How Does Your Garden Grow?

Not much change in the garden between last week and this, but there are some small changes

If you look very carefully, you can see the female cardinal in the honeysuckle vine. I've caught her visiting a couple of times a day. She sometimes has bits of grass or twigs in her beak, and I think she may be trying to build her nest in the vine. Other times, I've seen her tug at the vine and come away with a twig and fly off perhaps, just gathering material to build her nest elsewhere.

Here she is emerging from the vine.

And finally, near my neighbor's driveway. A robin, the first sign of Spring! Taken from the livingroom window, that little speck is the robin.

And inside, Concordia, the peace lily, is working on a flower.

How does your garden grow?

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:
Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:me favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:

In honor of the the Red Sox Home Opener on 9. April some favorite baseball movies

The Natural (1984), Robert (Be Still My Heart) Redford

It Happens Every Spring (1949) Paul Douglas, Ray Milland

Angels in the Outfield (1951) Paul Douglas, Janet Leigh

The Pride of the Yankees (1942) Gary Cooper, Babe Ruth

Kill the Umpire (1951) William Bendix

Field of Dreams (1989) Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster

A League of Their Own (1992) Geena Davis, Tom Hanks

42 (2013) Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford

If you haven't seen any of these movies, check out Netflix, Amazon Prime, or YouTube.com

The Friday Five Good Things

June 17, 2018

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Despite having to wait for the funeral procession, I got The Young One and her Friend to the train station on time. They had to run, but they made the train to Boston and the gamers convention, PAX East.

2. Saw Timex in the birdfeeder stuffing his face. When I went to take his picture he ran away. Sprng can't be too far away.

3. Caught a couple of readers with my Major Announcement April Fools Joke. 😸

4. Made the journal sample for the Gratitude journal workshop later this month.

5. Had tea and an early morning chat with The Young One.

How was your week?

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

We made arrangements to move out and the landlord would call us when he did some painting. While we lived with Mary's parents we were on the lookout for furniture and we did window shopping. I think it was during a lunch hour that Mary went into a furniture store within the area. Just walked in, spotted what she liked and spoke with the salesman. Since she was in her work clothes he asked her "Can  you pay for it?" Mary said, I can. I went with her to look at it and I said ok. And made arrangements to deliver when we were ready.

In due course we did get an apartment and moved. And by that time her parents accepted the fact that we were out.And your Aunt Josie [ed: 5 years younger than Ma] was happy to get her room back.

Our stay in East Boston was nice. We visited our friends. My sister, Olga, with the people upstairs, I forgot their name. Out of sight out of mind. The woman was a person who looked at the world with a healthy attitude. She was always good for laughs. But she could also face fact and deal with them. She had a son and Domenic [ed: Dad's father-in-law] took to the boy and treated him and he would be in Domenic's house, etc.

We also went looking for things that we would need. Kitchen set, parlor furniture. I think these we bought in East Boston from a furniture store that we made a hit with the salesman or manager. The room you had was bought there and also your brother's room. And that was a steal. The manager was leaving or was fired. Whatever we go that for about 50% less of cost.

We began to get along with our life. We were happy. The rent was $40.00 a month and that included heat. It was not so hot at first as the heat was turned off early. The time was extended and it got better.

On the third day, or when we hadn't bee there too long. We were on the proch. It was a duplex and we were talking with our next door neighbor when my name was called and I turned just in time to catch a young lady that was familiar at the East Boston Center. Her brother was a volunteer there even from Cambridge. It surprised Mary and our neighbor. The young lady lived across the street with her parents. She had two sisters both married. One was named Mary. We made friends. The women in the area decided to have a klatch and met at different houses. They were happy moments. Also the Arnolds came back into Massachusetts at an Elder Center in the Back Bay area. It was not too far from us so we visited back and forth.

I was still going to [law] college at night and still working with the Veteran's Administration.

Wordless Wednesday

T Stands for A Double Header

A double header is a baseball term for two baseball games played one after the other. Since it's Tea Day and Second on the Second, and baseball season has started, a reprint from August 14, 2018, T Stands for the Greenville Drive

Himself is a fan of the baseball team, the Boston Red Sox. The Boston Red Sox has a farm league (minor league) team, the Greenville Drive in Greenville, South Carolina. The team had a home game while we were visiting so Moopa got tickets for us to go to a night game.

At the entrance to Fluor Field the logo for the Boston Red Sox 

and the logo for the Greenville Drive

A statue to Greenville favorite son, Shoeless Joe Jackson. As a teen, Jackson was a textile mill worker and played for the mill's baseball team. He got his nickname Shoeless Joe when he removed his cleats because of blisters and played a game in his socks. Jackson is best remembered for his alleged association with the Black Sox Scandal when members of the Chicago White Sox fixed the outcome of the 1919 World Series. As result, Jackson was banned from baseball for life.

Fluor Field has a replica of Fenway Park's Green Monster.

Green Monster at Fenway Park, Home Field of the Boston Red Sox, Boston, Massachusetts

Photo By Aidan Siegel - From en.wikipedia; description page is (was) here, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1155838

Moopa got us great seats behind third base and across from the Jumbo-tron. 

The Drive were playing the Rome Braves another A-league team for the Atlanta Braves. A Rome Brave player warms up before the game.

Players and fans stand for the National Anthem at the start of the game.

"And the home of the brave....Play ball!" (The last line of the National Anthem =^,.^=)

The score was tied 0 - 0. The Drive had 2 runners on base when fierce lighting and rain halted the game.The grounds crew scrambled to roll out the tarp to protect the infield.

Pouring rain and bolts of lightning come closer and closer. We were under an awning, but had to seek cover inside as the rain blew in. So what do you do?

You get a hot dog and a soda from the concession stand. I was too lazy to go get mustard and relish.

The storm passed and the grounds crew removed the tarp and mopped lakes of water off the field.

Back at our seats which miraculously stayed dry. Eye to the sky

Waiting for the grounds crew to finish

Ominous skies and storms on the horizon poised to roll through the area.

After an hour and a half debate of whether to play the game or not, the game was called because of the severe weather in the area. A make up game was schedule for the following afternoon. Fans could bring their tickets to gain admission to see the game.

Sadly, we were headed back to Ohio to pick up the Young One so weren't able to go. Moopa texted us that the Drive, pretty near the bottom of their division, won the game against the Braves with a score of 4 to 1. Moopa thought our presence in the field must have brought the team luck.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

Major Announcement

April Fool's!