Posted: September 24, 2013 | Author: dana lange | Filed under: Diet- comedy | Tags: Charlotte Jones, Lynn Toms, Pure Barre |
Most mornings my friend Lynn can be found in her black workout pants with her ancient black cashmere sweater tied around her hips and a colorful workout shirt. This is her uniform for her addiction. Actually Lynn has a couple of addictions and this outfit is not required at her Green Tea Latte spot, but for her Pure Barre workout. Well, the outfit is not required, but Lynn’s appearance at Pure Barre is.
So many early morning calls Lynn has made to me start, “Honey, come to Pure Barre with me.” Since I have a place I workout I have not gone with Lynn. I would hear other women talking who are equally addicted to the ballet like program complaining about how crowded the classes were getting, so I always begged off going with Lynn. I have a lot of ballet traumas from my classes with my Russian ballet torturer, Martha Kruger who could have taught the Nazi’s a thing or two.
Months and years of Lynn’s praising Pure Barre and still I did not go. So what has Lynn done to get me to try her work out, but bought a Pure Barre franchise with our friend Charlotte Jones and is opening it up in Durham in December.
I’ve started desensitizing sessions for my aversion to anything ballet like by holding a broom handle and looking in a big mirror with happy music playing. I am counting out first, second and third position, but not in a Russian accent so that when the time comes for me to go to one of Lynn’s classes I don’t break out into a cold sweat and have flash backs of being hit on the back of the knees with a yard stick.
According to Lynn Pure Barre is nothing like my childhood dance class. I am looking forward to understanding why all these women are addicted, but first I need to go find a black, thread-bare cashmere sweater that fits around my backside so I can look just like Lynn in class. I’ve already tried her Green Tea Latte and know I will not become addicted to those, but I hope the Pure Barre is one addiction I adopt because it would mean not only would I burn more calories, but I would get to spend time with Lynn.
Posted: May 19, 2013 | Author: dana lange | Filed under: Diet- comedy | Tags: Carter Lange, Ellis Toms, Lynn Toms |
Almost fourteen years ago I was at church early saving two pews because my whole family was coming to witness Carter’s Baptism. A tall skinny blonde woman I did not know shimmied into the pew I was saving in the front. In my typically officious voice I announced to her that the seats were taken because my daughter was being baptized that day. She looked at me and said that her daughter was also being baptized that day, news to both of us that we were sharing the day. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that did not start out so friendly.
Carter and Ellis, now affectionately called Sister E and Sister C unknowingly started their life long friendship there and then. Today they were both confirmed together in the same church where they were baptized. This time their parents happily chose to sit together.
Carter choosing to join the church and be confirmed was not a slam-dunk. At first she was unwilling to agree to go through the classes. I told Carter that she did not have to pledge her allegiance to any God, Church or Jesus, but that she had to go through the classes to learn what she did and did not believe in. I know that she was challenging to her teachers in her questions. I am thankful that many smart adults, Taylor, Nancy and her mentor Jamie did not tire of helping this prove-it-science-type adolescent come to an understanding of faith and grace.
I ended up being asked to be Ellis’ mentor as a church elder. It only seemed fitting since I consider her my own bonus daughter. Ellis’ mother Lynn often says of Ellis that she is more my daughter than hers when Ellis is being her natural comedic self.
So today I celebrate not just Carter and Ellis’ confirmation but the years of friendship with the whole Toms family started there at Sister E and Sister C’s baptism and continued on today and for years to come.
Less Dana, More Good 