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Tag Archives: winter

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 165: “Got Skates?”

09 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by duckykoren in Charity, skating, Sports, Television

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Charity, CHCH, Exchange, fathers, Frugal, Hamilton, Hockey, Ice, ice cream, independence, Morning Live, Rink, Skate, sport, Television, Toronto, winter

Earlier this week, while watching my favourite television morning news show, Hamilton’s CHCH Morning Live, I saw a segment featuring a local charitable foundation: SKATE TO GREAT who are collecting used ice skates for children. This organization is also putting out a call to the public for used hockey equipment.

These donated items will be going to families who might not otherwise be able to afford skates and hockey equipment for their children.

What a great idea!

Just the thought of children not having any access to skates so that they can take to the ice for some wintertime fun with their friends is unacceptable.

As I continued to watch, the discussion brought back childhood memories of my Father taking me to what he referred to as ‘The Skate Exchange’ where for a few dollars we could trade in my last year’s skates for better fitting ones. This was ideal because with each new skating season, I seemed to always outgrow my skates from the year before.

This ritual would be repeated once a year. Father and I would make an entire day out of it. At the time, there seemed to be only one of these outfits in Toronto, and of course it was right downtown.

It only makes sense when each year as your child outgrows their skates, to trade them in for another pair. If I remember correctly, I believe that a brand new pair of skates in the mid 1960’s were from fifteen to twenty dollars depending on the size. Of course the obligatory skate protectors were needed as well.

The best part of the day was when immediately after getting my new pair, Father would spare no expense at getting my new skates sharpened, which usually came to about two dollars.

Throughout my life, my Father gave me many lessons in the art of living frugally.

This particular lesson was the very first.

As for skating itself, he would take me to public outdoor and indoor rinks. After getting me laced up, he’d accompany me on a few laps around the rink. Then, he’d skate off on his own.

These were my first lessons on independence.

From time to time I would fall, but there were days when I was able to stay on my feet without toppling once.

I enjoyed skating up until my mid-teens. That was when I started roller skating every Saturday night with my friends. It was at the roller rink where I met the love of my life who is now my husband of almost 38 years.

After I started rollerskating, I found that I had a harder time balancing on the skinny blades. Eventually, I gave skating up altogether, that it at least until I had children of my own to take skating.

Thanks to Hamilton’s CHCH Morning News for bringing these pleasant memories out of their forgotten state, and for helping promote this worthy cause.

Please remember that if you have any unused skates, please consider donating them.

To donate, or for more information on SKATE TO GREAT visit their website at:

SkateToGreat.org

You can also find them on Twitter: @SkateToGreat

Here’s the link to the CHCH Morning Live segment:

http://www.chch.com/skate-to-great/

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for today’s morning news….

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 131: Beetle-Jice This Winter’s Ice

02 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by duckykoren in Entertainment, Movies, Weather, Writing

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BeetleJuice, hospice, Ice, Icicle, Monster, Problems, winter

The first thing I did when I got out of bed was push back the bedroom curtains for some morning light.

I was caught off guard when I was suddenly met with an enormous icicle hanging from my eavestrough and filling the windowpane.

We spent the next several seconds staring each other down.

It was impossible to see past it.

It’s March 2, I thought to myself. The days of intense cold days are numbered. Sure, it may hang around for a while, but time is on my side.

I know for a fact that in one week, I will still be here and that the icicle will not.

There is no denying it.

I closed the curtains and tried to dismiss the monster icicle from my thoughts.

Heading downstairs, I pondered the similarities between the icicle and other annoying problems that I get caught up in, like my dishwashers insistence on skipping the rinse cycle and the laundry that never seems to end.

The more I thought about it, the more similar they became.

There have been times when the problems that preoccupy me seem gargantuan like that icicle. They seem cold and impenetrable, not to mention tenacious and unwieldy too!

But in the end, what’s an icicle but water?

In a month’s time it will be spring, and that icicle will be nothing more than a little wet spot outside my kitchen window…

…watering my crocuses!

My.Daily.Diversion ~ Post Ninety: Mystery Munch

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by duckykoren in DNA, Dogs, Pets, winter, Writing

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Chomp, dogs, eating, inspiration, joys, munch, Mystery, Princess Sophie, scandalous, The Da Vinci Code, Walking, winter, Writing

When I cannot go to the inspiration…

I must wait for inspiration to come to me.

Case in point…

After several days of writer’s block, today comes the long awaited glimmer, courtesy of our dog who is a poodle mix, Princess Sophie named after a character in “The Davinci Code.”

It happens this morning as I’m outside walking Princess Sophie, taking in the winter air, melting snows and patiently waiting while she does her morning toilette. As I wait for her butt to drop, her playful attitude conveys to me that she has no interest whatsoever in what I want.

Instead, she insists that it’s time to celebrate anything and everything that seems remotely edible, and even a few things that are evidently not.

As she snuffles inch by inch through the grass, I cannot help but involuntarily stiffen each time she comes to an abrupt halt. As I watch in pending horror, she begins to thrash her snout deeper amid the ground salad of dried leaves, mouldy wet grass, sticks, and various clumps of dubious D.N.A.

I know it will only be a matter of seconds before she will raise her head, look me straight in the eye, and defyingly begin to noisily chomp on some treasured mystery munch.

That’s when I spring into action and begin the purging process.

It’s not pretty, but I usually win. That is, unless she manages to swallow it first.

So, what can I learn from this?

In a way, Princess Sophie’s scandalous joys are not too different from my own.

How often in life have I jumped the gun and taken upon myself things that seemed harmless enough on the outside, yet potentially disastrous for me on the inside?

How many times did family and friends spring into action when I was too daft to realize that my well being had been compromised.

And so it should be.

These days I’m more careful of what I take in, as I’m sure you are too.

Though, I can’t help but admire the “joi de vivre” of Princess Sophie.

Sometimes it’s a good thing to munch on something before you’re sure you know what it is. In this way, we learn new things, make new friends, carve new paths.

If your mystery munch works and is good for you, then celebrate!

If not, then all you have to do is spit it out.

Quickly.

Neatness does not count.

At least, not for Princess Sophie.

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