If We Were Having Coffee…Baseball and Country Line Dancing

Hello! Hello! I’m so glad you stopped by!

If we were having coffee on this lovely summer afternoon, I would probably offer you lemonade or mango juice as a substitute for hot coffee. I tend to drink a cup every afternoon no matter what the temperature but I know that’s not for everyone. We also have some leftover brownies that the D-man made for a party we had this week. Help yourself. They have chocolate chip cookies in the center, one of my hubbies many brownie variations. I’m pretty sure he could write a book!

How has your week been? Mine has been a blast! Monday kicked off my first full week of summer break. Yahoo!! It’s been a very full few days. Let’s see…

Monday I did some cleaning and cooking to get ready for our get together that evening. It was graduation night at the middle school where D-man works and we traditionally have the whole staff back here after the ceremony. It’s a chance for them to relax and celebrate the end of the year. He works with some really great people. It’s hard to believe that this will be his 22nd year there. Retirement is peeking around the corner!

Tuesday I had a very nice lunch date with my sister. We talked for hours and finally had to make ourselves leave the restaurant and go home! I spent the rest of the day helping my son finish up his packing since he was leaving for Greece the next day. Neither of us has ever traveled internationally so we felt the need to double check everything. He and a group of friends went over there to meet up with another friend who has been studying and playing basketball in New Castle England. He is finished now so he met them in Athens on Thursday and then today the group went to Mykonos Island for a few days. So far it looks like an amazing trip and I can’t wait to hear all about it.

Wednesday Miss Dee and I met my (step)mother-in-law Denise at a local recreation center for a County Line Dancing class. Anytime that dancing involves actual steps as well as knowing left and right has never been my thing but it’s nice to try new things, right? Denise has done country line dancing before just not for a few years and Miss Dee danced a bit in school plus she has natural grace and rhythm so they did pretty well. Me? I danced like I had two left feet tied together at the knees! It was fun to watch the rest of the class and I didn’t break anything but I don’t think I’ll go back. I think the nice lady teaching the class will be okay with that!

Thursday I taught my craft class for the ladies at the Senior Center. This week we made these cute ladybug photo holders. It’s amazing all the crafts you can do with a bag of rocks! They seemed to enjoy it and they are always so much fun to work with.

Friday, after running some errands and getting a much needed haircut, D-Man, Miss Dee and I went over to Philadelphia to watch the Phillies play. It was an extra special baseball game because they had a ceremony to officially retire my all time favorite players, Chase Utley. Even though he spent his last few seasons playing ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chase will always be a Phillie because of the important role he played in helping us win the 2008 World Series as well as his amazing skill and passion for the game. His wife and kids were there and he got a huge ovation as he came onto the field to give his speech. Even though the current Phillies team lost the game that followed in spectacular fashion it was still worth the trip just to see this former second basemen.

As you can see, it’s been a fun yet busy week for me! Let me refill your glass and you can tell me what has been happening with you. Don’t forget to visit our coffee share hostess, Eclectic Ali and see what she and the rest of the crowd have been up to!

Thanks for stopping by!

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The Weekly Smile-Welcome Back #26

http://www.sportingnews.com

“The Man” himself, former Philadelphia Philly, Chase Utley made a very welcome return trip to Citizen Bank Park last night. This was his first appearance at the Philadelphia stadium since he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers last August. When he walked out on the field for his first at bat, the fans eagerly gave him a standing ovation and cheered for a full two minutes before they settled down enough for the pitcher to throw out the first pitch. The players from both teams joined in on the applause as well. It truly warmed my heart to see such a good guy honored this way. You must be something pretty special for the opposing team and their fan base to welcome you that way.

Chase, (he’s such a “regular guy” that it’s hard to refer to him as “Mr Utley”) was a staple in our home from the time he debuted with the Phillies in 2003. Mr D, who was 8 years old at the time and already a few years into little league, idolized  Chase from the start. ” Watch this guy hit,” he would say or “Did you see that amazing play Chase made?!” There was just something really special about him and when Mr D started playing high school baseball and was able to choose his number, he always wore #26 just like his idol.

The more I saw of the Phillies’ second baseman the bigger fan I became too. He was so much fun to watch! You could see how much he loved the game and was always giving 110% every play, every game. He gave just that much to his team and the fans too, leading by example, training hard, showing up for every practice prepared and ready to go and treating the fans (especially the kids) with humility and grace. In interviews he was always gracious and humble, owning up to any mistakes and lauding his teammates on their accomplishments.

When the rumors started last season, that the Phillies were considering trading Chase, I thought “No! Say it ain’t so!” He was, by far, the most popular well loved player on the team leading the Phillies twice to the playoffs and the World Series Championship in 2008. I don’t pretend to understand what goes on in the minds of managers and team owners but for some reason they decided it was time for Chase to move on. His leaving made me really sad, (Miss Dee was totally beside herself swearing to never attend another game) and made the Phillies games much less fun to watch. At the time, Chase, who is a native of Los Angeles, told the press that he was sad to leave and had hoped to finish out his career in Philadelphia but if he had to be traded he was glad it was to the Dodgers, the team he had cheered on as a kid. He also took out a full page newspaper ad the following week thanking the Phillies and the fans for the years of love and support.

Class act, that #26.

That’s why when the crowd was cheering on Chase Utley last night and while he was tipping his hat to the crowd looking overwhelmed and a little embarrassed, probably anxious to just start the game,  I was in my living room smiling and clapping just as loud.

Play ball!

The Weekly Smile is brought to you courtesy of Trent’s World. Make sure to stop by and check out the rest of the “smiles” and maybe even share one of your own!

The Weekly Smile – America’s Pastime

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and could be good again.” Field of Dreams (1989) – Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones)

⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️⚾️☀️

On Sunday afternoon I enjoyed one of my most favorite things. I sat under a perfect blue sky, half way up the metal bleachers and watched my son play baseball. There was a time when this was a constant Spring activity but now that little league and high school sports are behind us, I rarely get to spend time at the ball park. I’m glad that Mr D decided to join an “over 18” league, because if he keeps playing, I get to keep watching.

Every year, during each baseball season, we always make it to a few Philadelphia Phillies games and we used to go see the minor league Camden Riversharks play before they moved away but, my favorite are the amateur games. I’m for the sandlot kids, the players that are still playing for no other reason than the love of the game.

Do you enjoy America’s Pastime? Does it make you smile?

(I just realized that one of my very first posts when I started blogging back in 2008 was about this very same thing…it was titled “Play Ball“)

 

Make sure to visit Trent’s World and check out the rest of The Weekly Smiles. Maybe even leave one of your own!😊

If We Were Having Coffee…4/16/16

If we were having coffee…I would invite you in and pour you a cup of strong hot French roast. For non-coffee drinkers I can offer tea or hot chocolate. There is iced tea and lemonade if you prefer. Miss Dee, who is suffering from an allergy induced sore throat, is sipping some green tea with honey and lemon. I’m sure she would share.

The weather here today was absolutely fabulous! Finally, after the craziness of last weekend! The sun shone with abandon and the temperature was well into the 60s. Hubby completed his first lawn mowing of the season and I was able to finally clear out my flower beds and do some planting. I put some zinnias in the pots by the deck and planted some sweet basil in my herb garden. The lemon mint from last year has already started growing and I think I will pick up some  oregano and dill as well. Yum!

Since the evening was so nice, we decided to invite my mother-in-law over for a barbecue. Hubby dusted off the grill and made hamburgers for us and a turkey burger for himself. I added some home made mac and cheese and a salad. We enjoyed a wonderful leisurely dinner on the deck while our resident rabbits hopped around the yard having their’s. Ahh! All is right with the world once more. 😊

If we were having coffee…I would tell you that Mr D missed the first BBQ of the season but it was for a really fun reason. For the last month or so, he’s been helping out his old high school baseball coach with this year’s team, so the coach invited him to come along with the team on a trip up to Cooperstown, N.Y. They left early this morning and were scheduled to tour The Baseball Hall of Fame this afternoon. Tomorrow, the team will actually get to play a game on the field there. Pretty neat, huh!? Mr D visited Copperstown once before, about eight years ago with his father and grandfather but being there with the team must be really cool. They will be back tomorrow evening so I will hear all the details then.

If we were having coffee…I could tell you all about this show Miss Dee was watching earlier on the food network. I can’t remember the name but the two young women who host the show travel all over the country looking for the most decedent sweet shops and bakeries they can find.

This episode featured a place in NYC that makes ice cream filled donut sandwiches! Yes….you read that right! They dip the top of the donut in any icing you want then add nut topping or sprinkles or what ever; then you choose three scoops of ice cream for the middle (some of the ice cream flavors were amazing too);  they put the top on and then drizzle the whole thing with caramel or chocolate syrup.

OMG! I may actually have been drooling by the time they were finished describing it. The hosts said that most customers bring a friend because this mega calorie treat is just too big for one person. Can you imagine!?! Seems a bit over the top for me but hey, who am I to judge.

If we were having coffee…I would ask you about your week? Has spring sprung in your neck of the woods? What kind of things have been keeping you busy? While I was taking a break earlier, I caught part of my all time favorite “feel good” movies…”While You Were Sleeping” with Sandra Bullock. It is such a sweet love story that I can’t watch it without smiling. Do you have a favorite “feel good” film? How about a movie that always makes you tear up no matter how many times you’ve seen it? For me, that would be the final scene in “Field of Dreams” when Ray get to have a catch with his dad. Gets me every time.

Well, I guess I better stop flappin’ my gums and let you head over to Part Time Monster and catch up with the rest of the Weekend Coffee Share. Thanks so much for stopping by! I do so enjoy our chats!

PLAY BALL!

Welcome baseball season!  I have a husband and a son who are obsessed with the game so my daughter and I get caught in the fall out.  To be honest, I really do enjoy little league, sitting in the sun, cheering on the kids (getting eaten alive by mosquitos) and eating all those great hot dogs.  We eat a lot of dinners at the games once the season starts.

This year will be the first since my son was on a team that my husband won’t be coaching him.  Now that he’s in 9th grade, he’ll play for the high school team where as my husband has foolishly volunteered to coach the 9 and 10 year old squad for our township league.  I work with 9 and 10 year olds all day, I know what he’s in for!  So my daughter and I will be driving between games to route on the men in our lives.  I will do it excitedly, she will do it grudgingly.  Not being a sports type person herself, she has sometimes resented being dragged to her brother’s games (hockey, baseball, basketball…).  We made him go to a few Girl Scout events just to even things out.

The first practices have begun and the games will be right around the corner.  I’m excited for the Philadelphia Phillies, our local major league team, to play too and we’ll try to make a few of their games as well but I’m really looking forward to the little guys putting their all into the game just for the love of it.  That’s my kick.