Still moving, blogging suspended

I know I was supposed to re-start my blog this fall, but life intervened.

My need to write is filled by working for The Coastal Star. I cover Boynton Beach and Delray Beach for the monthly newspaper. I write mostly about government issues, but occasionally I am lucky enough to interview people who inspire me, such as Ken Parker.

Ken Parker tries beach access mats at South Beach Park
in Boca Raton. (Photo by Tim Stepien)

He lost his legs five years ago to an infection that started in his kidneys. He still wants to be independent and gets around fine on his motorized wheelchair. I approached him to try out the mats.

Visiting West Palm Beach GreenMarket on opening day

During the summer, when forced to eat greens from California, I longed for the return of the GreenMarket in West Palm Beach. Local produce rules there. That's why I happily stopped by the GreenMarket before my Saturday yoga class at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach.

Karate for kids in West Palm Beach

Kids practice their natural stance, as demonstrated by
instructor Rochelle Gilken.

Tucked inside the Children's Library on the third floor of the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, the kids' screaming "AWESOME!" reveal their location.

They are in the back room that serves many purposes. It's classroom during the day for teaching kids about art or how to cook. It's also home to the various storytimes the library holds. In the summer, it is transformed into Kidspace, an interactive place where kids come together and explore.

But on Wednesdays, from 6:15-7:15 p.m., the Action Karate program takes over. It's led by black-belt instructor, Rochelle Gilken.

Salsa dancers at West Palm Beach library

If you happen to take the elevator this Thursday evening at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach and stop on the third floor, you'll see adults lined up in rows as they learn how to salsa dance.

Instructor Ruben Sanchez will be there, too, guiding students through the paces of the pulsating rhythms of L.A. style salsa.

"It's one of the most common styles to learn, and that style is danced a lot in this area," he said.

Belly-dancing lessons at West Palm Beach library?

Dawn Rhys shows students the basic of belly dancing.

Music playing and people dancing inside a library?

If it's the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, librarians want to lure residents up to the third floor with offerings of dance and fitness lessons. Then these curators hope the class-takers will stay and pick up a book or two.

The latest offerings include free Belly-Dancing Lessons on Monday afternoons with local instructor, Dawn Rhys.

'Tween Yoga at West Palm Beach library

At the start of the class, the preteens sit in a circle, say their names and
a descriptive word. Plus, like Dylan (right), they got to ring the bells!

 Would preteens like to practice yoga?

To answer that question, I headed to the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach on a Monday evening. The third floor auditorium, site of Yoga for 'Tweens, was buzzing with kids, ages 9-12, of all sizes, shapes and colors.

The instructor, veteran yoga teacher Sara Beth Force, greeted the 'tweens at the door. Her son Eddie passed out books with this title, My Daddy is a Pretzel, to the kids who missed the first class.

Crystal bowls resonate at West Palm Beach yoga class

Judi Love plays her crystal bowls at the Mandel Public Library.

Three crystal bowls were lined up on the stage Saturday in the auditorium of the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach.

The bowls were of varying sizes, making me wonder what the substitute yoga instructor would do with them.

Soon, Judi Love introduced herself and began reading to us and then playing the bowls, made of crushed quartz crystal.

Yoga Buds go to moon and return in one hour!

At the start of the Yoga Buds class, few are relaxed.

They came for a yoga class at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach.

Soon, they blasted off for the moon.

Later in the hour, they returned to earth in a relaxed state of mind.

A new version of Space Oddity (better known as Ground Control to Major Tom)?  

Heat players and young kids turn to yoga

LeBron James

When the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach was searching for more programs to offer patrons, it found articles written about yoga benefits to athletic teams.

Specifically, the Miami Heat basketball team now in the playoffs.

The Heat were NBA champions in 2006 and 2012. At least two of its stars, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, practice yoga in the off-season.

Dwyane Wade