Postcards from the Rink

I spent most of the last skating class working on the skills on which I was about to be tested: stroking, backwards one-foot glides, half swizzles on the circle, a two-foot turn on the circle, and a two-foot spin. Of these, the backwards one-foot glides and two-foot spin threatened to do me in. I finally figured out, though, that if I lift the hip of the foot I'm lifting off the ice and turn that hip outwards in the backwards glide, I can balance better and longer. I was working on the two-foot spin when I lost my balance, teetered, and feel flat on my butt. It really wasn't as bad as I imagined falling would be. I laughed, got back up, and tried again. My spin isn't lovely, but I can do it.