Fall in southern California

I know people think we don't have seasons in Southern California, but it's not true. We do, they are just not the traditional seasons we hear about from the north east or Europe. It takes an observant nature to recognize the seasons here, it's not so much about temperatures changing as it is about the way the air feels, length of day & changing routines.

When fall comes it's very clear by the shortening days, at first the weather starts to cool a bit and we put a blanket on the bed. Then the real heat comes not the same humid heat from summer. Characteristically different the air becomes dry- warm days, cool nights. We get usually one or two last scortching heat waves with temps in the 90's-low 100's (last weekend) and the Santa Ana winds start to blow in. Pumpkins turn orange in my garden, gourds are ready to pick, the chickens cease to lay eggs. It's the same every year so I call that a season.

After all that said about predictability & the fog has rolled in over the mountain tops and it's a bit chilly now!

Richard Lowe's pirate pictures

Karma & I are having a little drum solo duel!

Then Ayse & Heidi are having a sword fight!

I like my twirling skirt! Then we are done and sweet...really... : )

more pirate pics

Ok some of those pics ended up on top of each other...but I have more! Really! And yes! there is a silly picture of my husband being kissed by Tonantzin!!! haha!
Also all of these pictures are by my friend Lee Corkett of Weathervane!

I'll post more by other photographers too in the next edition!

Pirate Faire...arrrrr!!

The first sign of fall for me has become the Ojai Pirate Faire every year! It is a great experience for our dance troupe & students. This year we had an encampment again, which was managed by Ayse & Julie. And it was something else! So comfortable and beautiful!
We have this gorgeous Bedouin Tent that we raised money to buy as a group that we set up and behind we have dressing rooms & a kitchen and a place where many of the group pitched their regular tents.
Ayse planned out a kitchen schedule so that there everyone took turns preparing meals and wow! The food was great! Everyone pitched in with cleaning and maintaining, it was so amazing.



Our show was really fun, we had our friends Donavon & Vedat of the Anatolian Folk ensemble and my husband Robert, another drummer Ed, random other wonderful musicians, Daniel from Byzantium music, Daoud from Baba Ku and another old friend Steve Newman. It was lovely and a joy to dance to!



My students did a dance with baskets on their heads that were filled with chocolate coins, Nataraja danced improvisation, Ayse's students & Wild Routes danced, and also TWNN (troupe with No Name) did wonderfully creative formations and were very cute! Michaella did Heidi's solos. We all drank too much...Everyone was special!
Tonantzin, Ayse, Heidi & I made up She'enedra for the faire and we all soloed and did sword balancing and fights.




Even though the 2nd weekend of fair was miserably hot it was really fun! I'll post a bunch of pictures right now!

Oasis of Belly dance award....This is so cute I'm just tickled!

probably too tickled about it but it was cute anyway...
I don't know how but I got nominated for an Oasis award and it links to my horrible website! I took the pretty one down and haven't put up a new one yet...because it's hard!!! I'll stop whinning now...
Anyway, if you want to vote for me that would be cool, if not that's cool too! But vote for someone! I'm voting for Barak Obama, but he's not in this contest...

the winner gets to donate money to her charity of choice! How cool is that??? I would love to do that! Any ideas for good charities? Post 'em here! I'd like to know. I would most likely pick something nice for women either a scholarship or to help with medical needs.
So go to this link to see the nominees & vote for...someone!

http://hometown.aol.com/homeskillety2k/page1.html
email your votes to
navel_y2k@yahoo.com

you get to vote for
Oasis of Honor -that's a soloist
Oasis of Color-that's where you'll find me
Troupe Oasis

Olympia Belly Dance workshop!

Ok I admit it! I strayed from the plan on the workshop! But I couldn't help it! It was fun that way!
I believe it was a good thing because the ladies all seemed to enjoy the workshop a lot. I think they learned some new stuff that will enhance the wonderful things they are already doing. I did a few different belly dance things there...first a Hafla at the Eagle's building, a beautiful old building on 4th street. There were some lovely dancers and really fun performances.
Then I did the workshop, where I strayed from the plan.
Then I danced at the Indian restaurant also on 4th street.
I got the chance to meet a tribe friend Alicia
here is a picture of the workshop attendees & myself....

Other trip highlights were...
eating this really good double crusted pizza,
going shopping at Canvas Works (pretty yarns & fabrics)
hanging out with my family
and driving down to Portland and seeing a beautiful rose garden & eating at a restaurant with a "dog food menu" as well as people food!

Olympia trip

This is more of a photo album of my recent trip to visit family & teach a belly dance workshop in Olympia Washington...I guess it's really only interesting to our family!
First is my handsome son Jared, with baby Solace, Stella, & my daughter Jillian, Ezra is the whitish blob in the foreground, there's a better pic of him later.

The second is me holding cute little Solace!

Then my beautiful Jillian!

Jillian, her friend Amanda, & Stella on a walk at the Nisqually nature preserve.

More at the nature preserve,
Jessie (amanda's boyfriend), Stella, Jade my daughter-in-law pushing Ezra, & Jillian