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| Waiting for the contra dance to begin. |
I'm a long-time international folk dancer, and contra dancer, but I've been slacking the past few years. I made up for it a little this past weekend at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle where I spent part of each of three days contra dancing. On the one hand it felt so good to be spinning and swinging again, but on the other hand, I found myself getting crazy dizzy. After three dances in a row, (contra dances tend to be VERY long) I had to sit out a dance to recover before heading back to the dance floor. Some dances involve non-stop spinning, and I'm not used to it anymore. Add to that a partner that swings like a dervish, and good luck keeping your balance. The very best callers balance the patterns so they flow smoothly and the swinging and twirling are moderated with challenging but less circular patterns. I'm going to start going to the weekly dances, I think, starting this Thursday. Should be fun, but I hope I can overcome the dizziness!
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| A tad wobbly and unkempt, but delicious just the same. |
Last week, after I made my voluptuous spring rolls — so voluptuous they spontaneously exploded at one bite, and couldn't be photographed (exaggerating just a little here) — my husband must have been inspired, because he made spring rolls for dinner one night this week. I was presented with a plate of four rolls — the best (most intact) rolls of the bunch. He overcompensated a bit for my previously extravagant rolls by under-filling them, but they were delicious, and in spite of their slightly bendable nature, were quite filling. By the end of the third, I was full, but just couldn't stop eating. Next time we'll get them just right — or at least more right. I think the key is to not soften them too much before filling. That seemed to work when I made a roll from the leftovers the next day.
