Quick Before The Music Stops

“I’ve been dancing steadily since that Valentine’s Day. I have taken countless lessons and classes, passed a professional certification exam, done several shows and a competition—yes, dressed in those outrageous gowns and false eyelashes—and then gone back home to the kids, the soccer, the housework, and to work the next day. It hasn’t been easy to make room in the schedule for my passion, but I have done it, because I’m certain now that it is necessary for life. This new period is rich—as rich in some ways as having my two children because it has been a kind of birth—but it has also been extraordinarily painful thanks to the self-examination that dancing has provoked in me. And so, because of dance, I can say, unequivocally and gratefully, that I am alive at last.” – From Quick, Before the Music Stops “There is no time for regret in dance. You have only now, this moment, for your performance, your glorious movement. Whatever you’re going to do, do it now, quick, before the music stops.” – Janet Carlson In her twenties, Janet Carlson was a successful competitive ballroom dancer, but she abandoned dancing to raise a family and pursue a more conventional profession as an editor for a luxury lifestyle magazine. Twenty years later, she seemed to have it all: two beautiful daughters, a glamorous job, and a handsome, talented husband. Despite all of her successes, she felt a terrible void - her marriage was deeply troubled, and she was somehow withdrawn in the very midst of her own life and the lives of her children. Then, one Valentine’s Day, her husband gave her ballroom dancing lessons as a gift, and everything changed. She discovered the joy, passion, and confidence she hadn’t realized had gone missing for so long. Over time, Janet discovers that ballroom dancing also contains the secrets to life and love: the give-and-take of dance, two bodies in rhythm and harmony, mirrors the reciprocity of human relationships. Total trust between partners is as vital on the dance floor as it is within a marriage. And yet, both partners - in dance and in life - must stand on their own two feet. The unadulterated joy Janet feels as she intuitively moves to the music speaks to the kind of absolute, whole-body happiness we were born to have. On the dance floor, she finds resolve in the waltz, self-confidence in the tango, and passion in nearly everything. Embracing dance once more allows her to let go of a marriage that was completely out of sync; put more heart and emotion into her work; find more time to truly be with her children; and ultimately rejoice in her intrinsic balance and poise. Told with precision, grace, and painstaking honesty, Quick, Before the Music Stops is the tale of one woman’s midlife renewal through dance, and how her newfound empowerment transcends the dance floor and becomes immediate and relevant in every aspect of her life. It shows us how to recognize and celebrate both our strengths and our flaws, reignite passion for the everyday, and how to step from the periphery into the light and surrender to the music.

In Sports and Aging a wide-ranging group of physically active people, including many scholar-athletes, fifty years and older, discuss sports in the context of aging and their own athletic experiences. This collection of personal accounts includes a spectrum of contributors across genders, social classes, and racial, ethnic, national, religious, and educational backgrounds to determine whether there are any common characteristics that can promote long, happy, healthy, and meaningful lifespans. In this fresh look at the role of sports in the process of aging, contributors range from a ninety-six-year-old great-grandmother to a former Olympian. Many contributors have used education to better their lot in life or to find solace and meaning in the service of others. For all, sports or physical activity has enhanced their health and temperament and provided a sense of community.

‘The sheer definition of a page-turner’ Reader review ‘A truly original, bittersweet tale of life, loss and enduring love that had me completely hooked. A treasure of a book!’ Sunday Times bestseller, Ruth Hogan ‘Stunning, stunning, stunning’ Anstey Harris

Now in a revised and updated second edition, Early Listening Skills is a practical manual for use with children and young people with underdeveloped listening skills related to hearing loss. Thirteen clear and easy to follow sections focus on skills such as auditory detection, discrimination, recognition, sequencing and memory. Each one is filled with a series of carefully designed activities to stimulate and develop auditory awareness and discrimination skills in children with a range of developmental levels and abilities. Features include: A wide range of activities suited to both the early years and home settings Links to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and topics reflecting the EYFS and Key Stage 1 curriculum Photocopiable material designed to document the child’s development over time As most of the activities are non-verbal, they are well suited for children with limited spoken language as well as children with special educational needs and disability and English as an additional language (EAL) learners. Whilst primarily designed for early years practitioners, special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs), specialist teachers, therapists and other professionals, the activity sheets and guidance also make it an invaluable tool for parents and caregivers looking to stimulate listening skills at home.

Sherlock Holmes is a "consulting detective" known for his proficiency with observation, forensic science, and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard. The Sherlock Holmes stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. Table of Contents: Introduction An Intimate Study of Sherlock Holmes Novels & Stories: A Study in Scarlet The Sign of Four The Hound of the Baskervilles The Valley of Fear The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia The Red-Headed League A Case of Identity The Boscombe Valley Mystery The Five Orange Pips The Man with the Twisted Lip Blue Carbuncle The Speckled Band The Engineer's Thumb The Noble Bachelor The Beryl Coronet The Copper Beeches The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes: Silver Blaze The Yellow Face The Stock-Broker's Clerk The "Gloria Scott" The Musgrave Ritual The Reigate Puzzle The Crooked Man The Resident Patient The Greek Interpreter The Naval Treaty The Final Problem The Return of Sherlock Holmes: The Empty House The Norwood Builder The Dancing Men The Solitary Cyclist The Priory School The Black Peter The Charles Augustus Milverton The Six Napoleons The Three Students The Golden Pince-Nez The Missing Three-Quarter The Abbey Grange The Second Stain His Last Bow: Wisteria Lodge Red Circle Cardboard Box Bruce-Partington Plans The Dying Detective The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax Devil's Foot His Last Bow The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes: Illustrious Client Blanched Soldier Mazarin Stone Three Gables Sussex Vampire Three Garridebs Thor Bridge Creeping Man Lion's Mane Veiled Lodger Shoscombe Old Place Retired Colourman Sketches The Field Bazaar How Watson Learned the Trick Plays Sherlock Holmes: A Drama in Four Acts The Crown Diamond: An Evening with Sherlock Holmes Autobiography: ...