uh-mazing!

This Hoopnotica journey has been uh-mazing!!! 

12 days after my Method One training in Dallas, I taught my very first class at an at - risk high school. Before that Friday, I planned, I read, I re-planned, I reread. I practiced and practiced. One thing I knew for sure was that hesitation and uncertainty would c r e a t e jokes for years from this crowd. 

When the day arrived I was ever so g r a t e f u l to have exactly seven Hoopnotica hoops (some gifted :)) for the P.E. class of six, and for me. I work at the school, but don't know the students as if I were still a teacher. I'm a desk administrator now- some of the kids I get to know, but sadly most I don't. In this class of six only one was familiar.  

We started with introductions, then a demo, and plenty of reminders to not touch the hoops, just watch the f a b u l o u s me. We have a plan... see the white board... it will go as planned. 

And it worked for five of them, but one of the students kept touching her hoop, and occasionally l a u g h i n g at random. The primary teacher stayed very close to this student and subtly reminded her to pay attention.  Time came for a mini first 'this is how to waist hoop lesson'. The same young lady with fierce intensity listened to each word I said, and watched my every move.  

She clapped her hands, squealed, "Ms, I want hoolie oop." 

As she spoke, I detected a possible learning deficiency.  "Hoops up... let's try."  

The students struggled to varying degrees, but not her. She hooped. She hooped hard. The other students admired her graceful hoopwork, and even cheered for her. She smiled, g i g g l e d, laughed. She was the best at something... finally.  

"Have you hooped before?"  

"No, but I want to."  

In disbelief after class I called her parent. The parent confirmed that her child had never h o o p e d, but always asked for one while perusing store aisles.  

*** 

Today marked the final hoop Friday of our term.  When she hoops, I'm reminded of angels with real h a l o s.  

This Hoopnotica journey has been uh-mazing!  I have photos posted on my instagram teffaniewhite or @toimaginemore if you want to see the loving hoop notes I received from the class today. Or search #hoopnotica, #boyshooptoo 

 Keep Hoop Alive 

Join me at the Museum of the Southwest, Friday July 26, 10-3. We're hooping!

l o v e

h OO p y Valentine's

Listening to "What's Going On?", Marvin Gaye on Sade Pandora thinking about the journey and its fabulous detours. This past summer while my son attended a pre-college program at Pratt Institute the girls detoured to Girl Month.

Girl month.

We listened to audio books.

We made s m o o t h i e s, salads and soups.

We cleaned.

We called our girlfriends.

We did spa treatments. We scrubbed. We s t e a m e d. We hair straightened with Agave.

We road tripped. We spiked in Alpine. We shopped in Lubbock.

We worked out- girl look at that body.
Insanity, Zumba, Walking, Belly Dancing, Socacize, African Healing.

We ate c h o c o l a t e (good chocolate).

We fell in l o v e with Hugh Grant because we watched chick flicks.
Who knew that Julia and Jennifer had soooooo many movie credits?

When watching film, we integrated ab words (Of course, we played with words!). Like a drinking game, when the chosen word was said by a character- we hit the deck and did crunches. That got old quickly!

What else could we do that was ab - licious and fun?

It seemed like when I asked the q u e s t i o n, it appeared.

TE's exer-app updated on her FB page. You know the kind: TE just hula hooped for 10 minutes, and is now extra fabulous.

Hula Hooped? Really? And the point of that was what?
Jump roped for ten minutes... I got. Ran for ten minutes, uh yeah. Hula Hooped... mmmmm?

So I messaged her.
She responded.

The next night before the double feature, we went to the sporting good's store and bought a couple of hoops. With l i g h t s!

When ab words began. We hooped. We went to tennis courts and hooped instead. We replaced our morning Insanity class with hooping for obvious reasons. We just hooped.

It was then that I noticed an influx of elimination. TMI, but we love healthy number two elimination. I researched. Apparently the hoop massaging the c o r e and its internals did more than p u m p up the heart rate. Somehow my internet search lead me to a video of a beautiful masterful Black hoop artist, hoop dancing to "My Chick Bad".

I wanted to do that. We turned off the dvd and turned on the music. We tried.

Realization. People couldn't just DO that. I was gonna need a teacher.

Three months later, Farmer Guy handed me a b o x. A box with everything needed to become a licensed and certified Hula Hoop instructor from Hoopnotica! Shut-up!

Now I'm h o o k e d on hooping. So of course I needed beautiful hooping w o r d s! Introducing my new favorite p i c t u r e l e s s alphabet book.

H is for Halo available on Smashwords.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/284241
h OO p y Valentine's & Happy Hooping!

p r i c e less

Just reviewed the Holmes and Rahe stress scale, I could be in trouble. You see, within the last 4 0 days l i f e was the w h i r l w i n d.

"Reap it." YoungGuns

Aside from the collective stress with the recent national elections, and the community stress of our farmers' market annual celebration,

I e x p e r i e n c e d...

memorial - 1
burials - 2
wakes - 3
funerals - 4

thousands of dollars for funeral expenses and travel... p r i c e l e s s.

I got E N G A G E D to the Farmer Guy (first public announcement) by accepting a big R O C K, started wedding planning, sat on a felony jury, traveled all over my great state, c e l e b r a t e d my son's 17th birthday, attempted NaNoWriMo, all while negotiating 42 SES provider contracts. Weren't there also a few f a b u l o u s holidays with a few more to plan?

w o o s a h...e x h a l e

Most tense moment - I overcooked a whole spaghetti squash in my oven (remnants still remain). I raced into the kitchen after the s o n i c b o o m and threw my beloved Blackberry into the dishwater.

Why was that so stressful?

Um, well, (eat crow) I switched over to this distracted living device called the iPhone (first public announcement), which I swore I would never - ever - ever do.

Surely I've left out a few critical moments, like ortho appointments, school events, volleyball tournaments, holiday photo shoots, adopting a very sick puppy, and my ex-husband moving to town.

When I looked at the Rahe scale of life's possible insanity juxtaposed with stress related health issues, I wondered why I wasn't rocking on the floor in a fetal position sucking on my dreadlocks.

I knew why. I had w o r d s! Peaceful words of g r a t i t u d e.

I repeated this m a n t r a.

"To whom much is given, much is required."

And I had been given lots.

p r i c e less gratefuls. 

10. w o r d s

9. f a c e b o o k & t e x t s & c a l l s

8. t e x a s weather

7. fabulous m i r a c l e beads

6. g o s p e l on music choice & pandora

5. h o t green t e a

4. Epsom s a l t baths

3. y o g a

2. h u l a h o o p s

1. my s o f t p l a c e, my h e r o, & my r o c k


There are some things money can't buy. For everything else there is divine universal delivery.

You will have everything that you need. #priceless #love