It was the summer of 1973 when I attached a small radio to the handlebars of my green banana seat bike. Not only did I have freedom of mobility, I also had easy access to, GREAT music.
Not much mattered to me at that time. I was free and able to ride my bike and listen to new, fabulous music. I wasn’t far from my home when I heard Steely Dan’s Reelin’ in the Years. For me, that was the song of the summer. I heard it and I had to stop riding to listen.
I am a cross country skiing lover! Seriously, it’s my most favourite winter sport. I have been doing it since my early 20’s. The sport has everything I need, cardio exercise, arm, leg and abs workouts, fresh air, and gliding speed. It’s also very inexpensive and requires little advance planning. Sort of all the same reasons I like running too.
The only major problem with this activity is the length of season. Cross country skiing requires natural snow. Unlike downhill skiing, where artificial snow can be made to lengthen the ski season, natural snow is needed for cross country skiing.
Talk about excitement, when I heard we were doing the fitness test in gym class, I nearly lost my mind. I’m not a competitive person with anyone else except for myself. Every year I tried my best to earn the Award of Excellence. I wanted it so badly. I wanted to be the fittest I could be. Problem was I just couldn’t get through the Flexed Arm Hangs test.
Perhaps the more you know how to do something; the more reliable you are at doing it.
I suppose I must continue to run up the hill at a controlled pace in order to get to the very top without running out of breath. I will need to do this often enough to be able to maintain a successful pace too. I will continue to teach those newbies on the foothills to pace before venturing up, for investing in their success will help share the succession of the hill.
Suddenly, I heard the loud horn sound which announced the start of the relay race. I got so excited to receive the baton, but it was going to take quite a while until it got to me. It had to pass through around 100 hands. I waited with the Green team’s fastest girl. I didn’t talk to her even though she was my bunkmate. I knew I was going to beat her. I was thinking of all the things I was going to say to her when I ran passed her. I was reciting these lines in my head, “See ya later baby! Bye Bye Birdie! Catch ya later! Smell my wind! Eat my dust!”
In this 1920 summer picture, Sadye Lightstone (my grandmother) is 16 years old. Now I am 3rd generation and my daughter who also loves to canoe, is our 4th generation canoeist. It’s totally in our blood!
I remember screaming this cheer for everyone’s name and our team name. It was so exciting and invigorating. You can adapt this cheer with anyone’s name, team name, or anything providing it’s long enough. If the first name is short, add the last name or a nickname always works. EVERYTHING DESERVES A CHEER!
RUN HOME! RUN HOME!!!!
As the story goes, he was up at bat and struck the ball so hard that it went sailing way out into the outfield. Above all the little heads on the opposing team. It was definitely a home run. Just then the parents and coaches started to scream at him to “RUN HOME! RUN HOME!”
He ran his little body to first base and stood there. The parents and coaches kept on screaming at him to “RUN HOME! RUN HOME!”
Next to me at the base of the hill was a much younger girl. She had music blaring in her ears as she ran on the tips of her toes. We both needed to stop at the base as there was a red stop light. Once the light turned green, it was as though we were racing to get to the top. She bolted out of the gate determined to beat me. I had the one thing she didn’t have, experience. Although, she had the one thing I didn’t have, youth.
You might be thinking, Sue, it’s a good time to lay off the ice cream, drop those pounds you’ve been complaining about, and leave the ice cream for warmer weather days. That would make sense, but NOW’S NOT A GOOD TIME, I NEED MORE DAYLIGHT!!!
What I thought was just another hockey tournament was in fact a life changing experience. It was a huge gathering of young people from all over sharing the love of sport and arts in peace and harmony.
We all have the power to be happy. Life will always throw your curves and spitballs, but it should be your own will from within to try and be happy. One way to easily be happy is to do something wonderful for someone else. When you do good for others, good will come to you. Try it.
Back in the day, I would run to clear my mind, listen to some great tunes on my Sony Walkman, and get fit. I would run in beautiful surroundings for inspiration. I would run because I could.
Curling! I went curling for the first time in my life. Whether I enjoyed it or not didn’t matter. It was a chance to try something new. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised! Curling is a lot of fun and extremely technical.
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