Changes! and Dissapointments, How Do We Deal?

In Capoeira when our feet are taken out from underneath us we fall with a smile knowing we will come up from an unexpected place and use that new position to our advantage. Haha on a good day!! Change is much like that! In social work we call it "re framing" our situation. Change can be good, change can be stressful even PAINFUL change can be the result of a disappointment change can be the result of growth. Change can be as natural or unnatural as we care to see it. I'm not always good with it but nevertheless....Change happens!

I witnessed so much change in my life this year. I saw my father finally released from the hold that alcoholism had on him. I saw him change back to the sweet nature he had before alcohol and war took it's toll on him. This made a bittersweet backdrop,as my family watched him change and die on June 9th one hour after I changed from age 53 to age 54, the day Willow changed from being a High School student to High School graduate. I saw Skyler change this summer from a little boy without his grandfather to a young man living in NYC attending two schools simultaneously. (American Ballet Theater and the Professional Performing Arts School). I saw Willow change from carrying hockey and lacrosse sticks to Sonic trays on rollers skates to carrying a full load at Rutgers University. I watched friends change and disappoint me and I've watched friends refuse to change and disappoint me. Our house could have become an empty nest instead it became a haven for a new household member and a weekend magnet for capoeirstas. It's not only about perspective and how we choose to see things it's about choosing positive change! I'd like to end this blog about Change and Disappointment with three positive quotes that don't even carry these words but say it all! I've had them tacked up beside my computer all year they're great!!!:

1. Greg Anderson--"Stop the mindless wishing that things would be different. Rather than wasting time and emotional and spiritual energy in explaining why we don't have what we want, we can start to pursue others ways to get it."
2. George W. Crane -- "Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you act."
3. Nido Qubein "You can't think your way into acting positively, but you can act your way into thinking positively."

And you know me I always have a PS: This I just recently learned from a VERY wise friend of mine. He said "No matter what you are going through, everything has a time line, joy, disappointment, pain, even love but the cool thing with love is that it can just keep stretching and bending and growing and getting better and deeper." So I took from this to say: "my friends whatever we are going through in our different walks remember to love each other through the process" and "Every little thing is gonna be alright!"

And now I promise I will really bring this to a close perhaps because I am getting hungry..but my friend also said this... ya gotta rejoice if it's your time to rejoice! Be happy and know when you have done good works! He said ya know it's like we're all makin' a sandwich and then we gotta' eat it! So if you're puttin' good things into your sandwich m-m-m the times gonna come when you're gonna eat a good sandwich but if you're building your sandwich wrong, oh well you're just gonna hafta eat a nasty sandwich for a while hee hee. Ha ha I'm goin' for lunch!!!

Fantastic First Day of Little Kids Capoeira

Today was fantastic! It was like teaching in a one room school house where all the ages are there to learn. Each age group had age appropriate tasks but the older kids helped the younger ones and the younger ones inspired the older ones just by being so cute sincere and eager! The older capoeira kids affectionately known as SLAM Kids (students learning alternative movements) were helpful in every way making the little kids program tremendously successful today. The "Me and My Grown Up" and the "Kids Basic Capoeira" classes were so lively and fun in large part due to everyone's kind attention to details and willingness to pitch in. SLAM kids made sure the bathrooms were tidy and the studio was "red up" for our first time visitors! Parents were talked to with great respect. Norborto is so good with the little ones, Mia and Lagartixa handled the registration table, all the kids were right on point with whatever prop I needed, the sound of the CD player turned up or down or repeated, rhythmical leads played on the Atabaquqe etc. No matter where I turned Norborto, Mia and Largatixa seemed to be right where I needed them. There reward was lots of sweat in the SLAM kids class ending with Mia teaching her favorite cartwheel game. Elise and her family and Erika and her family helped me out so much with necessary taxi service that I am humbled by their kindness! Thanks to all of you! If I forgot to mention something huge you all did for me attribute it to fatigue. Almost the same crew joined us for a very well received Capoeria Demo at the Roller Derby this evening. I will sleep well tonight!

Standing Up to Violence Demo

Wednesday evening's Kids Capoeira demo at the Standing up to Violence conference at East Chestnut Mennonite Church was well done and well received! I'm so proud of you all! In the words of John K Stoner organizer of this conference on local and global peacemaking: "Kids Capoeira was great last evening, just what we hoped for, good audience engagement, with the clapping etc. Those young people showed dedication, focused attention, skill, purpose and cooperation. I wish you all the best!" Wow what a GREAT review! East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church, true to the congregation's generous spirit, fed us warm sweet pancakes in the church basement after our performance. Yum! Thank you Naomi, Sheri, MaryLou and all the other kitchen volunteers. As one of our capoeirstas summed up this day "Mae this was the BEST DAY EVER!" Ha Ha I'm glad it was but I am very confident we will have many many "best days" ahead. I have a grateful spirit today.

Cityscape Mural Status

Thanks to Brenda we have some really nice looking cardboard for our Kids Capoeira cityscape mural. The adult capoeira class was kind enough to pitch in and help paint the base coat. Getting to know each other and our new student Alice while painting was really fun and added to the energy we brought to our 'slammin' music class! Thanks to Alice, Sarah, Bruno, Brenda and Robert! And thanks to everyone for helping John to keep the beat, he was working so hard he was sweating!!! By Jove I think he's got this! With Bruno and Sarah on either side as training wheels how could he NOT!!! You guys were relentless! Great team work!!
A tip from Sarah, want to make that great little rumble sound when you play the pandero? Just squeeze your middle finger to thumb really hard 'til they sweat THEN when you drag your fingertip along the skin it will stick a little bit and sort of bounce it's way across the head. Remember you gotta squeeze your fingers 'til they SWEAT that's her secret!!! And she swears by it! All those with naturally sweaty fingertips need not read!
Peace to you this day! Mae

Wise Words from a Parent!

Repetition never hurt for retention! Repetition never hurt for retention! Repetition never hurt for retention! --Elise These words are never truer than when teaching a music class in Portuguese! :)

New Store Opening!

I am excited to be hitting the streets with Kids Capoeira after class on Saturday to pass out Kick or Treat fliers and visit Expressly Local (the areas first local produce and products store) to spread good Axé on their opening day! Express Locally is located at 213 W. King Street Lancaster PA.

As a Capoeirsta it's not only important to train and play right but we must also eat right! Also to me it's important to support local businesses and "mom and pop" shops. Hopefully as we go for our Saturday walk we will meet and greet other businesses and folks who feel the same way. Peace to you this day, Mae

PS Don't forget to bring painting clothes for when we get back to the studio because all you big kids will be helping to paint the Brazilian cityscape mural to be used for the little kids capoeira corner!

Graduad'a' Mae

Hey Justin thanks for everything I am Graduada a boy would be Graduado. :D

Wow! As my instructor Coqui would say.

Wow! I am so grateful to Justin for helping me to get the word out about Kids Capoeira in this amazing form of 'websiting' my own word! And Wow! I am so glad to be able to take my old fashion linear calendar and post it so quickly to so many people. Now the next step will be to use the cyber calendars and agendas to their fullest capacities but for now please read over our upcoming events and classes and spread the word. Wow! and a huge thank you to my instructor Carlos 'Coqui' Rodriguez who keeps me in good capoeira condition (when he's not injuring me ;)! ) so I can continue to teach Kids Capoeira.
Wow! and Axé, Mae

Kids Capoeira Fall 2009 Update

Kids Capoeira Update
Fall 2009

Saturday, Oct. 31
10:30am -11:30am SLAM KIDS CAPOEIRA CLASS
11:30am-12:30pm Take to the streets passing out Kick or Treat Flyers
12:30pm -1:30pm Lunch/Pizza
1:30pm -3:30pm Paint cityscape with Mae and Staci
NOVEMBER
Wednesday, Nov.4
6:30pm Arrive 432 East Chestnut St. ECSMC
7:00pm STANDING UP TO VIOLENCE
10-15 minutes Demo prior to peacemaking conference.
Saturday, Nov. 7
9:00am -9:45am ME AND MY GROWN UP CLASS
9:45am -10:45am BASICS KID CAPOEIRA CLASS
10:45AM -12:30PM SLAM KIDS CAPOEIRA CLASS

ROLLER DERBY Overlook Act.Center Lititz Pike
6:00pm ARRIVE JOIN IN ADULT CAPOEIRA DEMO
6:30pm Double Header Starts
8:00pm (approx.) 20 min performance between the 2 bouts

Wednesday, Nov. 11
4:30pm - 5:30 pm FAMILY BASICS CAPOEIRA CLASS
5:30pm – 6:30pm Homework Club
Saturday, Nov. 14
9:00am -9:45am ME AND MY GROWN UP CLASS
9:45am -10:45am BASICS KID CAPOEIRA CLASS
10:45AM -12:30PM SLAM KIDS CAPOEIRA CLASS

Wednesday, Nov. 18
4:30pm - 5:30 pm FAMILY BASICS CAPOEIRA CLASS
5:30pm – 6:30pm Homework Club
Saturday, Nov. 21
9:00am -9:45am ME AND MY GROWN UP CLASS
9:45am -10:45am BASICS KID CAPOEIRA CLASS
10:45AM -12:30PM SLAM KIDS CAPOEIRA CLASS
Wednesday, Nov. 25 NO CLASS

Saturday, Nov. 28 I AM THANKFUL FOR CAPOEIRA DAY!
2:00pm – 5:00pm Combined Classes with Mestre Doutor
Bring: $1.00 Donation to pay for Mestre’s travel
Leftovers from Thanksgiving Dinner
1 canned good item for local food bank
DECEMBER

Wednesday, Dec. 2
4:30pm - 5:30 pm FAMILY BASICS CAPOEIRA CLASS
5:30pm – 6:30pm Homework Club

Saturday, Dec. 4
6:00pm to 8:30pm COMBINED KIDS CLASSES
PARENTS SHOPPING NIGHT OUT
Detailed schedule of activities to be handed out older students will serve to provide activities and safety for younger students.
Wednesday, Dec. 9
4:30pm - 5:30 pm FAMILY BASICS CAPOEIRA CLASS
5:30pm – 6:30pm Homework Club

Saturday, Dec.12
9:00am -9:45am ME AND MY GROWN UP CLASS
9:45am -10:45am BASICS KID CAPOEIRA CLASS
10:45AM -12:30PM SLAM KIDS CAPOEIRA CLASS

Wednesday, Dec. 16
4:30pm - 5:30 pm FAMILY BASICS CAPOEIRA CLASS
5:30pm – 6:30pm Homework Club

Saturday, Dec. 19
9:00am -9:45am ME AND MY GROWN UP CLASS
9:45am -10:45am BASICS KID CAPOEIRA CLASS
10:45AM -12:30PM SLAM KIDS CAPOEIRA CLASS


Wednesday, Dec. 23 (Tentative)
4:30pm - 5:30 pm FAMILY BASICS CAPOEIRA CLASS
5:30pm – 6:30pm Homework Club
Thursday, Dec. 24
Mae and Family out of town for the holidays return Tue Dec. 29

Saturday, Dec. 26 NO CLASSES


Wednesday, Dec. 30
4:30pm - 5:30 pm FAMILY BASICS CAPOEIRA CLASS
5:30pm – 6:30pm Homework Club

MaeWorld.org

So - I have my own website now! You'll be able to find schedules, contacts and learn more about Mae! (pronounced "My") Check out MaeWorld.org And yes, the .org stands for organic! :)