The Games are Afoot!

Hi, everybody.

I'm getting to enjoy a rare treat right for a couple of weeks. I'm not the greatest sports fan there ever was, but when the Olympic Games roll around, I'm riveted! This past week, in short bits and pieces fit in around my hectic workload, I've taken a little time to sit down to watch the Winter Olympics with DH. They're in PyeongChang, South Korea, this time. Despite the early political banter about a unified Korean team, the Games have settled into their normal rhythm, and athletes are skiing, skating, shooting, jumping, racing, flying, and winning medals. The USA has been low on medals thus far, but I don't mind. All of the athletes have been training for this for most of their lives, and I'm happy they get to compete. Go world!

I have been reminiscing about the "good ole' days," you know back in the '80s and '90s when figure skating was a little bigger on the skating and a little lighter on the jumps. In fact, I think I've always liked the ice dancing a lot better than the actual figure skating. I was eager to know whether I could locate my all-time favorite routines. There are two: Torvill and Dean skating to "Bolero," and Klimova and Ponomarenko skating to "Symphony No. 5" by Tchaikovsky. Can you believe I found both of them on YouTube?!?!  I could hardly believe it. Check them out! They're both breathtaking to me!

Imagine Dean as the matador and Torvill as his cape. That's the basis of the dance. https://youtu.be/t2zbbN4OL98.  The couple won Olympic gold for this routine at the 1984 Olympics. They're my #2 favorite.

My #1 favorite is Klimova and Ponomarenko. The announcer will give you the story line about lost love, which is so poignant. I remember this routine being highly controversial because of the "prop" the couple used in the routine. See what you think of this 1992 World Challenge of Champions competition. https://youtu.be/hXxkLJ7omA0. Absolutely unforgettable!

Well, I'll leave you now with a mixed media canvas that I completed about a year or two ago. I got the custom picture frame idea from my BFF, Lisa. (The tabbed piece of paper is removable, leaving just the empty frame to hold a photo.) The canvas was finger-painted over a base of ripped designer paper in a winter theme. I added a custom-painted picture frame and some lovely snowflakes taken from a Christmas tree garland, and finished it up with the words "Winter Wonderland." If you know a winter enthusiast, this piece is for sale on my Etsy shop.

Well, I'm still hoping for a little more snow, but I know the chances are getting slim as we've already seen 80-degree temperatures and are expecting them again this week. Oh, my! Just like last year. We did have a cold period in March though, so...maybe. We'll see! ;-)

Thanks for visiting!