I started this post a while back and thought I'd give an update.
I'm skating in 2 leagues right now, plus attending another instructional class/league and doing stick time once per week. So that's 4 times a week that I'm on the ice.
I know that I've made lots of progress in several areas. I've been told by several players and coaches that my skating is a million times better than when I first started. I do feel more secure on the ice, although the things I can do in class/during stick time don't always happen during game situations - for example, I've got transitions and right over left crossovers down like nobody's business during practice. During a game...they just don't happen. I know that eventually muscle memory will make them accessible during game situations, but until then I just have to practice a bit!
I've done some drop-in games and was asked how long I've been playing, the guy was surprised when I told him since April. He remarked that I was where I'm supposed to be on the ice, and that I was holding my own out there. I may not be perfect, but I am generally where I'm supposed to be and give 100%. As the skill increases, I expect to do more and be more effective.
In the beginning, I hardly touched the puck. If I got it, I flung it away in a panic. Now I look around and try to make good decisions. I still don't always think to skate with it as a first choice, just because I know I'm slow and likely to lose it. I've started to get SOG, and I've had about 5 assists this season. I had NO assists last season, and maybe only one SOG ever. So I'm moving towards the position of being a contributor rather than a pylon!
I've not run into many people who are mean or anything towards me as a n00b. In one game (organized pick-up) that I played, I'm pretty sure someone asked the other team to take it easy on me, since it was clear that I didn't stand a chance against him. Halfway through the first period, he backed off a little bit - didn't let me score any easy goals, but I did get to touch the puck and skate with it a little bit. There is one person I've played with that annoyed me a bit - it was an unimportant friendly game, the other team was up 10-3 - and yet every single time I got the puck, she'd come over and take it before I even made two strides with it. We were just subbing in for whatever position the person who came off had been playing, but no matter what position I was at the time, or what position she was playing, she would come take it from me. I felt like just saying "OK, I GET IT! YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME! JUST TAKE THE PUCK AND I'LL GO SIT ON THE BENCH." That's been the exception though, not the norm at all. For the most part everyone has been encouraging and that has been wonderful.