Frog update, Grants, and Pageanty news

Hello everyone!

I've had a lot on my mind the past few days.  First of all, thank you to everyone who was concerned about my froggies.  We buried Yoshi next to spot the bunny in the backyard, but Pascal was really sick.  After trying to find information on Google (there apparently aren't that many people with pet frogs...) I finally decided that the best thing to do was to quarantine him and see what happened.  He was in a lot of pain and I didn't know whether or not to put him in the freezer (what the pet store told me to do) and put him out of his misery.  But I am so excited to tell you that he looks a million times better and I moved him back in with Tiana in the big tank today (after sterilizing everything and purchasing new substrate) because he finally started eating again! :)

Secondly (clearly I have strange priorities), I got a promotion :)  I'm now the dance director at Premier Centre for the Arts in Middletown.  I owe so much to them.  This is the place where I learned what it meant to be a performer.  This is where I truly fell in love with dance and knew that I wanted it to be a "job" (if you can call that working) and not just a hobby.  They do so much to make the people there feel like family and have even started a scholarship fund so everyone can have a chance to be a part of it.  Now they are in a contest to be considered for a $250,000 grant.  To qualify, we need to get 250 votes by Saturday.  We are only half way there.  You can sign in with Facebook, search "Middletown, Delaware" and click next to "Premier Centre for the Arts".  I'll leave the link for you below:
https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/


Also: teaching dance camp July 9th-13th

AND Pageant Camp July 23rd-27th

http://pcade.com/SummerArts.htm



Finally, I wanted to say congratulations to a few friends of mine! Love you all <3

Elissa McMracken, Miss Ohio 2012

Alyssa Murray, Miss Delaware 2012

Anjelica Francisco, Miss Greater Butler County 2012, Top 5 at Miss Ohio (the lovely lady I crowned in March)

Erin Magnin, Miss Wilmington 2012, Top 5 at Miss Delaware (former sister titleholder)



Love Always,


Janemarie

Yoshi died :'(

Until today I had a toad and two tree frogs.  They have been living happily together for a while now.  The toad I found in September, and the baby I got at Christmas.  They've been on several road trips, spent most of their time in a college dorm room, one even escaped and made it into the hallway (we found him hopping around covered in dust).  My friend Maryann came to visit me from Ohio this evening, we went to say hi to the frogs, and Yoshi was very dead.  She wasn't when I left the house a few hours ago.  Not only that, but Pascal doesn't look good either.  After several google searches, I think he has "red leg" and it almost always results in death.  I feel terrible and helpless, and like a bad mommy.  We cleaned out the cages and quarantined him, but he doesn't look good.  Tiana still looks okay, but I hope she doesn't get sick too.  I know it sounds weird, but if you could say a little prayer for my frogs I would appreciate it.

Pressing On

Well today was one of those days when it seemed like everything in the world was against me.  It's always so difficult on me because I try so hard, and these kind of situations make me feel like it's never enough.  I'm far from perfect, and trying to be everything for everyone all of the time is just plain exhausting.  It's times like that when we have to make a choice.  I can either keep feeling sorry for myself and get stuck in a rut, or I can decide to let go of the past and do the best that I can with the future.  I'm not going to pretend that sometimes a good cry isn't necessary, but that's not what makes you weak.  But today was not about the things that went wrong.  Today was about two little girls who had their first ballet class and had to hug me five times before they would get in the car with their parents.  Today was a good day.

Hues of Grass

It's so easy to get stuck in the trap of feeling like your problems are the most life altering struggle the world has ever seen. Not that anyone ever thinks the world revolves around them, but we are all guilty of acting that way at times. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.
I was thinking about this today after one of my favorite professors texted me to see how I was doing with the job hunt (yes, I always have been a teacher's pet lol). As it turns out, his life has been turned upside down in the last few weeks. Somehow he managed to take a few minutes in his day to show kindness towards someone else. His attitude was still that he's "so glad God is faithful through all circumstances of life." I wish that I always had that kind of faith.

It's social media like Facebook and Twitter that convince us that everybody's life is so much better than our own. Yes it's still crazy hard to see all of my friends getting married left and right, and both my Ohio and Delaware friends have their state pageants coming up, but I still have so much for which to be thankful. Even being a poor recent college graduate, I'm still wealthier than 99% of the world. I can feed myself and the motley assembly of animals in my house (two beagles, three frogs, and a passel of fish), which is more than most can say. Most importantly, there are so many people that go out of their way to be nice to me when I need it most, and I don't think they have any idea how much it means to me. I'm going to try to pass on the kindness. Maybe if everyone took more time to care for the people around them, we wouldn't need to worry about ourselves so much because we'd already be taken care of. Just food for thought.

Love, Janemarie

Doing What I Love

As I posted to Facebook a couple of weeks ago, I got my dream job! I love all the support that I got from that statement, but I guess I wanted to clear up a little bit of *possible* confusion. The job I got was to teach ballet, tap, and be a choreographer at Premier Centre for the Arts in Middletown. This is where I studied under some AMAZING teachers including Miss Delaware 1990, Lisa Bonacquisti.

But isn't my degree in finance??? Why yes, yes it is. Four years ago when I was choosing a major I picked business and I told my dad that I'm going to learn everything else I needed to know to open my own studio some day. I spent the rest of my life learning dance, and I started teaching eight years ago, but I had no idea how to run a business. Well I get there and essentially the first 2 1/2 years are the same for everyone in the department, then you choose a concentration. A strange series of events led me to finance, partly because I've always been a math nerd and partly because I wanted to pay off Cedarville as quickly as possible. The truth is I had gotten so caught up in trying to do what I thought I was "supposed" to do as a soon to be CedarGrad. Ring by spring, check. Network like crazy, (Miss Ohio connections) check. Find an apartment in Columbus, check. Try to get a job at a bank, check. I was stressed, depressed, going crazy, and my professors were starting to get concerned.  I had traded in my dreams for what I thought was expected of me, but God has an interesting sense of humor.

 A month after graduation and I feel incredibly liberated.  I had my first "official" day at PCA yesterday substituting for a teacher who was sick.  It was two hours of ballet, jazz, and tap, and I had an absolute blast.  Two of the girls I had when I was student teaching about six years ago, and it was so great to see them all grown up and what great dancers they had become.  So no, I won't make the kind of money I would if I used my degree, but I know for a fact that I wouldn't be this happy either.  For the first time in a long time I truly feel like I can do anything that I want.  I have a few more dreams I want to try to make true, but I'll keep you posted on those when the time comes ;)

love always,
Janemarie

Rumor has it...

Hi everyone! If you haven't kept up with me on facebook, a lot has changed in the last two months.... 1) I'm back HOME in DELAWARE!!!!!! I never thought I would be so excited about that, but after four years in Ohio there really is no place like home. 2) I FINALLY have my bachelors degree...didn't quite think I would make it, but I did, with 10 minutes to spare! (DBA experience....) :) 3)I got a JOB! okay, it's part time, and retail, and I transferred from my store in Ohio, but I have to pay off school so I'm thankful for whatever I can get. Whenever you're at the Christiana mall stop into White House Black Market and say hi :) (I ran into Kayla Martell on my first day!) And that's all I know for sure right now. God's been bringing all the pieces of my life back together (slowly but surely), and I hope that when this rebuilding stage is over He'll let me know where to go from there. It's been really good to spend time with my family too. Don't tell her (she'll get a big head), but I've desperately missed my mom. I watched Mamma Mia recently and just bawled when her mom helped her get ready for the wedding (you know that's a bad sign). Everyone already knows that I missed my other half, aka Larkin the beagle basset. I have a couple of pet projects I'm working on as well. I've always wanted a "breakfast at tiffany's" room, so that's in the works. It is killing me to have most of my stuff still in boxes and suitcases, but eventually it'll be great. My other project is more long term, but I'm trying to get my family healthy. I almost died when my dad told me a lot of times he eats fast food twice a day...I'd like to have him around for a while, so things are going to have to change. At least there's a lot to do to keep me busy and distracted. I'm slowly but surely trying to embrace this new normal that is nothing like what I thought my life would be now. It's always hard when things don't work out the way they were "supposed to", but I've been reminded lately that God's plans are ALWAYS better than our own whether it seems like it right now or not. I'm only 22, and what I've realized recently is that I really can do anything. My tomorrow is the result of every small decision that I make today. People don't become who they are by accident. Choose today who you will become. You can do ANYTHING. Love, Jane

My life in Quotes (You've Got Mail)

This has been one of the craziest months in my life...so much has changed, happened, and been said...I don't know what to say, but lines from my favorite movie keeps popping into my head:

People are always saying that change is a good thing. But all they're really saying is that something you didn't want to happen at all... has happened... But the truth is... I'm heartbroken. I feel as if a part of me has died...and no one can ever make it right.

It's so difficult because I think I have a plan that I'm ready to follow, then God tells me that I'm using the wrong map...I've been learning to trust, let go, and humble myself in the knowledge that I am not in charge of my life. I'm looking forward to taking this summer to really look at myself and figure out what I want and what God wants for my life.

Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.

love,
Janemarie

Quotes from: Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail