Ready, Aim, Touch the Screen

Lew saw chickens by our house this past week. I heard him yelling, "Chickens!" but by the time I looked, they were gone (flown the coop!).

The next day, Dad asked me if I had a camera. The chickens were back. I was ready....

Lew: "Those are handsome chickens."

I haven't seen the chickens since.

 

We just got home from a Portland Sea Dogs game. Glen, Josh, and Zack attended with us. We had a good time, and the Sea Dogs even won.

The best line of the night -- and there were many good ones -- was Zack's analysis of a pitcher/catcher meeting on the mound: "They are making up a play." My diagnosis of Zack's remark: Football season.

The sun was setting as the game started. It made for an interesting contrast on the field. Lew told me I should take a picture. I was ready....

Bottom of 1st. Lead off batter. Count 2-0. Eventually walked.

Good night!

Moms Rule

Writing Prompt: First Love.

What an appropriate writing prompt for today! It is my sister Kim's birthday, a significant day not only in her life but in the life of my parents....

Fifty years ago today, my mother gave birth to a squirmy little girl. (I'm not sure about the "squirmy" part, but I like how it sounds.) I know that Kim had some medical issues when she was born, so she had to stay in the hospital a little longer than normal. Fifty years has proved that she recovered okay!

My thoughts are a little disjointed, so I'll jump to my point: When I think of "first love" I think of mothers. (No slight to fathers is intended!)

Our mothers carry us around inside their own bodies for nine months.

They love us fiercely. Fiercely.

And don't we love them?

Yes, I believe our mothers are our first love. We may consider them as just a warm body in the early stages of life, but once we are more aware... well, isn't "Mommy!" our first cry when we are hungry, hurt, and even happy?

Five minutes. It just isn't long enough sometimes....

Look Who's Turning 50 Tomorrow!

Tomorrow my sister Kim joins me in the half-century club. Finally! Ha ha! (I have already told her it really isn't that bad.)

So I dug out a picture of Kim for Throwback Thursday. And I thought I'd share the one with me in it as well. (Pre-Debbie days, obviously!) Mom said the photographer actually came to the house to take these.

Wasn't she cute?!

Gotta love those outfits.

 

Dad 216: The Gold Brick

(I don't know how my aunt can get up in the middle of the night and then drive for eleven hours. Wishing her a safe trip. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Enjoying another run of beautiful summer weather. Supposed to hit high 80s today. Also a possibility of afternoon storms. They will be scattered, according to the experts. Still haven't hit 90° in Portland this summer. All reports indicate a cooling starting tomorrow. Then it is on to September. Tourists will be gone and our life will return to normal, minus the overflow traffic. Thanks for coming and spending. A big thanks for leaving. Hope you all have a great school year.

After reading my post from last week, I find it necessary to add the following: In my basketball game I made 11 of 17 shots, not 11 of 18. Also I won a football award, the "gold brick" award. Something about doing the least in practice. I was a "gold bricker." Obviously it was given to the wrong person. An injustice. Couldn't argue with the coach as he was an all-American football player from Wheaton. His name was Nubby McGrath. He blew two fingers off while handling fireworks. Hence his name "Nubby."

Zack's eighth-grade football team won its first game, 30-16. It was away and I didn't attend, but I hope to make most of them. Josh's high school team opens on September 5th.

Sister Deb left this morning at 3:00 AM for her roundabout trek back home to Florida. She will stop in Pittsburgh today. She will go to Indianapolis on Friday. After a week in Indy, she will leave for home and be there on September 8th. Another Summer is winding down rapidly.

One last thing for today: I had my semi-annual doctor's visit this morning. I was worried about getting into trouble as I have not been careful about exercise or eating habits since my last visit. To my surprise, I had only gained four pounds. I thought it might be ten. I will get back to my fall routine shortly and try for another loss of poundage. Wish me luck!

Tune in next week for another riveting writing!

Sooo...

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

The Foot of the Stairs

Lew and I have been fighting a losing battle this summer: Cat pee.

The much-loved cat Bagheera (now playing in Heaven) made his mark via pee-pee many years ago. Before we put new carpeting down, Lew and I took some steps to eliminate the odor. We were successful as far as human noses were concerned, but apparently cats are better sniffers.... If I have to smell pee, it's going to be mine! .... Or at least that's what I imagine they're thinking.

We have been blaming Kurt -- due to Lew's eyewitness account of one event -- but it really could be both cats, vying for domination.

After many attempts to win the battle, I finally gave in on Saturday. Lew ripped up the problem area of the carpet. I can't begin to express how much better it smells in our living room! And no further incidents as of yet.

Now we must decide what to do about the floor. Sheet vinyl in just that part of the room? Replace entire living room carpet with sheet vinyl? Paint the floor? Time (and dollars) will help us make a decision. But at least my nose is now happy!

 

Women's Ministry Blog

Last Tuesday I mentioned that our church women's ministry team decided to start a new blog. And what better day than a Media Monday to introduce it on Mainely Tracy!

As of this writing, there is only one post on the new blog. We recently (as in, today) sent out the information about it, so we need to give the ladies a chance to see it before we add too much more.

I will serve as the primary administrator of the blog, but I expect that other women's ministry leaders will be contributing writers as well. It should be fun! I hope that the women of our church enjoy it.

I invite you to check it out:

Mary's Apron  ~  The Women's Ministry blog of Coastal Community Church

Photo Evidence of a Very Fun Week

Some members of our housechurch group came over for fun and yard games on Tuesday night. The kids had a blast with sidewalk chalk on our driveway. Here's what I woke up to on Wednesday:

Good Morning!

A very long hopscotch game. 101 squares!

Some colorful artwork. :)

 

And, as you know, Lew's birthday was on Thursday. Emily made a fun (and delicious) chocolate cake. She and the boys joined us for dinner, and Matt came over after he got out of work. Our neighbors from across the street were out for a walk, and I called them in for cake, too. It was a birthday celebration for the ages!

Playing cars before dinner.

Dinner from Amato's.

Spaghetti and cheese doodles.... Yum....

The ultimate cake for a John Wayne fan!

 

I Don't Desire a Magic Lamp

Writing Prompt: Three Wishes.

I'm cheating on this Five-Minute Friday post. I just spent five minutes searching on the Internet for two things:

1) The title of a short-story that I once read, which came to mind because of the writing prompt -- specifically the word "wishes." I remembered the plot, but not the title nor author. Thanks to my googling skills, I found what I was looking for.

2) Once I knew the short story's title and author -- "The Bottle Imp" by Robert Louis Stevenson -- I wanted to link to it in this post. It is on the Project Gutenberg website as part of the short story collection Island Nights' Entertainments. Click HERE to read it.

I can't remember how I came across this story, but it's one that has stuck with me (despite my not recalling the title and author).

I encourage everyone to take the time to read it. I plan to do so again.

(PostScript: I feel like I've written about this story before!)

Happy Birthday, Lew!

Yes, today is my Sweetie's birthday!

I won't tell you how old he is, except I will give you a hint: The two digits are the same.

Okay, one more hint: He is now eligible to receive full social security payments.

And because it's Throwback Thursday....

The Birthday Boy!

 

Dad 215: A Memorable Game on the Parquet Floor

(I wonder if my father and his teammates could have been an honorary chapter of the Red Hat Society? Ha ha! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another great pre-Fall day in the Northeast. It seems that this week is about mid-September weather one month early. Great, great weather in the mid-70s. Beautiful! Yet to officially hit 90° this summer. Our summer weather has been very, very pleasant.

While our Illinois family was here we were all visiting one evening when I decided to tell a story rarely told. You see, I was never a great athlete. I played a little basketball in high school and even went out for baseball. Was a shortstop for a couple days before my decision to drop out. If I had to do it all over again I would try to play football, basketball, and baseball. Too late now. I did play all three sports through eighth-grade. I guess my band career as a trumpet player took over in high school. Sure did enjoy playing the horn.

After a year and a half at Northeastern University I decided to transfer to Gordon College. Didn't know quite what I'd do but knew it would be something in education. I would leave my ROTC career as Gordon didn't have the program. I still receive mail as a veteran, which I'm not.

At Gordon, I was still a person wanting to play sports. I played a lot of basketball in the student union pick-up games, sometimes to the detriment of my studies. A group of small colleges organized a six-man football league. I made the team and enjoyed the experience. Even caught a few passes. Also joined the baseball team. I threw a lot of batting practice. Wasn't a regular starter, but I did get into a few games. Even got a base hit! This brings me to basketball season that was between football and baseball. I did letter in all three sports. Not lettering was also a possibility.

Now to the highlight of my basketball career. (Family members were not aware of this experience.) I was a fringe player. I started some games but sometimes might not even play. I recall one game I hadn't played when called upon to play with a few minutes left in the game. You guessed it. I didn't respond to the coach's call. Probably the wrong thing to do, but I didn't think so at the time. Now to my highlight game....

Gordon College would occasionally play in the Boston Garden as a preliminary game to a Boston Celtics game. Sometimes there would be a pro doubleheader. We'd stay and watch the pro games. Well, one time in the garden I had the game of my life. I took 18 shots and connected on 11. That was the highlight of my basketball career at Gordon. Twenty-two points in the Boston Garden. It doesn't get any better. My highlight!

Now my family knows about my basketball prowess at Gordon. Finally it is out in the open. One other comment about this team. We belonged to the North Atlantic Christian Conference. (There were six schools involved.) Well, while in Johnson City, New York we noticed some red hats in a store. Eventually everyone on the team owned a red hat. We would take our warm-ups wearing our red hats the rest of the season. I think this unified our team. We finished our conference undefeated. All 10 of the conference games were in the win column. A great season for the team and myself. I miss my old basketball days. Sure did enjoy our conference winning jackets!

Well, by now you should be bored. Hope you read the whole story. Thanks!

Perhaps more stories of my college days, but not now. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

 

New Initiatives: A Follow-Up

Last Tuesday I wrote about my being tasked to plan new initiatives for Women's Ministry at our church.

I am happy to report that our steering committee meeting was quite productive! We outlined the monthly events for September through June, and now we just need to implement our plan. We can do that!

One sad (?) thing is that we won't be doing a women's fantasy football league. It's really not so sad, now that I think about it.  That's one less thing to occupy my mind with this fall, plus I can better cheer on Lew in his own fantasy football efforts.

We are going to have an onsite retreat in February.  There is much, much planning for that ahead, but I'm already looking forward to it!  What is the theme of the retreat?  Keep reading my blog to find out.  I'm not giving any hints yet!

An unexpected, yet exciting thing that came out of our meeting was the idea for a new blog... and I am going to administer it!  It's not up and running yet, although I have set up the basics.  And by "basics" I really mean "basics."  I have a name for it, an e-mail account, and a blogspot address.  I will be working hard on it over the next week. When it is finally accessible, I will be sure to mention it here on Mainely Tracy!

My Device Vice

I am writing this post on my iPad. (I use a great app called "Blogsy.") My iPad's battery percentage is currently at 18%, so I better type my little fingers off!

It seems that I am always charging the battery of some device. Obviously my iPad will be plugged in soon. I will probably have to charge my iPhone tomorrow. My Kindle will be okay for another couple days. I don't use my iPod as much as I should, so that device gets charged the least.

My laptop battery is no longer functional, thus I need to use AC power all of the time. So basically my laptop is now a desktop! I could buy a new battery, I suppose, but I don't see the need to.

Twenty years ago I had none of the above items. (Well, I did have an Apple IIGS computer, but that doesn't really count given today's technology.) How did I function without all of these things? Quite well, actually. But, oh my, how things have changed.

I am probably too dependent on (addicted to?) my devices. And many of you may be saying, "Join the club!"

16%....

A Welcome Weekend

Here I sit after my evening meal of two pieces of pepperoni pizza and two chocolate chip cookies.

I am now watching a Little League World Series (LLWS) baseball game. The LLWS is one of my favorite sports events of the year. I think it would be fun to attend in person!

Lew just brought me a bowl of cherries. Yum.

It has been a long week for a variety of reasons. Don't worry... I won't reiterate them here! But it is nice to just be sitting at home, watching baseball, and eating cherries.

Life is good. :)

It's Time to Get Back to a Novel Idea

Writing Prompt: The books I would write....

Any long-time reader of this blog knows that I have attempted to write a book. I have a very, very, very, very rough first draft of a novel completed. But I haven't touched it for a long time.

I wrote this draft during NaNoWriMo (google it!) a few years ago. That's 50,000 words written in one month.

I'm not sure that I even like my novel idea anymore. ("Novel" can mean two things in that last sentence!) So I've been uninspired to work on the next draft.

Oh, the books I would write if I could come up with an idea that inspired me for more than a month!

Jesus Loves Me!

It is good to remember that we were once a "little one" and that simple truths are precious.

A simple truth.... The title of this post.  :)

Me? A "little one"?....  Here's my picture!

Dad 214: The "Summer-Fall" Season

(Football already? At least we still have some summer left. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! A rainy day in the Northeast. Chance of flooding along coastal communities if the weather predictions come true. Just another probable heavy shower day. We'll survive. That's a fact.

I can't believe it is already Wednesday again and it is time for another Derf. Time sure does fly by. As one gets older the weeks seem shorter. They still have the same number of hours, but it doesn't quite feel the same. Growing old is not as great as one might think. Really!

Seasons are changing as Zack's football season started yesterday. His 8th-grade team has a game next Saturday. Josh starts double sessions on Monday. So we are in full football mode as Fall approaches. Could be a long season as Josh's high school team will be made up of young players. I'm sure we'll enjoy the season. Bring it on!

The past few weeks have seen me trying to thin out our lilac bushes (trees). I still have about one load of brush to thin out and haul away. This last load will be load #5. It costs to drop off brush and so far my loads have cost me $100. One more load will put me up another $20 or $30. It will depend on how well I trim the bushes. This will finish my summer yardwork with the exception of lawn mowing.

Now that my yard trimming will be completed, I'll start on rearranging the garage attic. That will take a while. I planned on starting this project in June. Better late than never, I think!

Our Illinois family had a good trip returning to the Midwest. It was a fast two weeks. Everything seems back to normal. Happy to have them visit us here in our beach area. Hope for a return trip next summer. (Sound good?)

Enough for now. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Planning New Initiatives

I have been tasked to plan "new initiatives for the Women's Ministry that supplement current Pockets" at our church. ("Pockets" are groups such as our house-churches.)

I will not be planning these initiatives on my own. Two friends will join me on a steering committee (I need to come up with a more jazzy name for it). The three of us will develop an overall plan/strategy/schedule and then enlist more women to help carry it out.

Our first meeting is tomorrow night, so I will spend some time tomorrow morning and afternoon formulating some rough ideas. (These ideas are currently floating around in my head; I need to get them on paper.)

We have mentioned a few things to each other already....

One fun thing we have talked about doing is having a women's fantasy football league. The guys already have one. (Lew is looking to three-peat his last-place finish.)

We also hope to have an onsite two-day retreat (a Friday night and Saturday morning/afternoon) based on a great book that all three of us have read. (More about that in a future post!)

I am looking forward to what God will do through Women's Ministry in the coming year.

Blessed!

Kurt the Cat Attacks

(Note:  I am preempting Media Monday to tell a story from my morning.)

Kurt's annual checkup was scheduled for today at 9:30 a.m.

Around 9:10, I began to herd the cat.  He was under a bed, so I lured him out with some treats.  (Jerry joined in on the treats, too.)

I had the kitty carrier on the dining room table, and I quickly tried to stuff Kurt into it.  He would have none of it.

None of it!

I was finally able to get his body in, except for his front paws... which have claws... with which he scratched me on my hands and arms.

He fought his way out of the carrier but not out of my arms.  I knew that if I released my grip I would never get him to come out from some hiding place.

I put the carrier on its end on the floor, intending to stuff him in that way.  But the carrier tipped over.  Jerry got in the carrier, which was not helpful.

I couldn't get Jerry to come out.  And I wasn't willing to let go of Kurt.

Tick tock, tick tock....

Finally recognizing my predicament, I knocked on my parents' door.  Fortunately Mom came to the door and was a willing assistant.

Mom unceremoniously dumped Jerry out of the carrier.  She then tried to help me stuff Kurt in it and got a blood-drawing scratch for her efforts.  I believe he bit her, too.

But a 13-pound cat is no match for two grown women and we prevailed!

The time was now 9:26 a.m., but fortunately the veterinarian is right down the road.  I got to the appointment in a somewhat timely fashion.

The vet's office told me that they often get "I'm going to be late" calls because of uncooperative cats.

They also suggested something to make it easier next time:  Get a larger carrier!

Relaxing while waiting for the veterinarian to come in.

(Postscript:  Kurt behaved nicely at his appointment.  Good kitty....)

10*

Lew has been on vacation this past week. We have had a lovely time.

We took some nice beach walks during low tide, so we were able to walk out on the sand bar.

Yesterday's walk was the best of all. Lew gave it a "10" rating.

I allowed the rating, but with an asterisk.

"Why the qualification?" you may ask....

We saw a man -- a slender man -- also walking on the sand bar. He was wearing a thong. A THONG! From the backside he might as well have had nothing on.

I really didn't need to see this. Lew thought it was funny.

Oh... and the man was wearing a baseball cap. I guess he cared more about his scalp being covered! (Wrong choice, fella, wrong choice....)

It's a Shoe Thing

Writing Prompt:  Shoes.

One of the things on my list of things I'd like to do is "design an article of clothing."

The more I think about it, I would like to design the perfect shoe.... A shoe that can be worn without socks, yet is warm and comfortable.

I am NOT talking about slippers!  I am talking about a nice dress shoe that flatters the overall presentation of the person.

The "without socks" is important.  A lot of my dress shoes are not comfortable to wear without a layer between the shoe and the skin, which means I have to wear knee-high stockings or full-length nylons.  "Yuck" to both.  (A special "YUCK" to knee-highs, which are not good for varicose veins.  I have those veins, of course.)

So, does anyone have any ideas of how to design a dress shoe that can be worn without socks, stockings, etc.?  Sort of like a loafer, except dressier?

Or perhaps this perfect shoe already exists!  If so, please do tell!

Oh, and there is one other thing to consider:  Minimal foot odor!  LOL!

The Return of Blogger Emily

(My "Throwback Thursday" is a little different today!)

Once upon a time, the lovely Emily started a blog. Her posts were thoughtful and entertaining.

But then a major life change affected her opportunity to blog regularly.  That major life change has a name: Eli.

Another major life change came along, also with a name: Adam.

These were precious life changes.

Emily's desire to write did not wane, however.  And she is now in a place where she is able to sneak in a post every now and then.

Yes, Emily the Blogger has returned.  :)

So please check out Emily's new blog, Role Call at Camp Tibbetts.  (I will also maintain a link on the side of my page.)

Best wishes on your new blog, Emily!

Dad 213: Doggie Day Care Now Closed for the Season

(The beach was not crowded early afternoon. And we did have some showers. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Coming to you today from an overcast day here in the Northeast. The experts say possibility of showers later in the day. A very typical summer day. I'm sure the beach is crowded. I'll never see it, but will check with Lew and Tracy later as they said they are about to make a beach appearance.

Today is the day our Illinois Henry family is on the road back to Eureka. Two weeks doesn't seem like two weeks. (Now isn't that a profound statement!) They must get home tomorrow as Kim must work Friday and Saturday to get ready for the church's Sunday service. It was a good visit and while here Joe had a very important birthday – a multiple of both 6 and 10 and it wasn't 30!

Last evening the whole family was on Lew's deck feasting on "lobstah" from Bailey's Lobster Pound. It was delicious and messy. At least that is what I've been told!

I really don't feel like writing anymore, so I'm done for the day. Please stay tuned for a lot more next week, I think!

Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

My Favorite Type of Schedule

Our to-do list for the week:

• Enjoy vacation.
  

That's it!

I hope we can get it done. :)

Boo Hoo, Red Sox

My beloved Red Sox are done.  As Lew would say, "Stick a fork in 'em."

After being the worst in 2012 and the best in 2013, they are once again the worst in 2014.

They might not be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but it would take a comeback nothing short of miraculous.

So.... They are done.... Even after the fire sale last week.  They traded away a couple position players in addition to the entire pitching staff.  (Okay, not the entire staff, but it seemed like it!)

There are some great young players still with the club.  That gives hope to the old saying, "There's always next year."  In the meantime....

Let's go, Patriots!

Highlights... Or Not

This past week I . . .

• Walked in the rain.
• Swam in a pool in 70-degree weather.
• Roasted marshmallows over a firepit and made S'mores.
• Babysat for a delightful three-year-old. (He's actually 3 years, 9 months).
• Finished reading three books.
• Checked both cats for fleas.  (None!)
• Made my first purchase on eBay.
• Ate a lot and enjoyed it.
• Was told by my 15-year-old nephew to dye my hair blonde and add red highlights.

This coming week Lew and I are singing The Vacation Song!

(Postscript:  I did not dye my hair! But I do thank Josh for the advice.)

The Place Where I Live

Writing Prompt: Why I Live Where I Live

This topic seems like it would be best addressed by a list. So here goes:

• I was born in the U.S.A.!
• Maine is my home state. Although I have lived in two other states as an adult (Kansas and Missouri), Maine has always been "home." And I live here now.
• We've all heard the saying, "Home is where the heart is." My parents and one of my two sisters live close by – my parents in the same house that I live in (!) and sister Debbie about a 30-second drive away. :)
• And of course, I live with my Sweetie. I would follow him anywhere!

I can't believe how quickly my five minutes went by!

Interestingly, the first things that came to my mind were not the beach, the ocean, and the beauty of where I live -- although I do love all those things.

The "why" has to do with the people that I love.

I am blessed.