Life, Sports and Schedules

I'm finally progressing to addressing. I apologize to all of you for how late my cards are this year. Circumstances beyond my control blasted my schedule to smithereens. I'm really happy with the cards, though, and hope that you enjoy them, although some of them may arrive after Christmas. Of course, since I do them as a celebration of Winter and the Solstice, Christmas doesn't really play a part, but it's seasonal and it would be nice to have had them where they needed to go before the New Year. We'll see. I'll let you know when they actually hit the mail so that you can keep your eyes out for your envelopes. 

It's been a crazy year and I've been pulled in a lot of
different directions. I'm very close to getting my cards
mailed, but not quite there yet. Hopefully within the
next three days. That's the goal. 

DH goes to the same physical therapist that I see, and his latest appointment was yesterday. He came by the shop on his way home from the clinic to tell me that he's supposed to start ice skating again. He was going to check if any of the neighborhood outdoor rinks were open and operational yet. It's been an early winter and a cold one so far, so that's actually possible, although they're usually open from January until March. The local chilled outdoor rink that operates most of the year, as well as a couple of indoor rinks that have noon skating are open for sure, so maybe he'll try one of those if he can't find an outdoor one to use. 

We're cold up here in the Frozen Northlands, so there are a variety
of outdoor rinks available in the city parks. They can be used
for regular recreational skating as well as for hockey pick-up games. 

DH used to play hockey every week in a pick-up game that moved around the metro area from arena to arena, depending on open schedules. Most of the neighborhood ice arenas are filled with school and league play from early morning until late at night. I not only live in the Frozen Northlands, I live in the "Land of Hockey", so ice and use of it are a part of every school program and most neighborhoods. Hockey is a rich kid's sport, though. There's a lot of equipment, a lot of protective clothing, and the ice arena rental fees are up there too. You don't find a lot of hockey players from families that are saving every dime to put food on the table. 

Soccer doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment, so it has a
broader appeal. It also doesn't require a sheet of ice, although
sheets of ice aren't really a problem here in the Frozen
Northlands. 

When you think about sports and their popularity, it's no wonder soccer is as popular as it is. It's one sport that has minimal equipment - a ball. It helps to have an actual round ball, but it can be played with pretty much anything that can be kicked, no special clothing required. Basketball is similar to soccer, pretty easy to play with minimal equipment. But for basketball, you add a hoop. Baseball is also pretty inexpensive - anything can be assigned as a base. But while you can play soccer and basketball with two people, you really need more for baseball. 

There are rules and courtesies in sports, even in pick-up games like
this. The light is leaving this game, obviously being played in
a much warmer place. 

What are the popular sports for kids in your area? Are there programs and outlets available to help those who want to play a more expensive sport with equipment and rental fees? Maybe look into helping to sponsor a program in your neighborhood so that more kids can get involved in sports. There's a lot of good in team sports and lack of funding shouldn't be a closed door to dreams. 

Have an excellent weekend. I'll be working because that's what I do at this time of the year. I'll let you know when my cards have hit the mail. In the meanwhile, I plan on being back here on Monday.