Archive for December, 2008

Silver Skates Or Were They Gold?

Saturday, December 20th, 2008 at 2:37 pm

A couple of years ago I tried to buy a book from eBay that I remembered from my childhood. I asked eBay to keep an eye out for it and let me know if it became available. The book was called The Golden Skates so the keyword I asked eBay for was “golden skates”. For the next two years I continually got told by eBay about babies bibs that had golden skates on them, mugs with figures of girls skating, and all sort of other items totally unrelated to the book I was looking for. In the end I told eBay to stop looking. It was a waste of time. Obviously the book was out of print and unavailable.

Then one day, I cannot remember how, but I found a reference to:
Hans Brinker and The Silver Skates.

Well, that was it. Silver not Gold. No wonder I could not find it on eBay or Amazon. I immediately purchased the book written by Mary Mapes Dodge and loved every minute of reading it. It was slightly different to how I remembered it but I enjoyed it all the same. I had also, in my mind, joined it up with the story of the little Dutch boy who put his finger in the dyke to stop it breaking. Obviously that is another story but also set in Holland.

Hans Brinker; Or, The Silver Skates
Click Here To Get Your Copy

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates is about a brother and sister who cannot afford to buy proper skates but instead skate on old hand made wooden skates. They enter a competition to win some silver skates. The story unfolds of the race and the obstacles that have to be overcome to win it.

This story inspired me, when I was little, to take up roller skating but I never got to try ice skating until I was about 30 years old. By then, of course, I was much too old to be a competition ice skater but I have always loved the beauty and symmetry of ice skating. Now that I am over 60 perhaps I need to listen to the audio book and relive the delight of the story.

Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates
Click Here To Get The Audio Book

3 EFFANBEE WORLD DOLLS11inDenmarkUSAHANS BRINKERorigTagsFINAL LOW OFFER

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HANS BRINKER Windermere Series by Anderson 1936 Illus

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Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge 1935 edition

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1h 32m

HANS BRINKER or THE SILVER SKATES BY MARY M DODGE 1873

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Hans Brinker 1945 edition color illustrations nice condition

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1961 WALT DISNEYS STORY OF HANS BRINKER THE SILVER SKATES LP ST 1915 VFC

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Figure Skating Dresses – Choosing The Right Ones

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 2:15 pm

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Dresses for wearing while figure skating are many and varied. Depending on which style of performance you are aiming for and whether it is a competition or just for practice. Whether it be T-shirts and tights or a glamorous fully sequinned master piece specially designed just for you we can help find you just the right outfit.

If you are just going to be mucking around with your friends on the ice you need something very casual. A T-shirt and lycra tights will be the most comfortable but you want to look good too so look around for a T-shirt just a little bit special and tights that hug your body to perfection. Of course color is a definite consideration. Which color suits your skin type the best? Does black make your skin look too pastey? Is red too bright for your personality? There are so many varieties of blues and greens that there has to be just the right one for you. Or maybe you are like me and would want purple.

Color, of course comes into the choice of costume for that special competition too. You really want to look your best so that hopefully the judges will think highly of you. I know that what you wear should not have any bearing on how they rate you, but believe me, impressions do count too. If you are dressed terribly the judge may not be able to see past the outfit and may not be able to appreciate your skating to its full potential.

Choice of material is also a consideration. Soft filmy silk or wonderful stretch velvet. With or without sequins, crystals and rhinestones. Maybe the tie-dyed look is what you want. Should the skirt be plain, petalled, or have a scalloped edge, be beaded, have a net film over the top or be made entirely of net? Maybe beaded lace, or a material that has been color faded to give the varied look? Really, the choice is completely yours. The boundaries are limited only by your imagination.