A league of their own.......

The SEC, The Big 10, The Patriot League, the Ivy League......and our favorite... The Big East!!!  Who the heck decides when a league needs to expand and who should be "invited?"  As of yesterday, the Big East is expanding.  Their choice....TCU.. that would be Texas Christian University.  Assuming those involved with the Big East are scholars (to some degree) and have had access to map in their lifetime, how does a collegiate team in TEXAS fit, geographically, into the Big  EAST?  North, south, east, west.... Remember all those old movies with cowboys and horses roaming around Texas....out west..?   Wouldn't it make sense to have a league in an area where it didn't cost the universities, it's students ,fans and benefactors a fortune to travel to games?  I remember, back in the day as they say, when our high school was involved in inter-school athletics, we played in a county league.  All of our opponents lived within the county. Now, back then it was a long haul to go to a game in Cato..... we'd pack food and blankets for the long trip home... about an hour by bus. Our county is pretty lengthy in miles from north to south.  As the years went on, they changed the qualifications to big schools and little schools.... these new leagues now send our kids,,and buses to Elmira Notre Dame and schools with a pretty hefty travelling radius.  We cut teachers and programs but we still fill up those buses for our athletes to get on the courts, tracks and fields.  That's kind of a big "DUH" for me.  I know, I'm getting old and am starting to think and relate as a senior...and not the ones graduating next summer!  It just seems that from high school to college to pro sports, everything is getting a bit out of hand. Salaries could feed families for years, Medical care on the fields of play could treat 100's of ailing people right here in the good ole USA not to mention suffering countries, travel expenses would scare even the seasoned traveler, costs of facilities are staggering even to those of us who understand the cost of construction.   I know the arguments that new stadiums and even local gymnasiums provide jobs and that sports arenas bring in funds for cities but holy cow....sending an entire sports team, coaches, doctors and equipment to Texas to play in a Big EAST sporting event just doesn't compute  In fact it's down right OxymoronISH....I love to watch and I'm a fan to the end... I guess I'd better just not over think the whole process and quietly (like I'm quiet during any game) be content to be in a League of My Own!!!

Titles.....

With the holiday season comes titles.... Black Friday, Cyber Monday.....and some of my favorites....Thirsty Thursday, Sunday Funday or Wacky Wednesday (oh, we have those all year;-).  I don't participate in Black Friday..or maybe I do by NOT shopping that day.  I did just jump in on Cyber Monday although I swore I was finished so I just bought a few things....................FOR ME!!!!  I'm keeping the bag industry in the black this year..... I only have a few things that will be wrapped traditionally..and the rest get bagged... I'll spruce them up with new tissue paper and maybe even a clever adornment.. like a pine cone, or a paint brush or something that relates to the contents.  This week will be a fun shopping trip... Bailee, Jess and I are participating in the Elf program through Cornell for Moravia students.  We sign up and are given a child to buy for.  This year we have a 5 year old from Millard Fillmore who loves princesses and purple.  We'll (Bailee) choose clothes, toys and then come home and wrap up this year's Christmas for someone else. I think it will be fun for Bailee to learn the importance of giving and shopping in town....She's young but smart and never too little to entrench the little things in her spongy brain.  It amazes me how much she retains.... for every cell I lose, I think she gains:-)

So tomorrow  (Tuesday) will now be known as Thankful Tuesday.... Thankful for all we have and that we have enough to share with others....We'll start the day with new titles:  Bountiful Bailee, Generous Grandma and Magnanimous Mommy! We are entitled to pat ourselves on the back for a good job done!

THANKSgiving

Another great Turkey Day.  We had a pleasant surprise in the morning when Bailee's Dad forgot it was his holiday. (WTH) . We were thankful that he's an idiot !!  (once again my outside voice).  We gathered at Jon and Lisa's. They always step up to host the day. It was relatively quiet and relaxing (except for the boisterous voice of a 4 year old).  The food was wonderful, as always and the stories always make us laugh....even if we tell the same ones, year after year!!  We missed Delores who was serving dinner at the Moose in Florida, the Kehoe's who were sharing the day w/ Danielle's Grandma and family, Christina and Ava who stayed in Rochester w/ her crew and of course Jerm in N.C. and our California crew.  Maybe one day we'll all get together♥

Turkey Trot @ EIEIO

Here is some fun trivia about turkeys, the all-American bird.

• There are several theories about how turkeys got their name. One story claims the Christopher Columbus heard some birds say "tuka, tuka", and his interpreter came up with the name tukki, which means "big bird" in hebrew.
• Because the wild turkey is quick to defend itself and fight against all predators, Ben Franklin wanted it as the symbol of the United States. Comparing it to the eagle, he called the turkey "a more respectable bird, a true original native of America."
• The average person in the United States will eat 15 pounds of turkey this year.
• The wild turkey is one of the more difficult birds to hunt. It won't be flushed out of the brush with a dog. Instead, hunters must try to attract it with different calls. Even with two seasons a year, only one in six hunters will get a wild turkey.
• By the 1930s, almost all of the wild turkeys in the U.S. had been hunted. Today, thanks to conservation programs, there are plenty of wild turkeys—they even invade cities!
• A male turkey is called a tom, a female is a hen, and a youngster is a poult.
• The domestic tom can weigh up to 50 pounds, the domestic hen up to 16 pounds. The wild tom can weigh up to 20 pounds, the wild hen up to 12 pounds.
• The domestic turkey can't fly. The wild turkey can, for short distances, but it prefers to walk or run.
• The average life span of a domestic turkey, from birth to freezer, is 26 weeks. During this period of time, it will eat about 75 pounds of turkey feed. The average life span of a wild turkey is three or four years. It generally feeds on seeds, nuts, insects, and berries.
• The wobbly little thing on the turkey’s chest is the turkey's beard and is made up of keratin bristles. Keratin is the same substance that forms hair and horns on other animals.
• Only male turkeys, or toms, can gobble, and they mostly do it in the spring and fall. It is a mating call and attracts the hens. Wild turkeys gobble at loud sounds and when they settle in for the night.

My "Deer" family

This week I'm in the minority.  They have these emails that are like mini questionnaires that travel through the Internet. Some are "Getting to Know You", "4 Questions", etc.  I think if my family was asked to answer these questions, this is what they'd say:
10 Questions
What is your favorite season?                                                    Hunting
What is your favorite color?                                                      Camo
What is your favorite piece of furniture?                                   Tree Stand
If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would it be ?        The Woods
What was your favorite gift ever?                                              A shotgun
What would your ideal meal be?                                                Venison and anything with Beans in it (chili, soup...)
 What 3 things should you always carry with you?                      A rope, a knife and a cell phone (off)
What is your favorite vehicle?                                                    Anything 4-WD  with a gun rack
Name your favorite Sport                                                          Shooting
Name a 4 letter word ending in _ U C K                                   BUCK       (thank God)

I'm already counting the days till it's over :-)

We'll Remember

Last evening we all enjoyed a festive Thanksgiving feast @ Walden Place.  It's Mom's new home and a wonderful place.  The food is exceptional and last night there was a full house.  We all enjoyed spending some time together which , in our family, is sadly limited.  We're not positive that Grandma recognized Jeff. Her first comment was, "you sure have gotten big" :-)  She thoroughly enjoyed Bailee, as we always do, and we were happy to see the smiles she brought to her.  It was tough for Jeff to hear Gram say that she had never "eaten here before" (only 3 meals a day) or "what's this?" (butter) but realizing she was very comfortable and happy there......we overlooked the rest!  She even made us laugh when she asked who the fellow was sitting next to her.  I replied, "that's John, Mom"... she said "Oh, Hi Roger, how are you tonight?"
Gram looked pretty sharp too.  Thursday is her "hair appt." day and she her nails were freshly painted. She still has the outfit thing down pat.  Her belt and earrings matched perfectly.
This year, I am exceptionally thankful for the staff at Walden Place ♥

Hear that?

If a tree falls in the woods and no one's there to hear it, does it make a sound?  Remember that profound statement that you probably debated in English or Philosophy class?  Well, the other morning, precisely at 1:40 a.m. a tree fell in the woods....................and I heard it...even though I was sound asleep and nestled in my bed.  One of the reasons I love having our bedroom virtually in the woods... I can open the window (which generally remains open 24/7) and hear the roaring of the falls, the trickle of the creek and rustling of the leaves.  And of course, the trees falling. I know our woods are full of deer, turkeys, coyotes and even a stray bear or boar but I love it out there.  Even in the dark, I have no fear.... maybe that's not too smart but sitting out there is amazing.  We sat out by a bonfire not too long ago and listened to two owls talking.  I'm not sure whooooo they were speaking of but they definitely had a conversation going on.  I have never seen a wild owl (other than the zoo).  It's on my bucket list along with a loon.  I have no longing desire to travel to Africa to see giraffes, lions and tigers or to venture several leagues under the sea. I an very content to hear the rustling of the leaves, the gobbles of the turkeys,  the howls of the coyotes and the hoots of the owls. There's something very calming and peaceful about EIEIO.  I've learned the birds' songs and their flight patterns, the chipmunks hiding spots and the squirrels favorite munching branches.  I've even learned to identify the tiny little "handprints" on my den door from the raccoons who thought they needed a peek into MY digs.

So when a tree falls in my woods, I'm planning on being right here to hear it and all the other wonderful sounds!

Sadness

This morning I am filled with sadness.  At breakfast this morning, I learned of the untimely death of a very dear, old (in value not age) friend.  She had begun a battle with cancer that appeared it could be "handled" with a pill... I had not heard that the treatment had been changed to the conventional drip method.  It seems that  possibly an allergic reaction had occurred.  A neighbor had not seen her in a couple days which was unusual for the boisterous gal who rarely rested. The police gained entry and found her....alone and gone....My mind is hoping it was quick and painless and regardless of the circumstances... This is the way it was ! Pam was a HUGE advocate for Owasco Lake where we had grown up and been friends for nearly 50 years.  Her brother, Steve and my brother, Steve were fast, summer friends.  They loved the water and spent their summers in all the water activities the lake provided. She and her friend, Judy initiated the "Swim Owasco" program each Labor Day.  She was a tireless proponent for making and keeping our greatest natural resource as wonderful for future generations as it had been for ours.  Pam had almost seen her dream of living on the lake year-round in their family summer home, become a reality.  This was to be the year of the move until she received a diagnosis of a small growth in her chest.  That changed her plans for this year but not for the future.. The move was just pushed back a season.....I'm never sure what "He's" thinking when someone who is so full of life and giving and caring ceases to exist on earth where she was doing so much good.   I guess I just need to keep the faith and hope that she tells my brother Steve and my Dad that all is well here!...We'll miss you Pam ♥♥

Bailee's ButterFLY-IN birthday breakfast

We started birthday week with a fun, Sunday morning family and friends' breakfast.  I'm always so thankful when everyone takes the time to celebrate another year. Special thanks to those that make the extra effort and travel.. The Dillons from Watertown and Jamie, Christina and Ava from Webster. We really appreciate you being w/ us.  I am also extremely thankful for Jess's Mommy skills.  Bailee was an absolute joy!!  As she was opening gifts, Bailee would locate each "giver" in the room and thank them as well as genuinely loving each and every gift.  She took the time to look at each one and hopefully make those that shopped, happy they chose just the right present.  The appreciation on Bailee's part wasn't a fluke. Her Mom has taught her manners, appreciation for what she has and patience.... All virtues that don't always come naturally....Kudos Jess.. you're an amazing Mom.
We had a wonderful, warm morning and were able to leave the garage door open. Kids had fun riding the golf cart, 4-wheeler and playing in the yard. We had a quick breakfast followed by colorful cupcakes and birthday cake made by Jess.  They looked, and tasted, awesome.
Jeff is on his way home right now. He'll be staying with a friend in Maryland tonight and "home" tomorrow. Wednesday, Bailee's real birthday will be celebrated with her friends at "Stool" (school) while Uncle Jeff and I take her gifts to her house and have them all set up for her arrival. We'll celebrate again with Bailee's favorites for dinner, steak, cottage cheese, yellow beans and rolls....and just maybe an ice cream cake......Good chance there'll be more pix during the week!!!

Busy time....

I like busy time.... My Dad always said,  "the more you have to do, the more you get done".... Pretty simple premise, I guess. The weather has come through and given us a few consecutive warmer, sunny days. Today the garage will get cleaned, the carved pumpkins thrown out for the deer, the dead flowers moved to the trash, and any miscellaneous Halloween decor back to the basement.  Josh is in the H.U.T. finishing up some last details- trim on the ceiling tiles and the flood light "decor" in the downstairs bath.  We need a few brackets hung in the garage to tidy up the rakes, shovels and brooms.
Bailee's birthday breakfast will be Sunday morning followed by Toy Story 3 featured in the H.U.T for the kids and those adults who haven't seen it. The guys may head out to sight in their guns.  The turkey shoot was preempted by the birthday but Papa is keeping his chin up and doing what's right.
Jeff will arrive on Wednesday when we'll celebrate Bailee's actual birthday # 4. Boy, those 4 years went fast!  The next day we're all off to Walden Place to celebrate an early Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma and all the WP families.  Will be a rude awakening for Jeff as he hasn't seen Gram in a few months.  We're just hoping she knows him....Hunting season (shotgun-deer) begins on the 20th.  This is when I hold my breath till I see the whites of their eyes (red for Lee) @ suppertime. Heather arrives on Wednesday the 24th.  Off to Jon and Lisa's for Turkey Day dinner with the family including some reminiscing, some football and a few naps!!  Black Friday will not see me in any stores... I'm done... with the exception of stockings and Santa fills those anyway ;-).  Friday night we'll celebrate Jeff's birthday in the Man Cave with some beer, some poker and some vittles.....Sat (his real 32nd birthday) we'll recuperate and Sunday they'll be motoring back to N.C.  Monday will bring jury duty for Lee..... this could be a life altering adventure...................for the lawyers and judge...I'm not sure how many times they'll like hearing "What", "Excuse me", "Could you repeat that", "did you say Nigger or Trigger?" before they let the deaf man go home..   So, all in all, the next 3 weeks will be busy and fun and should introduce some interesting and memorable stories to our repertoire... Stay tuned!

Stories=History

Originally Armistice Day, commemorating the signing of the agreement that ended World War I at 11:00 A.M., November 11, 1918, this federal holiday was changed to Veterans Day in 1954. At that time, it became a day to honor all the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States.  Consider spending some time on-line learning more about our nation's veterans. The Great War Society has developed a Web site devoted to World War I educational materials. The World War II Memorial celebrates the victory of "the greatest generation" with a design that uses moving water to harmonize with its natural surroundings. Visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial online; this moving memorial, dedicated in 1995, is the latest addition to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. See a registry of all the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington. Learn more about the military men and women who are on duty today.

I hadn't had any knowledge of the armed services through my family until I journeyed to Florida a few years ago to settle my Grandma's estate. In her belongings ,was a written journal accompanied by a photo album of my Grandpa's tour of duty during WWI. Along with his medals, was his infantry helmet "sporting" a rather large dent. His accounting of that day gave me a new and proud insight into war- its soldiers, its casualties and its heroes..Thanks Gramp..till then I never knew!

Traditions=Stories

Boy is it ever tough to try and hang on to tradition.  With so many transitions in life, we really have to work at hanging on to at least some of them.  Monkey wrenches get thrown in the way like family living out of town, divorce and death and tinier ones like no more chimney, in-laws and less time.  I've tried to pass down as many traditions to my kids and Bailee as I can. Most of those traditions came from the Hatfield side of our family as the Hewitt side wasn't quite that "fuzzy!"  My Grandma Hewitt, however; always had games for us to play on holidays like button button, who's got the button. Grandma Iva did likewise....guess the number, Bingo and coloring contests. Christmas dinner at Grandma Hewitt's always ended with dishes of melon-balled raspberry sherbet. Grandma Hatfield's always began with prayer, a tradition we continue today at the Thanksgiving tables at Jon and Lisa's. Growing up, we always waited at the top of the stairs for Christmas morning so Mom and Dad could set up all the picture equipment at the bottom.  Blinding floodlights would greet us as the stair door opened. I still have those lights!  All of our gifts were wrapped..even those from Santa...and I guess I never even realized or cared that it was the same paper.  We always had spaghetti Mom had prepared ahead of time.  It was easy and allowed us more "opening time."  A later tradition started by my niece after a trip to England was the fun of poppers, little cardboard tubes filled with a paper hat, a prize and a fortune. We'd all pull the ends of our poppers and wear the stupid crowns throughout dinner.Now, there are no crowns, no dinner, no family. On the flip side...and thankfully there is one, my kids had popcorn balls, Easter (paint) buckets,birthday goodie bags, and the joy of winning a holiday prize. It made no difference if it was a wrapped box of tissue or a brand new toothbrush. 
It's not so easy to get together now. The next generations have miles to travel,  in-laws to share, babies to pack up, more places to be and less time to be there. So, the biggest traditions we need to keep alive are the memories.  Every holiday invokes a memory of Christmases past and opens an opportunity for new stories to make their way as traditions.  Soon Thanksgiving will be here, the day will start with hunting for the guys and the Macy's parade for me....Bailee will be off to Daddy's...sniff, sniff :-(  We'll gather at Chestnut Ridge, we'll pray, we'll eat, we'll laugh..( sounds like a movie).and eat some more................and lots of the stories will be told! 

Turning Back

I hate (a strong word) turning back the clocks.  I know those that have to get up very early enjoy the daylight but I hate (there it is again) having it get dark at 4:30.  Why, that's right in the middle of Ellen and I'm getting groggy already.  I haven't even thought about supper and it's practically time for bed!  I've never liked turning back much of anything. It seems like such a negative concept. I don't even think turning back time would be a good idea.  Those prior years have made us who we are today.. like it or not.  There might be a couple of things I would have done differently like finish college and acquire a educated skill... Although, I'm not a dummy and garnered a lot of knowledge through life and experiences. When I start a project, I like to see it through to completion and hate to give up and turn back... (although I DID start a wallpaper project yesterday and quit when I realized we had numbered the mural pieces incorrectly last year).  When we're lost during travel, we don't turn back (OK maybe once in Jerome's maiden voyage) and start over....we just plug along and find the right path.  If I haven't picked up my current book in awhile, I must admit that I do "turn back" a few pages and regroup.  I think that might just be an old age thing.  Now that I actually put these turn backs on paper, I guess maybe I turn back more than I realize.  I do know for a fact that the ones I enjoy the most are turning back the pages of a photo album  and turning back the sheets!! We don't get a lot of "do overs" in life so I guess the harmless turn backs aren't really so bad!

Will Rogers.................

If we lived in the west, today we'd be celebrating Will Roger's Day. So many famous quips and humorous looks at life have been attributed to this insightful man in our history.
This holiday is celebrated in Oklahoma to honor the trick-roping cowboy and all-around entertainer, who was born in that state in 1879. He thoughtfully poked fun at all aspects of Americana. One of my favorite and most fitting for this time of year is:

“I don't make jokes. I just watch government and report the facts.”. 

I think I'd enjoy celebrating Will Rogers Day a whole lot more than Martin Luther King Day :-)

 

–Will Rogers (1879–1935)

House cleaning

Well, it looks as though our "House" cleaning project was a success.  Ms. Pelosi will be taking a back seat beginning in January.  No more expensive plane rides back and forth to California for her....coach..coming up!!
I like Chuck Todd's (NBC) "take" on the results.  The House can now try and correct a few wrongs...if they fail, they can still blame it on the Democratic Senate and our illustrious President..(who isn't so much liking the change moniker after last night).  We had no starling changes locally but we do have a Cuomo back as Governor... I'm so hoping it works out better for us than the era of Mario and certainly the blind leadership of Paterson.  I was NOT a proponent of Paladino and my (our) options were few.  Now on to the voting procedure... What a flippin' crock of sh--. So much for saving money, making it easier and going green.  Paper paper everywhere, a HUGE lack of privacy, the candidates' party affiliation was typed so small that it was barely readable and filling in little circle was not all that easy...for some.  The older machines were paid for, easier to operate, and accommodated larger print.....

OK enough complaining..... The H.U.T. is very near completion.  A bit of ceiling trim, a valance and it's Premiere Night.  I see a red carpet event on the horizon.

Butterfly collecting.....

Another Halloween is in the books and another costume win! It was a busy day as our trick or treater was at her Daddy's for a couple hours in the afternoon as Snow White and then morphed into a butterfly in transit to Moravia's parade and costume judging.  They pulled out another prize, this year third place in the most original category.  As you can see, her Mom was the net who had caught the most beautiful butterfly!  After the contest, we made our way to all the Aunts... Kelly,Wendy, Lisa and Kim. Aunt Kyle had delivered her goodie bag for B earlier in the day! What a lucky girl!!!  Bailee's favorite part of the night was flying in the snow at Uncle Zoot's.  We returned to Grandma's for some supper and a bath and the tired butterfly was asleep before she hit the bridge!
Now, out with the ghosts and goblins and in with the pilgrims and turkeys.  The tree may be going up soon with sunflowers and leaf garlands. The theater seating arrives this afternoon and we have just one more project, the decorative ceiling tiles, to finish and we're ready to "head to the movies".  Our first showing will be Toy Story 3 for Miss B and RED for the old people.....

It's a new month and time to ready ourselves for the holidays and birthdays!!!!  Let the celebrations begin!