International (Working) Women's Day

March holds a great number of recognition days, I feel privileged to remind everyone of March 8th, "International (Working) Women’s Day.  International Women's Day is sponsored worldwide by the United Nations. The roots of this celebration go back to the late 1800's to early 1900s. It grew from women's socialist movements and early women's trade union groups.

The first International Women's Day was held March 19, 1911. Women socialists and trade unions held an earlier Women's Day on the last Sunday in February, 1908. The event grew from there and has been celebrated annually since. The focus is upon women workers, and advancing women's rights in the workforce, politics and society.

March 12th is "Girl Scouts Day". Girl Scout Day recognizes and celebrates the Girls Scouts of America. This date celebrates the creation of the first Girl Scout group on March 12, 1912.

Juliette Gordon Low started the first Girl Scout group in Savannah Georgia with 18 girls. The Girls Scouts became a national organization, and was chartered by the U.S. Congress on March 16, 1950. Today, there are millions of girls involved with Girl Scouts.  Have you gotten your box of cookies this year?

March 14th belongs to "National Potato Chip Day". National Potato Chip Day celebrates the ever popular potato chip. Potato Chips are America's #1 snack food. But, it's not just a snack food. It's the potato of choice for many lunchtime and dinner meals. Regular (or plain) potato chips are by far the most popular. Other popular flavors are barbecue, sour cream & onion, oil & vinegar, and ranch.

Potato chips were first made by Chef George Crum in Saratoga Springs, NY on August 24, 1853. Americans have been in love with them ever since. Celebrating National Potato Chip Day is easy.... eat potato chips during meals and snacks.

Of course, all these great days of recognition are leading up to the Most Popular day in March. March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.  Where is the green beer, cabbage and corn beef?  Is that where the saying "May the wind always be at your back?" originates?  Hmmmm.

Have a great March everyone. I will be out of pocket for the next two weeks so there will be no articles till March 21^st.

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

 

Clarabelle turns 5!

Can you believe that our little girl is going to be 5 year old, March 1, 2014? We have had the darling little Parti-Poodle since May 17th, 2009. She has since taken over the household and is truly the Princess of the house. Bringing a small puppy into an established household pack was a daunting task.

At first the two boys did not want another kid in the house taking away their "Me time" time from their two dads. Eddie, the Senior old man, in the house could care less but tolerates Ms. Clarabelle. Even as he went blind from cataracts, he would growl at Clarabelle but let Bogart lead him around till he passed at the age of 18.  Bogart on the other hand took to his little sister and became her protector, playmate and what I call Butt Buddy. They are always together and 99% of the time when sitting or sleeping their butts are always touching.

Actually, Clarabelle treats him and the rest of us as just part of her collection of play toys to abuse or love at her choosing. She is not one to give kisses unless she deems you worthy and only on her terms.

Working from home was an advantage to raising a new puppy but also created a problem with separation anxiety.  At age two, she took apart a couch all by herself, now at 5, she does very well with just her and her butt buddy, Bogart. She is the first to be waiting at the door when we return to the house, while Bogart will stay at the landing to ensure it is worth his effort to come the rest of the way to the door.

March is our pet's Birth month. March 1st being the birthday for Clarabelle and Bogart celebrates 12 years on March 11th.   So to celebrate their birthdays this year, I came up with a special treat for them to share for a few days.  I am baking a cake in their favorite flavor of Peanut butter and carrots. An all natural cake recipe that I am sure any pet would enjoy.

Being the Alpha of our little pack here, I could not resist doing something special for them. For all the love we shower on them we receive unconditional love 100X back.  The number one thing to remember in dealing with your furry babies is to be consistent in your training and always shower everyone with love. There is nothing is better for the soul than the selfless love you receive from your furry babies.

Happy Birthday, Clarabelle and Bogart, here is to another great year of joy and companionship.

 

Keep dancin  Larry B

 

Stress Relief!

We all need to find ways to relieve stress in our lives, especially work related stress.  Some like to go and commune with nature with camping trips, fishing or hiking. Others go for a more exciting avenue such as diving, sky diving or even rock climbing. Paul and I, we take cruises.

We cruise on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines whenever we can get a chance to get away.  Even though we may have been to the same port of calls, just being on a ship away from home and responsibility for a few days is the only way to unwind from the stress in our daily lives for the both of us.  

Vacations can be fun and relaxing but also they have a tendency to have their own way of creating stress.  I see so many trying to schedule out their time off to the point that it becomes a job in itself.  The whole point of taking a vacation is to get away from having a scheduled life for a few days.

 I have found that you can actually over book yourself on your own vacation. I now look at our vacations and plan only a few excursions. Depending on your likes and dislikes, you can always find an activity that you will enjoy and remember for years to come.  No reason to cram so many excursions in to your trip that you really don't get to fully enjoy the experience of each one.

Finding ways to relieve the stress in your life is so important in today's hectic lifestyle.  No matter what you may enjoy, just get out there and relax.  Of course, coming home is always the best part of the vacation because there is really no truer haven than your home.  We come home to a duo of four legged kids that shower us with affection and let us know how much we were missed. 

No matter what your choice of ideal vacation may be, remember the vacation is the time for family to re-unite, to bond and to enjoy time away from the so called normal routine of your daily life. So don’t over think the schedule of the vacation days, take the time to escape and enjoy the down time from your work and your daily routine.

As for me, I am counting the days till my next cruise vacation escape, that magic number is 15 days from the posting of this article.

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

 

Follow me to Murph’s!

Dancing is the best exercise! Well you would expect a Line Dance Instructor to make such a statement so that is out of the way. I have been teaching for many years now and dancing is my exercise of choice.  Dancing offers great benefits such as improving posture and balance, strengthening bones and muscles, reduces stress and tension, Increase in stamina and flexibility, and builds confidence. Dancing also provides social interaction with a great group of people.

I have been in Tennessee for two years now and have tried several venues to establish a class in the area. It would seem that the class was catching on then all of sudden attendance would drop and then I would be working harder to get interest built back up. So it should not be a surprise that once I decided to put my teaching on hold and concentrate on doing something for myself by taking ballroom dance classes, that is when the opportunity was presented by one of my instructors to be the instructor for Murph at Murph’s Country Barn, 3336 Winters Road, Cedar Hill, TN 37032.

Murph’s is a family friendly Saturday Night Country Dance location that is a diamond in the rough. Murph’s Country Barn is an unknown that is just waiting to blossom into a great Dance location for Middle Tennessee. Murph’s has a live band every Saturday evening from 7:30 pm to 10:30; it possesses a great dance floor and sound system.  They offer a limited menu at the bar along with beer, soft drinks, coffee and water. Murph’s has video games, pool table and a quiet room for small children.  I teach every Saturday evening at 6:30 till the band starts, then a refresher of the class when the band breaks.

Coming May 10, 2014 Murph’s will host its first Line Dance Workshop with Jamie Marshall, 6 time World Line Dance Super Star Champion, Award  Winning Choreographer & Personality as our Guest Instructor for the day.  So get your Registration form at http://www.linedancenews.com/larry-b/classes-events/

Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet Jamie Marshall and enjoy a great day of dancing.

Murph has offered a great location for my classes and the Barn is a great place for a Saturday night out with friends and family.  So join me on Saturday evening for some good music, great dancing, good times and a great nigh out.  Book Mark  www.linedancenews.com  to keep up on Larry  B’s Dance class schedule. Also more events and class schedules to be add to site soon. 

See You at Murph’s!

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

Valentine's Day 2014

Wishing all of you an early great Valentine's Day, may you find or renew the love in your life. The roots of Valentine's Day goes back to ancient times, when people paid honor to the Roman God of Fertility. This was known as the Feast of Lupercalia, and was celebrated even then on February 14th.

The rise of Christianity in Europe saw many pagan holidays renamed for and dedicated to the early Christian martyrs. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius turned Lupercalia into a Christian feast day. He proclaimed February 14 to be the feast day in honor of Saint Valentine, a Roman martyr who lived in the 3rd century. It is this St. Valentine whom the modern Valentine's Day honors.

It was during the 14th century that St. Valentine's Day became definitively associated with love. By the 18th century, gift-giving and exchanging hand-made cards on Valentine's Day had become common in England. Hand-made valentine cards made of lace, ribbons, and featuring cupids and hearts began to be created on this day and handed over to the man or woman one loved. This tradition eventually spread to the American colonies.

The traditions of Valentine's Day are broad and many. It is a time to exchange cards or small gifts. Chocolates and jewelry are the big hits of this holiday as is romantic dinners. It is a romantic event for lovers and a fun event for kids and family. Many a couple become engaged or wed on this day. For others it is a day to fall in love.

Make this Valentine's Day a special day for the loved ones in your life. So surprise the kids with a special gift. Plan a special dinner or even a cruise to the Bahamas fot that significant other in your life. The possibilities should be endless when it comes to showing those in your life the love you have in your heart for them.

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

Weekend in Southeast Missouri

We just returned from spending the weekend with my Dad. As always, it was a great visit with a Dad, and as many other family members we can see in a 24 hour period. It seems that now when I visit something always triggers a memory from my youth. This time was no different; the trigger was a beautiful clear crispy January morning.

As we were cruising the back roads between Benton, MO and Charleston, MO on our way back home, the only thing in the blue sky were jet vapor trails. I instantly recalled sitting in the back of my Dad's pickup after tossing bales of hay to the cattle on another clear crisp January looking at vapor trails and wondering what wonderful places all those people were going and I wanted to be one of them. Of course, at the time all I saw in my immediate future was another school year interrupted by a summer of working on the farm.

As I grew older I knew I wanted more than what I thought the rural area could offer me. I jumped on every opportunity to get away from SE Missouri. After college, I started heading east till I got to Lexington, KY then spent over 20 years in Tamarac, FL before returning to the Midwest. I have been in 14 countries to date. I have been one of those people in the jets leaving vapor trails over other rural areas.

Yet it was not till we moved back did I fully realize that the area I felt could not offer a young Missouri farm boy anything was exactly what I was missing. It is true you can never return home, but you can go back for those special memories. To reflect on your life and the choices you made to get to where you are in your life.

I would not change much in my choices over the years; it was those choices that have placed me where I am today. It all started in a pickup in a field on a cold winter day in Southeast Missouri.

 

Keep dancin' Larry B.

 

Headaches and Your Diet

Is Your Diet Causing Your Headaches? Many of us do not realize exactly how tied in our diet is to the way that we feel overall.  We may only consider the diet that we eat to be something that keeps us nourished and either helps us to gain weight or lose weight depending on the type of foods that we eat.  The reality of it is many of the things that we eat can trigger headaches.  Along with that eating to excess can also lead to problems with headaches as well.  Let's take a look at our diet and see if there is anything that can be done to avoid this problem.                                             

One of the most important things for you to realize is the fact that your diet is going to define who you are as an individual in many ways.  If you're constantly eating sugary items, processed foods and eating on the run you can expect to have a lot of different problems with your health overall.  It is also possible that some of these items that you are eating are triggering headaches as this is a common thing that happens with the preservatives that are in processed foods along with sugar for many of us.                          

You also really need to be concerned about food allergies that you may be dealing with.  Many of us have these allergies and don't even realize that we have a problem.  The fact of the matter is there are many different things that we could eat which could trigger allergies and cause headaches.  For example, we may have a slight allergy to nuts, dairy, chocolate, or almost any other food item that we put into our mouth.  If it doesn't cause severe problems that are typically tied to allergies the corresponding headache may be pushed off as being from something else.         

                                                       

The easiest way for you to tell if you are having a difficulty with the food that you are eating is to keep a food diary.  Not only should you write down absolutely everything that you eat and drink during the days time you should also write down how you feel as well.  This can be a rather eye-opening experience after just a few days of doing so you should be able to tell which foods are triggering the headaches that you are experiencing.  From that point you can begin weeding them out of your diet and enjoy some days without headaches.                

Keep Dancin’ Larry B