This might actually be in the title of the book. It may have been published in the 70s or before but definitely not later than the early 80s. I believe it was a book of children's poems about an old lady and one of them was "There was an old lady who wanted to ski, she wouldn't take lessons - it's easy said she! She tried and she tried but she just couldn't go. Nobody told her she had to have snow."
I think it might be a book by Shirley Pettigrew.I had the Scholastic paperback version There was an Old Lady Who Once Saw a Ghost: And other funny rhymes (Selected from There Was an Old Lady). There’s a photo of the cover here: https://images.app.goo.gl/wQXbDr8QfaQXtpF88
Thank you so much! My mom used to read this to my older siblings before I was born. I’ve wanted to buy her a copy of it for years but no one could ever remember what it was called. She is going to be so surprised! Thank you thank you! I wish you all the best!