Baseball Season Lasts Too Long

The Yankees won another World Series yesterday. Now, this blog is not about the Yankees winning their 27th World Series or about the Cubbies (my favorite baseball team losing out again). It about the long baseball season,

Here it is November 5th and the baseball season finally ended. There has been snow in some parts of the country and baseball season continued. Basketball season has started and still we were playing baseball.  Football season is half over and still baseball was being played.

Call me a traditionalist, but baseball in November is a travesty. Pretty soon the double header will consist of a hockey game at Wrigley Field between the Blackhawks and the Canadiens and a baseball game between the Cubs and Rockies, The baseball game would mark the half way point in the season.Santa Claus will soon be throwning out the first ball.

Baseballs will bounce high off a frozen infield into the outfield bleachers, counting as an ground rule double. Pedro Martinez will be throwing hard, fast iceballs at a nervous hitter. Bats will spinter at a knuckle ice ball. It’s getting ridiculous,

I hope the Ricketts, who now own the Cubs, will urge the other owners to do something to shorten the season so we don’t have to face the prospect of the first Cubbie World Series victory being witnessed in the middle of a Chicago snowstorm. I want to see brown ivy on the walls of Wrigley Field, not bare walls. Baseball is meant to be played in the warm weather, not during a blizzard.

Halloween Report

I’ve been among other things, getting ready for Halloween. We usually get around 100 kids on Halloween, being that our house is in the middle of the block. Like the six years, I’ll be handing out the candy and listening to the kids cry “trick or Treat!” It’s usually fun and I enjoy the little ones. The older ones though are a little more intimitating. Some are in their teem and are out for the candy. I think that after 12 years they should stop the trick or treating and just go to a party, unless they are taking a smaller sibling out to trick or treat.

I’m also, trying tp get ready for Nanorimo, the writing competition. I got a story prepared and I’ll try to write. Last year I skipped the contest when mum Mom got sick and was in the hospital or nursing home. Sh is home now, but I have a lot to do for her and the house. So, I doubt I can finish the 50 thousand words. If I get 20 thousand I’ll consider it a good start. It will be a challenge for sure.

I’ve also been on Facebook a lot lately. It seems to be a good site. I’ve suddenly got a bit popular with about 10 new friends a day. A friend of mine who went to Guatemala on a medical and construction mission sent reports on the trip and it was almost like being there.

Facebook won’t replace my blogs, but is a great compliment to them. I’ll try and keep up with that over the coming months.

Being Involved

A couple of friends of mine, Jim and Nancy, are in Guatemala for two weeks working as part of a mission that I understand is part of their church. Nancy, a Physical Therapist, work with children who are in need of PT. Jim works on constriction projects during his stint there. They do this about twice a year.

I have to admire them for taking time out of their busy lives to help those in need, in a country that most of us don’t even think about and wouldn’t even be able to place on a map. It’s truly a Christian gesture that should be applauded.

They have been putting updates on Facebook and it has been a joy to read about what they are doing for others down there.

I wish I could be there with them. But, being a transplant survivor, I have to watch out for germs and stuff. Besides I have an aging Mother to take care of.

So, while I might be jealous of their ability to do such a project, I have to realize that I am doing something good and needed here at home. This is my mission. No matter how good or bad things go, I am fulfilling what I need to do.

Each of us can be involved, in big and small ways, in the world around us. Things in our life that may be small to us, are all part of a mosaic that comprises all of life. We don’t really have to go to some foreign country and do something big to be involved. If God chooses us to care for family or friends in our own circle, then we have to try to accept our mission as joyously as possible. We have no time to be mad or jealous of others, what we do in the here and now is just as important.

Sometimes I have to remind myself of those things. Everyday life can be numbing. I try to take stock and remind myself that it is all worth it. If it were easy I would have to write about it. This is not just a message to you, but it is a message to myself, also, I hope I’m listening.

Being A House Guy

With my mother home, I’ve been more busy than I have ever been. I’m taking care of her, washing, cleaning, food shipping, paying the bills, taking care of the yard and outside of the house. I’ve become a regular house person.

It’s also given me a better perspective on those who we used to call housewives or house -husbands (as one of my friends became for a number of years as his kids were growing up).

We used to think of the housewives as sitting around eating bon-bons and talking to the neighbor (usually another housewife) across the fence. House -husbands were considered lazy louts who didn’t want to go to a regular job and earn a living.

Yet, when you have responsibilities of taking care of a home. I find I have to approach it as a job. Just like I did when I went to work every day. There are things that you have to do every day. On your job, their are things that you have to do to get the day moving; get the machines set up or the computers turned on. You have to check what needs to be done and start the first task.

Then there is always the things that come up, unexpectedly: something breaks down, Someone with a problem. You never know either at a job or at home.

For years, I had to be only responsible just for myself/. If I didn’t want to do something, I didn’t have to. No someone else is depending on me.. I can’t just go off and play sports or a video game, even if I want to. I have other responsibilities and obligations.

These days I treat running the home like a job. I have to. The only difference is that the day is longer than most. It starts with getting up and making beds and breakfast and ends when I get my mother to bed and then I can relax a bit before I go to bed, myself. I don’t mind, though I did at one time I didn’t care to take on all of these things. I sort of enjoy it now. I must have grown up a little. At 57, I had better!

I have a new respect for those that say home and take care of things there. They keep the home humming and keep thing going. If I could do even half as well as they have, i feel that I have accomplished something.

I’m glad I have tha chance. I plan not to blow it.

What A Difference a Year Makes

Yesterday, September 27, was my birthday. What a difference a year makes. Last year, I was sweeping up the basement from the floods in Northwest Indiana that occurred last year. I also was getting my mother transferred to a nursing home after being in the hospital for almost three weeks. I spent most of my birthday dealing with that.

This year it’s much better. No floods and the basement is dry. I got the sump pump replaced and the house is in better shape. On top of that, my mother is much better and is at home.

I still have to take care of her, but it’s been easier. I get a little isolated, but I’ve been able to get bacj to doing some writing, including my blogging and I’m trying to get back to my book writing.

On my birthday, I just took it easy. I made some pork chops and watched the football game. The Bears played at 3:15 today. Luckily, they won. That made the day nice. I went to church this morning, so I feel good about things right now.

Other than that, I had a lazy day. After a year of running around with nursing homes, finances, making life and death decisions, I think I deserve a break. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll knock and get busy again. On day of laziness is enough for me.

…And Then There Were The Jesus Socks

I had to do some errands this week and finally had the time to do so. With my Mom now home from the Nursing Home, my time is somewhat limited. I’m busy most of the time, with taking care of her, working on the house and other household chores.

So I stopped at the Family Dollar. It’s a pretty good place if you need some necessities. They are at the right price (cheap) and won’t break your wallet.

The Family Dollar is near our house and I noticed that they had rearranged the place and it wasn’t as crowded as it was before. Of course that meant that stuff wasn’t in the places that they were before. I had to walk around to find what I was looking for.

A lot of the people that come to a Family Dollar (or otheer stores like it) are usually poorer than you find at the big shopping malls. The products you find there are good but sometimes gaudy. This is true of the bed clothes, comforters, blankets, pillow cases etc.

There are all kinds of things in the store; not a big variety, but a little of everything. I walked around and ther was a hispanic family speaking Spanish, of course. They were jabbering away amd I just smiled at them. It reminded me of the time I was in Montreal.

In Montreal, I was riding on the subway and was standing in between two people speaking French (Montreal is bi lingual-French and English). I was listening back and forth and when one spoke French to me I just laughed and shook my head. They could have told me that I was a fool or worse, but I wouldn’t know. So much for trying to act intelligent.

Anyway, I was looking at all the stuff at the store and then there were the Jesus socks. Yep sock with the phrase “Jesus saves” on them. Now that was unusual. I thought that that carried the Jesus message a bit over the edge. I can see it on buttons or t-shirts, but who looks at socks? I usually stop looking at a person when I get to the knees. I hardly look at a persons feet.

But, each to their own. I won’t condemn it. If it helps someone in their faith, I won’t knock. After all, what would Jesus do if he saw his name on a pair of socks.

A Tree Zapped In Hammond

One of the problems I have had in taking care of the house is a tree the somehow grew between the two fences that divided the back yards of our place and our neighbor. I have tried to prune it back and keep it from growing out of control. The tree has been there for the last few years since the neighbors put the fence up and it has been a problem for me over all of that time.

When my mother came home after being in the nursing home for over a year, she didn’t notice it until the day that I helped her get into the house after the visit to the Doctor. Spotting it growing nice and big next to our evergreen she turned to me and said, “What the heck is that growing out there?”

I told her that it was that tree that had been there for years and is becoming a problem. She wanted it removed, can’t blame her for that. I just wondered how the heck I could do it. It would be a problem cutting it down without removing one or both fences in the way. My mom talked to one of my neighbors that had helped me in caring for the house over the year. He said he would look at it when he got the chance and for now not to worry about it.

The next day I went out to do some errands and walked through the backyard to the garage and the car. I looked over to where the tree was and almost like a comedy took a double take. The tree was gone completely: nothing was there; nada; not even a stump. The ground did not even look like it had been disturbed.

I scratched my head and figured that my neighbor had taken care of the tree. As I pulled out of my garage with my car, I saw that his garage door was open and I stopped to thank him for getting rid of the tree. He laughed and said that he had not been over to see the tree.

Coming back fro my errands I told my Mom about what discovered, she asked “Who took the tree down, then?”

I have to admit, I don’t know. Maybe it was the next- door neighbor, who might have seen my pruning the tree earlier this summer. Maybe my other neighbor did it, but doesn’t want to take credit. Then, perhaps it was God.

Yeah, perhaps it was God or better yet, my long passed away Dad. He was a yard -master. He lawn was a green rug to look at and play on. It was almost a golf green beauty. A good yard was his life long quest. He worked day and night on the yard and lawn. I am not as talented nor have I the energy that he had. I’ve tried, but no banana for me.

Perhaps he heard my Mom complaining about the tree and thought that he should help out. Ergo-no tree. My Dad got it zapped.

There’s probably a logical explanation for all of this, but, I won’t search for one. I kind of like the explanation that I write here. It kind of feels good to think that God (and my dad) are watching out for me, I’ll stick with what I feel.

September Update

I haven’t been writing on the blogs lately as I’ve been busy. My mother who has been in either a hospital or a nursing home for nearly a year, finally came home. So, of course I’ve been busy taking care of her.

I have some concerns whether I can do a good job in taking care of her. I’m mostly concerned what would happen if I got sick. So far, it’s been fine, but I do worry since I’m the one that can take care of her.

I know my Mom is happy to be home and even enjoys my cooking. I’m not a good cook, more a master of the microwave. I never wanted to inflict my cooking on others and rarely did. I survive on my cooking, when I had my own place and over this past year. It’s nice to think that what I cook is good, but I think my mother is a little biased or awfully hungry for anything out side of nursing home food.

I am getting things togetber as to doing my writing on the laptop. I transferred some of my files to my laptop and am able to write downstairs and keep an eye on my mother while I work. I’m working on a sequel to my sciebce fiction book and working on a non fiction book. That book is part a how to and a group of essays. I’m planning to ask some of you to get involved by answering a couple of questions and putting your responses in the book.

It will be a busy fall and winter. I’m looking forward to it. With the Lords help, I plan to make this a profitable time of my life. You might say a satisfied life, as it were.

40 Years Ago Today

This weekend we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Music festival at Woodstock. For us baby boomers, it was a time to remember and groove on the music that shaped our lives and moved us all these years. Most of us were not there, though it might have seemed that way. I wonder how many of us lied telling friends in later years that we were part of the crowed there. There would have to have a field that held about 10 million if we all lied about that.

Then it was all about peace love and rock ‘n roll. Unfortunately, the ideals were unrealistic then. Once you left Bethel, New York, were the festival took place, one had to face the reality of the world then: Nixon was still president, when the festival was over: the Viet Nam War still raged:  problems in the Middle East: race riots still continued: the country was still on edge.

Today, 40 years later the tensions are still there. Racial profiling: the battle over healthcare reform: two wars in the Middle East: an embattled President, though on the left, rather than on the right: The country is still on edge.

The country does not get better by having a Rock Festival. It takes hard work, a willingness to bend and compromise and reach consensus.  Loving each other takes hard work and foresight. We need to reach out with an open hand, not a fist. To change the world we don’t gather in a field, but walk out in the street do the dirty work of caring for those most in need, elderly or young, mixed race or white, poor or even rich.

It’s nice to remember Woodstock, but the work toward som of it’s ideals is really for all of us to do every day.

Who Is Really Watching Out For You?

I’m sure you have seen them on television or listened to them on radio. You know, the talking heads, the commentators or whatever else they call themselves. They tell you what they want you to know, to think, to act upon. The O’ Reilly’s. Limbaugh, Beck, Olberman, Maddow. They have their own political agendas and depending on one’s point of view, we listen to them.

I admit that I listen more to the Olbermans and the Maddow’s, then again, I’m more of a liberal kind of guy than most around me. I still believe that Obama has the right approach to solving the health care crises. It’s something I feel since I pay a high (way to high) premium for supplemental coverage since I an a heart-lung transplant survivor.

In any case, I don’t take it that seriously. There are times that I get tired of all the political dogfights that go on. I get tired of all the name –calling, the maneuvering, the winning at any cost with out a sincere overview of each sides solutions and the lack of compromise that seems to make up the political landscape these days.

No one is watching out for you. The political commentators are looking out for ratings, the sales of their books and fatter contracts. That is why they are over the top in their commentaries. The producers guide the guests on what to say in an interview to produce the best kind of confrontation. It’s all for ratings, not for rational discussion. If the media gave you a ‘fair and balanced’ viewpoint, you wouldn’t be watching them. You could watch or listen to your Uncle Ed and get the same news, boring, but precise.

I listen less to the talking heads these days. I’m tired of Obama being criticized from before he took office. He was elected President. Stop the birthers and the nitpickers. Discuss the policies in a levelheaded manner, criticize the policies on their merits and not use scare tactics. Listen to each side as they give us their opinions, based on facts on what need to be done in healthcare, war, economy, and other important problems facing us. Republicans need to give clear sensible solutions and Democrats need to listen to any sensible solution in a levelheaded manner. Republicans cannot be allowed to just say no and Democrats cannot be allowed to say I won’t listen.

Bring about consensus. This doesn’t mean you fully like every thing that is decided. Consensus means you can live with the decision that is arrived at.  Let’s look out for each other and not let someone who doesn’t know anything about us lead us to a false promise land.