The Dancing Queen(s)

You've seen her before, this dancing queen, but today she highlights my post over at Vision & Verb where I talk about dancing queens.

What is it that we like about tomfoolery, monkey business, mischievious and silly behavior. Not all the time, mind you, but enough to break the monotony or serious drudgery of so much of our lives. Well, for most people, that is. If we didn't have someone breaking the ice, cracking the joke at the opportune time or just being happy-go-lucky, we'd all go crazy.

Why can't that someone be US!

Now I'll tell you something even I still can't believe. For all the music that surrounded me the last 20 years, I had never once heard of ABBA until I met Astrid. Actually, the same goes for Queen. Where was I????

So when I first saw the movie Mamma Mia back in 2008, I had no clue the music was ABBA music till Astrid told me. Actually, till she sang every song throughout the entire movie! Of all the songs, The Dancing Queen just grabbed me...and it still won't go away:

Supposedly in 2009 this song ranked #8 of all songs played in Great Britain for 75 years. That's saying something, of course. But do you wonder why? Is it the tune, the lyrics, the...what? The concept of anyone being a dancing queen, maybe?

I don't know about you but for this preacher kid who grew up not going to movies or dances, I would like to become a dancing queen for the rest of my life. Do you know that my second post on this blog, way back in January of 2005, was about Edgar Degas' 14-year-old dancer. That was back when I was finding my way...not only in the world of blogging but in my life, period.

Astrid and I dance after supper almost every night...sometimes only one song, but we dance.
Whether it's with her or all by myself, I would like to spend the rest of my days learning how to live with dancing abandon...and a bit of silliness.

Before the face of God.

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It's a 'new-brand' year (as daughter Amy said when she was wee) and I have just started one of my goals for the year: to get involved with the Lindeborg activities here where we live. Every Friday afternoon the Rummikub group gets together to play. After Astrid taught me the game two nights in a row, I braved the group last Friday. The game itself is addicting. I love it. But to keep up to speed with these seniors and to do it all in Dutch was the challenge. I met it head-on. Not that I won points-wise but I did go out first (the goal) 4 out of 9 games with the two others at my table. Nothing competitive about me, of course!

Then, much to my surprise, after we played, from 1:30-3:30, they all invited me to join them for a drink. Not that we're all boozers, mind you, but it was such fun. The first round, I had an advocaat (a new thing for me since moving here) thanks to dear friend Gonny (top-right above). Then Arend (bottom-left above), whose 83rd birthday was the day before, did a second round for all 11 of us at the table: another advocaat. We were there till 5p, and since Astrid was working her late shift, till 7p, I had no care in the world.

This is what I want for 2011, in spite of the circumstances:

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen.

Sometimes don't you just feel you've paid your dues!