It's not often these days when Dave and I can be just the two of us. So we took a week of vacation in August to do just that, and spend the week together while Will stayed up all hours of the night eating pizza and playing video games with his cousin.
We stayed at the cottage and did some minor repairs like installing a new faucet, patching the row boat, and painting the kitchen chairs and coffee table.
Then came the quest to have that bacon burger up north, get some cherries and corn on the cob in the UP. We decided to explore the last corner of the state where we haven't been and spend the night on Drummond Island.
Fun fact: you can OWN your own island up there, for less than you expect. Building a castle and calling yourself Lord and Lady should be a given.
We have our eye on our 25th wedding anniversary celebration, but it's unclear what we should do. I'm lucky enough that we celebrate each other on a routine basis as it is.
Again with the mixed bag. As noted earlier this year, mentally with skating I've been a mess this year.
But you know what? I did it anyway.
I made it to Adult Nationals and while I didn’t place well, I received the second-best presentation marks in my event and a level 2 for my spiral sequence. And huge props for being one of the best dressed skaters. And I got to share the moment with dear friend Sandra. And I was able to celebrate adult skater mom Arlene’s birthday.
And, and, and! This is a flip in attitude from June.
Speaking of June, I also competed at Masters Games, which was part of GRO. Because of judging right up to my event and covid shutting down the locker rooms, I was not well costumed or made up. But I had an enthusiastic audience made up of judges on break and parents from other clubs cheering me on. It was my first USFSA national gold medal (the others have either been ISI gold or silver-pewter).
My next big event is the annual Christmas show, and I will be doing Queen’s A Winter’s Tale. I choreographed it myself, rom the music to choosing the elements. It’s a fresh, easy program with room to stretch and embrace doing what I love to do.
I just found out Karen, a childhood friend of mine, died last year in September 2020.
I'm sad to realize she's been gone that long without knowing. Admittedly, I don't think I've seen her in at least 20 years and we weren't in touch on social media; when reviewing her facebook page, I was surprised to note none of us from grade school were in touch with her.
It is unclear how or why she passed, but that's none of my business; I lost the right to know her private details long ago. But what I did discover is the story of a woman who was strong in her battle with addiction, surrounding herself in prayer and positivity. People were there for her. The photos I found were of someone who loved sunshine and smiles, rock music and flowers, and most of all, her daughters and grand daughters.
She was loved.
I can offer this as way of a memorial that is far too late:
Wills has played baseball with the same group of kids for the last six years. One of the boys who struggled with a growth spurt didn’t get a hit until late into the season, one of those squibbers that died on the infield and the batter legs out to first from sheer determination.
It counts, but it's weak.
Into the playoffs, and this kid is still giving it 100%.
And then it happens.
He makes solid contact and the ball soars, flying free in the early Saturday morning mist, towards the deepest part of the field, over the centerfielder's head, and smacks into the chain link fence.
Confusion on the base path quickly turns into an aggressive trek towards home. It's a two-run double. Coffee, water, and gatorade is spilled as the collective fans cheer for the no-doubter. That was solid, Gio.
She's lovely Somewhere along the way, in my 30s, I stopped knowing everything there was to know about current musical acts. I don'...
