My Favorite Holiday Story

A guy named Bob May, depressed and broken-hearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chill December night. His four year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap, quietly sobbing.  Bob's wife Evelyn was dying of cancer. Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could not come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes were wet with tears. Her question brought waves of grief but also of anger.

It was the story of Bob's life. Life had always been different for Bob. Being small when he was little, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was called names he'd rather not remember.

From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college and married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter for Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But his happiness was short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of their savings and now Bob and his daughter went to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just before Christmas in 1938.

Bob strugged to give hope to his child for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make her one--a storybook.

Bob had created animal characters in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.  Again and again, Bob told the story, embellishing it with each telling.  Who was the character?  What was the story about?

The story Bob created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was an outcast like he was. The name of the character?  A little reindeer named Rudolph with a red nose.

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day.

But the story doesn't end there. The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little book and offered Bob May a nominal fee to print the book and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The same year a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book. In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all the rights to Bob.

The book became a best seller.  Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created for his daughter.

But the story doesn't end there. Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation of Rudolph.  Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by Gene Autrey. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1948 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad.  In fact, being different can be a blessing.

 

Books of November

 The Master:  The Long and Beautiful Career of Roger Federer.   I absolutely had to read this book about my favorite athlete in the world.  If you're a tennis fan like me, you'll enjoy it; otherwise, maybe not

Hard Courts: Another tennis book, this time an old one about men's tennis in the 90's, the era of Sampras, Agassi, Courier and Chang.  Ever wonder how tennis stars get so rich?  Read this book and find out.

The Long Petal of the Sea:  Isabel Allende's latest book is long, too long.  She seems to have forgotten the cardinal rule of writing:  Show, Don't Tell.  This book is mostly "teling."

A Book for People of All Ages

Looking for an intriguing book for anyone on your gift list from elementary school student to senior citizen?  I bought Listified for myself and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It's divided into 8 sections of fascinating facts.  Here are the section and a fact from each:

Space:  22 5 million--the number of years it takes for the Milky Way to rotate once.

Nature:  The most expensive substance in the world:  Red diamond.  $5,000,000 per gram.  So rare that only 30 are presumed to exist in the world.

Dinosaur Times:  Before the dinosaurs, 245 million years-old fossils were found in Germany of Eryops, a carnivore that lived in both water and land.  It was 6.6 feet long and was a fierce predator with sharp teeth that made it impossible to chew so it trapped fish in its jaws, then threw back its head to swallow them, much like alligator and crocodiles and alligators do today.

Animals: An endurance athlete, the ostrich, with a speed of 30mph, could run a marathon in 52 minutes.

The Body: At 5 weeks, a human embryo is the size of a sesame seed.  At 10 weeks, it's the size of a green olive.

Being Human: There are 3 times more chickens than human beings in the world.

Inventions:  The Slinky was invented by accident by Richard James, an American naval engineer who was developing a spring to keep equipment stable on ships. One day he accidentally knocked some springs off a shelf and noticed that they continued to tumble end over end across the floor.   This gave him the idea for the Slinky.

Game Changers: In 1943, at age 12, Vicki Van Meter from Pennsylvania flew an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Books of October

 Homo Deus.  A follow up to the author's best selling Sapiens, he focuses on the future of our species:  ruled by robots.  Depressing

A Hunter Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century.  The authors suggest changes in society to make it "simpler."

The Neighbor's Secret.  Rather confusing.  B-

I'll Take Your Questions Now.  Trump's press secretary who never held a  press conference wants us to know how committed she was to Trump, but he didn't appreciate her in the end.  Too bad.  C+

Senior Memoir Reading Sunday, 11/14

 Members of Inprint Houston's Senior Memoir Class invite you to our annual                                     reading:

                  Sunday, November 14

                     5:00 Central Time

                         Register at

www.inprinthouston.org/events/jccreading

            You will receive a Zoom link

     We'd love for you to hear our stories.              

Jeopardy Answers

Sad week for Jeopardy!  Matt Amodio lost, but I guess winning over $1,000,000 makes up for it.

 Answers to last week's questions:

This state is south of Kentucky.  What is Tennessee?

Tbe two female founders of Hogworts were Helga and this witch. Who is Rowena Ravenclaw?

Egg whites and sugar are made into this goo that is an ingredient of Snickers and Kit Kat bars.  What is nougat?

The museum for this female artist also maintains her home Abiqulu, New Mexico, sixty miles away.  Who is Georgia O'Keefe?  (And by the way, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts has just opened an O'Keefe exhibit.

Her 1944 debut included this line:  "You know how to whistle, Steve.  Just put your lips together and blow."  Who is Lauren Bacall?

South Africa's Goolslang is a horrific cave beast that is part serpent and part this trumpeteter.  What is an elephant?Y

FYI:  Jeopardy is on ABC at 11:30 am, Central Time.  See how many questions you can come up with.

This is Jeopardy!

 I've always been a Jeopardy fan.  When I worked in the Medical Center, we watched the show during our lunch breaks.  I've had two writer friends who were contestants.  After Alex Tribek died, my enthusiasm waned, but now that Matt Amodio has become the second highest winner, my addiction has reappeared.  So here are some Jeopardy answers.  Questions will be in next week's blog post:

This state is south of Kentucky.

The two female founders of Hogwarts were Helga and this witch.

Egg whites and sugar syrup are made into this goo that is an ingredient of Snickers and Kit Kat bars.

The museum for this female artist also maintains her home in Abiquiu, New Mexico, sixty miles away.

Her 1944 film debut included this line:  "You know how to whistle, Steve.  You just put your lips together and blow."

South Africa's Grootslang is a horrific cave beast that is part serpent and part this giant trumpeter.

Answers next week.  No fair Googling.

Books of August and September

 The Third Pole:  After the North and South Poles were reached, what was left?  Scaling Everest/  Some referred to it as the third pole, hence the title of this fascinating book about an expedition to find the body of Sandy Irvine, the climbing companion of George Mallory and to locate Irvine's camera.  Did the two reach the summit?  Perhaps the camera could answer that question.  Besides the tale of this expedition, there is much about people who climbed and the many who died on their way.  Fact:  Mt. Everest is named for a man who was mapping longitude and never climbed a mountain.  

Peril.  Yes, I read Bob Woodward's latest book, which is about 50-50 between Trump and Biden.  Interesting.

The Maidens.  A student at Cambridge is murdered and the aunt of a fellow student who comes to comfort her tries to find out who did it.  Like those kids in horror movies, she visits the home of the potential killer--poor motivation.  I would give this book a C.

It Ends with Us.  Another book with poor character motivation and weird backstory.  I don't recommend it at all.

Apples Never Fall.  I give this one an A.  It's the story of the missing mother of four grown children.  Has she met with foul play?  If so, who did it?  And what about the young girl who once showed up at their house and became the mother's buddy?  Engaging and funny.

The Gift Wrap and the Jewel

 Here is a poem written by 92 year-old Wanta Guiness:

I looked in the mirror and what did I see

But a little old lady peering back at me,

With bags and sags and wrinkles and wispy white hair,

And I asked my reflection,

"How did you get there?

You once were straight and vigorous and now you're stooped and weak

When I tried so hard to keep you from becoming an antique."

My reflection's eyes twinkled as she solemnly replied,

"You're looking at the gift wrap and not the jewel inside,

A living gem and precious, of unimagined worth,

Unique and true, the real you, the only you on earth.

The years that spoil your gift-wrap with other things more cruel,

Should purify and strengthen and polish up that jewel,

So focus your attention on the inside, not the out,

On being kinder, wiser, more content and more devout.

Then when your gift-wrap's stripped away,

Your jewel will be set free

To radiate God's glory throughout eternity."

Children's Answers to Test

Elementary school children in a religious school were given a test on the Bible.  Below are some of their answers just as they appeared on their test papers:

In the first boo of the bible, guinessis, God got tired of creating the world so he took the Sabbath off.

Adam andEve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was Joan of Ark.  Noah built an ark and the animals came on in pears.

Lot's wife was a pillar of salt during the day but ball of fire during the night.

The Jews were a proud people and throughout hisotry they had trouble with unsympathetic genitals.

Sampson was s strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delila.

Sampson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.

Moses led the Jews to the red sea where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.

The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert.  Afterward Moses went up to Mount Cynanide to get the Ten Commandments.

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

The greatest miracle in the bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

David was a Hebrew king who was skilled at playing the liar.  He fought the Finkeleteins, a race of people who lived in biblical times.

Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

When Mary heard she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.

When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.

Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.

St. John the Blacksmith, dumped water on his head.

Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do unto other before they do one to you.  He also explained the man does not live by sweat alone.

It was a miracle when Jesus arose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.

The people who followed the Lord was called the 12 decibels.

The epistels were the wives of the apostles.

One of the oppossums was St. Mathew, who was also a taximan.

St. Paul cavorted to Christianity.  He preached holy acrimony which is another name of marriage.

Christians have only one spouse.  This is called monotony.
 

Questions to consider

 My flash nonfiction class last week opened with 3 questions for each of us to answer.  How would you answer them?

          What was one thing that made you joyful this week?

          What was one thing you are grateful for?

          What is one question you keep asking yourself?

Books of June and July

 The Cellist.  Daniel Silva's latest book featuring Gabriel Allon, Israeli spy/art restorer.  He spends a lot of time updating the reader just in cast it's your first book in the 21 book series.  A typical Allon book.  I keep saying I've read enough but I usually grab the newest one.  I give this one a B

Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World. Nonfiction book with stories about ancient peoples.  You'd have to be interested in ancient history to order this one, but I am and I enjoyed it.

The Other Black Girl.  This one gets an F.  It got great reviews but made no sense.  My recommendation:  Don't waste your time.

Hour of the Witch.  An abused young woman in an early Massachusetts community (not Salem) wants a divorce.  Meanwhile, having been given some three-tined forks, a mark of the Devil, she's accused of being a wtich.

Fossil Men.  In-depth book about the archaeologists searching for early homo sapiens.  You can tell I have unusual tastes in non-fiction, but I really liked it.

A Surprise Package

I love surprises--surprise parties, surprise gifts, even surprise phone calls.  Last week I got a surprise package from Amazon.  I'd ordered some board books for my friend to enjoy with her new great grandbaby.  They were supposed to be delivered on Thursday, which was great because she was coming for lunch on Friday.  I found the package at my door at 10:30 Thursday night.  It seemed too light to contain board books.  Maybe Amazon had sent paperbacks instead but at least they were on time.  Pleased, I opened the bag to find...two packages of Preparation H!  There was no name or address on the bag,  The concierge desk said they didn't know who had delivered it.   Was this a joke?  Should I tack the package up on the bulletin board or post a message saying the person who ordered Preparation H should contact me?  The next morning I called our resident services director and told her I had a problem.  When I opened my door to head downstairs, there were my books.  Still, I took the Preparation H package downstairs.  Just as I arrived at the desk,  a woman who works in Health Care came up.  Yes, she was sure they could use it, so we gave the package to her.  And--happy ending--my friend can share the books with the new baby.

Two More Life Lessons: Fables

                   \

      Fourth Important Lesson:  Obstacles in Our Paths

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway.  Then he hid and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.  Some of his wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.  Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.  Then a peasant came along, carrying a load of vegetables.  Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road.  After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.  After he picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.  The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king, indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the stone from the roadway.  The peasant learned what many of us never understand:  Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Fifth Important Lesson:  Giving When it Counts

Many years ago a hospital volunteer got to know a little girl name Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease.  Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.  The doctor explained the situation to her little brother and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.  He hesitated for only a moment before saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."  As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, seeing the color returning to her cheeks.  Then he looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"  He had misunderstood the doctor.  He thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

July 4th Announcement

 Everyone is invited to Houston Great Books' annual July 4 celebration on Sunday, July 4 from 10:00 to noon.  We will hear a speaker from UH Law School discuss recent and upcoming Supreme Court decisions.  This year's program is on Zoom.  You can RSVP at houstongreatbooks.net.  Please join us for an interestoing and thought-provoking program.

Father's Day Tributes

 To my father:

     He was a thin, medium sized ma with a voice so soft you could hardly hear him.  He dressed modestly but always wore a hat.  He was just an ordinary guy, but to me he was a hero. He was my role model, my teacher, my cheerleader, my confidante.  When he died and we brought his things home from the hospital, I asked for his hat.  It hangs now on a hatrack in my living room, a symbol of my dad.

To my son:

    He, too, is a quiet man but he has been a wonderful son to me and a loving father to his daughter.  Like my dad, he is a hero who has worked hard, triumphed over setbacks and made me proud every day.

Books of May

The Plot:  I enjoyed this story of a writer who was a one-book wonder and because of his stalled career is teaching creative writing at a nondescript school somewhere in New England.  One of his students tells him the plot of a novel he's writing.  It's awesome.  When he learns that his student died, he writes the book himself.  You have to read on to find out his how life changes to the good and not-so-good.  And no, I didn't figure out the ending although some reviewers on Amazon did.  Even if I had, I would have enjoyed the story.

The Last Thing He Told Me.  After her husband goes missing and leaves her with his daughter, she learns what really happened.  It's on the best seller list.  I give it a B+.

A Gentleman in Moscow.  The story of a man under lifetime house arrest in an elegant Moscow hotel and how he makes the best of it.  A charming story, lovely writing.
 

Signs of Our Times, Part 2

 Sign on a Maternity Room door: 

Push. Push. Push.

Sign at a car dealership:

The best way to get back on your feet--miss a car payment,

Sign outside a Muffler Shop:

No appointment necessary.  We hear you coming.

Sign in a veterinarian's waiting room:

Be back in five minutes.  Sit. Stay.

At the electric company:

We would be delighted if you send in your payment on tine; however, if you don't, you will be de-lighted.

In a restaurant window:

Don't stand there and be hungry; come in and get fed up.

At the front of a funeral home:

Drive carefully.  We'll wait.

At a propane filling station:

Thank Heaven for little grills.

In a Chicago radiator shop:

Best place to take a leak.

On the back of a septic tank truck:

Caution:  This truck is full of political promises.

Birthday, 2021

 At 9:15 a.m. today, I became exactly another year older. My daughter asked me the other day if I was excited about my birthday.  "Not so much," I told her.  "I've had so many."  Indeed I have, but this one was especially lovely because I was able to celebrate with my children in person.  My daughter came yesterday and my son and daughter-in-law today.  They brought me the cutest birthday gift ever--a drawing of a cat wearing glasses and reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  So funny.

This has been a weird year, hasn't it?  COVID lockdowns, people unrecognizable because they're wearing masks, vaccines, elections, and Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.  I wonder what to do with the masks I have collected in various colors to match my clothes.  Save them in case there's another spike of the virus?  Give them to Goodwill?  But who would want them?  Maybe just keep them as a memory of this crazy year.  

I wonder if people will continue online shopping now that stores are open again.  Will Zoom's stock go down?  (I don't know if they're listed on the stock market.)  How long will the toilet paper that people hoarded last?  Will sour dough bread replace whole wheat?  How many projects begun during lockdown will be completed? How many hobbies taken up out of boredom will continue?  Will people give up their sweats for business attire or will extremely casual become the new office-wear?  

I am only hoping this next year will be calm and safe and normal again... for all of us.

Signs of our Times, Part 1

 

Sign on a shoe repair shop:

We will heel you.

We will save your soul.

We will even dye for you.

Sign on a blinds and curtains truck:

Blind man driving.

Sign at a gynecologist's office:

Dr. Jones, at your cervix.

Sign in a podiatrist's office:

Time wounds all heels.

Sign on a septic tank truck:

Yesterday's meals on wheels.

Sign at an optometrist's office:

If you don't see what you're looking for,

you've come to the right place.

Sign on a plumber's truck:

We repair what your husband fixed.

Sign at a tire shop:

Invite us to your next blowout.

Sign on an electrician's truck:

Let us remove your shorts.

Sign in a non-smoking area:

If we see smoke, we will assume

you are on fire and will take appropriate action.

Enjoy!  To be continued next week.

A Memory for Mother's Day: My Mother's Shoes

 My mother was a tiny woman, barely five feet tall, with dark hair and blue eyes.  The youngest of six children, she grew up in an immigrant family in Omaha, Nebraska.  There were few luxuries for the sisters in their home.  Her one indulgence was shoes.  Once when she was a young girl, a shoe manufacturer remarked upon her small, pretty feet and asked her to model his brand of shoes.  Elated, she asked her mother for permission.  It wasn't granted.  In my grandmother's eyes, model equaled prostitute and in no way would she grant her daughter's request.

Mother grew up, married and moved to Austin, Texas, where she gave birth to my sister and me.  Although she dressed us in outfits from Neiman Marcus, lavished us with music lessons, dance lessons, tennis lessons, private preschool and elaborate birthday parties, she never spent much on herself.  Except for shoes.  Her love of footwear continued through her life.  She wore size 4B, the same size as shoe store samples, and she filled her closet with every sample she could find--high heeled pumps and sandals, white shoes and black, spectators and sporty wedges.  My sister's boyfriend once said, "Mrs. Dochen, you're the only lady I know that wears high heels in the kitchen."  Of course she did; they made her taller.

She gave me and my friends her old shoes and dresses to use in our endless games of dress-up. One of my friends was crestfallen when she outgrew Mother's sample size shoes.

High heels were her pleasure and in her old age, her downfall.  One day she tripped going up the stairs to the porch.  Her glasses fell off and the earpiece pierced her eye, leaving her partially blind.  She never wore high heels again.

When dementia stole her memory, her communication skills and her awareness of the world around her, my sister and I moved her to a nursing home.  There she wore ugly shoes, "old lady shoes" she would have called them if she'd been able to comment on them.

After the move, my sister and I cleaned out her house.  We saved her room for last.  When we opened the door of her closet, there were dozens of pairs of her shoes.  Memories of our mother's life, lined up two by two on her closet floor.

Books of April

 Later.  A young man recounts his life and his gift of seeing and conversing with dead people.  Not Stephen King's best.

A Case of Need.  Written by Michael Crichton before he became an international best selling author.  He uses his medical background to tell the story of a doctor trying to help his friend who has been accused of performing an abortion that resulted in the death of a young woman.  Loaded with so much medical jargon that there are end notes at the conclusion of each chapter to explain the terminology.  Would you believe a doctor would investigate this?  Not really.

Watcher Girl.  Another book with an unbelievable premise:  a young woman returns to her home town to apologize to an old boyfriend for breaking up with him years ago despite the fact that said boyfriend is how happily married and a father.

The Secret Lives of Colors.  The author discusses white, pink, yellow, red, blue, green, brown, purple and black and their various shades.  We see and learn about each shade, including anecdotes about how it was discovered, mixed, used, named.  Fascinating.

Two Choices

 

Two Choices,
What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'
The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

 

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt.. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

 

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. Athe pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

 

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

 

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

 

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

You now have two choices:
1.  Delete

2 Share

Books of March

The Shadow Box.  An interesting mystery involving a woman who goes missing after a vicious attack and another woman who dies in an explosion on the family boat.  

Assume Nothing:  Memoir by a woman who suffered abuse from a powerful man.

Thinking Fast and Slow.  How we make decisions quickly or after rational thought.  Many examples.  It's a long book but interesting.

 

What Next? So Many Choices

I've had both of my shots.  COVID cases are decreasing.  Freedom!

Now what?  So many people to see, so many places to go, so many wishes to fulfill.

First and foremost:  I want to get together with my children.  Not on Zoom.  In person.

I want to see the latest exhibit of Hockley and Van Gogh at the Museum of Fine Arts

I want to go to a restaurant with friends, go to the theater.

I want to visit the Cistern an amazing place discovered underground near downtown Houston.

I want to see the sculptures and murals in the Heights.

I want to go back to Angela's House, where I was leading a writing group.

I want to see the bluebonnets.

I want to drive to Galveston, where I was doing volunteer work at Shriners Burn Hospital for Children.

I want to go to Austin, where I spent my childhood.

I want to visit my sister in Atlanta.

I want to visit my late husband's family in Iowa and Wisconsin.

I want to vacation in New York, Maine, New Mexico.

I want to celebrate my freedom!

March Madness

 It's March Madness time and I have been watching basketball all weekend, not the lousy Houston Rockets but the NCAA tournament.

I love sports--watching them, not playing them.  I am tooo clumsy to engage in any sport but I love being a spectator.  This year Texas had 8 teams in the tournament.  The University of Texas, my alma mater seeded #3, lost in the first round to little known Abilene Christian.  The University of Houston, my second alma mater, played poorly but managed to get it together in the second half and made it to the Sweet Sixteen.  I was on campus in the heady Phi Slamma Jama days and this team is almost as good.  Baylor, a number 1 seed also advanced.  Tomorrow I'll have to decide between watching basketball or The Voice.  Hard choice.  If none of the Texas teams gets to the finals, I'll be cheering for little Gonzaga which always has a great team but has never made it all the way.

Go Coogs!

Books of February

 Blood and Money.  A friend reminded me of an old Houston scandal so I read the book about it.  I'd forgotten many of the details--the possibility that the wife was poisoned with cream puffs, the dead woman's father (supposedly) having the husband murdered.  I read it all in two nights.  Engrossing, plus if you know Houston, you'd find it especially interesting.

The Sanitorium.  This has been on the best seller list for several weeks.  Strange things are happening at a resort high in the mountains where all the guests and staff are trapped by an avalanche. The author does a great job of making the building a character in the story, but the heroine keeps venturing into places alone where she's clearly in danger of being murdered herself.  It's just like the scary movies where the young girl goes into the house where she knows the killer is hiding.  This character is a police officer but still...

Books of January

Late this month--just getting to January.  Here we go.

 Hidden Sins by Selena  Montgomery aka Stacy Abrams.  Yes, that Stacy  Abrams.  She wrote this romantic suspense while she was a student at Yale Law School.  Impressive.  She did a good job.  You just have to suspend your disbelief, but, don't you have to do when reading any fiction?  

War:  How Conflict Shaped Us.  Written by a prominent historian.  About how and why wars begin, how they are fought, the aftermath of war.  Interesting reading.

The Price of Time,  What would be the consequences of discovering a drug that could give you eternal life? 

The Storm Ended!

 Last week we thought the storm would never end, but it did and now it looks like spring.  Here are some quotes to keep in mind:

Writing Legacy Letters: How to Express Your Love for a Family Member, Friend, Mentor or Those You Leave Behind

 I'm going to be teaching a  three-session course on writing legacy letters for Story Circle Network starting the first Monday in March.  I'm very passionate about the importance of sharing your love, wisdom, expreience, thanks, or hopes for the future with those you care about.  That night be for a special occasion--wedding, birth, graduation, retirement, etc--or you may want to leave this as a special, lasting gift to those who come after you.    If you'd like to enroll in this course--and I hope you will--you can check with Story Circle at  www.storycircle.org (Sorry, couldn't get the link to show up).  I've presented this course at senior loiving facilities, women's organizations and my Zoom group and I'm looking forward to my class at Story Cricle.

 

Living on COVID Time

 

 We've all lived on COVID time.  Will it ever end?  I hope so, but meanwhile, enjoy this anthology from women around the world about their COVID experiences.  Mine are included, so I'm especially pleased to publicize this book.  It begins with a COVID fairy tale, (not my piece).  

This book is published by Story Circle Network.  It's an organozation for women writers and would-be writers at any of experience.  There are classes, writing circles, opportunities for publication and more.  See the logo below and check them out.

More About Co-Housing

Here's an excerpt from a post about co-housing:\

Have you ever met someone and feel like they've been a friend you should have had for your whole life?  That is the feeling my husband and I have about the folks in Co-HOusing Houston,  The two of us, now in our 60s wanted to live closer to town.  We also wanted a stronger sense of community. We wanted not only to be able to run next door for a cup of sugar but also to ask that favor of people who knew what our cookies tasted like because we had shared them together over a cup of coffee or tea.

There would be no gates on the community so that we did not see ourselves apart from the wider community in the historical Second Ward just East of Houston.  There would be community spaces for art, for gardens, for bike storage and swimming and music and exercise and community-wide meals.  There would be hike and bike trails nearbyThere would be public transportation available for when we grew too old to drive.  All this and there would be just the right amount o private space with our own family in our own wholly-owned private unit. All ages are welcome.  Decisions are made together, with care for one another's opinions.

This group is truly special!  I agree because I know one of the founders, Lynn Morstead, and I know how committed she is to this community concept.

 

quotes for the week: writing

 Writing is like driving at night,  You can only see as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.   E.L. Doctorow

Writing books is the closest men come to childbearing.    Norman Mailer

A sentence should read like its author, had he held a plough instead of a pen, could have drawn a furrow deep and straight to the end.      Henry David Thoreau

A writer out of loneliness is trying to communicate like a distant star sending signals, he seeks to establish a relationship.    John Steinbeck

Cohousing: A New Kind of Community for Houston

quotes for the week: unity

 We hear many pleas for unity, so I thought I'd share some quotes: