Just in case you need yet another reason to justify your AOSS affliction, you can now add this to the list: it may help preserve your memory and cognitive skills and may even delay your descent into Alzheimer's Disease According to the author of the new book "Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife:"

"To keep your brain at top notch, you have to be challenged. You need to get out of your field and do something that works different parts of your brain. Ballroom dancing is fantastic for your mind. You need to remember all the steps. You need to deal with yourself in space, you are propelling yourself around a room in the hands of a partner, you can't crash into other people. You can always add new and challenging steps. We're not just talking about putting yourself in an armchair with crossword puzzles."

So get out there, lace up those skates, get a partner if you can, learn those new and challenging steps and by all means try to avoid crashing into other people Your brain (not just your butt) will, apparently, thank you for it!

Ellen (who needs to practice what she preaches above )

Ellen:

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Yeah, a body does need to "stretch" a bit to stay active & fit.

Rink next to where I work, like any other, attracts lots of parents with young children in tow. Last week, was watching a little girl, all of 4 1/2 yo, and her 3yo bother, just learning to skate.

Girl wasn't too bad. "Toddled" a bit, but, could keep her balance on one foot for short glides, and was started to skate backwards. Her father, big bear of a fellow in hockey skates, was teaching her. Would skate off a fair distance, then tell her, "Now skate to me!" "Now backwards!" "Now try on one foot!"

She was doing OK, but, tried too long a one foot glide, lost her balance, and came down hard on one knee, started bawling her head off. Poppa skated over, checked to be sure she hadn't broken anything, then picked her off the ice & wrapped her up in a big, wide, "Daddy will make it all better" bear hug, with lots of sympathetic noises delivered in a basso profundo rumble.

Presently, she stopped crying, and said, "Put me down, Daddy, I wanna skate some more." And off she went.

I skated up to her Poppa, and told him "Your daughter skates well for such a little girl. With practice, I think she could be quite good."

He laughed, and said, "Well, thanks, but, the reason my wife and I encourage our children to skate is not to make them great skaters. We want to teach them to be brave enough to try new things, especially things that might be difficult or even a bit dangerous."

Think he was on to something, something that applies just as well to we of more than tender years....