NEWS AND A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE....

Well it is Friday already and nice and warm here in So. California.  We have already hit 75 and it is only 11 o'clock, so who knows?  Suppose to be nice and warm for a good week.  I am loving it for now, but truthfully am not really ready for spring just yet.

My cold is MUCH better, but is still kind of hanging in there.  Hubby ended up getting it too which is weird as he usually doesn't catch anything.  I did have to be around mom yesterday as she had an appointment at the surgeons and there just wasn't anyone else to take her. I stayed out of her face as much as possible, so hopefully she will be OK.  They are basically kicking her out of the convalescent hospital today....soo frustrating.  She is better, but I am truly concerned if she is really up to being at home yet.  She will go to my sister's today as this is where she usually goes on the week-end, and will be coming back here next Mon. night.   However, we found out last night (via a midnight phone call from mom...) that they took her back to the hospital to give her an IV bag of sodium, as they discovered in a blood test that she was quite low.  And the 3 main symptoms of this?  Confusion, muscle weakness, and loss of appetite, ALL of mom's biggest issues.  I am concerned that they are just now figuring this out as we have been SAYING this for days and days now, and the blood test was done a few days ago, but at the same time I am sooo hopeful that this is the answer and she will be back to her usual self soon.   I am really again kind of concerned that if mom can't get around better if I will be able to care for her like before.  We will see I guess.

My grand daughter Lindsey who just turned 12 is going to play spring softball this year.  She is soo excited about it!  So this morning my hubby dug out all of Melody's old softball gear, and with Mel's blessing, we are going to give it all to her.  3 expensive bats, a fantastic helmet, 2 wonderful gloves, batting gloves, knee pads, AND her American Pastime bat bag!  We are not sure if they will allow Lindsey to use the helmet or the bat bag as the American Pastime logo is all over them, and it is their cities travel team, but I guess we will find out.  I am thrilled that all this stuff can be put to use again.  When hubby drug it all in from the shed (which I didn't even know it was in there!) I spent a good hour going through old memories.  From her trophies, to all this gear, to a felt album that holds all her National pins.  How fun that summer was that she collected them.  The team had spent several months traveling around trying to qualify for Nationals.  They finally did in New Jersey!  Each state depending on their size can send anywhere from 1 - 4 teams to Nationals.  What is weird (or I always thought it was!) is that your girls don't necessarily have to be from the state where you win the tournament at.  Sooo California is one of the best states for girl softball teams (along with Arizona and Florida) and so the tournaments here are REALLY hard to win.  And since only 4 can go, most of the teams have to go outside of California to get in.  And yet, (here is where I thought it seemed unfair) New Jersey only got to send 2 teams, and we (a California team obviously) were one of them!  But it is how it is done.  Anyway, no matter what state got you in, you had "pins" from your home state.  And then all through the tournament, which was a week long, the girls from the various different states exchanged their pins.  Opening ceremony was soo fun!  It is a memory I will never forget, and one I never tire of telling.  It was evening time in Texas in the month of August, in a GIANT football stadium.  It was soo hot and humid I was in shock that people actually lived in such a climate, haha.  The 14- 16 year old girls (Mel had just turned 14 that summer, and was the youngest girl on the team) all dressed themselves up in their best uniforms, (we were red, white, and blue of course for "American" Pastime!) and did their hair up in french braids and ribbons, and entered the stadium with the Beach Boys California Girls blaring through the speakers.  The girls all carried bags of candy and tossed them to the cheering crowds as they walked by.   Obviously all the girls entered with music playing representing their state, but honestly I don't remember anyone else's but ours.  The looks of joy on the girls faces, along with the laughter and smiles and happiness in everyone's hearts will be burned into my memory always as one of life's best moments.  Melody played travel ball for 7 years, and it was the only National tournament we ever made it to.  She did play in a couple of lesser tournaments in Colorado that are played every summer, which were also quite fun, but not even close to the hype of Nationals.  As I recall, we did pretty well in that tournament considering the competition.  No where near the finals or anything, but it didn't really matter.  It was enough just to be there.  Melody quit softball altogether a couple of summers later, as she had finally had enough. Considering she made All American as a Freshman at shortstop, and could have played on a full scholarship for a few colleges, it was hard for her daddy and I to take.  But of course it was her call to make.  But I think back on all these memories every once in a while, and am soo glad we had the time we had.  Oh the stories I could tell, haha.  Sorry for this LONG post down memory lane, but it just where my head is today.

This is the soft album we had made for the girls to hold their pins!

Their names on the inside cover and a patch she earned another year

How the pins are displayed through the book

Pastime's pin the year we went to National's

Pin from another year

She looks soo young and tiny here, haha...

We are going to Lindsey's tryouts tomorrow, and are looking forward to catching a few of her games in the next few weeks!  We also hope to go to her daddy's new karate studio, and I am planning on bringing my camera, so hopefully I can finally share about that FINALLY on Monday.  Hope you all enjoy your week-end!
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