DANGLES--

Lots
and
Lots
and
Lots 
of Dangles



Brian Boardman, a veteran square dancer from Lawrenceville, GA, shows a "small part" of his collection of dangles while enjoying the 2013 Florida Winter Festival, a state-level square dancing event held recently in Lakeland, near Tampa.

His collection caught my eye as one of the largest I had ever noticed.

Dangles are usually about an inch or less in size and given as souvenirs to folks dancing for the first time at a square dance club or event.  Sometimes they are awarded to folks for their first time dancing to an individual caller.

My lady Sue who has been dancing almost 30 years has a collection of dangles which commemorates nearly 30 years of "Octoberfest" dances alone, conducted by our home dance club, The Johnny Appleseed Squares in Mansfield, OH 

All of her collection are red and show the year of the dance.  They are displayed in three columns abreast and over a foot long which she usually wears at the following year's event.

Brian was surprised when I knew his town was in Gwinnett County GA.  I remembered that from long-ago visits with my late wife Carol's older brother Denny and family who lived there.

Small world.

Speaking of a small world; at this weekend event Sue and I were traveling with Mike Friedman and Linda Adkins dancing friends of ours from the Delaware, OH area who are visiting in Vero Beach.  Also at this event we were pleased to encounter Al and Bonnie Putnam from Galion, OH who winter just a bit south of Vero Beach and former Appleseeds Cris and Barb Harding from Ashland, OH who winter south of Tampa.

And, we had just danced a week or so ago in Vero Beach and Fort Pierce, FL with Ashland friends Bernie and Frank Phillips who were passing through the area on a short visit.

And, at one of those dancing events we helped celebrate Al Putnam's first-ever calling of a square dance.

Small world indeed.