 My Ice-Skating Memoirs: A Nostalgic Journey Through Rinks, Memories, and Time Today, a photograph transported me back in time—a candid shot of my grandpa, brother, and me at one of my skating lessons. It was a sweet reminder of those formative years when the ice rink was not just a venue but a second home. My grandpa had come to watch me skate, and that moment sparked a wave of nostalgia that had me Googling the ice rinks of my youth and looking up old photos. Those rinks were more than just buildings; they were the backdrop to my childhood, a reflection of an ice-skating family’s dedication and love for the sport.  1. The picture that sparked the memory — a snapshot of skating days with my brother and Grandpa outside the West Covina Ice Arena, ca. 1981-1982 The Early Years: Skates and Figure Eights I started skating in the very early 1970s, officially beginning lessons at the age of 5. For nearly a decade, the rink was my playground, classroom, and stage. From the painstaking perfection of figure eights to the exhilaration of free skate sessions, the ice demanded discipline and grace. Practices often began at the crack of dawn. Sometimes, I found myself practicing figure eights not on ice but on a peculiar surface made of plastic patches designed to mimic it. It was rigorous, sometimes draining, and always a little surreal. Those mornings were not just about learning to skate but about developing a resilience that stays with me even today. Our family was deeply entrenched in the skating world. My mom had been an avid skater since childhood, performing in shows well into adulthood. My sister, the natural performer, was a showstopper in both competitions and ice shows. While she left the sport by 12, her brief career was marked with dazzling spins and theatrical flair.
The Rinks That Built My World The Los Angeles area of the 1970s and 1980s was home to an array of iconic ice rinks, but 4 were our rink-hop rinks, Pickwick Ice Rink, Culver City Ice Arena, West Covina Ice Arena, and the Santa Monica Ice Capades Chalet, depending on factors like my mom’s rehearsal schedule, the rinks’ operating hours, or which skating friends she planned to meet up with. Each one holds a special place in my memory, as well as a few others:
Each rink had its quirks and culture, from the cozy coffee shops where parents waited to the bustling energy of rehearsals and free skates. My dad, for instance, spent hours in the coffee shop adjoining West Covina Ice Arena, patiently waiting while I practiced during my later years. A Skating Family’s Life As an ice-skating family, we lived by the rink’s rhythms. My mom, always connected with the skating community, often practiced after hours, long after the rink had closed. The early days were spent with my brother and I roaming around the rinks ALL day. We knew everyone at the rinks, and everyone knew us, so we always had others looking out for us. That was the 70s for you. I sometimes slept in the car during these late-night sessions, though I vividly recall a scary moment when a stranger peered into the window. These were sacrifices we made as part of the sport’s demanding culture. I met fascinating people through the rink, including skating legends like Dorothy Hamill, at the Pickwick Rink, who once gifted me her Barbie doll modeled after her Olympic triumph in 1976; the actor Peter Falk, who played as Columbo, at the Santa Monica Rink and for some reason was dressed in his famous coat and giving us his Columbo routine; Peggy Flemming; and many more. Encounters like these brought the magic of skating alive. The Decision to Step Away By the time I reached 13, the grind of skating had begun to wear on me. The hours of practice left little room for fun, and I longed for time to spend with friends. When I told my mom I wanted to stop, her disappointment was unmistakable. Skating had been such a central part of her life and ours that stepping away felt monumental. But it was the right decision for me.
A Legacy on Ice My mom continued skating long after we had grown up, performing in shows at the Pasadena Ice Skating Center. Her dedication was a testament to the lifelong joy that skating brought her. Reflecting on those years, I see skating as more than a sport. It was a tapestry woven with memories of family, discipline, and the pure magic of gliding across the ice. The rinks, now lost to time or transformed, remain alive in my heart—a frozen piece of my history, preserved forever. Closing Thoughts Whether you grew up skating or simply watching from the stands, the rink has a way of bringing people together. It’s a place of camaraderie, creativity, and countless stories. For me, those stories are etched into the ice, a legacy of a childhood spent in motion and a family that lived to skate. Image Descriptions
©Diane Henriks #nostalgia,#nostalgicmemories,#1970s,#1980s,#iceskating,#Genealogy,#familyhistory
6 Comments
 2024 Genealogy Wish Grants Winner!The 2024 Genealogy Wish Grants Winner has just been announced! Congratulations to Mari Knapp of Ohio, who won this year for her double long standing mysteries/brick walls! About This Year's Winner Mari Knapp has been researching her family history and genealogy for over 20 years. She has been following Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family for close to 3 years, while being an active participant. Like many who have been working on their genealogy for decades, she just cannot solve her family mysteries! A Tough Choice, Once Again There were many entries for this year's third Genealogy Wish Grants! It was down to two compelling stories, an emotional journey and struggle with belonging and double long-standing family mysteries, that made it a tough choice. One of these two was a story that is deeply personal, emotional, and filled with struggles, from his adoption to his challenging family dynamics and personal setbacks. His wish to connect with his biological father's family (who he was told was his father) seems rooted in a desire for closure and belonging, which makes it heart-wrenching. His honesty and sense of hopelessness (“stuff like this just doesn’t happen for me”) added to the emotional weight. Mari’s story spans two significant mysteries on both sides of the family, showing her long-standing passion for genealogy. The maternal mystery (a teenage pregnancy and family cover-up in a small town with intermarrying) is a poignant story rooted in historical context and societal norms, while the paternal mystery involving a surname mismatch revealed by Y-DNA and autosomal testing is intriguing from a genealogical perspective, especially with the additional layer of the surname appearing elsewhere in the family tree. Not only did Mari meet all the criteria to apply, but her mysteries were intriguing as well. This Year's Story Entry “I have been researching my family tree since 1999, but more so since retiring in 2020. I have a mystery on both sides of my family and both have me pulling my hair out. On the maternal side, my grandmother states that her mom at age 13 was impregnated by a certain man who was 19. Her father forced her into marrying someone else. This was in West Virginia, small town, and a lot of intermarrying going on. I would like to find out if her birth father was truly who she said it was. And/or On my paternal side, Y-DNA matches showed up an entirely different paternal last name than the one we knew as ours. Autosomal 2-3 cousin matches confirm it as well. I am not sure if the culprit is a grandfather or great-grandfather. To confound the issue, my father's great-grandmother also shares this surname and is tied into the family somewhere. This all takes place in Georgia and Alabama. Thank you!” Thank You Thank you to all of this year's Genealogy Wish Grants applicants! I hope you all continue to follow and participate! Don't forget to apply to Genealogy Wish Grants 2025, details coming soon! The entry start date will be posted on my Facebook Page, my Facebook Group, my blog, and on the Genealogy Wish Grants page, so stay tuned! P.S. I wound up solving the other’s case as well. After all, it is Christmas. 😉
 AI and Genealogy: Creating a Perfect Ancestor Biography Using ChatGPT Over the past few months, I've been diving deeper into the potential of AI for genealogy and family history. One of the fascinating aspects of AI is how it continuously evolves and improves, especially when applied to a complex and personal field like genealogy. To test how far the technology has come, I decided to recreate a biography for my 2nd great-grandfather, Samuel Steinman, one that I had first generated around five months ago. For context, this project was part of a study I had conducted for an "AI and Family History" presentation. I wanted to see if ChatGPT had improved since that time—after all, family history is ever-evolving, and so too should our tools. Five months may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but in the world of AI development, it's a significant span. The Experiment I approached this test with the same mindset I had months ago. First, I used my own gathered research—Samuel Steinman’s entire family history, meticulously compiled on Ancestry.com. Then, I took the same steps I had previously: I opened ChatGPT, prompted it to generate a biography, and copied and pasted Samuel Steinman’s entire ancestor profile page (in one swoop) directly into the prompt. What happened next was nothing less than impressive. A Flawless Result, First Try Unlike the earlier version where I had to tweak and fine-tune the generated text to remove overly flowery language or adjust historical context, this time ChatGPT nailed it on the first try. The biography it created was clean, well-structured, and detailed without unnecessary embellishment. It pulled in my research flawlessly and even incorporated a touch of historical context, just as I had requested. Gone were the excessive adjectives that usually muddled early versions of AI-generated content. Instead, I received a biography that was not only factual but written in a professional tone that resonated with my family history documentation style. Here’s why this was particularly impressive: I didn’t feed the AI much detail other than the ancestor profile/my research. There were no long-winded instructions, just a simple prompt. Yet, ChatGPT was able to seamlessly weave together all the relevant information into a cohesive narrative—just the way I had imagined it.
How AI Has Improved Over Time The key takeaway from this experiment is just how much AI, specifically ChatGPT, has evolved in such a short period. Five months ago, I could see the potential, but I still had to make manual adjustments to refine the generated text. This time, I was left with a ready-to-use biography that required no extra work. Here are a few improvements I noticed:
A Game-Changer for Family Historians For those who might be skeptical about using AI in genealogy, this experience highlights just how transformative these tools can be. Not only can AI significantly reduce the time it takes to compile and write family biographies, but it also allows researchers to focus on the other aspects of family history—like uncovering stories and connections—while leaving much of the writing and organization to AI. Imagine how this could help you write your family history! Whether you’re working on biographies, timelines, or even trying to contextualize historical events within your family’s narrative, AI tools like ChatGPT are becoming even more invaluable resources. The Future of AI in Family History This recent test of ChatGPT reaffirms my belief that AI will continue to play an essential role in family history research. With the ongoing improvements, AI will likely become even better at organizing and interpreting complex genealogical data, turning raw information into compelling, accurate stories. It has already streamlined a significant part of the process for me—and I can’t wait to see how it continues to evolve. For anyone curious about using AI to assist in your genealogy research, now is the perfect time to start experimenting. The tools are here, and they are more powerful than ever. So, what’s next for me and my AI journey? I’ll continue testing and fine-tuning my approach, looking for ways to integrate AI into every aspect of my family history research. And who knows, maybe the next big breakthrough will come in just a few months, as AI continues to advance and redefine the possibilities for genealogists like us. In the meantime, Samuel Steinman’s biography stands as a testament to how far we’ve come in just a few short months. I look forward to seeing what the future holds. More AI and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more AI in Genealogy and other family history and genealogy resources under the AI in Genealogy and Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 Genealogy and the Holidays: Connecting with Family Past and Present The holiday season is a magical time of year when family and traditions take the spotlight. It’s also the perfect time to connect with both your living relatives and the ancestors who shaped your family’s story. Whether you’re just beginning your genealogical journey or are a seasoned researcher, incorporating family history into holiday traditions can enhance your celebrations and strengthen bonds across generations. Here are some creative ways to combine genealogy and the holidays. 1. Start a Family History Project The holidays often bring relatives together, making it the perfect time to start a collaborative family history project. Here are a few ideas:
2. Ask Relatives the Right Questions Holidays are the perfect time to chat with older relatives and learn more about your family history. To make the most of your time together, prepare thoughtful questions in advance:
3. Incorporate Family History into Holiday Traditions Make your family history a living part of your celebrations by weaving genealogy into your holiday traditions:
4. Share Family Recipes Food often carries deep connections to family and culture. Take time to prepare and share dishes that have been passed down through generations.
5. Gift Genealogy Genealogy-inspired gifts are meaningful and personal, making them perfect for the holidays:
6. Plan a Virtual Family History EventIf your family is spread out, consider hosting a virtual gathering focused on family history. Use video calls to share stories, show family photos, or even host a trivia game about your family’s past. 7. Reflect and Remember The holidays can also be a time to honor and remember loved ones who have passed:
Why Genealogy and the Holidays Go Hand in Hand Incorporating genealogy into your holiday season doesn’t just help preserve your family’s history; it creates new memories and strengthens relationships. By connecting with your family’s past, you gain a deeper appreciation for the traditions you enjoy today and pass them on to future generations. This holiday season, take the time to incorporate family history with your celebrations. Whether it’s starting a new project, asking relatives about the past, or simply enjoying a meal together, these efforts will keep your family’s story alive for years to come. Happy holidays, and happy researching! 🎄 Related Content Cyber Monday and Holiday Deals for Genealogists Make the most of these incredible genealogy deals!
These deals won't last long—take advantage now to elevate your family history research! |
Categories
All
Featured
Top Posts
BlogrollEvalogue.Life, Heart of the Family, Molly's Canopy, Climbing My Family Tree, Cami Mayer, Field Genealogist, Ancestor Detective, DNA Breakthroughs, Your DNA Guide, Ancestral Findings, Genealogy Tip of the Day, Family History Daily, Genea-Musings
BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! 
Come visit me at Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family if you're interested in starting your family history journey, booking me for your next speaking event, or family history and genealogy heirloom products!
          Archives
January 2025
|
RSS Feed
HoursM-Su: 8am - 8pm
|
Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family is dedicated to promoting family history and genealogy, while maintaining commitment to client care and professional service, and adheres to the Code of Ethics and Professional Practices put forth by the Association of Professional Genealogists.
|