The Party is Over

Wow my last post was in mid-November. Little did I realize that so much would be crammed into the month of December. I had my list out of what had to be done and pretty much right off the bat the list went by the way side. Early in December what I thought was a little scratchy throat turned into full blown bronchitis and the hack remnants still linger. I, like many winter season babies (of which both of my children were and now two of my grandchildren are) will be ever blessed with never knowing if you will make it through the winter without sickness lurking.

Down for almost two weeks with no desire to shop, decorate or deal with Christmas thank goodness this year we planned ahead in our business. Almost every year for as long as we have been in business this month almost always includes our beloved beastly truck getting sick and coughing into a repair shop. We vowed this year that with the arrival of our first grandson and third grandchild that David would take off from work the entire month of December. Something that was on the list that was fully accomplished.  He stepped in and decorated outside (yes Clark Griswold is alive in well in Sedville) and we pretty much had things up on schedule. A little ironic since we were not going to be home this year for Christmas due to the early delivery of said grandson (Greyson Matthew). He was to arrive on December 25th but due to obvious reasons expressed by my son and daughter-in-law of doctor being out of town then and prior complications from daughters' arrival it was best to plan ahead his delivery.

Papa and Greyson

Greenlee and Greyson

Hadleigh and Greenlee

Now that we have three grandchildren and one more due next year, I reflect back to my time growing up as an only child. My family nucleus was a total of five including my parents and grandparents. Each holiday no surprise guests, quiet, fun and without any drama. At that time I thought every family enjoyed the peace and tranquility. BOY WAS I WRONG!! For the past 30+ years each year has been a surprise, noisy, sometimes catastrophic, drama, suspense, sometimes reading like a soap opera. Truth yes, I would sometimes like to go have the quiet peaceful days. I don't always adapt to unexpected surprises well (unless they are special gifts that my husband showers on me each year for unknown reasons) its at that time I realize his appreciation on how hard it can be for me and his undying support during the difficult memories I go back too.  Our lives are filled with most things we rarely expect, those circle of life moments you have no control over. The older we get not always the easiest to except. Trying to find the little bit of joy the holidays are suppose to bring, sometimes are overshadowed by people and things no matter if its the holidays still create heartache.

I have vowed next year to start shopping earlier. Yes, even though he was home we seemed to procrastinate at things until the last minute which I rarely enjoy doing. My goal will be to have ideas, wrapping the whole nine-yards done in a reasonable time. Who am I kidding, it probably will never happen. Something always gets in the way and change is hard.

As the year draws to a close I look back, the gifts are unwrapped, the decorations are still up yes the party is over. But, really things have only just begun.

May 2015 be less drama filled,  good times abound. I will try my very best to make life a better party. Will you?

Boots of Life

When I was a kid one thing made me happy around this time of year. I would check the mailbox every time I went to my grandparents in hope that the Sears Christmas Catalog had arrived. With a pad of paper in hand I would thumb through the pages and mark what I wanted Santa Claus to bring me for Christmas.  Granted, I would receive much fewer items than what I had listed but I would systematically plot out section by section what I hoped I would get on Christmas morning.  Many of the items were geared toward winter weather fun in the catalog like sleds and ice skates. I never gravitated toward those for obvious reasons.

My first pair of ice skates I am not sure exactly where my parents got them but they were double runners that strapped onto shoes. The story was that I was around three years old.  I don't really remember my first experience but I am told I showed little fear.

By the time I was a little older  around six or seven I had my first pair of recreational skates that had the blades already on the vinyl boots. These are fine for beginners but at that point I really wanted to move up to skates that would allow me to do more. Each time I grew out of skates I would move up to the next level of skating boot.

My first pair of custom made boots I saved for and bought myself. I remember going to see Howard Craker who worked out of a small rink across from the Van Nuys Courthouse. The skates and blades got me through my early times competing. I was so proud that I was able to come up with the money to buy them. Back then basic custom boots cost about $200 and blades were around $125.

The last custom pair I still have. Harlick was always my boot of choice. They were a little more expensive but not near what I recently noticed while checking the Internet.   Instead  of the catalog you can go to Amazon or order directly through the many companies now that make figure skates.

SP-Teri, Harlick and Riedell are still major producers. Some of the newer manufacturer's are Jackson Skates developed by Donald Jackson, a former Canadian and World Champion skater and the futuristic looking skates from Edea out of Italy. Prices range from still under $100 for basic skates and blades to in the one thousand dollars and up for top of the line. You can have your name engraved on them and extra amounts of plush padding inside you might even forget your wearing skates.

I did check the Sears website for what they now offer.  They are definitely not the skates of the old Christmas catalog days but I guess they make any youngster of today ready to still make that list for Santa Claus.

Skating is and will always be a very expensive sport to participate in. Sometimes hard to be a spectator and not a regular participant. The sport still has the allure of beauty, grace and poise.

Boots of Life

Tanned, creased with age and wear
The skates lay still for now
What once glided with grace and speed
Now scratched and a little dull
The memories they stir within my soul
Will continue on through the rest of my life

The Random Ways Skating Comes Into My Life

When I hear the words figure skating usually my head pops up like a tiny puppy hearing the words "want a treat". No matter what I am doing, my heart skips a quick beat for a moment. Over the many years its brought me laughter, pain, stability, inspiration and a multitude of emotions. It gave me strength when I had little,  No matter how I have tried over the years by trying to substitute it with other things, nothing has come close to the feelings and joy the sport brought me.

This past week several different stories popped up in the media. Skating like everything else in the world has went through changes. Some good, some not so good.

A former skating coach was sentenced to 98 years for child molestation.  Something you hate to hear no matter what or where. The rink should always be a safe haven,

Rockefeller Center Ice Rink opened this past week.  The light bulb went off in my mind to my trip with the team when we got to skate there. A once in a lifetime experience.

Crown Center Skating Rink in Kansas City opened this week also. Last year we took our oldest granddaughter there for her first skating experience. Watching her, fearlessly stride off was a highlight. Maybe a trip back will help curb my fever.

The official announcement that Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir were officially commentary duos for figure skating. Move over Dick Button, Scott Hamilton and other's who have come before them. Ready or not here they are. For me the jury is still out on this one.

If not for social media I probably would be fairly lost about what's going on in the skating world. Although I do try and catch some skating on television, who is actually competing sometimes I have no clue who they are. It has been long enough now that most of the skaters who skated when I did or were just starting when I retired, so to speak are now retiring themselves. Many of the coaches are not coaching anymore or on a limited basis. Now the students of the infamous coaches are teaching a new chapter of figure skaters.

I recently started following on Tai Babilonia on Facebook. Together with Randy Gardner, they won the 1979 World Pair Championships and were five-time National Pair Champions. During and after her skating career has been an interesting and hard road. She now co-hosts a show with Ken Boxer called, The Ken Boxer, Live Show out of Santa Barbara, CA. Check it out on YouTube.

A conversation this past week with one of my friends some how got diverted to clothing and of course skating outfits of which I had a few. From a hobo costume, to Fred Astaire tux/tails and top hat, to a evening gown with Richard Dwyer (Google him),  spandex by the yards and numerous pairs of tights.  Businesses around the rinks in any area were not surprised to see you enter there business with a tiny skirt and not think a second thought. So I guess I really shouldn't be shocked now when I walk into my Walmart and see some interesting outfits. A sign of the times and a glimpse of where I live. A figure skating outfit would be totally out of place in Sedalia, MO.

My boots may not be laced, or my blades as sharp, not a rink nearby nor a beaded costume in my future but I will take the random ways skating peeks its way in my life, keep it coming.

They Went to the Game and All I Got Was This Lousy Sweatshirt

Well almost everyone here is waving a blue and white Kansas City Royals flag in hopes of a World Series sweep of the San Francisco Giants.   I was really in hopes of another blue and white team (Los Angeles Dodgers)  when I heard that they might have a chance. A California Freeway World Series would have been ideal.

Back in the 1970's I was an avid baseball observer. Although I never went to any games during that time, I watched whenever they were on television. The best years for me were during that time of 73-78 when players such as Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Danny Lopes, Bill Buckner and Steve Garvey were my  dream team players. Also the announcing duo of Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett made the play-by-play one of the best. (Vin Scully still continues to announce at the age of 86). They provided some exciting baseball for many years with little drama that the sport has now. I think the biggest drama was who was caught using  pine tar on their bats and the occasional bench clearing.

After that time baseball was a little boring for me, until flash forward to 1988 and the Dodgers were again in the World Series. That year my husband and son were fortunate enough to get to go to a series game. My son probably remembers very little of it (age 3) but I remember David saying it was one of the most exciting games he had ever witnessed.  Not only memories came home that night but souvenirs. Since I was back skating around this time they gifted me with a sweatshirt.  Though I wore it rarely skating, I have kept it after all these years.

Mind you my husband wasn't and has never been a sports fanatic. Many have told me I am lucky to not be a "sports widow". I actually watch more sports than he ever has.  After this game he really got disinterested. I remember shortly after this one of the biggest player strikes occurred and it really soured his feelings on salaries versus fans.

Around 1991 my son had started playing t-ball a little. The coach found out that our local Ford dealership was having a local Reseda, CA boy who had made it to the big leagues sign autographs.  The player had been in the 1985 World Series and his name was Brett Saberhagen. He was lucky enough that day to receive an autographed baseball and baseball card. 

Fast forward a couple weeks ago when the Royals were not yet in the playoff games my daughter got tickets through her work to a game. It was a day for firsts in that it was the first ever game for granddaughter Hadleigh and also I think my daughter's first game ever. Although they lost that day they stayed until the end and since that day, Hadleigh became a fan of the Royals, for now. Maybe I can persuade her to wear Dodger Blue some day.

Are We Losing The Ability and Chance to Write?

Not a day goes by where I am not seeing the debate about technology and the true hand written word on the Internet or newspaper (for those who actually still read a paper you hold in your hand that gets delivered to your home).  A definite strong debate about the pros and cons is happening everywhere.

 I first wrote about this debate on this blog back in June, 2011. "The Written Word Changing How We Communicate? My last comment in that blog; "don't take away something that makes each person unique". In a time where we keep pushing individuality and non-conformity why are we still having this debate?

In just about every article I have read on the subject the first statement made is "schools don't have the time to teach due to constant-changing curriculum". Penmanship, a word most over the age of 20 know but those under probably need to Google should still be important as it is what makes individuals unique.

In both an article I read recently that a friend tagged on Facebook, written by Melinda Carstensen for the Lake Elsinore, CA-Wildomar Patch News and also this past weekend in our local Sedalia Democrat Newspaper by Bob Satnan was that computers are replacing the true written word.

I know it may seem strange as I am typing this blog that by doing so I have went the way of the computer, but I still do a good majority with a pen or pencil in hand. I personally still write and sign checks, I write my grocery list, I even write thank you notes. I take notes to even help with what I am writing on the computer.  Although my cursive writing isn't as clean as it used to be and my print gets sloppy (I got rid of the knuckle bump years ago) people that have known me for years say my writing still looks pretty much the same.

Mr. Satan told of a story in his article that went back to his school years in that a teacher accused him of having someone else complete an assignment he turned in. As it turned out after his mother accompanied him back to school and explained the difference was the first part had been done before he was told he couldn't go to basketball practice until after his homework was done. (remember those days of rushing through something just to get it done so you could do what you wanted to do?) If  he had done his assignment as they do today on a computer how do you verify it belongs to that person and someone else hasn't done the keystrokes?

Everyone has those days of rushing through something and not taking the time to do something presentable the first time. Is that where we have come to with regards to the hand written or cursive word? Are teachers, because of scheduling not wanting to take the time? Are parents not having enough time in the daily schedule to help children learn?

My oldest granddaughter is just starting to learn letters and numbers. I told my daughter why not use both. Let her use the computer/tablet to trace over the letters to learn but also have paper to actually put pencil in hand and get experience in writing it. I would not just want her or any of my grandchildren to just mark X as a signature or not know how to write. That will go back to the times of illiterate people who couldn't read or write. Wouldn't it?

Even learning keyboard functioning makes for a lot of room for errors. Since our local newspaper was purchased by a larger company in the Midwest and have let go many local writers I have noticed the proofreading practices are below acceptable. Not an issue goes by that I don't notice a proofreading error or a duplicate article written in the same paper with a different headline. Is this because someone is getting sloppy and doesn't have the time? It probably wouldn't matter if they were hand writing it or typing but its just another sloppy short cut.

Some sad statistics that were covered in the article by Melinda Carstensen are truly disturbing:

45 states and the District of Columbia have followed Common Core Standards since 2010 which gives schools the option to teach cursive but DON'T require it. (so far I am not a proponent of Common Core)

Many educators no longer feel cursive is worthwhile, as writing moves to tablets and computers and state tests dictate curricula

By grade 12, half of classroom assignments are written on computers. Many schools around the country are also assignment a computer to each child for the school year.

Most parents state children can not read their teacher's cursive handwriting.

States such as Georgia, Massachusetts and California have taken steps toward making cursive mandatory. Tennessee lawmakers are fighting to keep.

One sad look toward the future of why hand writing is detrimental to how our society will evolve is during the George Zimmerman murder trial, 19-year-old Rachel Jeantel testified she couldn't read a letter that a lawyer handed her. It was written in cursive. Sad and unacceptable.

I will continue to take pad to paper and will use my trusty computer and tablet. You can do both if you put your mind and hand to it. No one can take that away, unless you let them.

Season's Change

Well here we are again. Summer flew by and fall has tiptoed in quietly this time around. The trees are just slowly as of today starting to turn the different brown, yellow, orange, red hews that bring the autumn season into full view.

Sadly fall and winter are not my favorite seasons. I know it is God's plan to let things happen and plants, trees and other living things must close the door to life and bring new life in but sometimes you stop and think it is just too soon.

This morning I opened the local newspaper to two wonderful pictures of butterflies. The migration of monarch butterflies has started its voyage to Mexico for the winter. One such nectar stop was the Highway Gardens at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. The aster flower, native to Missouri helps make the trip a little easier. Although the deforestation in Mexico has caused the monarch to decline, steps are being made to protect and restore these beautiful flying wonders.

 I was glad I stopped by the highway gardens this morning and saw a few stragglers who wanted to stick around a little while longer.The window of opportunity is small to view them so I was glad the day was nice enough to catch a few.

As I was taking the pictures my thoughts went to a school friend who passed away this past weekend. We went all through school K-12. Although after graduation we saw each other at a reunion and more recently connected on Facebook occasionally, it was sad for me to think that someone I played on the playground growing up was gone too soon.   When I read the news on Facebook my first memory that came to mind was that she was the first person I remember in school that had food allergies. I am sure there were others but today everyone seems to be allergic to everything.

Like seasons changing, butterflies migrating, friendships come and go. Take time today to say hi, e-mail or message a friend or family member.

Missouri State Fair 2014 Experience

Each year in August our town of 22,000+ people braces for an influx of people from all around the state and beyond. Traffic becomes interesting, planned errand running which usually takes a short time becomes a car trip that makes life interesting. For 11 days the main roads become a traffic jam most don't know how to navigate.

The fair is a time for people watching, riding rides, eating over the top food (a corn dog is always a must have). Fried green tomatoes, funnel cakes, pineapple cones, its definitely not a stick to your diet form of entertainment.

This year although the weather was cloudy (at least it didn't rain), humid, (I found damp spots on my body that I never thought about being damp before) it was 9+ hours of walking, eating, sitting, observing, and watching two 4 year old girls have the time of there lives. Hadleigh and her friend Kyra got to experience new foods they had never tried and rides they were big enough and daring enough to ride this year. They are definitely growing up. While they grow up the adults in attendance (my daughter Jennifer, David and myself) started to feel our ages pretty quickly.

I remember the first trips to the fair we made when our kids were both kids themselves. Now they bring there kids to experience the fair like they have done over the years. We all find ourselves shaking our heads at the differences between then and now.  Times have definitely changed.

After seven hours of eating and taking the little ones around, it was time for David and I to do something we hadn't done in years (usually David isn't home around fair time so it was a special touch to celebrate our 30th Anniversary). When we saw Sara Evans last at the fair she was an unknown to Nashville country music but a New Franklin, MO hometown favorite that we remembered at the Budweiser tent stage. She put on a great concert of all her first hits and now her most recent songs also.  It was a family reunion of sorts when she brought her two sisters who were her former backup singers to do a song. At her encore she preformed a Bruno Mars song with a twist "When I was Your Man" and Neon Trees "Everybody Talks". Joe Nichols opened for Sara and also put on a great performance. He is definitely back.

The fair is the swan-song to summer with days later the school year will be starting and fall will be just around the corner. Enjoy the rest of summer, I know I will be.