I can't let go of the subject of ice skating. I hear that the South Jersey kids have been skating over their Christmas break and this has a huge nostalgic pull for me -- no wonder. I grew up in a house located 50 feet from a pond, so close that if my own kids lived that near to a body of water I'd be freaking out and telephoning daily to check on the whereabouts of the grandkids and imagining all sorts of horrendous scenarios (did my mother really not know we crunched around the edges of the ponds before they were completely frozen and checked for safety by an adult??).
These shots of our old pond are some of my Dad's from about 1954 or 1955. This below is a picture of my grandparents' house taken from one of the causeways. You can click on any of these photos to make them bigger.
This skating scene has to be about 1955 or so because I am the kid in the white boots on the sled.
Here I am on skates:
However, this is the skating attire I always visualized myself wearing:
Anyway, to a kid the world changed when the ponds froze and you had skates that fit. We played Crack-the-Whip, Freeze Tag and other chase games. Hockey, of course, but that was mostly the boys. I preferred to practice twirling about, pretending I was in the Ice Follies in a sparkling costume -- except I had to wear a wooly hat and mittens -- and baggy gray leggings. But if we could talk an adult into building us a bonfire, the day was perfect.
Since the temp here in Florida may shoot to 70 degrees today, I'd better leave my wintery memories right here for a while. Not, though, without posting this (very) rare shot of my Mom on skates (wearing the red gloves), along with two of my aunties, Ann on the left and Claudia in the middle. --cds
These shots of our old pond are some of my Dad's from about 1954 or 1955. This below is a picture of my grandparents' house taken from one of the causeways. You can click on any of these photos to make them bigger.
Okay, so I am a bit obsessed with the ice in the bucket and the picture-taking. But this has provided me with endless amusement today and I needed a break from the sewing anyway.
Also, have you ever taken a good look at the people who inhabit your Christmas village. Creepy! Seriously, don't look. --cds
Okay, so yeah, this is fake Martin St. Louis; and yeah, this is a flower pot I was using to root some plant cuttings and it stayed out all night on my front porch.
But it is frozen solid right now thus allowing Marty to get in a little extra practice as well as reminisce fondly of his pee-wee hockey days growing up in Canada. Or wherever. I'm too lazy and cold right now to research where he grew up. May I repeat: Central freaking Florida! --cds
We took a jaunt over to Disney the other night to see the holiday decorations and lights. Over the top, of course, but that's a given at Disney. Oh yes, there was real fake snow, too. 
This bottom shot is a look at the lights without your glasses (I am SUCH a poor photographer - I need lessons from all my talented young cousins). --cds
Had to spend some time sorting Christmas decorating supplies, some of it from old Christmas corsages and it looked so pretty I had to take photos. I remember seeing church ladies wearing Christmas corsages on their plaid woolen coats.
Anyway, these are the most interesting pictures I've taken lately because I've been crazy busy in the sewing room. Of course I missed the Thanksgiving deadline on the banners (still stitching) and now that I have all the fabric for my Mom's hydrangea quilt, I had to start making up a few blocks to see how it'll look.
And there are cookies to bake. Staying busy is crucial this time of year when one is located way down here on the Florida peninsula. --cds
