Ice Skating Beauty

One of the things I think I love most about the Winter Olympics is the alpiney-ness of it all.

I remember hearing about Lake Placid, NY for the first time because of the Olympics.

And Squaw Valley.

These places seemed quite foreign to a kid growing up among the corn.

It makes me want cocoa now, just thinking of it.

A V-neck sweater worn with a turtleneck and stretch pants--ah, Barbie looked great in that.

In junior high, a family from Colorado moved into the house across the street from ours.

My new friend had posters of Vail on her bedroom wall.

Her family car had a ski rack on it.

Exotic!

I think of these things when I watch the winter games--these men and women who spend so much time in the snow, or on the ice.

Time out, I have to apply Chap Stick.

Skating--what a sport. It's so beautiful, and unlike any other.

I thought I'd find some vintage images for us all to look at in comparison to today's scene.

Some of these images pre-date me; now there's something new.

Ok, these ladies are speed skaters. The rest of my finds are in the figure skating realm--but I love this photo!! I love the pose, I love their hats, I love the idea that they were doing this.

Seriously, wouldn't a female skater look fab in this today?

Very French.

Today's male skaters have nothing on the vintage Ice Capades ladies when it comes to feathers.

The iconic Dorothy Hamill. She was IT! We all loved her so. Girl next door. And she still looks fantastic. That haircut was very cutting edge. I think Geraldine Ferraro still sports it.

The all-purpose golf/skating attire for men.

Or shoe salesman--I mean, you probably needed a day job back then.

The endorsements weren't exaclty flying at the guys back then.
He's some famous champion though, seriously.

None other than Dick Button! Doing either his double axel jump, a triple loop, or flying camel spin (originally known as the Button camel). It's hard to tell from this what he's doing, but whatever it is, he invented it. From now on, in his honor, I'm going to call all skating moves camel buttons.

I didn't know the Family Ties mom was a skater.

Sonia Henie, the original female superstar skater.

Here she is again. She needs a purse, really. She never really looks like she's enjoying her life in the photos. Wonder if she was a meth head like Andre Agassi.

Wow. This deal has everything. Except Johnny Depp.

The seriously gorgeous and elegant Peggy Fleming. My all-time favorite. That green is so chic!

And her hair was fabulous, always. Still is.

A rather odd depiction of Peggy as the world champion, with the Eiffel Tower representing the world, I think because the Olympics were in Grenoble, France that year: 1968. Imagine how cool that would have been.


Peggy en route to winning her medal.


Some stock photo broad.

What is there to say, really.

This is beautiful, makes me wish one of the women of today would wear this.

Release the hounds!

Ah, yes, smoking and skating. Because after all, your hands are usually free.
See, you thought the Canadian women's hockey team had a new idea.


This really doesn't look very safe.

I'd much rather see the next photo in this sequence.
It's either a mob hit or some of my bootlegger relatives back in the day.

I miss the hats.

In case you need it: the dress that goes from leading the band down the street
straight to the ice rink. A quick change of footwear and hat--voila.

Check it out: complicated shadows. And a hat.

Happy Valentine's Day

And who better to love you?

Have a lovely day.

Love to You

I just want to take a moment to say

THANK YOU

to all of you who read my blog.

It still amazes me to read your nice comments.

I've not had time to post much lately,

and I thank you for checking in so patiently!

Happy early Valentine's Day to you,

all my valentines.

I'm off to find you some chocolates to go with the flowers.

Might take quite a bit of research.

Meanwhile, enjoy.

Missing My Mom

Just thinking of her on the 4th anniversary of her death.

It's nearly impossible to sum up a life in an obituary;

there's so much between the lines.

She was one of those "bigger than life" kind of gals.

Every single day there's something I need to ask her.

One of the worst things about being the only one left from your family

is that there's no one to check facts with when you remember things.

On the other hand, you get to have your memory be the correct one.

Betty Sheehan of Carroll, former Carroll County Recorder, died this morning, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll following a brief bout with cancer. She was 78.

Mass of the Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Carroll with the Rev. Timothy Schott presiding. Lector will be Mrs. Sheehan’s granddaughter, ... Gift bearers will be ...

The St. Anthony Hospital Auxiliary will have an honor guard.

Casket bearers will be ... Honorary casket bearers will be ...

Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery at Carroll.

Visitation starts at 4 p.m. and St. Lawrence Parish will hold a Christian wake service at 7 p.m. Friday at Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll.

A daughter of Lewis and Florence (Williamson) Leeper, she and her twin brother were born Sept. 15, 1927, at Washington, Iowa. The family moved to Nevada, Iowa, and she graduated from Nevada High School. She attended Drake University at Des Moines, where she was the band's drum majorette. She then worked as a hostess at Lake Shore Hotel in Clear Lake, where she met her future husband.

She and Thomas J. Sheehan were married Oct. 10, 1953, at Nevada. They settled in Carroll.

Mrs. Sheehan was Carroll County Deputy Recorder from 1967 to 1982 and served as Carroll County Recorder from 1982 until her retirement in 1992.

She was a member of St. Lawrence Parish and Ladies Guild, charter member of the St. Anthony Hospital Auxiliary and member of the Carroll Country Club. She enjoyed reading, cooking, golfing, dogs, movies, jazz, cats, nature, crossword puzzles, watching the Iowa Hawkeyes, and socializing with her many friends.

Survivors include a daughter, Kitty Sheehan, and her husband, ..., a grand-daughter, ...; two stepgrandsons: ...; two brothers: ... and many nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Sheehan was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Thomas, in July 2003; a son, Daniel Sheehan, in 1978; and a sister, Janice Egland.

Dolphin Studio Calendar

I just turned the page to February on my beautiful calendar. A day late...that's me recently.
Can't wait to tell you all about it. Soon, soon.

For now, I'd love to show you my calendar.
It's my 4th edition of the Dolphin Studio calendar, made by members of the ffrench family.
John ffrench was born and raised in Ireland. Primm Turner was born and raised in the U.S.A.
They met in Florence, Italy, where both studied ceramics and lived in the Villa Fabricotti, an international student house. They married, had children who had children. They reside in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. All of them contribute a page to this gorgeous calendar: twelve 12" X 24" silkscreened prints. I've framed some of them after the year's over.

I ordered this year's right before Christmas, and I'm not kidding, as we were opening some gifts on Christmas Eve day, the doorbell rang, and there was my calendar. It's nice I always know what to get myself.

Here are some photos I took of last year's calendar before I put it away. Keep in mind, these are gorgeous silkscreen pages.

I don't want to spoil it for you if you get this year's. You can learn more here. If they're sold out, you can get on the mailing list for next year.