Ripple Effect

Dear Madonna,

This is a picture of the grrrls/Followers from my student dance team, Ripple Effect. They performed for the first time at last weekend's Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships. In fact they competed, but there was only one other entry in that division (Swinging Air Force - a Lindy Hop team from Montreal) so both teams ended up with 1st place trophies: ours for West Coast Swing.

They certainly did me proud! I was also happy to see the first Eppie Awards go to (mostly) my students...all of whom had never competed before.

We've had an unsually wet July here in Toronto - accounting for a month of bad hair days - however the weather cooperated long enough for us to dance in the streets at the Beaches Jazz Festival this week, and Ben and Crystal had a stunningly beautiful day for their outdoor wedding.

My good friend Shelley is due to give birth to a little Leader or Follower any day now.

And what's up with you? That whole A-Rod thing seems to have died down, thank goodness. Do you have any plans for your birthday, yet? It's only three weeks away....

Julie

Caving in Cancun

Dear Madonna,

This is my favourite pic from a visit to a 'cenote' (sink hole) located south of Cancun, Mexico. It was a bit of an Ekhardt Tolle moment....contemplating the million years that have passed since a meteor fell in the ocean, creating this geological formation. We even turned our headlamps off and sat in total, and I mean TOTAL darkness for a minute or so.

Otherwise the trip was the usual (for my business) quick visit to see various hotels accompanied by too much to eat and not enough time to exercise, though I did manage to make it into the sea for a tussle with the waves.

And you....I heard you've denied the whole A-Rod thing, but that he hasn't and that his wife is filing for divorce. There's lots of speculation that you and Guy are divorcing, too. Meanwhile I keep reading about extra dates being added to your Sweet & Sticky tour.

It's good to keep busy. Me, I'm taking a full day of Burlesque workshops tomorrow.

Va va va voom!

Julie

(a.k.a. Diva Luscious)