BACKYARD SKATING

My grandchildren started saying no thanks to bedtime books when they slept over in favor of stories about their parents as little kids. Lately, they've been asking for tales from the days when I was a little girl! Yikes.....not always easy to retrieve on demand!  Thanks to my friends Bob at Axiesdad and Grandma Kc over at Amaraland who do such an awesome job sharing their childhood stories and memories; I am encouraged to do the same for my grandkids.....so here goes!


 
I learned to ice skate in my own backyard. No big deal if you grow up in the winter wonderland of snow and ice for months on end as I did in Michigan back in the 50's. Folks still do this today in the northern states....but those years of skating and sledding are some of my favorite childhood memories!

Every winter, Daddy would freeze the backyard; after first listening to weather predictions, checking the sky or conferring with neighbors.  If there was a big snow on the way; he'd wait and shovel and freeze the next night. Sometimes we were disappointed...our little rink with the banked up sides would be nothing but chunks of crusted snow or ice! He'd have to start all over again. He put as much time into getting it right at he did the summer gardens!

Here I'm a daring one-legged ten year old and my brother Dave is about six. Easy to show off when Daddy's holding tight!






But not nearly as confidant am I alone with Dave.....he's about to launch ahead and I look a little leery; especially since it appears I've already fallen a time or two! Believe me...that look on his face spelled trouble!


 
Little did we know that not only were we acquiring a life time skill; but Daddy had an ulterior motive. Advertising was his game and creativity his name; he superimposed (is this even the right term today?) our fun photos onto illustrations from the art department and designed our Christmas cards year after year after.....

many more years! These cards were quite novel and a hit with all Mom and Daddy's friends. I was 13 when along came a sister; and two years later another brother. Our folks loved planning for these cards months ahead of time......just as many of us do today!  They stopped when I was half way through college...and Daddy changed jobs and had to be on the road a lot.

Dave and I love remembering those early years.....when it was just the two of us. Mom loved being outside too and I remember her skating so elegantly in her skirts or dresses. She'd pull pants up under them and tie on a colorful babushka and out we'd go to play in the snow.




Yes, Mom was lots of fun.....but that's not why we love this picture. Dear Dave...we can still tell when you're up to something with those mischievous eyes! We may have been posing for another card idea....or just looking cute. But Dave had a snowball hidden in his hand......and that's why it's a crazy funny photo! I can't recall if he threw it at me..... or at our dad......but I do remember us all laughing so hard and so long.

 

 

This post has been linked to the Grand Social at Grandma's Briefs
Congratulations on your new gig, Lisa!