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!