#+ I really want to drop a ski and go slalom skiing again but i havent done that since i was like 13

[bigothteddies]

get to go waterskiing tomorrow! really nervous really excited everyone (silently) wish me luck!

[mysticseasons]

Tessa Virtue And Sophie Grégoire Trudeau On Self-Care, Sports And The Importance Of Staying Active

How to motivate yourself to work out, even when you really don’t feel like it.

After a long day, the last thing most people want to do is work out. (Unless you’re one of those unicorns who wakes up early to exercise at the crack of dawn.) And if you feel guilty about watching Netflixinstead of lifting weights, it might be comforting to know that even Olympic athletes experience this struggle.

Ice dancing champ (and Canadian hero) Tessa Virtue recently stopped by the Chatelaine Kitchen with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. Both women are ambassadors for FitSpirit, a non-profit organization that encourages teenage girls to stay active — since one in two girls will drop sports when they hit puberty.

The two chatted with Chatelaine about their favourite sports memories, the importance of self-care and what motivates them on those days when they just don’t want to be active.

On their favourite sports memories:

Tessa Virtue: I’d have to say the 2018 Olympic games, but that’s personal. We come from a rich history of amazing sports and athletes here in Canada and there’s been a long legacy before us that helped pave the way. And that’s why I grew up believing I could go to the Olympics and stand on the podium one day.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau: [As a child] we lived in the countryside on a very steep hill and my father would push me down the hill with little plastic skis tied to my boots with just like, normal ropes. And I would fall on my face, full of snow and he would laugh. I have lots of athletes in my family and they showed me how to waterski — slalom, barefoot — all that stuff. So pushing the limits of my body at a young age helped me have confidence in what I could do later.

On how the physical confidence you get through sports translates to other parts of your life:

T: I think that physical confidence transcends to all facets of your life. When you have a sense of yourself in space, in your movement, in your muscles, you can express yourself through your body, your instrument. You learn so much about who you are and what your truth is.

S: Physical exercise and sport is not just about sport; it’s about self-care and self-care is a gift for life.

T: And isn’t that the first thing to go when you’re facing the pressures of life and these demands?

S: And you always feel better after exercising!

T: There’s something about knowing you’re worth it. You’re worth the time to invest in that self-care and exercising. And I think sometimes we need those reminders.

On how to motivate yourself to get moving:

T: I always had this sense going into the rink, I knew I would be in pain training because it’s not easy and it’s gruelling. But I always thought, how do I want to feel when I walk out the doors of the arena today? I want to be proud of myself, I want to know that I didn’t give up that I want to know that I gave it my all, that I tested my limits and capabilities. I try to apply that even now. It’s a little different for me because I’m not in a regular training structure, but I know that I’ll feel better if I’ve worked out or just moved a little bit.

S: I try to, I don’t want to say, kick myself in the butt, but when I’m tired, the kids are driving me crazy, I don’t have time, I’ll be patient with myself. I’ll say, I don’t have an hour to go for a long walk, but I do have 20 minutes. It’s going to be 20 minutes because that’s what I can allow myself to do today. It’s fine. There will be other times that you have more time. So I try to take the guilt aspect away from it.

T: You’re never going to regret working out or being active. You might regret not doing it, you might regret pressing that snooze button, but you’ll never regret getting physically active.

On how Tessa’s working out now that she’s training for the Olympics:

T: I’m on the road a lot, I’m traveling, and I’m trying to take different classes. So cycling, boxing, pilates. I did a dance class in New York the other week, which was actually a little disheartening because I realized that I lost a lot of what I thought I was able to do on the dance floor. So I’m just trying to get to know this version of my body. I’m never going to be in Olympic shape again and I don’t need to be because I don’t have to compete at the Olympics, so getting to know this version of myself and accepting that fully is a challenging, yet really rewarding process.

How would you motivate young women to get active?

S: You can say whatever you want, but kids feed off our actions. I’m a little bit intrepid when it comes to sport. I like to try new things. And sometimes they’ll be like, “oh my gosh, we can’t do that mom” and I’ll be like, “who says we can’t do that, let’s try it!” But I listen to what they like. Ella Grace [10] loves gymnastics and dancing and she likes to move in different ways than I do and that’s okay, that’s fine. All my children ski now, they don’t have a choice. They have to join mom and dad on the ski hill.

T: I’m joining in on those lessons soon!

On the most important message teenage girls need to hear when it comes to sticking with a sport:

T: There really are no limits to what we can accomplish and what we can pursue and if we love something and we dream big, cheesy as it sounds, why not pursue it?

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

- chatelaine

[virtchandmoir]

Tessa Virtue And Sophie Grégoire Trudeau On Self-Care, Sports And The Importance Of Staying Active

How to motivate yourself to work out, even when you really don’t feel like it.

February 8, 2019

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Tessa Virtue. Photo, Joel Louzado.

After a long day, the last thing most people want to do is work out. (Unless you’re one of those unicorns who wakes up early to exercise at the crack of dawn.) And if you feel guilty about watching Netflixinstead of lifting weights, it might be comforting to know that even Olympic athletes experience this struggle.

Ice dancing champ (and Canadian hero) Tessa Virtue recently stopped by the Chatelaine Kitchen with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. Both women are ambassadors for FitSpirit, a non-profit organization that encourages teenage girls to stay active — since one in two girls will drop sports when they hit puberty.

The two chatted with Chatelaine about their favourite sports memories, the importance of self-care and what motivates them on those days when they just don’t want to be active.

On their favourite sports memories:

Tessa Virtue: I’d have to say the 2018 Olympic games, but that’s personal. We come from a rich history of amazing sports and athletes here in Canada and there’s been a long legacy before us that helped pave the way. And that’s why I grew up believing I could go to the Olympics and stand on the podium one day.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau: [As a child] we lived in the countryside on a very steep hill and my father would push me down the hill with little plastic skis tied to my boots with just like, normal ropes. And I would fall on my face, full of snow and he would laugh. I have lots of athletes in my family and they showed me how to waterski — slalom, barefoot — all that stuff. So pushing the limits of my body at a young age helped me have confidence in what I could do later.

(Photo Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images)

On how the physical confidence you get through sports translates to other parts of your life:

T: I think that physical confidence transcends to all facets of your life. When you have a sense of yourself in space, in your movement, in your muscles, you can express yourself through your body, your instrument. You learn so much about who you are and what your truth is.

S: Physical exercise and sport is not just about sport; it’s about self-care and self-care is a gift for life.

T: And isn’t that the first thing to go when you’re facing the pressures of life and these demands?

S: And you always feel better after exercising!

T: There’s something about knowing you’re worth it. You’re worth the time to invest in that self-care and exercising. And I think sometimes we need those reminders.

On how to motivate yourself to get moving:

T: I always had this sense going into the rink, I knew I would be in pain training because it’s not easy and it’s gruelling. But I always thought, how do I want to feel when I walk out the doors of the arena today? I want to be proud of myself, I want to know that I didn’t give up that I want to know that I gave it my all, that I tested my limits and capabilities. I try to apply that even now. It’s a little different for me because I’m not in a regular training structure, but I know that I’ll feel better if I’ve worked out or just moved a little bit.

S: I try to, I don’t want to say, kick myself in the butt, but when I’m tired, the kids are driving me crazy, I don’t have time, I’ll be patient with myself. I’ll say, I don’t have an hour to go for a long walk, but I do have 20 minutes. It’s going to be 20 minutes because that’s what I can allow myself to do today. It’s fine. There will be other times that you have more time. So I try to take the guilt aspect away from it.

T: You’re never going to regret working out or being active. You might regret not doing it, you might regret pressing that snooze button, but you’ll never regret getting physically active.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Tessa Virtue. Photo, Joel Louzado.

On how Tessa’s working out now that she’s training for the Olympics:

T: I’m on the road a lot, I’m traveling, and I’m trying to take different classes. So cycling, boxing, pilates. I did a dance class in New York the other week, which was actually a little disheartening because I realized that I lost a lot of what I thought I was able to do on the dance floor. So I’m just trying to get to know this version of my body. I’m never going to be in Olympic shape again and I don’t need to be because I don’t have to compete at the Olympics, so getting to know this version of myself and accepting that fully is a challenging, yet really rewarding process.

How would you motivate young women to get active?

S: You can say whatever you want, but kids feed off our actions. I’m a little bit intrepid when it comes to sport. I like to try new things. And sometimes they’ll be like, “oh my gosh, we can’t do that mom” and I’ll be like, “who says we can’t do that, let’s try it!” But I listen to what they like. Ella Grace [10] loves gymnastics and dancing and she likes to move in different ways than I do and that’s okay, that’s fine. All my children ski now, they don’t have a choice. They have to join mom and dad on the ski hill.

T: I’m joining in on those lessons soon!

On the most important message teenage girls need to hear when it comes to sticking with a sport:

T: There really are no limits to what we can accomplish and what we can pursue and if we love something and we dream big, cheesy as it sounds, why not pursue it?

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

—Chatelaine

[niemernuet]

The Victor and the Runner-Up

Summary: Alexis beat Marco in the 2021 men's overall racing. Luckily, Marco is a good sport.

Warning: explicit

Not to sound condescending but it was really for the best that he was the one who had won, Alexis mused. The crystal globe felt nice and heavy in his hand. He rocked it gently, weighed it back and forth then threw a glance towards the few forlorn photographers in the distance. Ah merde, why not? He lifted the trophy and planted a kiss on the cool surface. It would make for a nice picture, though he did feel stupid the moment he put his lips on the glass.

Whatever.

The biggest advantage, he continued his inner monologue, of having spent the majority of his career in the shadow of a legend (curse you, Marcel!), was that it had given him an almost Buddhist-monk-like serenity and a quiet sense of humour. Johan called it cynicism but Alexis was sure it was only his senility speaking.

So his family was not allowed here to celebrate his biggest success and on his birthday to boot? So the arena looked as if a deadly virus had ravaged the population in the last year and left the Alpine Ski World Cup like the last stand in a zombie film? So there would be no parties in the town, no masses who waited for him anywhere? So what? Alexis once spent eight years running like Wile E. Coyote behind the Roger Federer of his sport. There was nothing that could rustle him anymore. And it was exactly the reason why he had had to win and not Marco.

The photographers were still merrily clicking away on their gadgets and Alexis threw a glance to his right. Even with a mask and a hat hiding most of his face it was clear as day that Marco was not smiling, at least not really. Alexis knew Marco's real smile pretty well after all, the little wrinkles around his eyes and the golden radiance he emitted, the spring in his step and the candour in his shoulders that came along with it, as if he was just waiting for someone to come into hugging-distance. He was generous with that smile of his and nothing in the past season, not FIS safety protocols, not mile-long cotton swabs up his nose, not empty stands and last minute cancellations had been able to destroy it. Sometimes he had been the only one to smile and had looked like a rainbow in an otherwise dull world and Alexis probably should stop staring at him. He turned his head back to the front and lifted the globe once again though the photographers were beginning to slow down. Next to them, still unperturbedly clapping along with the rest of the team, Clément glared at Marco. Alexis' smile grew a little. He was so resentful, especially concerning perceived slights against his colleagues, and he had not forgiven Marco for his interview right after the second course of the giant slalom yesterday.

"The course was the same for everyone, dipshit", he had growled. "It wasn't the snow, it was you."

Alexis had shoved his elbow into his ribs. But not too hard. "Be nice! It's still raw for him."

"So what? I came in second too but you don't hear me crying to the press about Schwarz."

"He wasn't crying about me."

"He might as well have. Childish git."

Alexis really did not mind Marco's words, after all he knew too well what it felt like to come in second. It made you want to lash out to anything that crossed your path, and unfortunately in the arena that anything was reporters and cameras.

No, Marco did not deserve to win under the present circumstances, his entire being too loud and flashy for this subdued ceremony. He deserved to win in a normal world, with thousands of people shouting his name and waving banners with his face, with a parade through the village and music and parties all night long. This here, the barren place and the scrawny applause, this was for Alexis.

He did not mind.

_______

Alexis pitied the hotel keeper who was nervously stalking up and down outside the big hall, probably expecting the police any minute. The tables had been arranged according to the rules, spread far apart and with only four people per table and stands of plexiglas between them. The guests should have dispersed after dinner, preferably into their beds or at least into groups not larger than five people. But tonight the French team ignored all rules and stayed until long after dessert, chattering in one large group and toasting with the vinegar they produced in Switzerland and sold as wine because tonight they had a victory and a birthday to celebrate and Jean-Baptiste to bid farewell to.

Victor filled Alexis' glass again before he could even feign protest. Alexis raised the glass with a wink and took another sip.

They really should have brought their own wine.

He excused himself after a while, head swimming from the alcohol and the warmth of the hall, and fled outside. The village lay silent and abandoned in the cold night. Through the trees, Alexis saw the black mass that was the lake. It seemed as if the French were all alone in Lenzerheide. Or almost alone. One last person stumbled along the lake, their gait at once determined and yet unstable. Probably drunk. Suddenly the person stepped to the side and crossed the road, barely missing the only car that had come along in a long time. Definitely drunk.

Alexis' heart jumped in his chest. "Hey, idiot, watch where you're going!", he shouted from the patio. The drunk stopped, looked to the patio, then sped up. As he crossed the street light Alexis finally recognized the person and his heart jumped again. He ran over the terrace and through the small park and caught up with Marco just as he turned into the driveway.

"There you are", he announced.

"What are you doing here?", Alexis hissed and pulled Marco away until they were behind the wall that bordered the park of the hotel.

Marco looked at him as if he had asked the dumbest question in the world. "I've come to see you."

"And why?"

Marco sighed. "To apologise. See, yesterday I was in a bad place, and I said some things to a reporter that were not…mature. That alone gave me a guilty conscience but then today Justin confessed that Clément had cornered him and had forced him to translate what I had said and then I knew it would get to you and I really don't want you to go like that because I didn't mean it, the course was fine, I was just angry at myself for failing. You were the best this season, fair and square, and I just wanted to tell you this one more time and also I haven't wished you a happy birthday yet and I really wanted…"

Alexis smiled and held his hands up and Marco stopped rambling. "It's okay, really. I've been second too. I know how it feels."

Marco nodded serenely. "Good. Also: Happy birthday! I'm sorry we can't have a party. You deserved better."

Alexis waved him off. "It's fine, I don't mind. It's…" An unsettling thought crept into his head and he broke off. Marco stared at him curiously, head tilted like a puppy, golden eyes beaming in the street light. He was well and truly sloshed.

"Aren't you guys in the hotel right by the slope?", Alexis asked.

Marco nodded.

"And isn't that a couple of kilometres away?"

"Five point two according to google", Marco answered and pulled his phone out of the pocket of his sweater.

"And you walked here all alone?", Alexis shouted and Marco dropped the phone.

Alexis grabbed Marcos cheeks and felt his ice cold skin because he was a bit tipsy too and it felt somehow reasonable. "That's how people die, moron", Alexis scolded.

Marco laughed, and a few strands of his blond hair tickled over Alexis' hands. "Of course I walked. I'm way too drunk to drive."

Alexis bit his lips but Marco could always coax a smile out of him. He dropped his head a little bit, until his chin was resting on Alexis' palms, and laughed at him with little wrinkles around his eyes and golden radiance and oh so tempting lips and honestly, Alexis never stood a chance.

__________

They snuck by the desperate hotel keeper and the not-party in the hall and hurried to Alexis' room. Alexis studied the brochure that was in every hotel room all over the world and looked for the number of the local taxi company but before he even found the right page two cold arms wrapped around him and a cold body clung to him.

"That's not why I brought you here", Alexis lied.

"Of course not", Marco mumbled and softly bit Alexis' neck.

Shivers ran down Alexis' spine. "I'm serious. I'm calling you a taxi and then it's off to bed with you."

Slowly Marco forced Alexis around and kissed him towards the bed. At least his lips were warm again. Alexis' breath hitched when he felt something tug at his belt and trousers.

"Don't let me disturb you", Marco said when their lips parted again and shoved Alexis on the bed, pulling his trousers down to his knees with the same movement. Breathlessly laughing Alexis fell on his back and stared intently at the ceiling. The brochure was crumpled in his fist.

"As I said already outside", Marco explained between kisses and nibbles along Alexis' stomach, "happy 30th birthday! And congratulations on your victory. You deserve it."

Alexis focused on his breathing, tried to stay steady but his pants suddenly felt too tight.

"I'm sorry there's no real party", Marco continued and his lips and hands wandered down Alexis' thighs and they were not cold anymore, no, they were hot, scorching even and Alexis pressed his lips together hard. "But on the upside, there's more time for me to be a good runner-up." Marco's lips left Alexis' skin and he looked at him quizzically. "I am a good runner-up, right? I wouldn't know, it's my first time."

Alexis laughed uproariously and grabbed a handful of Marco's soft hair with his free hand. "Bien sûr, tu es un petit ange chaste et innocent."

Without breaking his smile or looking away from him, Marco pulled at Alexis' pants and exposed his hard cock. "I know, and I keep telling everyone but nobody ever believes me." He shrugged, as if he could not comprehend why nobody would trust his word, then he bent down and took Alexis' entire length in his mouth. Alexis' head fell back onto the bed and he ripped a few pages out of the brochure when he buried his hands in the pillow above.

"Marco, dieu…merde", he moaned softly and lost himself completely in the heat and the soft tongue that danced around his dick. First drops leaked out of Alexis and with overpowering lust he felt how Marco sucked it all out of him and swallowed. He worked relentlessly, determinedly, like he did on skis, like he always did, leaving Alexis no time to catch his breath.

"Fuck…merde", Alexis stammered. "Marco…putain…"

Appalled Marco let go of Alexis' cock and looked at him. "What are you calling me?" His lips had turned a burning shade of red and made him look like a literal angel.

Alexis laughed again, his fingers caressing Marco's hair without pause. His dick was throbbing and Marco stroked languidly along the shaft.

"My coaches want me to start participating in slalom races", Marco explained without taking his eyes off Alexis' dick. Pensively he rubbed the wetness that flowed out of Alexis. "So I can beat you next year." He looked up to Alexis and grinned. "Though I don't know why I just thought of that."

"A mystery", Alexis gasped and moaned shamelessly as Marco's lips started exploring his cock again. Familiar heat was pooling in his groin and he knew that he was close. His hips bucked upwards but Marco's strong hands kept them in place while his mouth sucked without mercy.

"Fuck, Marco…dieu!", Alexis groaned and suddenly it was too much and he lost all control. Everything turned a blinding white and Alexis came. Marco leant forward and swallowed greedily everything that shot out of Alexis until he could give no more.

When the world finally stopped spinning and Alexis could move again he found Marco standing in front of him, smiling again like the angel he was most certainly not. Alexis did not have to ask or guess, it was glaringly obvious. Slowly he sat up and pulled Marco closer by the hooks of his trousers until he could burry himself in Marco's crotch. Hungrily he bit along the stiffness under the trousers until Marco's gasps turned to moans.

"Alexis…", Marco panted, hands laid around Alexis' head.

Patiently Alexis opened Marco's trousers and shoved his damp pants down, revealing his erection. Marco's groans crumbled to a whimper as Alexis started sucking him off and his thighs trembled. It did not take much, too far was Marco gone, and his knees folded as he came in Alexis. Alexis wrapped his arms around him and held him steady until it was over. Slowly, Marco sank down on Alexis' lap and kissed the salt off Alexis' lips.

"I can't wait to race you again next season", Alexis whispered when they finally parted and caressed the lines and dimples of Marco's smile.

"Next time I won't be as nice", Marco warned.

Alexis laughed. "Try me!"

Marco grinned, planted one last kiss on Alexis' lips and stood up. Quickly he pulled his clothes together again then he inspected his phone. The screen had cracked on the frozen ground and Marco sighed.

"Could you order this taxi for me now, please? I have to be in Engelberg in…" he looked over to the television and read the time, "eight hours. I'm supposed to inaugurate a new gondola with the abbot of the local monastery."

Alexis, who had been scrolling through his own phone, let it sink and stared at Marco. For a few seconds nobody said anything, then Alexis burst out laughing.

[goldeagleprice]

Trip to England opens door to past

John Mussell helps staff his table at the Coinex show.

By Dick Hanscom

My wife said to me, “You’re going with me this year. When can you go?” She had “done” Cornwall the previous year with a family friend (looking for Poldark and Doc Martin).

So stuffing my dislike for traveling way, way down, I gave her a range of dates to encompass the Coinex coin show in London Sept. 22-23 and the Token Congress in Warwick two weekends later (Oct. 6-8). This was designed so that we (my business partner and I) could get our October auction printed and in the mail before I left, and I would return in time to assist in the run-up to our auction on Oct. 21.

We first flew south from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Anchorage, and then “over the pole” to Reykjavik, Iceland. After several flight delays, and compensation making Icelandair a little less profitable, we arrived in London Friday night about six hours later than expected.

Saturday morning, I went to Coinex while my wife Jan wandered around the area. I get overwhelmed at shows. I am not aggressive enough. I told her to give me two hours.

Coinex is a nice show, but small by U.S. standards. Obviously the emphasis is on British numismatics, which goes back way further than ours. They have a 2,000-year history to choose from. All of it was on display and offered for sale. It was really a great opportunity to see stuff we don’t normally see in Fairbanks.

I met John Mussel, publisher of Coin News, a British coin magazine. I had written a few articles for them 20 years ago, and promised an article or two. Have to scour the newsletter for something appropriate, or do something original.

A general view of the ballroom housing Coinex.

That afternoon, we took the hop-on, hop-off bus tour, just to get a feel for what we would do on Sunday. This was a pretty good orientation and set us up for walking about five miles the next day.

On Sunday, we took the tube to the Tower of London and spent a few hours there. The “Tower” is the White Tower, in the center of the castle. It gives its name to the castle complex. It houses an armory display on the first and second floors, and other displays on other floors, including a screw press.

A full view of the White Tower.

We walked the walls and went into some of the towers on the walls, with graffiti from the “inmates.”

The entrance to the Tower Mint.

The Crown Jewels are housed here, not in the tower, but another building on the grounds. Surprisingly (to me), the mint was not in the tower (you know, “Tower” mint), but along the outside wall. There was a display of old mint implements, a display for “Trial of the Pyx,” and displays of interesting coins.

Exhibit at the Tower Mint.

We left the Tower castle and proceeded to walk around London with no real destination. We ended up at Spitalfields market. We stumbled on a wool and fleece market. And then we walked some more. We walked by and looked at the Christopher Wren monument. I had a Winnie the Pooh moment, thinking Christopher Robin (hey, they are both bird names). I really can’t tell you where else we walked, but it was an enjoyable afternoon.

The “Da Vinci Code” chapel.

It was getting near 5 p.m. and time to head back to the hotel. Jan said, “The chapel where they filmed The Da Vinci Code is over there” (across the river). It had been pointed out to us on the bus tour the previous day. So we walked over the bridge and got to the approximate location, then did nearly a complete circle around where the chapel was without finding it. I asked a couple in a short alley if they knew where it was, and they gave us directions that got us right to it, right down to the guard house. The attendant informed us that the chapel was closed, but we could look at it from the outside. We figured that was better than nothing, so we walked in, saw the outside of the chapel, and headed out. On the street, Jan looked at a map and said, “I think our hotel is two blocks that way.” Duh! So if you go to London, we can recommend a Premier Inn that is two blocks from the Da Vinci chapel.

Monday was a travel day. We went to the train station to catch a train to Stratford-Upon-Avon, where we would be renting a car. Stratford-Upon-Avon is near Warwick, where the Token Congress would be in two weekends, and a convenient place to drop the car when we were done. An hour and a half or two hours later, we were there, caught a cab to the rental car, and picked up the car.

The first time getting in was odd, being on the right (wrong) side of the car. For the next two weeks, I heard my wife say, “Getting a little close to the curb; close to the white line; swing out to miss the car parked halfway in your lane,” etc. I was always hugging the left side of the road. But the best was when taking a right turn: “Stay in the left lane.” Now if you think I am complaining or ridiculing her, you are mistaken. Without her help, the car would have more than just a couple of cosmetic brush scrapes. I seem to recall a gasp when I cut a corner a little close coming off a bridge, narrowly missing the stone wall. Not to worry, I had it all under control. But her best help came at roundabouts: “Stay in the right lane, take the third exit,” or “Follow that car!” (or truck or bus).

David Greenhalgh demonstrates how coins were struck in ancient times with hammer and anvil dies.

So thus began our two-week drive around northern England and Wales. The first stop would be Metheringham to visit David Greenhalgh, a.k.a. Dave the Moneyer. The drive up was uneventful. Boring is good. Just getting the feel for driving on the left, navigating roundabouts, bouncing off the left curb …

Dave said we should meet in the local pub because he did not want to try to give me directions to his house. Metheringham is a tiny village, with cars parked on both sides of the street. Driving through was like slalom skiing! I found the White Hart Pub, walked in, and Dave was there with his laptop, using their WiFi. He was easily recognized, and since I had on an Alaska T-shirt, so was I.

The house of David Greenhalgh, a.k.a. Dave the Moneyer, at Metheringham.

After introductions, the publican looked at Dave and said, “He’s going to have trouble at your house.” I am about 6’1″ tall, and the doors at Dave’s house, which dates back to the 1600s, are not. I think Dave would have been disappointed if I did not whack my head at least once. Once was enough. I am a fast learner.

We followed Dave to his house. Solar panels were on the roof!

We arrived just before dinner, so we talked and got to know each other. Dinner was an excellent meat pie with “veg” and rice pudding for desert. After dinner, we talked a bit more, but Jan and I faded quickly, still not used to the time change.

In the morning, it was a full English breakfast: bacon, sausage, black pudding, eggs and fried tomatoes and mushrooms. I may have forgotten something. I don’t know how anyone can eat all of that. It was way too much, so I eased in with moderate portions. I can’t recommend the black pudding.

Following breakfast, we got a first-hand look at various aspects of “moneying.”

From left to right are shown Dave’s backyard shelter with forge, a view of the forge, and stored dies.

In the backyard is Dave’s shelter that he uses for his demonstrations. He fired up his forge to show how easy it is to bring it up to temperature to melt silver. Bellows and coal, a technique as old as his tokens look! As an exercise in authenticity, he even went to Norway, obtained iron ore, smelted it into iron, and made dies as they would have in Roman times.

But rather than smelting his own steel, he is using mild steel for dies. He can get 20,000 strikes from a set of dies. He has his “mint” set up in the atrium, with dies on shelves lining a wall. So many dies … at least a few hundred. Dave’s tokens resemble coins from ancient Britain up through medieval times, and even some non-British. These are struck in pewter, copper, silver and gold.

Examples of Dave’s tokens, which resemble coins from ancient Britain up through medieval times.

Dave demonstrated how he gets the distinctive (medieval-looking) lettering on his dies with only a nail filed flat to impart a small triangular impression when held at an angle. This is a tool that I might just be able to make and use.

Dave has created a full-time job for himself as a moneyer at renaissance fairs and other historical activities. He spent seven weeks this summer at Sutton Hoo Ship Burial site. A look at his web page, www.grunal.com, will show the scope of his endeavor.

Just before noon Tuesday, we headed to York. This was the beginning of our tour of northern England and Wales. We bounced between castle and abbey and cathedral for almost two weeks, with the miscellaneous numismatic stops along the way.

On our way to Chester, we detoured to Warrington. I have been corresponding with Bob Lyall for over 40 years. Our interests overlap in the south polar regions. He collects British colonial tokens, primarily from the small colonies. I collect polar, which included Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island, which are British colonies. We have maintained contact, keeping an eye open for items that might be of interest to each other.

We stopped in just before lunch and, after a short time, we departed for his local pub for fish and chips (and mushy peas – don’t ask). Bob drove … zoom, zoom, zoom. At least it felt like that after driving tentatively, cautiously, slowly, for two days. At this pub, and as we found out in London, and we would find throughout our visit, the portions were too big. An 18-year-old me could have put it away and more, but not at my age.

We left right after lunch for Chester. We would see Bob again at the Token Congress.

From Chester, we headed to Conwy and from Conwy to Aberystwyth, via Snowdonia National Park. Narrow roads and sharp turns. Kind of reminds one of the Denali National Park road, but it was paved.

And there were stone walls along either side. “Don’t get too close to the rock wall,” my navigator said, many times. The drops are pretty serious, though. And like Denali National Park, there are sheep. In Snowdonia, there are sheep all over the mountains and even up close. Sometimes they are even on the side of the road. So what if they are not Dahl sheep.

Who needs Denali National Park? If you want to see sheep, don’t come to Alaska. Go to Snowdonia. Sheeps is sheeps. Sadly, the official photographer did not choose to take a photo of them.

After leaving Aberystwyth, we headed south. There were two gold-related stops to be made. The first was Rhiannon Welsh Gold Center in Tregaron. Rhiannon fabricates Welsh gold into very attractive jewelry, many with traditional Welsh designs. I wanted to purchase a specimen, a small piece of raw Welsh gold. Only the sales staff was in when we arrived. The owner (Rhiannon) was due to arrive shortly. We went next door for a coffee. Unfortunately, we could not wait for her to arrive.

Jan at the entrance to the Welsh gold mine.

Our next stop was the Dolaucothi Gold Mine. This was my chance to pan some native Welsh gold. What I got was native Welsh pyrite! But that is okay. The Dolaucothi Gold Mine dates back to Roman times and was also mined in the Victorian era. They do two tours. We arrived just after the Roman tour began, so we had to settle for the Victorian tour. Our tour guide gave a history of the mine, back to the “pesky Romans” stealing the Welsh gold. The rest of her banter was in the same lighthearted vein and very entertaining. She eliminated our disappointment of missing the tour of the Roman workings.

They suited us up with boots, hard hats and lights. It was low ceilings all the way. I did not bang my head once! But at 5 feet tall, Jan did. She is not used to ducking. But no harm done. She was wearing a helmet.

I had brought a few small Alaska gold nuggets with me and showed them to our tour guide and staff. They were suitably impressed, as all that is ever found there is “flour gold” – very tiny specks.

Our friend, Glen Wilson, met us in Cardiff. I have corresponded with Glen for over 40 years. He is originally from Australia but went to the UK to investigate his family genealogy, got a job, and stayed. We met Glen when he visited Fairbanks two summers ago with Gail (his sister from Australia) and Carol (his cousin’s wife from the UK – we will meet Carol later in this trip). They were doing the usual cruise/land tour and tacked on a few extra days in Fairbanks. Jan visited with them last year when she was “doing Cornwall.”

The next morning, we headed to the Royal Mint in Llantrisant. I had booked the 10 a.m. tour, and that was a good thing. There was only one other couple in our group, but by the time we came out, the size of the groups had grown significantly. The tour took about an hour, while we looked at minting machinery (from a distance while standing behind glass) and the tour guide gave her speech. At the end of the tour, we struck our own new 12-sided, bimetal, one-pound coin with improved security features. An attendant would place a blank in the press while we stood behind a railing, 10 feet away from the press, and pressed a button. The press would press the coin once, recede slightly, and press it again. Yee-ha.

The best part of the whole tour was the displays that followed the tour, with many coins going back to about 1000 C.E., including the first coins from the Royal Mint and carrying on through the years, showing many historic coins and rarities.

We left Cardiff the next morning (Friday) to drive to Stratford-Upon-Avon to drop off the rental car. Only a couple more hours, and I would not have to use that £100 deductible for accident coverage! With Jan navigating and Glen in the back seat also navigating, the navigators did not always agree. One was always ahead of the other, and not always the same one.

As we were getting close to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Jan cackled sinisterly. Over the next 30 miles, there would be 12 roundabouts. A true test of fire to see if I could get the car back undamaged. And before noon! Well, we didn’t make it. We would have made it before noon if I had not missed the last turn. But then we would not have found the gas station to “bring it back full.” We were only about 15 minutes late, and there was no problem. Carol picked us up for the short drive to Warwick.

We arrived at the Warwick Hilton shortly after noon. It was too early for check-in, so our bags were put in storage. I met Dave Smith, the organizer of the Token Congress, with whom I had been communicating for several months.

I was pleased to see my Schmetzlandia token and article on Page 3 of the show program. When I first contacted Dave, I asked if he would like to have me strike a token at the Congress and sent him a copy of the article. He declined, saying that they had done that before and it was a bit noisy. Later, he asked if he could use the article in the program. I said of course, and I would provide silver tokens to include with the article.

Carol then took us to Stratford-Upon-Avon for a short walk-around tour. We saw “Shakespeare” this and “Shakspear” that and still more “Shakspere.” Seems he did not get hung up on the spelling. It was really a neat city, well preserved or well restored.

Back at the hotel for dinner and then the auction, I examined the offerings, but there was nothing for me, so I skipped it in favor of an early night. After all, I would be giving my presentation on Alaska tokens at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Saturday morning after breakfast, it was off to the presentations. There are so many facets of British token collecting that it would be difficult to list them all. The program of presentations covered the gamut. “Investigating boring market tokens” was anything but boring. “A Sentimental Journey” was a surprise, as “Sentimental” was a magazine that gave away medals with subscriptions.

Time came for my presentation, and it seemed to zoom by. I think it went well. They now know more than they ever wanted to know about Alaska tokens. It seems that it was well received. Feedback was positive, but no one is going to come over and say, “That was boring.” I will take it as a win.

Other presentations included, “Tokens of the Black Country iron industry,” “Engraved coins,” “Norfolk’s 17c Tokens,” and others. These were followed by the “Gala Dinner.” Too much silverware … what do I do with this fork? Clearly out of my element.

Token Congress bourse activity.

After dinner was the bourse, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Really? But that was the only way to fit it in. And the room did not empty out until nearly midnight. For most of the night, there were clusters of customers in front of each dealer.

I was there selling my two books, Tinnahs & Sealskins, Gold Dust & Bingles and Striking Gold in Alaska, and trying to sell my gold tokens, gold nuggets and Savoonga 1¢ tokens. Why Savoonga 1¢ tokens? Because Savoonga was mentioned in my presentation and because they are cheap – £2!

At the bourse, Andrew Wager gave me a copy of his book The Mystery of Henry Morgan, a numismatic detective story (not the pirate), so I reciprocated and gave him a copy of Striking Gold. I have had a passing interest in the silver token issues circa 1812. After reading Andrew’s book, I will have to consciously restrain myself. The book was fascinating. It’s a good thing I hadn’t read this book before the bourse, as I might have started looking for silver shilling tokens! The one from the Isle of Wight is really cool.

Jan and Glen manned the table while I wandered around looking for the one item I had decided would be my souvenir from this trip – an Anglesey penny token in Mint State. Unfortunately, there was none to be found. There were some nice XF tokens, but none as good as I wanted. Ironically, within a week of arriving home, I purchased an Anglesey penny token on eBay. Listed as uncirculated, it is only an AU, but the price was right until I manage to find a Mint State example.

Jan took no photos at the Token Congress. Glen, the habitual photographer, did not take any, either.

Fortunately, Carol took one photo at the bourse. It just happened to be of Glen, Jan, me and Bob Lyall. Pure luck!

The following morning, the presentations started again at 9 a.m. While the speaker acknowledged that these were not the most favored of British tokens, “The evolution of British lead and pewter tokens, 1200-1850” was extremely interesting. I was disappointed to find out in “James Wright Junior, a scholar but not a gentleman” that he was not a scoundrel, just not of the gentlemanly class.

With a few presentations to go, we had to leave to catch a bus to Gatwick for our flight the next morning.

Conclusions

I would go back again, but not without a navigator. Without Jan in the passenger seat, I would have been in panic mode all the time. As it was, I was in near-panic mode at times. But it was all endurable and worthwhile.

I found British drivers to be most courteous. They know the conditions and adapt to them. That said, I was mostly outside of cities, and one would expect better-mannered drivers in the countryside.

I would really like to go to the Token Congress again. It was a most enjoyable weekend, very informal and low-key. The most stress was trying to see the tokens at the bourse.

Give me a vote, and I will vote to keep the $1 bill. Having a pocketful of £1 and £2 coins was annoying. I supposed one gets used to it.

  This article was originally printed in World Coin News. >> Subscribe today.

  More Collecting Resources

• The Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700 is your guide to images, prices and information on coins from so long ago.

• More than 600 issuing locations are represented in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800 .

The post Trip to England opens door to past appeared first on Numismatic News.

[wallythayer]

Olympic Spirit: Julia Mancuso

Julia Mancuso mastered the bunny slope when she was just 4 years old. “There was a great ski program for kids in Squaw Valley, Calif., where I grew up,” she recalls. “On weekends, my parents would drop me off and I’d ski all day.”

She started alpine-ski racing before she reached junior high and debuted on the elite World Cup stage at 15. In 2005 the then 21-year-old phenom scored bronze medals in super-G (super-giant slalom) and giant slalom races.

A year later, at the Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, she won her first Olympic gold medal in the giant slalom, despite nursing a nagging injury.

“It’s inevitable that you’re going to have an injury when you’re skiing, because you’re going so fast and you can’t predict how your skis are going to react underneath you,” she says. “It’s hard to stay on your feet all the time.”

Even though she’s fallen down, Mancuso doesn’t let injuries keep her from hitting the slopes. In fact, comebacks — and high-pressure performances — seem to be her sweet spot.

After having surgery to correct hip dysplasia in 2006, she won her first World Cup race in 2007 and finished the season in third place overall. It was the best finish for an American female skier since 1984.

Though she was hobbled by back injuries in 2008 and 2009, Mancuso nabbed two silver medals at the 2010 Vancouver Games, which revitalized her career. In the subsequent World Cup season, she found herself on the podium after multiple races.

Yet she felt her performance was lagging, so she decided to take a break from racing to prepare for the 2014 Olympics. The strategy worked: She left Sochi with a bronze medal — her fourth overall.

Mancuso underwent a second hip surgery in November 2015 to fix degenerating cartilage. Her recovery has kept her from World Cup competition since then. Despite the extended break, she’s set her sights on the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

While she admits at times to feeling behind in her training, she’s armed with “a stubborn drive and a positive mindset.” Those two traits have helped propel her to the top of her sport — time and time again.

Q&A

Experience Life | You played several sports as a kid. What made you choose alpine skiing?

Julia Mancuso | I played soccer and did gymnastics, but I loved skiing the most because of the freedom it offered. I didn’t have to play with a team or show up at a certain time. Then there’s the adrenaline aspect of skiing and racing that can’t be beat.

I also love the aspect of being outside. Nature is invigorating, and as a kid I was inspired to just be in the fresh air. It still gives me a ton of energy, and I’m outside as much as possible these days, whether it’s on skis or a paddleboard.

EL | You’ve had multiple surgeries. What do you do to support your recovery?

JM | After my first hip surgery, I recovered well with strength training and physical therapy. But I started to have back pain because of the constant compensation patterns that I formed, so I had to seek out other options.

I tried lots of things and discovered a technique called NeuroKinetic Therapy Pilates, which is basically using Pilates equipment and machines to connect your brain with the correct movement patterns.

It also applies the philosophy of anatomy trains. These are lines of bone and connective tissue running throughout the body that organize the structural forces required for motion and may serve as conduits for modalities like acupuncture.

This allowed me to re-create disc space in my back. I’ve been doing it ever since, along with physical therapy and a lot of body-weight strength training.

EL | What have been the biggest challenges of recovery? 

JM | One is that I had to learn to walk again. I spent three months using crutches and then three months using a cane. That was physically and mentally hard. Doctors never tell you that recovering is going to take you longer than you think it will or should.

For me, other people’s perception is probably the hardest thing. We all deal with going through something tough in our own ways, but when I run into people and they ask me what’s wrong because I’m limping, or they look at me with sad eyes, it’s hard. I don’t want people to pity me.

EL | What have you learned during the recovery process? 

JM | Taking a break from racing helped me recenter and reset my mind, and rest my body. The only pain I have now is in my hip.

Since I couldn’t be active, I studied a lot about nutrition. I’ve always had a great diet and focused on eating organic, but I was never precise about it because I didn’t have to be. I was working out and skiing so many hours each day that it didn’t really matter if I got off-course a bit or ate a little more sugar.

But during this recovery period, I got into health coaching and began fine-tuning what I ate. I focused on what was healthy for me and what made me feel good and what didn’t. It was a lot easier to tell the difference when I wasn’t burning so many calories a day.

My health-coaching training also helped me see how connected everything is on a basic level — our exercise, our nutrition, our habits, and our mindset. I’m a firm believer in setting intentions, the power of positive thinking, and creating what you want, and I’ve been trying to heal myself in all those ways, too.

EL | What’s helped you be so successful in your sport and your life?

JM | I have always set intentions and believed I could achieve them. I used to get in trouble with my coaches when I filled out goal sheets because I would write that I wanted to be the best and I wanted to get first place. They often told me to set realistic goals, and I never understood why I would put down something less than what I wanted.

But I didn’t really fixate on being the best at my sport compared with other people. I focused on being the best at my sport for myself and really challenging my own skill. Comparing yourself with others is a good way to end up feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.

EL | What will it mean to you when you’re back on Team USA?

JM | Yes, when I make the Olympic team — that’s how you set an intention!

When I was training for the 2014 games, I was skiing well, but I had a setback during the Olympics. Even though I won a bronze medal, I felt like I left a lot on the slopes. That’s when I set the goal that I’m going to the Olympics in South Korea as prepared as I can be and I’m going to win another medal.

But as I’ve been recovering and training, I’ve gained a new perspective on how meaningful it is to even be a part of the sport and to just make the Olympic team. I’ve come full circle. Instead of ending my career at the top, I’m back to the mindset that I had when I first made the team, which gives me better insight on how to inspire the next generation. I know what it’s like to fight hard and to come back, and I know what it’s like to want something so bad and not understand how to get it.

I’m a huge Olympics fan. The Olympic spirit isn’t about who’s winning the medals — it’s about bringing people together and representing the pinnacle of your sport. I want to be a part of that.

Get the full story at https://experiencelife.com/article/olympic-spirit-julia-mancuso/

[mrlongkgraves]

Julia Marino’s Olympic story: Achieving after injury

Julia Marino is always thinking about her story, and it would be hard not too, given how much of an adventure her life has been so far. “Being adopted out of Paraguay to have a normal life in America would’ve been enough of a story itself,” she says. “But I’ve had the chance to live a life beyond what anybody could even dream of.”

As an Olympic skier, Julia has been competing at the top of her sport for almost a decade. In 2014, she reached the pinnacle of snow sports at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. But how she got there – and where she plans on going now – was heavily influenced by a devastating knee injury just a few years before the Olympics.

An untimely injury

At the age of 17, Julia was turning heads as a rising star in the slopestyle World Cup circuit. Slopestyle is a relatively new event in the Olympics, and involves skiers navigating a terrain park course while grinding rails and performing jaw-dropping tricks off of big-air jumps. Not surprisingly, injuries are common within the sport. In the first event of the 2009 season, Julia landed awkwardly after a jump and heard a pop in her left knee – followed by immense pain – signaling the tear of her ACL.

An MRI at Boston Children’s Hospital confirmed the ACL tear, and Julia was scheduled to have surgery with Dr. Martha M. Murray, an orthopedic surgeon in Boston Children’s Sports Medicine Division. Given the high rates of re-injury for female athletes, particularly in sports like skiing, Murray suggested a conservative treatment and recovery plan, something that was tough for an adrenaline-fueled athlete like Julia to come to terms with. “I think the approach we took had benefits I couldn’t see at the time, because I was young and just wanted to be practicing,” Julia recalls. “I had never suffered an injury and didn’t know the repercussions of coming back to sports too quickly.”

The biggest gift I’ve had coming from Boston Children’s has been trusting Dr. Murray’s approach.”

Since her knee reconstruction surgery with Dr. Murray in 2010, Julia has experienced no other knee injuries. “I think that’s something that really speaks volumes in the world of skiing — especially among female skiers,” Julia says. “I have friends who have had 3 or 4 different knee reconstructions throughout their careers.”

Marino was able to qualify and compete in the 2014 Olympics on her reconstructed knee, representing her home country of Paraguay as their first ever winter Olympian. She even proudly carried her birth-country’s flag during the opening ceremonies.

Where to go when you’ve reached the top

With her knee back to full strength and the 2014 Olympics in the rearview, Julia found herself at a crossroads. “After the Olympics, I felt like I accomplished everything I could in the world of skiing. I didn’t know if I wanted to continue to competitively ski in the slopestyle discipline.” She took some time off and finally experienced a full year of school at the University of Colorado at Boulder – uninterrupted by her past regimen of training and travelling.

Her time away from competitive skiing gave Julia the chance to live the life of a normal college student and reflect on next steps. “During that time, I gained a lot of perspective on athletics and how I felt about moving forward, as well as what I could do with my Olympic story.” Still hungry for Olympic-level competition, Julia decided to switch her event from slopestyle to slalom and giant slalom – both of which are alpine skiing events where competitors fly downhill between sets of gates, trying to get the fastest time.

Julia has now spent over a year re-learning how to ski in order to fit her style to this new, more technical discipline. The process has her feeling reinvigorated and challenged again. “I kind of feel like Conor McGregor going from MMA to boxing,” she laughs. “I had some of the skills required, but I needed to refine certain areas of my skiing.”

Julia flipping over a jump on the terrain park after her injury

Next steps and a fresh start

Adaptation has been a common theme in Julia’s story. From adjusting to a life in America after being adopted as a child, to going from nonstop training to rehabbing her ACL, Julia’s perspective and maturity have grown through adversity. “I think for any athlete, an injury can be this make or break point in your career,” Julia says. “But it’s really the attitude you have towards it that determines where you go next.”

Julia Marino’s next step is qualifying for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. With her knee at full-health and the excitement of a fresh start in a new discipline, Julia’s positivity is pushing her forward. But her maturity also allows her to look back on her injury and rehab experience with gratitude for where she is now. “The biggest gift I’ve had coming from Boston Children’s has been trusting Dr. Murray’s approach. I haven’t had any knee injury since, and this is a sport where the re-injury rates are through the roof.”

Continuing her story

From a young age, Julia has faced challenges in life with a maturity beyond her years. She can now reflect on some of the lessons she learned while she was unable to ski. “My injury showed me that there are certain things you can control and other things you can’t. It helped me grow up and gave me a completely different mentality and perspective.”

When asked what she loves about skiing, Julia thinks for a moment, “When I’m skiing nothing else really matters, and there’s this creative freedom to it, where you can choose any trail you want to go down.” The trail Julia has chosen now may just lead her back to a second Olympics, and along the way it’s giving her a chance to tell her story. She is currently working on a book about her life. “I feel like my story is really unique,” she says. “I can connect with so many different groups of people, whether that’s athletes, females, people who lost their parents or kids who were adopted.” Julia’s story is still writing itself, and may soon include a second Olympic chapter.

Learn more about Boston Children’s ACL Program.

The post Julia Marino’s Olympic story: Achieving after injury appeared first on Thriving Blog.

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