Mariposa's Musings

"Who really wants to be themselves when they're teenagers?" Stephen Colbert Kam's Place   gave Ladies Man   💖💖💖 1/2 "Ladies Man  is more than a love story. It touched upon real life scenarios parents face daily: teenagers blooming interest in boys and/or girls, underage drinking, and the aftereffects of divorce. We, parents/caregivers, know raising kids is a hard job. At times, our kids will get mad at us. They will yell, shed tears, and keep secrets. However, they also bring us much joy and laughter. "

"Without music, life would be a mistake."   Friedrich Nietzche I was fortunate to meet Courtney Kenney at the 20 Books to 50K conference in Las Vegas. Today I'm at her blog chatting about how the musical inspiration behind Ladies Man and Wedding Tango . Hope to see you there!

Clark Stevens has always had a way with women, but his teenage daughter despises him.  When his daughter comes to live with him fulltime, he enlists co-worker, Julie Wahl, to coach him on parenting skills. As a single mom and paralegal, Julie, has successfully balanced family, work and swing dancing. After heartbreak on the dance floor, the last thing Julie needs is an office romance.  But she can hardly say no to a colleague in need, especially one with dark brown eyes and a killer grin. Since Ladies Man is as much about raising teens as swing dancing, I’d recommend pairing it with Cincinnati-style chili which features two ingredients favored by kids, ground beef and spaghetti. My version is cheap and quick which are key factors when cooking for ravenous teens. 1 pkg chili seasoning 1 pound ground beef 1 can tomato sauce 16 oz spaghetti Optional toppings: chopped onion, diced tomato, shredded cheddar cheese. Cook spaghetti according to package directio...

“Let us read and let us dance-two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.” Voltaire As if I haven’t mentioned enough reasons why you should be dancing , here’s another one. A study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine discovered that dancing reduced the risk of dementia more than any other physical activity, including cycling, golf, swimming and tennis. Apparently both the mental effort of learning new dance steps as well as the social interaction helped reduce the risk of dementia. Sudoku and crossword puzzles are also reputed to be beneficial toward keeping dementia at bay. However pen and paper puzzles lack the awesome music and the people watching opportunities of the dance floor. Besides you're more likely to meet that special someone on the dance floor than noodling over a crossword.

"We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once." Friedrich Nietzsche If German philosophers aren't your thing, consider a University of London study which revealed that patients with anxiety disorders showed significant improvement when they participated in a modern dance class. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine  noted that dancing may boost memory and prevent dementia. The hippocampus (the part of the brain that controls memory) naturally shrinks as people grow older. Aerobic exercise (like dancing) can reverse volume loss in the hippocampus. Plus dancing is a great way to meet people. Dancing attracts people of all ages from college to retirement from all walks of life. On the dance floor I've met architects, engineers, professional musicians even a doctor who kept her profession on the down low since she wanted to dance not diagnose on Friday nights at Salsa. With one activity you can improve your memory, lose w...

Some writers seem to be everywhere, doing blog tours, leaving clever comments on writing loops and making appearances on all conceivable forms of social media sort of like the popular girl who is always on the dance floor. The gals on the sidelines wonder if they need a shorter skirt, higher heels or darker lipstick to be noticed. Writers watch others cut a broad swath on the Internet and worry about how much blogging, tweeting and commenting is needed to attract readers. You don’t have to be everywhere, but you do need to be seen. One night at Salsa my instructor noticed me pouting at a remote table.  “You need to be closer to the action,” he said nodding toward the crowd at the bar. I moved to a more populated area of the club and my evening improved considerably.  If maintaining your own blog is too much for you, consider being part of a group blog or look for guest posting opportunities at other author blogs. Watch the other dancers for ideas, but ultimately ...