My first Hooping blog

Hajimemashite! (nice to meet you!)
I'm Strawberryskycat (skycat) for short ;p

I started this blog as a way to track my thoughts and possibly (If I'm feeling more daring), pictures and videos of my Journey inside (and eventually) outside the Circle.

There is this wonderful thing, called hoop-dancing. A very good online friend of mine introduced me to the concept when she first started out. I remember watching her videos and thinking..man I wish I could do that. Eventually I decided to get a hoop and try.
(yes Animegirl! this is all because of you!)

I started with an ordinary hula-hoop (yup the kids toy, yup they make them in adult sizes)
and tried to wiggle my body, to make the thing stay up on my waist. (dropped)
No way, can I do this, (I thought) I'm "too old" I " can't do it ", I "dont have hips"
but I tried anyway...and tried, and tried, and tried...

then I gave up, and stopped trying all together.I Walked away figuring that this was another "failed" attempt to learn something flowey (like that time 2 years ago, where I tried poi, and hated it)

And just when I was going to give up forever on my hooping dreams...I looked back at the hoop.
It's just a toy, It's just a circle...but It was calling to me....like something magic..

then I smiled, and picked it back up...and hooped!

I was hooked. It only stayed up for 3 rotations..but I did it!, and nothing was going to stop me now!

I was too shy to document my starting progress. too clumsy, too akward, So I'm starting to document a bit late. (still with no video,but I'm working on it)

I picked up my first hoop for the first time.
 on June 15th 2012. ( a walmart waterfilled hoop, adult size)
I messed around with my bright yellow hoop for a week. Then after watching videos on youtube of hoopdancers, I thought I might have more luck If it looked a bit..well flashier. so I added some more flare with some old craft ribbon and electrical tape. Now It looked less like a kids toy, and more like a real hoop!

My Daughter JP wanted to get into the hooping fun, and so she got a hoop (which we decorated and taped as well) so she could join in!. She loves it too!


It's been about a month since I started hooping.
I can waist hoop for 10 min (maybe longer now, I kinda loose track sometimes),
 I can walk forwards, and (sometimes backwards)
 and turn in a left circle.
 I am learning how to twirl inside the hoop.

 I don't do many tricks just yet. I just let the hoop tell me where It needs to go, and I either follow, or meet it there. (and sometimes more often chase it across the yard, when It decides It would rather make a daring escape).

and I love it. I drop it, I love it. I hit myself in the face (a-lot) and I love it.
I am learning to move in ways I never thought possible and I love my body.
(even if it is taller and less curvy then your average hooping girl).

I found my Joy. My go to for everything.

when I am happy, I hoop, when I am sad, angry, frustrated, I hoop. I hoop in the sun, I hoop in the rain. and my favorite time to hoop is at night when all the kids are asleep with the porch light on, so I can watch my twirling shadow on the dark grass.

There is something very magical indeed about this silly little toy.

It's transforming me into something amazing....
I cant wait to see...what I will become...through this journey...


in the circle.