Field of Dreams...

I love baseball....there is just no other way to put it...I love it! Any baseball...all baseball... I grew up around the game. My dad played baseball & later softball in leagues throughout my childhood...Spring & summer nights meant sitting at a ballpark watching the guys play, listening to the Phillies on my Grandpop's radio...Already in his 70's then, my Pop never missed my dad's games. In Pop's eyes, my dad was the best catcher in the game, best hitter (mostly grand slams...so he really was), just the best... Pop yelled at the umps, yelled at the radio and always gave me a running commentary about the "Game". There was no talk but Phillies talk in my grandparent's house from the time pitcher & catchers reported to Spring training until October...and even then, in the "off-season", he was getting ready for Spring Training. Pure love of the game kind of stuff. When I think of my Pop now I see him in a Phillies T-shirt, Phillies hat on the bleachers watching my dad at Finnegan Park in the city cheering & yelling & loving the game...When my Pop finally passed away in his 90th year...my heart ached for him...it still does...but every spring he's closer. My son is a baseball player...at 11 he doesn't just play the game...he has it inside him. The rules, the stats, the pure love and understanding of the game..
My Pop had it, my Dad still has it...I can't remember a stat (unless it's my son's)...but my heart is true and this time of year it's filled with baseball... We spend this time of year on the ball fields. We just went to a Phillies game a few weeks ago... I love it there...but my favorite place to be is on a little ballpark in the middle of our town, watching my son from the bleachers... In my eyes, he's the best catcher, the best hitter, just the best...

But can we still make coffee???

Our hot water heater died yesterday. It was (apparently) a quick death...and it happened while I was in the shower...so I'd like to say that I was "there" when it happened. Of course I was trying to rush a shower in with the 50 million other things that I had to do before my Little Guy's baseball game last night...although the ice cold water really did help to hurry me along;) So now I've been thinking (whilst waiting for the new hot water heater & install person to arrive) that I really take things like hot water for granted... In my panicked, cold shower induced frenzy of shrieking at my husband, the kids, the dog & the local home improvement store customer service rep, I realized just how dependent I am on all of my gadgets, big & small, "working" properly. I expect the coffee (timer) to be ready when I wake up (alarm clock) in the morning, need the stove (electric) to cook the oatmeal, heat or air-conditioner (gas) making the room "room temperature"....you see where I'm going with this? Think about all the thing that you do during the day and how many times you just push a button, hit a switch, turn a key...and something starts... And my computer is probably the most important of all...I rely on my computer for the never ending email that keeps me connected to everyone, everywhere... The baseball coach, soccer coach, dancing school teacher all contact me via email... My friends, family, insurance company and doctor's office, the vet, the school and even my church!! Not to mention...I can find out which Dancing with the Stars star went home last night with a click of the mouse... Ok...so I guess I really should have some perspective here. Yes, we have no hot water... so...until the repairman comes...no shower, no cleaning, no running the dishwasher... but hey, I've got hot coffee and email... I'll be fine...

20 things to do before I turn (wow) 40...

Wow, I'm going to be 40.......in four year. I'm actually almost speechless...& I'm a writer.... I finished a really sweet book today called "The Next Thing on My List" by Jill Smolinski. In a nutshell it's the story of a thirty-something woman who decides to complete a "20 things to do before my next birthday" type list that she finds after the sudden death of an acquaintance... The heroine decides to complete the dead woman's list...and ends up changing her entire life in the process... It's the kind of story that makes you want to compile a list, literally, and then go about completing it... So, in the spirit of the story I looked ahead to my next milestone birthday, so as to pen a 20 things to do before my....and that's when it hit me...my next milestone birthday is going to be my 40th. Wow (again). How did I get here? I still remember my (achingly) Sweet 16, 21 was a blur...but momentous none the less... 25... I'd just had my first child & I forgot about my birthday all together until 26 rolled around. 30 I ignored, pointedly. It seems that I turned 35 last may...although again it was riddled with denial...But 40...that's a big one. Wow. It's not so much the age that's getting me here...my husband is 42...my mother is still gorgeous at almost 60... A lot of my good friends are 40 and fabulous... It's just, wow. What have I been doing with all my time? When will I finish the novel that his been dancing around in my head all these years? Am I to old to jump on the trampoline with the kids (NO)...I'm just old enough to be sore the next day...I still feel so young...ok, not early twenties...party like a rock star young...but young enough... I went to a bar with my youngest sister a month ago... and I am pleased to report that although I was probably the oldest person there with the exception of the management (yeah...one of those young, trendy, who can dance in heels this high bars), I did manage to attract a bit of attention...ok it was really dark & everyone was pretty much drunk by the time I got there because I had to wait for my husband to get home from work before I could leave...but I got hit on a few times...which doesn't happen much in my soccer mom world... And it's funny because I couldn't really enjoy it because I was so worried about how all these "young kids" were getting home...and who they were going home with... I had to stop myself from
frowing & asking for ID a few times... Sometimes I'm such an old lady & such a momma that I just can't help myself. Yes, I like to "mommy" everyone & make sure they get home ok & hanging out with my kids is still my favorite way to spend the day...I'd just like to look about 25 while doing it & maybe be mistaken for the (hot) nanny occasionally... (Maybe I'll put that one on my list)...............