I don’t remember where I got the little dark blue felt skirt with the big white ice skate applique on the front of it. I only remember loving it. As I think about it, it was most likely a gift from one of my aunts back in Boston… one of my Mom’s three sisters who sent little gifts to us in California. My Dad was stationed in San Diego during my younger years, and I guess the sun and warmth and beauty of that climate was lost at times on a little girl who longed to ice skate in Boston.

My family would return to New England when I was nine years old… to New Hampshire, this time, where my Dad was stationed at Portsmouth. We moved in August, but all I could think of was ice skating. By then, the little blue felt skirt was way too small, but I pictured little tights and another skirt just like the other one… only bigger. The only thing I wanted for Christmas that year was a pair of white figure skates and another little twirling skirt.

I did get the ice skates. But the rest wouldn’t happen. First, it was too cold for that kind of twirling skirt attire. Second, I found that most of my new friends played hockey with the boys rather than spin and loop and jump in sparkling white figure skates. So what was a girl to do? You guessed it. Take my sparking white skates and get, so to speak, christened by fire (and ice). By New Year’s Day, I was begging my parents for a hockey stick. I remember pulling on my snow pants and jacket and walking the mile or so (seriously!) to the local pond with all of my friends. And the best, best, best part was tying the laces of the skates together and slinging them over the end of my hockey stick that I carried oh-so casually over my padded shoulder. How cool was that for a little girl from California? I actually wanted my skates to look all worn and dirty. And believe me, they did.

So much for that little skirt.

But this all brings me to #7 on my List of 57 in 52… I want to ice skate in white figure skates at the Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. And not with a hockey stick. I want to wear tights and a twirling skirt (not too short!)… and I wish to do this with my two granddaughters, Taylor and Maddie. This is the best part of all, I think… to fulfill a childhood dream with my 2 granddaughters! Hey, maybe I’ll even get my 2 grown-up daughters to come along for the slide!

So Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, here we come. Better late than never!