dance « Work the Dream

Days Gone By-Remembering Dick Clark

I felt such a sadness when I saw the news feed saying Dick Clark had died. It took me back in time and the memories from the days of American Bandstand. Oh that was THE show and such joy it brought dancing around the room and singing. It was a much less complicated time and family life seemed to be much stronger and focused on each other. Now everyone seems to go in different directions.

remembering the sixties

video by HyperFoxTails

Everyone wanted to be on the show dancing. Places popped up all over and in Knoxville, TN they had a TV show much like Bandstand and locals could go and dance on it just like on Bandstand. I remember everyone wanted to be on that show and would stand for hours hoping to be selected. I never made it but a couple of friends did. We didn’t even have to be in the room when that theme song for American Bandstand came on. We knew it by heart.

video by facebookbuzzz

Dick Clark was an icon and brought us music and the joy of music in such a way that it remains with us even today. He helped many singers and bands to move on to even greater expectations with their careers and he always instilled in us the desire to dance….dance…..dance.

video by gusrocksnrolls

I think Dick Clark was the Peter Pan of Rock and Roll. How could you not enjoy something presented by someone like Dick Clark, whose love of music flowed out of our televisions into our rooms. I can still see us singing into hair brushes and looking in the mirror. And I can remember my parents who thought rock and roll was the devil’s tool.

Here is to you Dick Clark. May you rock the heavens and may your love of music continue on in all of us.

30 year special

video by mybestmusicvideo1

Fine Art Friday | American Bandstand (finchandada.wordpress.com)
R is for Remembrance – Three Music Icons in One Post! #AtoZchallenge (jennyhansenauthor.wordpress.com)
Keep Rocking On Dick Clark (tonij.wordpress.com)
Dick Clark, American Bandstand, (drses.wordpress.com)
‘Bandstand’ Alum Remembers Dick Clark (myfoxchicago.com)
Dick Clark, “Thank YOU” (drses.wordpress.com)
Brett Jolly’s Daily Thought (Topic: Dick Clark) (brettjollydotcom.wordpress.com)
Dick Clark’s Best “American Bandstand” Performances: Surfer Stephen’s Viral Video Of The Day (amp.cbslocal.com)

The Greatest Battle Is Not Physical

I love this quote for it says what I believe so strongly. Our greatest battle is overcoming what our mind tells us. As I repeat so often what a friend says “whether you think you can or you think you can’t….you will be right.” is the truth.

image by danLrene

People ask me why I attempt the things I do like trying to help son get the tub out of the house. Well, it is like this. I believe that as long as we stay in motion….we will keep moving. It is when we quit getting up and doing that we become motionless. Yes, it is painful. Yes, I pay for it but you know what, I can spend my life not doing anything so the pain won’t go up or I can experience life….go through the pain that comes….rest up…and do it again because at least I experienced doing things. I get told I am stronger than most people. The truth of the matter is:

image from just-half-crazy.blogspot.com

You are. You truly are. When the crunch hits, we find out we can do more, withstand more than we ever thought. No, it does not make our physical limitations go away. It just means that when we need to face something…to accomplish something…there is that reserve in us that is there. Yes, we may pay for it for days. But it is the Accomplishment that counts. It is the Experience that counts. Don’t live your life in a cocoon doing nothing….LIVE and FEEL for as long as you can feel pain…you can feel the good things too. It is when you feel nothing that you better worry.

We all want people to believe in us but I have learned that I better first believe in myself. If I don’t believe in me, then how can I expect others to believe in me? I must have faith in myself that I am a worthy person….that I am smart, talented..whatever. And if I believe, those that matter will believe too.

image from lessonsfromthemonkimarried.blogspot.com

This is why not only must we nurture our physical health and take care of ourselves but we must take care of that inner self..that emotional self..our soul. For that is the part that will keep us going when things are tough. I remember after kidney surgery and I could barely stand with my forearm crutches and son helping me to go to the bathroom. I wanted to lay down and pull the cover over my head and I did for a while. And then, that inner self stepped in and said “you can do it”….”get up”…”TRY”. And I did. It took me ten minutes to get to the bathroom and ten to get back. But know what? That feeling of accomplishment was exhilarating. I felt like I had accomplished climbing Pikes Peak…and for me..I had.

image from weheartit.com

It is ok to stop and rest. Some of us need more rest than others. Just don’t stay there and if you are feeling low and need some umph, put on some music and feel the vibes in your body. Set goals of going this far and then resting. You can visualize the rest area coming up. Think about with babies how we hold our hands out to get them to walk and when they take that step or two, we back up just a little to get them to take just one more step. Take that one more step. The Rest Area is coming.

image from travelmuse.com

Feel it in your system when you accomplish something. Feel the exhilaration, the joy and let it sustain you. And give yourself credit for you did accomplish something. And this does not apply to just being disabled or having chronic health problems. All of life is like this. And most of all keep dancing…in your heart…in your head…in your bed….across the floor…all through life.

video by kkokit

About Me

NOTE: Subscribe box is down below the mountain picture.

Those that know me know that this red sparkly headband is symbolic. When they see the headband on me, they know I am fighting hard physically. It is my symbolic Samson’s hair. It is getting my mojo on and geared up for robo mom to once more fight a battle. And the headband is on now and will be on for a long time. I live with my son who is my caretaker and I am so blessed.

Me with mojo on.

And when things are toughest, I will resort to my dreams to keep me going.

I am 63 and will soon be 64. Life has been a journey of health issues since I was 32 and got sprayed by a crop duster. I have warrior attitude. Being a warrior does not mean you always win. It means you never quit trying. Life is what you make it and I choose to make mine as happy as possible no matter where I am in life.

I spend a lot of time on this hospital bed due to constant pain but I am just thankful I have the hospital bed to lay on. I am disabled but I don’t let that stop me from living life and enjoying it. Life is what we make it and I choose to make mine happy.

Meet Daisy..that we call Miss Daisy. Thanks to Jill, a very special friend who is also has a Rescue for pets called Three Sisters and a Brother in NC, Daisy was transported to us and what a delight she is. About ten pounds and full of energy and love and kisses.

My baby

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Son and Daisy

My world from my hospital bed-it is filled with warmth and love from so many.

I still dream of going back to Italy, of us having one of those mini buses with a lift for my chair that son can convert into a travel home for us to make it easier when I have to go to Denver for surgeries and stuff. I still dream of learning how to tap dance…yes even on these crutches just so I can say I did. All I need are a pair of size 11 tap shoes.

image from facebookemoticons123.blogspot.com

I draw, I paint, I write, I do photography…my latest love is the clouds for I see faces in the clouds all the time and have a blog at the top of the page entitled “Faces in the Clouds” I sit on a stool and help son cook…yes, often with him leaning over me to help me pour or stir but I get to do it. My philosophy is if you can’t do it one way…then create a new way. Son says I am the only person he knows that used their all terrain power chair like a back hoe…using a grain shovel and rake to move dirt or mulch in the garden. I would hold the handle between my legs and rake up the stuff on the two foot wide shovel and then go backwards dragging the shovel to where I wanted to dump it.

Ever since I was a little girl, I was told I was a dreamer. I can remember report cards with “day dreams” written on it. I think dreams are what keep us going. Without dreams…we have no hope.

Follow Your Dreams, The Siren Called Out To Me

As I closed my eyes and fell deep into lovely sleep.
The dream siren called me with a promise to keep

I closed my eyes and looked deep in my soul
I could feel the wind blowing…it was so very cold

My dreams I had carried through year after year
They will never come true was my biggest fear

Wandering up one lane and down another
Remembering my dream since I became a mother

Land, open land and a place to be free
A small house to live in with a big evergreen tree

We mounted the buckboard with all we owned inside
And started over the mountain on this crazy dream ride

We felt like pioneers racing to the finish line for land
And the whole time we knew -The Lord had our hand

So don’t be afraid to dream your dreams and try
Life is too short…open your wings up and fly

Dream I say and work the dream hard as you can
For it will be the best race that you ever ran.

We all have dreams of what we want out of life. I remember Laverne on Laverne and Laverne saying her dream was to have a purple cashmere sweater. Well, our dream is to own land in the country and have a simple life style unencumbered by so much of what is in the world today.

I love to write and have written for years. And hopefully will continue to write for many more years. My real name is Deb.

This blog is about our journey to get there, our life after we reached the promised land and different middle of the night ramblings. Dreams are like cooking…we might get our grandparents old recipes, but we tend to alter them to suit ourselves. But, dream we must…for as long as we have hope in life…we have dreams. And even plain ole everyday people get dreams that come true.

I hope you enjoy and will subscribe and share my journey. Come join us at the foothills of the mountains where we have found a life of simplicity and serenity, in spite of all the health trials of one disabled woman and the courage of a son that chose to take care of her.