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Last update:06/04/2016

We decided to challenge ourselves again when the Florida Sunshine State Games offered adult dance.  In May of 2016, we skated the Canasta Tango and the Swing Dance to fulfill Jack's 80th birthday year bucket list.  The event was held in Coral Springs, Florida (next to Fort Lauderdale) and an easy venue for us to attend.  We did come home with the gold and real good memories, as we met some old friends and a few new.  Bev especially loved meeting John Kerr, UK Olympic Ice Dancer.  We have decided not to say never again to competing, just in case the right situation might arise for us.  Next year the State Games will be at our rink, which will make it very tempting to compete.

September 25, 2015, we skated in what we thought was our final competition.  The Southwest Florida FS Club's USFS Fall Classic was the perfect place to complete Bev's 80^th year bucket list item.  The judges awared us gold for first place for our performances of the Dutch Waltz and Cha Cha (two of our favorites).  It has been a wonderful 18 year journey of competitions.  We will continue to skate for fun, exercise and socializing.

We had a wonderful long weekend in May 2015 visiting Rob's family in Plainville, Conn.  He toured us through loads of Bev's favorite old haunts throughout Conn. for nostalgia value.  We went to northwest Conn. to the White Flower Farm, Bantam Lake, where she spent all summers until she was married, and Mt. Tom State Park.  We spent one whole day in Springfield, Mass. for Matt's graduation from Westfield State with majors in Criminal Justice and Sociology.  We also visited Manchester, Conn. where her kids grew up, and continued up to Storrs to see how much the UConn Campus has grown.  We got to watch Lauren play two games of basketball.  This was a special thrill as she had major ACL surgery on her knee this year.  She wears a long brace, buts moves so well.  Sarah has just left her job with Ernest and Young to accept a wonderful position with United Technologies.  It will be wonderful not having to work the crazy long hours she has for the last 3 years.

We participated in the US Figure Skating Adult Championships in Hyannis, MA in April, 2014, and came home with a shiny Silver Medal for our 4 PreBronze Dances.  We were very pleased with our performances and lost to a wonderful dance team from Colorado Springs.  This year the required dances were our favorites...Dutch Waltz, Cha Cha, Rhythm Blues, and the Swing Dance.  This was one of our best and most enjoyed competitions.  Being on Cape Cod also allowed us to visit our honeymoon area of Falmouth and celebrate our 30th year of marriage. 

IIn April 2011 in Salt Lake City, we made our debut at a US Figure Skating competition, the Adult Championships, entering the Pre Bronze Dance event.   Click here for the article that honored us in Skating Magazine for being the oldest competitors at the competition.

The above trip to Salt Lake City was also part of Jack's celebration of his 75 birthday.  To continue that celebration, we drove from SLC to Aspen to visit his son, Darin, and see some of the glorious houses he has built including his own atop an 8000 ft, mountain overlooking Reudi Reservoir in Basalt, Colorado.  Then, we flew to San Francisco to visit with his daughter, Danelle, granddaughter, Dana (turning 10) and Anthony.  Danelle is so passionate about her city and loves to show it off.  We had planned to see Bev's son, Larry and family in San Diego, but that had to be cancelled.

Bev's 75th in June 2010 was celebrated in the "highest" fashion as she chose to tandem skydive from 13,000 ft (over 2 miles) in early July.  The free fall of 8,000 ft. at 120 mph was literally breathtaking.  This had been a long time dream that she worked up to during other birthday landmarks by bungee jumping from a hot air balloon, hang gliding, paragliding, and a flight in a glider plane. 

Jack is still active with the 538 home residential association in which we live.  He does their publications, helps out on the neighborhood Security Patrol, provides database support for the Board, and he created and maintains their web site: http://OverbrookGardens.com/ .  This year he was again responsible for compiling the 68 page Association directory.  He had been the point man to Sarasota County for the 49 properties that are located on our 2400 ft. long channel to get it dredged.  This had proven to be very time consuming and frustrating but it is now completed.  He also coordinated the dredging of eighteen personal docks on our channel under one County permit. 

Jack sharpens and installs ice skate blades for friends in our skating world.  It is wonderful to always have our blades sharp and know that they have been done properly.  We find it interesting and frustrating to see how little attention is paid by others to sharpening correctly, and the great difference a good sharpening makes especially for adult skaters.  Just moving Bev's left blade in 1/16 of an inch recently, changed her skating dynamics to nearly erase hip and ankle pain she has been experiencing for years.

He is also working with a friend creating and maintaining a vegetable garden a few minutes from the house including a 45 pot hydroponic table.  Gardening in Florida is very different from his experiences on the farm in Michigan.  Click here for photos.  So far we have had turnips, carrots, red cabbage, many types of lettuce, squash, water melons, oregano, tomatoes, beets, red and white radishes, too much broccoli, green beans, scallions, red onions, chives, mustard, boc choi, cucumbers, swiss chard, and peas.  The brussel sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, and egg plant are still each a work in progress.

And what does Bev do?????  She does extensive analysis of dance routines (ice and ballroom) online and applies it to the choreography and music of our dances.  As Jack's secretary, she tries to keep his crammed calendar and family finances in order.  As loving wife, she keeps his home and clothes clean, his tummy fed, and a smile on his face!  Enough said!

Contact us at:  skating.rienks@verizon.net .

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This site was last updated on 06/04/16.

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