Just 3 Things | # 38

 Last week to the Mister and me to Laurel, Mississippi. That's a bit further than four hours from home sweet home. The eldest grandson's baseball team was playing in the Diamond Youth Baseball World Series. We had a great time and the team did well. We enjoyed getting to know some of the players' parents and grandparents, spending time with our own grandchildren, and watching a lot of good baseball. We stayed in a Drury Inn in Meridian, Mississippi. I highly recommend them. The room was clean, spacious, private, and restful. They provided a full hot breakfast each morning and a meal each evening that was delicious as well. Popcorn was available from a movie theater style machine each day and they also provided drinks. They cheered our team on each day as they left for the baseball field and asked about their games when we returned. I learned that I am not the care-free traveler that I once was, though. While I enjoyed the trip and the opportunity and the amenities immensely, I am really, really glad to be home!

- What I've Been Watching -

A few of the baseball games were broadcast on YouTube. I quickly sent out the link to all the friends and family left at home. They sent screenshots and messages telling me that they could see us on the broadcast. They also sent screen captures of Harris. My son and daughter-in-law said that there were loads of photos sent to them showing people's television screens as well. What a fun thing to experience!

Harris on the big screen

On the first day of the series it rained. The game before ours suffered a rain delay. That made our game start late. So, we worried that we were in for another week of rain and delays interfering with baseball much like we experienced in the state playoff. However, the skies cleared and the temperatures rose and it was a HOT week.

The Mister weathering a shower

We truly enjoyed visiting with the ball players, their families, and watching a lot of baseball. It was exciting to watch the guys shine as players and work like a well-oiled team. There was a three-way tie going up to the championship game. Our team, Team Tennessee beat South Carolina, Virginia, and Seminary, Mississippi. Then, beat Georgia before experiencing a loss to North Carolina. Tennessee drew the bye to get into the championship game. Georgia defeated North Carolina to get to the championship game. Then, Georgia became the champions and Tennessee the runner-up. 

Harris on the mound

Harris batting

I might be a bit biased, but I believe Harris really played well. The Mister said his pitching was top-notch. I think Harris was really most pleased that he hit four homeruns during the series.

It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us. Memories were made. Friendships were developed. New places and spaces were explored. Lots of fun was had by all.

- What I've Been Reading -

I spent a lot of time using the GPS feature on my phone last week. I also spent a good bit of time reading about the state of Mississippi. I knew very little about that area of the world before last week. I now know that Mississippi is home to six national forests that cover over one million acres. So, over half of Mississippi's acreage is covered in forests. That certainly made a difference in cell phone reception while we were in Laurel at the ball park. Fewer cell towers are located in the national forests, so reception was a bit spotty.

The part of Mississippi we were in seemed to have far more poverty than the middle Tennessee area where we are from. I learned that it does have a high poverty rate but is much batter now than it was in the past. The federal government bought up millions of acres of severely eroded timberland and abandoned farms in the 1930s and reforested it to restore the landscape. So, part of The New Deal which helped to create TVA and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park also had a big role in Mississippi by establishing those six national forests.

I learned that Howard Industries is the largest employment bas in Laurel and Meridian, Mississippi. They manufacture lots of things, including transformers and industrial equipment. They also have a big logistical, trade, warehousing, and transportation presence in the area. Meridian is also home to a U.S. Naval Air Station. So, there is a large military base there as well. 

I learned a lot about Mississippi with my searches and readings. I also had a chance to continue reading Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews.

- What I've Been Working On -

Honestly, what I've been working on this week is trying to get my feet back under me. It has been so long since I've done any traveling, I just sort of felt like I had the rug pulled from under me when we got home. Of course, I have been working on getting caught up on laundry, watering and trying to save my poor parched flowers, and unpacking and putting things away.

I've spent some time reading about projects for stitching and gathering ideas for projects. I've begun planning next steps and gathering supplies. So, in a day or so I will be back at the sewing machine designing and creating and smiling with awe at all the things my new machine will do.

It is great to travel and see our magnificent world and we are so thankful to have the opportunity to spend time with family and experience such wonderful opportunities. We are ever grateful for our and their health and the opportunities that we have provided for us. While I'm a bit tired from such a long trip, I'm already looking forward to the next adventures - volleyball games, cattle shows, sheep shows, band half-time performances, and lots more!

Just 3 Things | #37

Last week I was out of pocket and enjoying being a grandparent. So, I just didn't get around to creating a Just 3 Things post. I sort of started out in the hole this week due to the rainouts of the state baseball tournament that took me out of town and had me sitting round waiting for the skies to clear and finally getting to see Harris's team capture the state title. I got home after midnight on Monday - well, actually on Tuesday's wee hours. I can recall that there was a day once a long time ago when keeping such hours was really not even a hiccup for me. This week did not have that day!

- What I've Been Working On -

I felt like winning a state championship as a baseball team was a big deal. So, I wanted to do something for the team beyond assisting with fundraising. I remembered that when Bryan went to a World Series as a kid the boys exchanged pins. It was a far bigger thing than we were prepared for at the time. I thought maybe we could have pins made for the boys to swap. So, I asked if that was still a 'thing' or not. It turns out that tradition is still there and the boys do indeed swap pins and the state league provided a big bag of pins for the boys to swap. So, I decided I would embroider a towel for them that could hold all the pins they get at the swap. 

Diamond Youth Baseball Team Tennessee 2026 Towels

I shopped online for some towels and found that orange is a bit of a difficult color to discern with online shopping. I landed on an 18x26" pinstriped orange and white kitchen towel and ordered a couple bundles. 

I first did an example, pictured above to show Coach Bryan what it might look like. I explained that, obviously, I would not put a bow on the boy's towels. I also explained that I would use a bolder, more masculine font for the guys. He gave me the green light. So, after my towels arrived, I set up the design on my new sewing machine and started the creation process.

My favorite player's towel

So, that is what I've been working on for the past couple of days. I found out today that my creations have the approval of at least two of the mothers. I sent a message to my daughter-in-law with the picture of all the team towels as well as the photo of Linley's. I explained that I had some extra towels and asked if she had ideas for what else I could do with them. She was monitoring some of the team as they were working a fundraiser and one of the other player's mother said she thought it would be a good idea to make a 'Mama Towel' for the mothers!

- What I've Been Reading -

I've just deleted several offers of bargain Kindle editions all this week. I'm struggling to stay awake when I sit down and get still and I'm nodding off in bed before I even get a chapter read. It certainly isn't the quality of the writing or the book that I've chosen.  I think it is just fatigue from multiple road trips and enduring the July heat and humidity and all the rain. (Whoever heard of such a wet July before?!)

I chose one of my favorite authors for this week and, honestly, I'm just savoring it a bit. I'm taking my time and I'm even going back and reading a page or two at times just to make sure I don't miss anything. Two sisters who are seeking to uncover a long hidden family truth take a road trip from Savannah, Georgia to Ireland in search of information which might authenticate a portrait that has hung in their family's homes for years. 

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

I was hooked from the first page - maybe even from the cover. (We had sheep when my children were young. I have a red headed sister. My sister and I are almost polar opposites.) I'm about halfway through this one and I like the characters and the journey that they are on.

- What I'm Loving -

Back in the spring the Mister and part of the grands brought an old water trough down and put it at the basement entrance right in front of the retaining wall. They filled it with dirt and I sowed some Zinnia seeds in it in hopes of having a cutting garden right outside the door. For some reason the Zinnias have not prospered. Did I not water enough? Was the soil too rich? Did the critters do too much damage? I don't know but I only have a few spindly stems of Zinnias in that trough. 

I also sprinkled a few seeds into the two sixteen inch pots I have sitting in front of the window of my office/sewing room as well. Those seeds have flourished and look so cheerful as I am looking out my window. For the past couple of days I have also had a visitor. A beautiful hummingbird has found those Zinnias. Then, just on the other side of the driveway, a doe is also making a regular sashay through.

Sometimes, when I step outside she will look up at me and pause for a bit. Then, she goes right back to grazing. I don't like that the squirrels and chipmunks and even the deer seem to want to nibble on my flowers and have prevented us from having a vegetable garden in the back yard but I must admit, they are beautiful creatures to watch when they are so close. I'm loving that.

Dodging the Raindrops

Lately we have been dodging the raindrops! We've had some heavy downpours - our neighbors' driveway washed away just before Independence Day. So, we had a bit more traffic on our driveway for a few days. Since then, we have had some downpours and some days with a couple of steady showers or drizzles. 

Last week and into this one, our eldest grandson was playing in the state baseball tournament for his league. There were a couple of days of complete wash outs. Who would have ever dreamt of having a day of wash outs in mid-July? 

They started play last Tuesday afternoon with an exhibition game. The game following theirs was a wash out and carried over to the next day. That pushed all of the Wednesday games till later and then there were rain delays and on and on it went day after day. They finally finished up the tournament with the championship game at nine o'clock on Monday night. The families all celebrated with medals, game balls, and photos all around.

The boys on Harris's team all played well and won it all. They outscored all their opponents big time, scoring a total of 63 points while their opponents only scored a total of 3 against them. Harris hit three home runs - one was a grand slam! A couple of other boys hit home runs as well but it was the good, solid, base hits that carried them to the winners' circle.

These players and coaches have spent at least six years building this team to develop into winners. The best thing about this team, though, is that they are also winners beyond the scoreboard. During rain delays they would joke and visit with other teams and get to know the fellows from all across the state. Last week there was another team staying in the same hotel. All of the guys got together and played games in the hotel as if they were all one crew. When an opponent made a good hit, they would high five one another on the bases. It was really rewarding to watch all of the guys and their interactions with the other teams as well as their own team. It was almost like watching a big old family reunion. The coaches spent countless hours working with the fellows and poured their hearts into the team as well.

The smiles on each family members face really tell the story. It was a once in a lifetime experience for certain and now they are preparing for the next step - another once in a lifetime opportunity - to go to the World Series. They will no longer be Decatur County's baseball team. Now, they will be Team Tennessee. I can't wait!

Just 3 Things | #35

Summertime is here at last. The days are hot and muggy but we have enjoyed a shower or two every now and again. On days like these, I'm just glad I no longer have fifty cows to milk each morning and afternoon!

- What I've Been Reading -

I truly love reading almost more than anything else in this world. I like to find a character that I enjoy or learn about a person who intrigues me. I love learning about events and places. I always have questions and look forward to finding the answers. My daughter, Bridgette, and I discussed this recently. She and her younger two daughters had a wonderful opportunity to take a bus trip out west and saw so many wondrous things. She messaged me and told me that she had sort of become like me and would read and learn more about places and things she was seeing or was getting ready to see the next day. Her reading would cause her to pose more questions and she would have to search and find answers to those as well. 

Luci, Bridgette, and Lydia on their wild west tour!

She would send me photos of the wondrous things she was seeing and I would have questions. Some of them she knew the answers for and others we wound up searching online to find some sort of answer. I've never travelled to the part of the world where they went last week. So, I was intrigued by the things she was photographing and sharing. Was Old Faithful 'on time' with the spewing? How hot are the hot springs? What causes the hot springs? Is that basically just like a volcano? How did they build the walkways without getting injured by the hot springs? Oh, I had loads of questions and she said she did as well!

I find myself doing that sort of thing on the daily. When I read my morning news feeds, I will question something related to what I am reading and go down multiple rabbit holes learning more in relation to the subject at hand. So, I'm glad to know that the pursuit of knowledge is working in the next generation.

- What I've Been Loving -

I am a firm believer that every single person needs to find something that brings them joy and engage in that pursuit of joy. I also firmly believe that we need to be grateful for the opportunities and blessings that are provided for us. There are so many things that bring me joy and I have so very much to be grateful for!

As I was pursuing one of those joyful opportunities in my office/sewing room this week, I looked out the window and saw a mother deer and her baby go strolling by in our yard. I guess that means I enjoyed a two-for. Daily, I find that I am thankful for the opportunity to be retired and enjoy slow days, days when I can just pick up and go visiting my children and grandchildren like I did this past week, and days when the only real work I have to do is picking up things the Mister and I have left out or sweeping the floor where we have tracked in or washing the mound of clothes we have dirtied. 

I've also been finding I'm thankful for the means to purchase a fancy sewing/embroidery machine and having the time to putter and play with it to see what sorts of things I can create. I believe we all sort of come alive when we are creating something or crafting something. I also believe that we truly enjoy time spent with those we love and I am ever so grateful for those opportunities as well. 

This past week I got to go watch our oldest grandson play ball.  I got to see him pitch a no-hitter and to hit a couple of home runs - true home runs. I was informed a couple of years ago that when he scored on errors, it didn't really count as a home run. He said, "You know Grand B, it's not really a home run until you hit it over the fence!"

Bryan, Jessica, Linley, and Harris, the homerun hitter

I guess I can say that this week I really and truly loved the retirement life more than any other stage I've enjoyed in life so far. We celebrated the Mister for Father's Day with my bonus son and his children, I was enjoying the updates from the travelers via pictures and text messages. Then, I got the pleasure of visiting with my son and his crew doing something the entire family seems to enjoy. What a great week!

- What I've Been Working On -

Maybe I'm a cheapskate but I don't like to throw away something that I feel certain I might use at a later date. That causes problems for me, though. I like for things to be organized. I seem to function better when things have a place and most things are in their place. Yet, when I save fabric scraps, that seems to cause me problems. I know that a large fabric scrap might be just what I need for a project and I would never think of tossing it in the trash. Yet, I'm finding that smaller fabric scraps can come in handy as well but, how is the best way to store all of those smaller fabric scraps? For that matter, what is the best way to store all of the larger fabric scraps? 

I love having the fabric scraps. For all of these projects that I have completed lately I have just been using my scraps. It is wonderful because I don't have to spend money on fabric and I generally wind up with something really nice. (Of course, sometimes a scrap of fabric is combined with a stabilizer and thread and winds up just being a mess. I will practice a couple of things on it. I will try out an idea there. Then, into the trash it is tossed. That part of having a stash of fabric scraps has been great. The storage of usable fabric scraps just isn't working out to my liking.

So, this week I have been trying to get my sewing supplies organized better. I'm not feeling very successful at getting organized either. When my mother was a seamstress, she had large bags of fabric scraps. She would take time and sort them by color every now and again. Then, when a project called for a small piece of blue fabric, she would dig around in the blue fabric bag till she found what she needed. I've tried doing something similar with large, clear, plastic tubs. I fold the larger pieces and sort of roll the smaller pieces of fabric. However, when I dig around in the tub, all of it seems to just become a jumbled mess. So, for the largest pieces of fabric, I've folded them and hung them on a hanger. Medium sized pieces get folded and stacked in a tub. Smaller pieces just seem to go into a tub as a jumble. 

There has to be a better way. I am determined to find it. I hope the idea comes to me soon.