Monday, February 23, 2009

Help out!! Please--it's good for your Karma bank!!


My lovely sister, Jama,(pictured above) has been preparing a beautiful benefit concert for Women for Women International for two years--the concert will be held next month in Manhattan at Carneige Hall.

Sadly, with the downturn of the financial world many people have held back with giving to charities and attending benefits.

The concert, appropriately entitled, "Baroque Heart" will still go on; however, Jama has kindly asked me to reach out to others who, although unable to attend the concert in person, would like to donate to the benefit: Women For Women.

ANY donation helps--seriously, $1, $5, $10---obviously the more the better--but this organization needs your help. All donations benefit the Women for Women International organization and are tax deductible! But c'mon...you have $5 to spare, right? To help out the cause? I know you do....just skip the Starbucks today..besides, you'll get it back next year after you file your taxes!

Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. Since 1993, Women for Women International has directly assisted more than 93,000 women and has distributed nearly $32 million in direct aid and microcredit loans. It currently operates in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan. www.womenforwomen.org

Anyway, if you can find it in your heart to give to this benefit...thank you! You can donate securely and on-line by going to the link below.

Thank you! Oh, and for more information about the concert itself, I have left the description of it after the link.


Unable to attend the concert but would like to make a tax deductible donation? Making a contribution is easy and secure just click on the following link to donate by credit card https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/2099.


~ Please join us for an elegant evening of Baroque music
to benefit women survivors of war around the world ~



Baroque Heart
Music of Purcell and Handel
Proceeds benefit Women for Women International

Jāma Jandroković, Soprano
Jory Vinikour, Harpsichord

March 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
154 West 57th Street, New York, NY


Soprano Jāma Jandroković, recently heard at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in a "revolutionary" performance in the contemporary stage work Five Lovers, brings her "pearly tone" to the early music repertoire at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall for an evening of passionate Baroque songs and arias entitled Baroque Heart. Ms. Jandroković will be joined by Jory Vinikour, "an authentic poet of the harpsichord" whose "immaculate virtuosity" has partnered opera stars Cecilia Bartoli, David Daniels and Anne-Sophie von Otter. Couturier Mika Inatome, celebrated for her sumptuous haute-couture gowns, and jewelry designer Donna Distefano known for her exquisite hand-wrought, classical and medieval inspired gold works will create couture for Ms. Jandroković. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Women for Women International.

Tickets are $30 -$100 with student and senior discounts available.


To purchase tickets click here http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/box_office/events/evt_12380.html, or call the Carnegie Hall box office at (212) 247-7800 .

Unable to attend the concert but would like to make a tax deductible donation? Making a contribution is easy and secure just click on the following link to donate by credit card https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/2099.

The Baroque Heart Benefit Concert is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. We are grateful for the services of Fractured Atlas which allow us to receive online donations and distribute tax receipts for contributions to the Baroque Heart Benefit Concert. Contributions on behalf of the Baroque Heart Benefit Concert may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the

Thank you for supporting the arts and Women survivors of war and their families around the globe.

Soprano Jāma Jandroković has charmed audiences and critics with her clear, pure soprano and engaging stage presence. A versatile interpreter of song, she is equally at ease in early music, new music, Lieder, and Broadway. Native to the wind-swept plains of Wyoming, she has appeared in major international concert halls including Konzerthaus Berlin, The Croatian National Theater, Munich's Gasteig für Kultur, as well as New York City's Steinway Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Critics and audiences have thrilled to her artistry, delighting in her "lovely lyric soprano and gift for poetry" [New York Newsday] and praising her "appealingly sweet" [Opera News] and "clear and beautiful voice" [Glamour Magazine Germany]. www.jamajandrokovic.com

Jory Vinikour is recognized as one of the outstanding harpsichordists of his generation. Born in Chicago, Jory came to Paris in 1990 on a scholarship from the Fulbright Foundation to study with Huguette Dreyfus and Kenneth Gilbert. First Prizes in the International Harpsichord Competitions of Warsaw (1993) and the Prague Spring Festival (1994) brought him to the public's attention, and he has since appeared with leading orchestras and in festivals and concert series throughout much of the world. Increasingly known as an accompanist, he has appeared extensively in recital with artists including David Daniels and Anne Sofie von Otter, with whom he recorded Music for a While for Deutsche Grammophon. www.joryvinikour.com

Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. Since 1993, Women for Women International has directly assisted more than 93,000 women and has distributed nearly $32 million in direct aid and microcredit loans. It currently operates in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan. www.womenforwomen.org

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Spinsterhood...?? Not yet.


This has been on my mind a lot lately and I figured I should might as well get it out there. Besides, it seems to be "the elephant in the room" whenever I am around certain people and I might as well address it.

This topic was sparked by a conversation from my "paramour" or as I refer to him among friends, "Pseudo Boyfriend" and now just "Pseudo Steve". Anyway, I get this call from him this morning while at work and he declares that I have to visit to Utah. Whhhaaat? I am a bit perplexed. A part of me is thinking, okay, he is based out of Salt Lake (he is a pilot for Delta--he flies from Denver to his "base" as he prefers to live here) so maybe he wants me to go visit some of his pilot buddies in Park City? Of course I was WAY wrong.

No, no, he thinks I will have to marry a Mormon therefore to find a Mormon one must visit Utah. That's all there is to it and I won't be happy otherwise. In retrospect this is funny, but at the moment I was offended. He knows I love my Mormon family and friends, but I'm afraid that I would never be happy married to one. ---I know, I know, many of you think otherwise, but trust me on this one, k? But this is not what I really want to blog about---it's the fact that my own "pseudo bf" thinks my "clock is ticking" and I need to hurry up and jump on the wedding train.

I'm really tired of this. I mean, I'm 28, not 48 and I have plenty of time to have kids and have a happily married life. What is more annoying is that Steve actually told me he would marry me "in a second" if I didn't want kids. But, I do and he doesn't so we have this bizarre situation where we are best friends with some extras and know that eventually we will part ways romantically. Fair enough. But it sucks that we have this disconnect. However, that's life.

So because of this understanding he and I have, he is "looking" out for me---wanting me to be happy and comes up with stupid ideas like this. Now, some of you are thinking, "well, if he really loved you he would...blah blah blah." Listen. Our relationship is far too complicated to explain here, but let's just say I have no doubt about his feelings for me, but realize he is aware of too many practical differences between us to ever make it work in a marital way--and I agree.

Anyway, I would be lying if I said, "I don't care about getting married" of COURSE I care. I so want that someday--a great, successful and loving husband, maybe a couple kids and a beautiful home--however, I am NOT in husband-hunting mode nor will I jump on the "clock-ticking bandwagon" so many near-thirty women hop onto out here. (yes, and it is only in certain parts of the country--in NYC or L.A. for example---TOTALLY different... WOMEN are closer to 40 when they marry there).

The thing is, I'm sorting out some stuff in my life--I'm back in school to FINALLY finish my degree, I'm starting to feel more comfortable in my spirituality and I'm finally learning who Nancy is. Not Nancy the Mormon or Nancy the youngest daughter or Nancy the black-sheep. Just me, just Nancy--and I like what I'm discovering. As I have explained to many, I am in a "cocoon" phase to reemerge a butterfly when I am good and ready. That may be 1 year or 3, but when I do I think I will be in the position to attract the perfect partner--soul mate and helpmate and husband. So, that's my story. That's why I am NOT pursuing dating or "getting out there" or joining match.com...I'm just doing my own thing.

And that suits me for now.

On a funnier note--my bf texted me a hilarious incident that occurred to her while she went inside her office building. While entering the door she came across a very handsome young man and smiled, however, as the door opened a huge gust of wind assaulted her and managed to blow open her wrap dress to reveal her semi-nakedness to aforementioned hot guy. Awesome. Embarrassing, but hilarious.

Have a happy day.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Training Day

This past weekend I had a trainer come in to help Bo-Bo become more "balanced" and therefore more happy (=I'm happier,too). The trainer is Tracy and she has trained under Cesar Milan's direct protege's and knows her stuff! She also owns a great Doggie Daycare in the Denver area--you can learn more about her and her training HERE.

Anyway, she came to my apartment last Saturday and despite Bo-Bo flipping out and barking at her she got him in-line in less than a minute. I was very impressed. From there she told me he was *not* aggressive by nature, but fearful. If he was an aggressive dog he would never have let her enter the threshold of my apartment in the first place. That was great to hear.

She went on to explain that dogs only have four options when it comes to facing a "challenge" (i.e. training they don't want, an adversary, etc):

1. Fight

2. Flight

3. Avoidance (like cowering away, covering eyes with paws)

4 Submission

Ideally, you want your dog to submit, but oftentimes they will put up a front with one of the other above options--Bo-Bo tends to choose fighting when it comes to other dogs. So, my challenge is to train him to submit rather than fight.

Tracy and I went to a local dog park to be around other dogs---he go aggressive, but after time and many corrections, he submitted and just ignored them. I was thrilled! However, it is a work in progress and I have to keep socializing him and correcting him when he misbehaves until it becomes a habit.

In the meantime, though, barking has gone down significantly and he is easier to control. We're not all the way there yet, but will be with enough practice of daily exercise (minimum of 45 minutes), discipline and then affection.

I love my little guy so I'm in it for the long haul.

Next step? Buying a cheapie treadmill off of craigslist and putting Bo-Bo on it for 30 minutes a day on top of our regular walks. Hopefully that will burn some of his energy so he'll be more tired and therefore more submissive in training.

We shall see. To be continued...and now for your viewing pleasure, one of my favorite clips of the dog whisper! Have fun! (sorry about the commercial beforehand, but you can skip it when the option pops up)