Rainy Days and Mondays

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Here it is Monday right smack in the middle of July. It might as well be January for all the time we spend outdoors. We tried to enjoy dinner al fresco yesterday evening, but the bugs and the humidity prevented it from being at all enjoyable.

No, I'm not over the hump yet, but we're getting closer.

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Friday night's softball championship game was rained out and rescheduled for Saturday. It was a tense time, and I admit that it's ridiculous to even think that thought (it's a little league!). Faith was very crabby on Thursday and Friday, which is unlike her, and the only thing I could contribute it to was the anticipation of the game. Holding the last play-off game at the "grown-up" field, at a later time, and "under the lights" made her nervous. I let her coach know that if they were all experiencing what Faith was, he might have a different group of girls at game time, and he said that his daughter, too, was anxious at the change of venue and time. So, for whom did they make the change? The parents, of course. How silly it is to cater to grown adults when the game is supposed to be all about the children.

Faith's team did not win the championship, but they played a really good game -- same game different place. They missed fly balls, overthrew the first baseman, and struck out a few times. I was glad to see they had not somehow turned into professionals over night. Same little girls, giggling with each other on the bench. The coaches for our team took it all in stride and encouraged them as they have all year -- high fives at first base (Faith's favorite) and reminders to keep their eyes on the ball. The coaches on the other teams, however, made me embarrassed to be there at all, screaming at their girls, throwing their hats in the dirt, jumping up and down when they made an out. Sigh. At least I could truly thank my daughter's coaches for being adult and making her first experience at softball a good memory.

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Yesterday brought another big sports event, though only a spectator event for us -- the World Cup. After the disappointment at Germany loss I wasn't sure I would watch, but I did. I was rooting for the Netherlands and was disappointed, not just in their loss but in the game in general. I did not find it to be soccer at its finest. And I don't think it was just that I was rooting for the Dutch that I found Spain's dramatics to be over-the-top, and the missed call count to be in the ridiculous numbers. My college son texted me about three-quarters of the way though the game saying "Spain is disgracing itself" leading me to believe that it wasn't just me thinking those thoughts. Yes, the fake injuries were on both sides, but Spain definitely had more going for it in the drama department.

At least I didn't waste my time. I finished up this little Dutch girl (appropriately), Griet, for Faith's room




and started on the little Polish girl, Aniela.



They are really too cute. (And can be found here.)

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This morning, I am waiting for our window crew to show. They called at early o'clock this morning to say they were not going to come because storms were in the forecast (I can't say I would want to be outdoors on a ladder in the rain either). Then they called and said it looked like it was going to clear up so they would come. It seems kind of silly to plan your work day around the weather forecast, but, I'm glad they changed their minds. Hopefully they will finish before the storms head in again this afternoon -- I'm anxious to get my dining room painted and cross another job off my list.

Speaking of painting jobs, I am planning to take down a border that I have around the ceiling in my kitchen. I'd like to hand paint something -- a phrase or scripture -- but haven't come up with what I really like. I was thinking of: "live...laugh...eat...drink...
celebrate...pray...embrace...enjoy...kiss..." something like that. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.


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