Take me out to the ballgame.....

A sleepy good morning from this Tiger fan!! Can you believe that my boys hung tough against those Indians to the tune of 13 innings? 12 to 12 in the twelve at 12 minutes after 12? Yeah, baby!!!!! We joke that in our family, baseball is in our DNA. It's practically our religion. My 94 year young Granny Iola still watches or listens to the Tigers. My Grandpa was a noted ball player and coach that drew respect from many. When living in Detroit, he rarely missed a home game. His sons, my uncles, also played and I was old enough to see their talent. Both of their sons were also stars and I loved cheering them on. My own Dad coached many champion ship teams with my brother playing. Sister Lisa, in lieu of a company Christmas party, loaded up a whole buss with employees and sojourned down for a Tigers game. I crashed the party and much hysteria ensued as it was some of the party's first Comerica Park experience. My, son was a great player and I was a great "team Mom." But instead of the usual pop and chips fare provided by most moms, I doled out natural juice and granola bars--much to my sons chagrin. Gotta eat healthy and grow to be big, bad, baseball players, I would remind them. The whole family would get to the games early and claim spots on the bench. Being in northern Michigan in May constituted the necessity of blankets and hats sometimes. But we persevered thru interminable t-ball games that were both really long and really BORING with little resemblance to the real game. But necessary to get the kids ready for the holy grail of Little League. When Dane pitched, I whoo hooed every strike and antagonized over every ball. There was a sorry incidence once, when he called a time out and stomped off the mound and over to the bench for a confab with me. Seems my loud --and in his opinion overzealous cheering was distracting him from his job. Well, EXCUSE me for livin'!!! As many of us can recall George and Ernie were the voices of summer, always on while Dad was grilling. When Alpena won the Junior Babe Ruth WORLD championships, well, I can tell you our whole town was upside down with baseball pride. Which brings me to the Pudge trade. I HATE trades cuz I get unnaturally attached to the players. I have a theory that I am sure would make more sense. I say, why don't we have a draft like in Little League? Coaches would one by one choose their players from the pool and what you ended up with, you had to coach. No more buying a team. Coaches would coach and train players in their weak spots and build the teams talent the old fashioned way. Players would be on the same team for five years and then we could have a re-draft. In the case of the Tigers, I would personally tend to their "hair needs" (Ah.h.h. Magglio) and also lead yoga classes!! I wouldn't have to see fan favorites like Pudge get sent off before I am ready. So, peace out Pudge, I will miss you with your talent, smile and reminder of who really gets the credit--by your sign of the cross. Our loss is New York's gain. xoxoxoo! Oh, and Whoo Hoo!

Can't get enough of your love, babe......

Our dear friends Kelly and Brian got married last weekend. It was a gorgeous day for a beautiful couple. A joyous occasion for a truly connected bride and groom--one that I was honored and proud to be a part of. Yes, I was a bridesmaid--quite possibly the oldest and surely the most jaded one ever. Weren't my shoes HOTT?!! But I digress. As a veteran bridesmaid, this event threw me into reflection on marriage and forever and ever til death parts us. Kelly and Brian have avoided most pitfalls going in as they are a little older than most "first timers", and have been friends first for years. Being more experienced in life, they possess communication and compromising skills that will carry them--also, they are so very much in LOVE. Although I completely support their union, I truly do not believe in marriage on the whole. It's just not for everybody. I think it's a lovely fairy tale with a 50/50 chance at best for success. We are SO destined to fail. So, here goes with my opinion, based on MUCH experience as well as some nature based reasoning. I recommend NEVER marrying before the age of 28 for women and, say, 30 for men. Why? Well, a woman does not even settle on her true personality till around that age. Many of us married young only to wake up one day asking "Who the hell are you?" in the mirror. A man, well, he needs to do what comes naturally and get it out of his system before even THINKING that he has a chance at fidelity. It's just the way we are drawn. I have a theory that marriage is the most unnatural union known to man because of this. Men were designed to "spread the seed" and populate the earth, while woman were set up to bear and nurture the little "seeds." Its just the nature of the beast. Sex and survival being two of our most powerful instincts, it's doomed to view it any other way. Basic and simple, and oh so true. Kinda like poundin' the square peg into the round hole. Anything after that is forced on us by societal rules that deem that we should do quite the opposite. Live together? Ha! How to go nuts in one easy lesson! I think the Native Americans probably had the right idea by housing the women in one tepee and the loincloths in another. Visits were open and liberal and nobody worried about picking up socks or leaving toilet seats up. No fighting over the remote, either. The guys could boast of their hunting and "seed spreading" conquests and the girls could gossip and nurture in peace. Worked for everybody. All doing what came naturally. Unlike us, they were not barraged with images that made them think they were missing something. Or, the pressures and temptations of working outside of the home, television, movies, magazines, computers, etc. And, blessed be, women's bodies were honored in their natural form. What you could see was what you got. So now that we are so "evolved", how can we make this thing work? And where does the love fit in? Love has to be in the form of acceptance, compromise, consideration and respect. And attraction. Kelly and Brian have shown all of these things and more. Everything it takes for a lifelong commitment and to this I say congrats and love, to you both. xoxo

It's My Party.....

So I had a birthday. A BIG one. Always one to keep 'em low key and fuss less, (read: NO PARTY!) this particular one was no different. MY rules. Or so I thought. The calls came in like crazy from friends and family with everyone expressing sympathy and support. A few (drunken!) songs were sung and my darling Emily, age 3, called to wish me a happy birthday, as no day is more important in a three year olds eyes. Some birthday e-mails from my more efficient techie friends. I have a pile of cards that never fail to tickle me. My 94 year young granny sends hers with a return address that simply says "Grandma". It strengthens my resolve every year to be more prompt sending cards cuz it's really cool to receive them on THE day, instead of a week or two late, which is sometimes my style. I recommend one of those calendar books with monthly pouches that hold the appropriate cards--you just have to remember to check it now an then!!! But the biggest surprise--and I usually HATE this sort of thing.... was walking into El Charo to meet my friend Rose, only to be greeted by a small party for a "Sex and the City" themed get together. (Smile and deep breaths, here). She recruited two other friends and it was margaritas around. Cosmos do not work with the Mexicano thing. There were toasts and delicious taste treats. Age comments were kept to a minimum. Rose treated me to a darling personal cake in my favorite flavors. The gifts were sweet and generous. It was truly fun. Now, I am not sure why I get the creepies at the thought of any party--surprise or otherwise--where I am the center of attention. Never having been one to shy away and have rarely "blended in" at any other time in my life, I rather prefer to control my own spotlight. And, I guess it's the old catholic guilt thing rearing it's sometimes ugly head but I just have a hard time when someone deems me worthy of such attention. My Mom is like that too, so I get it honest. It's okay for us to DO nice things, but it's hard to accept them back, along with the perceived pressure attached. This can range from compliments on our appearances to our cooking. Why? It's like some weird form of self flattery or denial or something. Buried under layers of old piousness or self sacrificing. In this world of self indulgence, it strikes me as a very dated ideal. Mine, nonetheless. Anyhoo, the revelry went into the evening with more food, drinks, toasts, gifts, etc. All thoughtful and designed for me. Arriving home tipsy and full, I realized that sometimes letting go of the control is nice and it's okay to give into it. Some things like birthdays are meant to be out of our control and for just one day, I let others do it their way for me. And this old girl LOVED it! Thanks to all of you that respected my NO PARTY wishes. Everything else you said and did was just perfect..Love to you all..xoxoxoxo

It's Independance Day...(or rather was).....

Happy Belated 4Th of July everyone. I spent a long, wonderful weekend at our beach house, with all intentions of posting. Armed with my laptop and my new Verizon card, I SHOULD have been able to sit on the beach and do an inspired post. A more serene setting could not be found to ponder the universe and profoundly post about it. Just sittin' on the beach and writing. My attempt to load up was met with a sort of rude message that my modem was already in use or some such hooey. OF COURSE. Pure serenity was broken by me cursing out Verizon, computers, and the general state of world affairs. Rant, rave, rave, rant. Would it be too much to ask? Can't everything just work as it should? I know, computers are only as good as the schmuck runnin' it. To this I say bullshit! Last weekend when this schmuck loaded it all up, it ran as smooth as silk. Yep. No Problemo. So whussup now? Maybe some kind of satellite overload with all the holiday phone and computer users? I don't know, but since I am rather a weak high tech red neck and I had no 12 year old available to save me, I just trashed the whole idea. Didn't imagine I left too many people hangin' on the edge with bated breath for my next thrilling excerpt, anyway. However, that is not the point. I decided to vent my frustrations with a workout DVD. Maybe a little sweat and releasing an endorphin or two would take off the edge. All tennis shoed up with stretchy band thing in hand, I took out the case. OF COURSE, the DVD was not in there!! ARRGH. More muttered oaths. Okay. So, then maybe I will just hop on the 4 wheeler and cruise the beach or visit neighbors. Change clothes, apply sunscreen, and turn key on Polaris. OF COURSE, the battery is dead. Why wouldn't it be? Just a little less cursing. Okay. Having exhausted plans A, B and C, I was left with very few options. The lawn chair, book and cocktail edged out the nap by a hair. Settled in said chair, with a view of the water and my book, I realized, now THAT'S serenity. And perfection. It's all good. The rest of the holiday went rather smoothly and traditionally, with a chicken BBQ, fireworks and a bonfire. The old fashioned way. Good friends, good food and the perfect holiday for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Hope yours was simple and serene, however you pursued it. xo

P.S. Note the hokey, pic. Forgot to get a beach shot! xo