Newsletter for Thursday, January 30, 2025

VINTAGE MAGIC

When I was a child, I had some pretty fantastical dreams. I believed in the magic of life, and that anything was possible. In my own little world, I was a total dream-weaver. One of my earliest memories of this dreamy stuff was when my parents took me to see The Ice Capades. Wow, what a show! The music, the lights, the skaters spinning around like tops on the ice... it was all so mesmerizing! I was completely swept up in the excitement of it all, pretending I was one of those skaters. Even though I didn't know how to skate, I was all about being a skater, at least in my own mind; and for all intents and purposes, I was! (I was good too! Triple Axels and everything!) The magic of The Ice Capades stuck with me for days...

That ice rink experience left an indelible mark on me. Every detail was still fresh in my mind from the posters of the skating stars, the souvenir stands, the refreshing air and the sprinkle of ice on my face as they skated past me...to the sound of the skates scraping the ice... to the warm smiles of the skaters. As I gazed around at the audience, I saw a sea of captivated faces, all of us united in our wonder and joy. This was a defining moment for me. After a great nights sleep filled with skating dreams I woke up with newfound determination-I was eager to discover the thrill of ice skating for myself.

Growing up with parents who were outdoor enthusiasts, my sister and I were fortunate to have been invested in. We were a family of skiers but this dream of skating was bigger than life for me so...off to the skating ponds we went. Oh, and the skating outfits my mom whipped up were the icing on the cake; but, "The" Ice Capades pin and "The" Ice Capades flashlight that I wore around my neck was the magic that made me a star!

It took a few weeks but then the lightbulb went off! This idea was going to be epic. Here was the plan...we'd flood the garage with water from the garden hose...what could be easier?! When it froze my sister and I would have our very own ice skating rink. We would fire up the record player and get our skate on to the tunes of Bobby Sherman and The Partridge Family. We would invite our friends over, "teach" them how to skate and put on our very own "Skating Show"! Then we would set up a chair-lined theater in our driveway (in the dead of winter- snow and all) where people would gladly fork over their hard-earned cash to witness our unbelievable show. Any little wrinkles in our plan could be ironed out as we went. We'd sell stickers of ice skates as souvenirs and make even more money! My mother could hold two flashlights and shine them on us as we performed. Needless to say, that brilliant idea never got off the ground.

Ahhh, memories of those wonder years brought back to mind after attending a local auction. "What is that I see in a box lot? "...I ask myself! You know what I'm talking about!...THE MAGIC FLASHLIGHT"! Guess who was a bidder at that auction!

This story isn't about my ice skating escapades...it's about the love of vintage, antiques and history that can enrich our lives in so many ways! This is just one story that brings back memories and the value that flashlight and that pin added to my life. Go on an adventure and visit the shops or attend an auction...what treasures will you find?

What is your story? We'd love to hear it...leave it in the comments!

Have a great day, happy hunting, be a bidder ...and have fun!

~Linda