as possible just in case I needed it. At one point, as this one young man passed by he asked me, "First time on skates?" I laugh and said, "No, just my first time in something like 20 years." He smiled and laughed and skated on. However, with every passing lap I gain more and more balance. As the night went on I appeared to be back in the saddle again. I was flying around the rink as if no time had passed. My confidence on skates was back. However, as fate would have it, I would take a fall that particular evening.

I have to admit I saw the fall coming, which I think is the worst kind of fall. Upon getting up on my feet and making my way off the rink I acknowledge the pain that came along with the fall. My first reaction was to complain about it, but I quickly nixed that behavior because I knew that if I was going to participate in derby I would have to suck-it-up... the reality of derby is that injury in this game is inevitable.

In late August, I went to my first official roller derby practice. On that particular evening all I did was skate around practicing my derby stance. Nothing super thrilling, but yet very important to master. What I also learned on this particular evening was that I did not have a name... That's right, no name. No one called me by the name my parents gave me, nor did they call me by the derby name I had picked out. To everyone there I was just "Fresh Meat."

Normally, I wouldn't answer to that name. Honestly, it sounds like something a douche-bag male would call his latest conquest; however, on this occasion I take no offense to it as I realize that is what I am until I pass the skills test each derby player is required to take. The first skill I learned was how to skate in derby stance. Derby stance is essentially when you bend down as much as you can and lean forward while you are skating. It help you balance and in the event that you fall it causes you to fall forward and not backward which is better because all your protective gear covers the front of your body - not the back. I didn't have a problem with skating in derby stance, but I will admit after doing so for close to two hours my back did hurt some.

Amongst the other things I'm beginning to learn are how to skate on one skate and hopping while on skates. As with derby stance, these skills are important to master for balance purposes and to help increase speed. The skating on one skate I don't quite have down, but I totally rocked-out the hopping. The other thing I am happy to have learned is how to go from sitting on the rink floor to a standing position. Remember I mentioned I fell my first time back on skates? Well, one that particular evening I actually had to get help getting up because I hadn't quite mastered that skill. So, the fact that I was able to get up on my own was HUGE to me.

As things stand now, I am looking forward to my next practice. It is my intention to make at least a weekly entry about my experiences as a "Derby Dame" on this blog so others can share in the adventure and excitement of roller derby as well.

I hope you will come along for the ride... Until later . . .

Bad-Assery

This week, for the Thursday Blog Project Susanna asked us to take a look at the article, "Tough Gals: Do They Still Exist?" and asked us to share give our thoughts of what the author had to say about women today being "girly - again."

Should you choose not to read the article, I will summarize it a bit. The premise of this article is that women in 2011 are moving farther and farther away from the feminist ideals of the 70's simply because they engage (and blog about) traditional female pursuits such as baking, gardening and... wait for it .... knitting or they decide to stay at home to raise their kids, etc.

As I began to think about what I wanted to say on this topic I kept coming back to the idea of what "bas-assery" really means. When I think of someone who is badass woman I think a woman who carves her own path. A woman who is not influenced by what is trendy. A woman who is confident in who she is and what she is about. For me being badass is not about what you do, but more about how you do it.

If knitting is your thing, than let me give you my shoe size so you can make me a pair of socks.

If you're into baking, I want to know when can I sample your treats?

With all this in mind, you might be able to guess where I stand regarding the author's point of view. I think the world I operate in would confuse her... On one side of the spectrum I'm a knitter. On the other end of the spectrum, twice a week I strap-on Roller Derby gear and learn the skills needed to compete in this aggressive sport. Does one activity make me more badass than the other? Absolutely not! What ultimately makes me "badass" is the passion and confidence I exude as I execute any activity I engage - work and volunteer project included. Ultimately, I like to believe what truly makes me "badass" is that I bring my own special style and flair to whatever it is I am doing, and don't feel the need to apologize for it.

Now that I have shared my thoughts on this thought-provoking topic, please take a moment to read what my fellow bloggers have to say about it:


• Momarock (Sara)

• Merryland Girl (Melissa)

• Mom of Many (Susanna)

Until later . . .