November 1st at 1101 N Carrier Suites C&D in Grand Prairie, Ancient Traditions will be opening it's doors.
All day Saturday day and evening will be an open house and chance for you to come check out the new center, meet the staff and some of the teachers, sign up for classes and get a membership if you like!

The following weeknights ( will be for class sign up and also meet the teacher/staff, and classes will begin the following Monday (11/10) and going forward. Our Website with class descriptions and more information is at http://ancient-traditions.org .
You can send an email request to bethanystretch@sbcglobal.net and she will add you to the Yahoo group too so you can get the announcements direct if you would like!

Ancient Traditions Membership Fees and Basic Information



Single - $25 month

Family (limited to 2 adults and children living in same household) - $35 month

***We will not be offering any discounts for prepaying for a quarter or year yet but will visit this idea again after we hit our year mark!***



What does membership include?

* Access to the lending/resource library
* Access to on site exercise equipment and massage therapists sign up list
* Half price on all center sponsored classes and events – special events, seminars and outside classes not included but may be discounted as well
* Free admittance to Friday night drum circles
* Breaking news on events and classes – you get it first!
* A say in what we do at the center! You have a voice and we want your feedback!
* Access to clubs/groups being formed – we are looking into a re-enactors group, a brewers group, a gun club, a reading and/or poetry group, a travel group, and possibly a singles group….

* Performance troupes – we will be growing our current Belly dance troupe into several specialized areas including a ritual dance troupe, a kids dance troupe, a tribal BD group, an ethnic dance group, etc. We will also be growing our current drum troupe and expanding it to include other instruments… We would also like to create a performing re-enacting group, a ritual performance group, and a musical/choral group.

* Ability to be a “vendor” at the 5th Saturday Rummage sales (details below)



Event schedule – first draft!

* Friday nights – 8 – 12 Drum and Dance circle $5 for non members, free to members, starts 11/7/08
* Saturday nights –
o First Weekend each month : TBA
o Second Weekend each month: HAFLA – come party with the dancers! OUR FIRST HAFLA WILL BE HELD ON 11/15 SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE DALLAS WITCHES BALL
o Third Weekend each month: Game Night – poker, darts, backgammon, chess, other card games and whatever else we want to throw into the mix!
o Fourth Weekend each month: Theme Party – we will begin choosing themes and will dress up the center to match the theme and hope you join us dressed to match! Have a suggestion for a theme? Email it to us!
o Fifth Weekend (4 a year): These Saturdays will be reserved for a full day rummage sale open to all members to sell/resell their stuff to help clear the clutter out of their lives.
Sale dates will be advertised in Thrifty Nickel, Craig’s list and via other email lists… Imagine… no more weather permitting garage sales and money in your pocket!
* Rituals will be scheduled among/around weekly/monthly events.

* Saturdays from 12 - 4 we will be setting up seminars of all types, so watch your email or the website when it gets on line to find out what is happening!



Class Schedule

* Mondays 7- 8 PM American Raks Sharki Bellydance with Candy
* Tuesday 6 – 7 PM Beginner Stretch Class (open to all levels of health, age and weight)
* Tuesday 7 – 8 PM Basic Bellydance with Sukayna
* Tuesday 8 – 9 PM Tarot Class
* Wednesday 7 – 8 PM Beginning Drumming with George
* Wednesday 8 – 9 PM Intermed/Advanced drumming with George (this will feed the drum troupe!)
* Thursday 6 – 7 PM Stretch 2 class – higher level/more intense workout
* Thursday 7 – 8 PM Advanced Belly dance with Tahiya
* Friday 6:30 – 7:30 – Druidery class
* Saturday 3 AM (yes! A third shift class offering!)Basicbell y dance and/or stretch class
* Saturday 4 PM – Kids Belly dance with Lami – 5 yr and up
* Sunday 12 – 2 PM Drum troupe rehearsal - troupe members only
* Sunday 2 – 5 PM Dance troupe rehearsal - troupe members only
* Sunday 5:30 – 6:30 PM Craft class



Most classes are $10 at the door for non members, and half price for members. detailed info will be available at the open house and class sign u week. We will be getting descriptions of the classes, teacher info, etc. out to the group as well as up on the website ASAP. We are still looking for teachers for Tai Chi, Tribal BD, Yoga, and any other classes that people might be interested in. We are heavy on the drum/dance/exercise end of things because people have stepped up to teach the classes.
I would love to add some classes based on our beliefs, history, creative process, art, craft, numerology, divination, meditation, and other subjects I cannot think of yet! We have timeslots open on Monday nights 6 – 7, 8 – 9, and 9-10, Tues 9 -10, Wed 6 – 7 and 9 – 10, Thursday 9 – 10, Saturday 5 – 6, and Sunday 6:30 – 7:30 and 7:30 – 8:30 for ongoing classes… Saturday 12 – 4 will be reserved for seminars on various subjects as we book them!



We are also setting up a beautiful retail area with crafts and items from many local artisans, from clothing to jewelry, candles to music, swords to statues...you never know what you will find! Come check it out! Retail area will be open weeknights from 6 - 10 PM, Saturdays from 10 - event time (around 7) and Sundays 10-6...

COME HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Troupe will rehearse as planned at the center on Sunday from 2 - 5...

Wednesday when we have power (WOOHOO!) we will start getting organized, doing retail inventory and getting everything arranged, set up, put up, and decorated.


We got a couple of more trips done last night (Thank you Troy, Sharkbait, and Missy!) while George and Laurie worked on the plumbing and bookshelves, plus we got temporary curtains up in retail.


Thursday night I hope to get the last of the stuff moved up to the center from our house (can use help then too since we have a desk, PC, sound/lighting equipment, and exercise equipment) while George gets the sound system hooked up/speakers hung (if I can find the stereo!) , then do some final arranging and kick back and enjoy each others' company for a while on Friday night! Maybe order pizza or something unless we want to do something more organized...

Please contact bethanystretch@sbcglobal.net or 469-556-6204 (Sanjni Tara) if you would like to come out and lend a hand.

Still loving Ubuntu. It's been more than two years now since I switched to using strictly Ubuntu Linux at home and after reading the following article on Digg I was reminded of how often these days when people ask me to help them fix their computers that have picked up trojan's, spyware and other nasties from places on the internet that I have to remind them that I am getting a little rusty at my skills of dealing with such problems as I haven't had the need to use them that much in awhile.


Ubuntu's Rising Revenue Makes A Small Dent In Microsoft

Isn't this cute? I do a little freelance web design and internet promotion work on the side and the page on my personal site that I talk about that on is called TroyForge. It was just a kind of play on the name of the popular Open Source site SourceForge that I came up with so I would have some kind of moniker to stick on the endeavor. Well, someone apparently thinks I might decide to go big time and get a domain under the name so they went out and registered the name hoping I would eventually come along and buy it for an inflated price.

troyforge.com

Ha ha ha! I hope they don't hold their breath waiting...

By the way, here's a link to my real TroyForge page:

The Real TroyForge

And a banner I created to help spread the word...

Sarah Palin, predator control, shooting wolves | Salon

For the life of me I can't see how I can be expected to vote for someone who would condone this:


Sarah Palin, predator control, shooting wolves | Salon