Our 20th Annual Hot August Nights Square and Round Dance Festival is over. What a great event! We danced, we saw old friends, and we met new ones.
How It Started
It all started 20 years ago, three couples created this event—Ted Wright & Larada, Lin & Kathi Raver, and Bill & Freddi Franks. Lin and I are the only people left from the original committee. Then we have added these following wonderful people: Mary Jo Smith, Sheri Pastian, Joan Oliver, Jim & Gabrielle Murphy, Earl Quick, Cathy McKenna, Robert & Lisa Miller, and Gloria Schwab.
Hot August Nights Committee – 20th AnniversaryHot August Nights Committee – 20th anniversary – Goofy!
It has become a smashing success in the Southwest square dance world. Our staff this year made it fantastic: Mike Seastrom, caller and his wife, Lisa, and Mitch & Chelsea Thompson, cuer.
Friday
Lin and I flew in from Panama on Thursday after a horrible travel day on Wednesday because of this festival. It started on Friday afternoon with the Welcome Dance. Mike enjoyed sharing the stage with Kris Jensen Friday afternoon.
Friday night has been traditional our “Beach Party” dance with dancers wearing fun beach ware. Beach balls floated around the hall all night. We danced from 8-10 and ended the night with our traditional root beer floats.
During the night Mike, Mitch and Chelsea did a Pentatonix song that was amazing.
Mike, Chelsea & Mitchell Singing a Pentatonix Song
Saturday
Saturday morning started with introduction to round dancing session with Mitchell and Chelsea and then a round dance workshop for experienced dancers.
The committee went out to lunch with Mitchell and Chelsea. We talked about square and round dancing in Colorado where they live.
Then the afternoon started with Mike warming us up with High Energy dancing. Then Mike did Singing Calls for an hour. Harue Swift from Arizona joined Mike on one of the songs.The afternoon ended with a Plus workshop.
During the afternoon, Lin and Larada donned their Guerreros shirts from the men’s basketball team in Boquete, Panama they follow. The team was playing in the Championship game Saturday night. So we asked the dancers to help create a video with the cheer, “Uno, dos, tres—Guerreros!” Here’s the video. (Sadly, they lost!)
Our dancers join in on a cheer for the Guerreros team in Panama!
Saturday night everyone wore beautiful square dance attire, if they wanted to! Here’s me doing a round dance with a friend from Colorado!
Larada round dancing with a friend from Colorado
Mitchell and Chelsea entertained us with a beautiful tango demo of round dancing!
Mitchell & Chelsea dancing a tango!
Mike, Mitchell and Chelsesa sang another song together and the harmony was amazing!
What a lovely evening we had. Again, we ended with root beer floats and visiting with friends.
Sunday
Every Sunday morning at Hot August Nights features craziness for sure. We love to do scatter promenade which mixes the squares up.
At one point, Mike sang “Wooly, Bully” and a group in the back of the hall formed a chorus line. We ended with a congo line weaving our way to the front of the hall. Some of the dancers joined us. What fun! Here’s the link to the our fun chorus line:- https://www.facebook.com/larada.horner/
Sadly, Hot August Nights is over for another year! 20 years of fun and dancing! It is the highlight of the year for me!
I have dedicated 20 years of my life to Hot August Nights and I don’t regret it at all. Also, I have dedicated decades to my writing, so I love featuring a book a month. Tell me what you think!
The coronavirus pandemic has been all over my Threads app this last week. Even though it has been six years, bringing it up again caused many of us to relive the horror.
In my award-winning book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better?, I shared how I handled this life-changing event and made a choice. Here’s a sample chapter, chapter eighteen, that I named the book after. As I do so often, I mix a combination of prose and poetry. In this book I started each chapter with a pertinent quote and a relative picture, then I added pictures throughout (I’m a visual person) and ended with a question to ponder.
Chapter Eighteen
CORONAVIRUS REFLECTIONS: BITTER OR BETTER?
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”
Confucius
September 6, 2020
Bitter or better, that’s the question! Life often hands us problems to deal with, and we choose how to tackle them. For me, either I get bitter or better as a result. But never in my life have I had to handle what 2020 handed the world. Like everyone else, that was one issue that I had no idea how to deal with. I assumed 2020 would be a repeat performance of 2019, so I couldn’t foresee what a test we would face.
Nevertheless, the coronavirus’s impact continues to affect our lives six months later. Normal life activities came to a screeching standstill. 193,000+ people have lost their lives. Families have lost loved ones. People have lost jobs, and businesses have suffered extreme losses. For many, it’s been a psychological affront causing depression and anxiety. I have been one of the fortunate ones, not experiencing the extremes of the pandemic.
But even though I haven’t experienced the dire side of this catastrophe, I have been affected, as have so many other people, each in our own ways.
Some have become bitter over mandated requirements, like social distancing and/or masks. People dubbed as “Karens” or “Kens” have violently erupted at various store clerks asking compliance to safety measures.
Many worldwide bitter rebels have actively protested against these measures, like one organized event on September 15, “World Anti-Mask Protest.” Others continue to believe this is a hoax and vehemently denounce the virus and any of the safety requests. Some have become better, deciding to look at this respite as a time to stop the crazy pace of a busy 21st century life, slow down, help a neighbor, and go deeper on a spiritual quest. That’s what I decided to do early on. The pandemic made me fearful and anxious, and being able to stop and process what I was feeling helped me to feel more grounded and centered.
I became proficient at Zoom and participated in and hosted a multitude of Zoom meetings, which helped ease the isolation, especially with my recovery groups. I made a conscious choice.
Coronavirus Reflection: Bitter or Better?
September 5, 2020
For six months The coronavirus rages Then ebbs and flows. Never have I faced Anything like this!
I remember The polio scare As a child, A far-away bogeyman That didn’t touch me. But nothing like this.
Today, quarantined Deaths Shelter-in-place Fear Confusion, Who do you believe?
My lifestyle drastically altered NO dancing NO traveling NO interaction With people.
I have flirted with bitterness The vile taste of resentments Discourages My lingering there long. I can’t afford to hang around long.
But the good news: I’ve stayed healthy My family has, too!
So, I choose to reflect. Has this focused time Made me Bitter Or better?
Stripped Of normal life And activity, I sat quietly Listened Breathed deeply.
I watched my husband Gather his strength In his garden Working with his hands His mind His soul.
I celebrate this man I quarantined with.
I gathered my own strength In words Working with my hands My mind My soul.
I focused on The Flippo biography — my latest book project Which helped alter the horrible state Of our world, A true escape for me.
In this forced respite, I reconnected with My God, In a time of needed solace Myself, Exploring reactions and feelings To this fearful situation:
My husband, A good person to Be quarantined with.
I cleaned out age-old belongings. I connected with people on Zoom. I wrote poetry, Diving deep Into the abyss of Doubt and despair and Faith and feelings! I had weekly phone dates With hurting friends.
To be honest, I had moments of bitterness Hot August Nights weekend canceled So, I scheduled a Zoom party With long-time friends.
Yes, I missed Weekly face-to-face recovery meetings Monthly visits to our ranch And my brother Family gatherings Square and round dances Travel Friends
But I didn’t waste time long in bitterness.
Today, I relish all of those much more, Hungry for their return. I savor what they Brought into my life, How they enriched me.
When this time of trial is over, I will step up and say, It made me better And that feels good!
I bask in this capsule of time That I used to benefit My growth.
Bitter or better The choice is yours!
There was a moment when I lay in the sun where I had a flash of absolute connectedness and saw both the bitter and the better demonstrated in Lin’s rose garden, so I played with a poem.
I Sunbathed in the Roses
September 5, 2020
A petal floated on the breeze Slowly Settling on my forehead. Another landed on my stomach Bright red in color Matching my sunburned skin.
A plush cushion of white rose petals Gathered as my supple pillow. Ivory-colored roses climbed The trellis Near my feet And tickled my toes.
Salmon-colored roses Guarded my heart And created a Vibrant crown for my brow!
A bright golden bouquet kissed The sun As their next-of-kin And brushed my cheek With their satiny lips.
Peach roses danced In the gentle wind, A soft waltz In a lavish gown.
To sunbathe In the midst of roses Soothes Every ache Every pain A galaxy of color.
These flower friends lift me To the heavens, A multi-colored celebration Of life and love, Surround me in our deep connection.
Hummingbirds dive bomb my head, Enchanted with the color And the nectar. I’ve invaded their sanctuary.
Lay still! I can’t! I feel the prick of . . . Yes, thorns, Slightly. Careful where I lay, But one foot strays A little, And I jerk it back.
A reminder, Sometimes pain hides in beauty, But mostly A restful soul A quiet spirit Surrounded by A circle of roses, My friends!
Yes, I have a choice anytime life deals me a blow—will the experience make me bitter, resentful, and angry? Or will I take advantage of the opportunity present and plunge into a deeper relationship
with myself and my God and become better?
I choose better.
I choose finding new passions, rediscovering old ones. Also, I choose laughing with my loved ones, even if it’s over Zoom. I choose to slow down and sunbathe in the roses.
YOUR REFLECTIONS:
Has the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 left you bitter or better? Why?
So, here we are again, and once again I choose to be better, not bitter about the pandemic. This chapter noted how I felt in September 2020. If you have any residual pain leftover from the pandemic, I hope this book helps you heal. That’s its whole purpose! And I will be featuring it this month
I experienced a train ride from heaven on Thursday, November 13. I met two Christian women and we prayed while we rode. It was back to Albuquerque and a busy time. Here’s what happened.
Heavenly Train Trip
On Thursday, November 13, I jumped on the train back to Albuquerque for packing up my extra bag and attending a square dance festival I helped create. I sit in the lower level for “Elderly and Physical Handicap” people—I fit in both catalogs.
I joined two liked-minded women, Annie and Brenda. We shared the same politic views and realized we were all Christians. I suggested we pray after lunch so we did! Riding the rails, we three women joined in prayer for our country, our world and our specific needs. It was so amazing!
I’m limiting this email because I am changing the provider for my emails for my blogs and I’m in the middle of helping at a square dance festival in Albuquerque, seeing friends, going to our storage shed and deciding what I will take back to Panama in my empty suitcase I brought, attending recovery meetings and one of my writing groups!
Back to Albuquerque
It’s been a lot of activity and lots of friends, but so rewarding. My friend, Sheri Pastian, has been the “hostess with the mostest.” We have such a good time together. Being with her in her home with her two precious Yorkies, Jack and Jill, has been an oasis in this whirlwind trip. We cuss and discuss our similar political views and today we’re going to watch the Broncos game this afternoon. Usually we text each other during the games—this has gone on for years! It will be hilarious to watch the game with her. She’s more than a friend—she’s a sister for sure! I hope all of you have a friend like her!
Finally,
So, next week, you will be receiving this email about my blog from a different provider. Just wanted to forewarn you!
More next week on this trip back to Colorado and my the progress on my new book!
Since you already know how captivating Just Another Square Dance Caller is, here’s your chance to share that experience with a friend! I have a limited surplus of Marshall Flippo’s authorized biography, and I’m offering the first 10 buyers an exclusive deal:
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So what are your choices for the FREE SWAG?
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