Stepping Back in Time

One year ago when I went on a visit to California I stopped by one of the skating rinks I spent many hours at during my childhood. I had heard it had been closed for awhile due to new ownership and renovations taking place. The building I knew was older, the windows were tapped with black plastic someday to reveal a new dynamic rink. This picture shows how it was that day I stopped by to see my old homestead of sorts.

This past month I again thought I would stop by and see if any progress had been made and to my surprise the sign read OPEN in big black letters on the marquee. A few cars in the parking lot so I thought what the heck I'll stop in and see what it looked like.

I have to say when I pulled in the parking lot I stopped for a brief moment and sat behind the wheel of the car. I rush went over me. One because it had been at least 25 years since I had stepped foot in this particular rink. Alot of great memories but also alot of sad one's too. When I stepped through the door I briefly told the young man in the office that I used to skate at the rink as a kid and I just wanted to see all the new work they had done. "No problem, Mame go ahead". That in itself was strange to me because the last time I had set foot on the ice there I was in my early 20's. As I canvased the new renovations. That rink smell was still there. That large patch of white had a couple single skaters and a couple coaches but other than that it was just as I had remembered. Now equipped with surveillance cameras at 6 different sights (that seems to be the think in most areas of California sadly) most things in the inside were still the same.

Although all new coaches pictures graced the wall, I didn't strangely recognize several from my days of gracing the ice. The only major difference was that the old fire pit that proudly stood in the middle of the off ice area was now just black rubber. A little sad as I spent many a time sitting there warming my hands and other wet spots on the body from falling down on the ice.

Many hours of my early lifetime was spent at this establishment. That brief few minutes standing there at taking a 360 degree look around was a little daunting for me but I am extremely happy that it did get purchased by someone who loved it for what it was a special place for many people who have come through those doors. Either for recreational or professional hopes of becoming another Dorothy Hamill, Kristi Yamaguchi or whoever the current queen of ice might be.

It provided a wonderful haven for me, I met some wonderful people and had some of the best times of my life in that place.

Life is Like a Jigsaw Puzzle

Several weekends ago I had taken a trip out of Dodge to attend a Leadership Conference for our Business Women's Group. It usually consists of various speakers and words of wisdom to hopeful change your thinking about things to enhance your life.

With my A type personality it usually is very difficult for me to admit my shortcomings although I seem to be doing better as I get older (I hope).

One interesting exercise in personal growth included a jigsaw puzzle. One of the first questions that the speaker asked was whether we had ever done a jigsaw puzzle without looking at the picture first. Such a wonderful question, and it actually got me thinking. No never in my life had I done that. It reminded me a little about a game I played called Concentration. You turned all the pieces over with pictures not showing and proceeded to turn two at a time to match as sets. The object was to see how fast you could match all of them up.

Part of the object to me of putting together a puzzle has always been to get an idea of what the picture is and to start with the outer part of the puzzle and work you way to the middle, thus finishing the puzzle.

To me doing a puzzle without looking at the picture is like putting something together without looking at the directions. But in life you don't always have directions. Sometimes you have to make up your own directions or just experience the situation first hand in your own way. Sometimes it is not always the best way but for each individual it can be the right way.

After doing many puzzles as a kid if the picture was one I really liked or if it was a really difficult one I would usually buy puzzle glue and forever seal its fate and use it as a picture. Now that I look back at that it probably wasn't the best thing to do except that it was forever locked into place and hung on the wall to enjoy.

After the completion of the exercise many of us at our table considered trying to do a puzzle next time without looking at the picture. I believe I would try a small puzzle rather than a 1,000 piece one just to be on the safe side in hopes of completing it easily. As in life sometimes we want to take the easy way instead I guess.

We also got to choice two pieces of the puzzle at our table, picture down, that had a little saying on the other side. How fitting the two I choice were:

"Be grateful for pieces of life's puzzles that fit" and "Expect there to be missing pieces and learn to live with them". Two very fitting quotes that really do describe something that needed to be a reminder to be.

Doors that the Internet Opens

Since returning from my trip to CA last week I had to stop and think that no matter how far away you may be from other parts of the country the Internet keeps us connected to anywhere we want to go around the country and also around the world.

As much as people complain and I know I do my share, the Internet has provided so many opportunities to everyone. Some people rely completely on the Internet to do everything in their daily life. I admit I have not completely turned my life over to it (contrary to what some of my family thinks) but it is truly wonderful how we are able to keep in touch with others or do business over the world-wide web.

I recently went into a shop with some friends and the first thing the proprietor asked was "Where did I live?" after telling them they stated "Oh, I am sure they must have a store close by". Rather than correct them I thought I will just check on the Internet. Of course the closest store is more than three hours away but after checking on-line I found it was easier just to make purchases there than the long drive.


When I stop and think how much on-line shopping you can do it blows my mind. I have bought a wide variety of items and it is like Christmas when the UPS or Federal Express man comes, package in hand.


Some are not happy to step out of their personal comfort zone, but hey if you can't find it locally go on-line its a big world out their and it's your opportunity to see everything, from the comfort of your computer screen..


Here are just a few places that might be of interest:

www.lush.com
www.jenisicecreams.com
www.picklesandthings.com
www.reluctantgourmet.com