Figure Skating, Sarah Hogan

Figure skating is not for the faint of heart.

It is a costly sport. It requires dedication – often in the wee hours of the morning before most of us are up.

It requires the grace of a ballerina and the athleticism of a gymnast. It requires blades and boots that possibly cost more than my entire wardrobe. It requires costumes, bedazzled with bling, and hand-sewn to fit every inch of a skater’s body perfectly. It requires ice time and private coaches. It requires fearless commitment -- to the sport, to the ice, to the jump.

But it also requires heart – and a bond between skater and coach.

Luckily Sarah Hogan has a handle on this relationship. Her mother, Michelle, is a skating coach herself. She credits her mother for inspiring her and encouraging her, as well as her other coaches Melissa Wasz and Lars Jensen.

A skater looks to her coach for advice, to her parents for support and to the ice for inspiration.

Hogan knows this life well. As a high school senior, she is up before most of her friends are out of their deep-sleep cycle. She is at the rink, training, perfecting her jumps and getting up – yes, getting up … time after time, day after day, jump after jump. That is what makes her a figure skater. For those with perseverance, success always is within reach.

Read more about Hogan in my article in The Woodstock Independent here:

Winter Olympics 2018

I've been busy -- a little too busy for my liking, but I've been covering a lot of local events for the paper and photographing a lot of places, animals, people and events.

I'm going to try to make a concerted effort to have more time for my blog -- starting with The Olympics.

Both of my daughters are figure skaters, so the Winter Games are kind of a big deal for us. As a homeschooling family, we are taking time to enjoy this once-every-four-years event.

My girls also are taking turns being sick, so we've been snuggling up by fires, surrounded in blankets and learning about different countries, flags, sport and disciplines.

This might be only the second time we've made Rice Krispie treats. But, the Winter Olympics seem to call for it! 

Feeling well enough to work on her Olympic Games lapbook.

The Opening Ceremonies called for arts, crafts and a couple of good books.

 n

These Usborne books were just what we needed for a quiet night at home. My friend Kelly never steers me wrong! Check out her Usborne Books page -- and ask her for her suggestions! 

It seemed appropriate to watch the Olympic Torch ignite as we held our own torches -- $.99 LED flashlights, some yellow and orange tissue paper and a Rainbow Loom rubber band.

Lapbooks provide a great way to keep all of our information at our fingertips -- I'll post more photos as we make more progress in our unit.