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A View Into My Universe

It started with a bat. My late husband did a fancy staircase in the home of a Seattle Mariners player, who gifted him this signed practice bat from his time on the Ms farm team, the Tacoma Rainiers. This bat has been sitting in my garage for a long time until I finally decided it was time to get rid of it. One of my blog friends is very into baseball and her husband collects baseball paraphernalia AND bats. So, I asked her about it, and that led to a delightful lunch in a Greek restaurant in my town. Normally, my Fridays are pretty boring since I’m retired; I was excited to have a date!

I can’t speak for Jay, but I felt immediately comfortable and connected. We chatted easily about our lives and loved ones, touching on every older person’s usual topics: Medicare. Health. Children and Grandchildren. LIfe in these crazy times. As Anne Shirley used to say in “Anne of Green Gables, “She’s a kindred spirit.” I appreciated her driving all the way from Seattle for the bat and hope her husband likes it!

And when we walked out of the restaurant afterward, there was the Mountain! After days (feels like months) of rain, we had a pleasant, partly sunny day; it’s still way too warm and some of the rivers continue to flood, but it was a definite improvement. Temporary… probably. On a random note, my grass and tulips think it’s spring. I may even have to mow again!

Although early, the sunset was gorgeous today. That’s what we get when it’s a mixture of blue skies and clouds. That’s life too, isn’t it? Sad and happy, up and down, sometimes gray, other times sunny.

Updates: Younger Daughter is depressed but seeking some help. She may not (probably won’t) follow through, but I’ll be supportive anyway. What else can I do? Ian had some shots today: RSV and Hep B. I’m happy that she’s having him vaccinated because at one time she’d fallen prey to a couple anti-vax people like my sister-in-law and Anders’ occupational therapist. The best news is that little Ian is nearly 9 pounds! It’s somehow thrilling when a baby gains weight. I sure wish it was the same for me! 🙂

Comments

40 responses to “Friday Fun”

  1. Maureen Avatar
    Maureen

    A kindred spirit is one of the joys of life and finding them in your latter years is even sweeter. I’m glad YD is getting help. You are so right; we can’t do it for them. That sunset is beautiful!

    1. Margaret Avatar

      It is amazing to meet up with bloggers because they’re not really strangers. We know so much of their history and thoughts already. I don’t know that YD will follow through on the help, but I will continue to encourage her to do so. She needs it!

  2. AC Avatar

    It’s nice to be reminded of Anne Shirley. We visited the house described in her books in PEI. Loved that series.

    You also reminded me that I keep a bat under my bed just in case although I expect that any intruder could take it from me and beat me senseless with it. Mind you, I am pretty close to senseless to begin with

    We had a sky we similar hues Did I post it or does it reside in drafts? I think the latter. See, I told you — senseless.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      The bat was heavier than I expected and would certainly make a formidable weapon. The problem with an intruder is that they have the element of surprise going for them. I love sunsets and you do post them, but I’m not sure if you’ve done one similar to this one. Probably? Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorites–the books and the Canadian films with Megan Follows.

  3. Jay Avatar

    Definitely felt the kindred spirit vibe as well. So nice to meet up in person, and have a good food as well. The intention is to save the bat for a Christmas surprise, but we’re meeting a few of the baseball buddies for lunch tomorrow, so I was considering moving it up. But now we’re planning to walk to the lunch, and it’s a heavy bat so it will wait at least a few days longer.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      My salad and spanakopita were outstanding! Meeting up with blog friends gives us the chance to fill in the blanks; we already know the basics about each other, but it’s great to share the unbloggable stuff too. Being familiar with our back stories helps us be more comfortable with each other right off the bat! (see what I did there?) 😉 I was surprised by the weight of the bat and wouldn’t want to carry it any distance.

      1. kayak woman Avatar

        LOL, Jay and I have a loooong backstory as two of eleven beloved cousins. So glad you got together!

      2. Margaret Avatar

        We had such a lovely chat!

  4. Doug M Avatar
    Doug M

    Gosh what a nice gift, nice read, nice photo of you two! I was sad but glad to read about YD too, do you think it’s postpartum related?

    1. Margaret Avatar

      Selfies with two people in them have never been easy for me! I think part of it is post-partum but the rest isn’t and also needs to be dealt with. I hope she’s up for getting help in any way she can. She’s resistant to change and to reaching out.

  5. ceci Avatar
    ceci

    How thoughtful of you to hit on the perfect destination for the bat and then follow through! Bravo! And glad to hear that YD is considering getting professional advice on her depression. I did the same after starting to cry while watching an ad for a washing machine on TV while holding my month old baby and it was really helpful although I already in theory “knew” all about postpartum depression.

    And the vaccine news is very encouraging.

    Ceci

    1. Margaret Avatar

      I think it was an excellent home for the bat; it was sitting in my garage, doing no one any good at all! YD has a long road ahead of her and I hope she’s up for the challenges. Sigh.

  6. Catalyst Avatar
    Catalyst

    I once had a baseball signed by Hank Aaron in his rookie season. I ruined it using it for a sandlot game. What did I know?

    1. Margaret Avatar

      Wow, that would have been worth some money. But you had fun with it! That’s important.

  7. Ed Avatar

    The only school in the entire county south of here was shut down yesterday due to kids with whooping cough. I struggle with the stupidity of it all.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      I struggle and despair about the misinformation and the ignorance of our past without vaccines. Plus, I have a great anger toward NOT preventing things that are preventable.

  8. Betty Renfroe Avatar
    Betty Renfroe

    Thankful Ian got the RSV shot. It’s so important to those born early. Hope YD finds a way up.

    Giving the special bat away was a great sacrifice! Take a bow.

    The sky has been beautiful here too.

    I’m glad I found you far away friend.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      I’m happy I found you too! I enjoy hearing about your family and seeing the beautiful things you produce. Giving away the bat wasn’t much of a sacrifice; it had just been sitting in the garage. It was special to my husband, but not to me. YD has a lot of work to do on herself, and I hope she will. I hope my grandsons get every vaccine to keep them safer in this nutty country. MAHA, what a travesty!

  9. Stephen G Reed Avatar
    Stephen G Reed

    Good news about Ian! I have met up with quite a few bloggers over the years and I’ve always been pleasantly surprised.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      WordPress didn’t recognize you! I’ve had many positive experiences from meeting bloggers. I wish some lived closer!

  10. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    Your meet-up with a blogger friend sounds lovely. Plus, you found a great home for a once much-loved bat. It is now part of a larger prized collection.
    Your sky is beautiful. Our sky has been very dim with little sunshine and great cold ongoing.
    Finding a good counselor is not easy. If the first one is not a good fit, try another. Encourage YD to take this approach. When a solid connection is made, positive outcomes will be accomplished.
    Reaching 9 lbs. for Ian is wonderful.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      It was wonderful! I feel good about the bat being part of a collection and not sitting in my garage collecting dust. I felt funny carrying it into the restaurant though! I was hoping I didn’t look threatening. 🙂 Some friends took even more beautiful photos of the sunset, but I was satisfied with mine. YD quickly loses interest in therapy; she wants it to be easy and to bond immediately with the therapist. They are very hard to find, as you mentioned. It’s scary.

  11. Pixie Avatar

    Ian is now the same weight as my smallest baby:) It’s always a miracle to me that I don’t pee my pants when I jump or sneeze.
    At least your daughter is seeing someone, that’s good. Maybe this time she will stick with it a big longer. I’ve noticed with myself that improvements to myself are small incremental steps, that eventually add up, but just not very quickly. It does made it hard to keep trying because I’m the same way, I want to feel better NOW!

    1. Margaret Avatar

      YD has a couple appointments this week that I HOPE she keeps. She really needs to. Like me, she’s impatient, but unlike me, she gives up too soon. I am much more stubborn about dealing with problems. You must have done your Kegels after birth, as recommended! I did too. (even after my two 6lb13 babies)

  12. JT Twissel Avatar

    That mountain is spectacular! Happy to hear Ian is gaining weight! Rah!

    1. Margaret Avatar

      The past few days she has been out and gorgeous. However, she’s now going away for a while. The rain is coming back. Ugh.

  13. J Avatar

    Oh, I’m sorry your daughter is depressed. Is she suffering from post-partum? It’s so common, I’m glad that she is getting help. I know she’s worried about Ian and whether he is going to have issues or not. Sending good thoughts her way.

    Blogger meet ups are always fun, and I love that you found a new home for the baseball bat! I used to have a friend that would carry one with her when walking alone, with a big red bow on it. She figured people would think it was a gift, but no one would mess with her because she could bash them. Of course someone could have taken it from her and bashed her, too, but thankfully she was never tested.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      I don’t know that the depression is only post-partum; I’ve been trying to get her into counseling for years. She is secretive and hides her problems, pretending that everything is fine. (it’s not) I enjoyed the blogger get together very much. Love the bat story! Perhaps a bow on my bat would have made me feel less awkward carrying it into the restaurant. 🙂

  14. Martha Avatar
    Martha

    I’m so glad you were able to meet up with your blog friend, and I’m sure her husband loves the bat. It looks like such a beautiful day, too. Your photos are gorgeous. I’m very glad to hear that your daughter is planning to get some help. Fingers crossed that she will follow through.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      It’s delightful to chat with a blog friend; we already know so much about each other. We’ve had a couple nice days but the rain and wind are coming back. Ugh. Follow through is definitely YD’s issue! 🙁

  15. kayak woman Avatar

    My name is Anne. I have always hated that name but once I learned that my mom named me after Anne of Green Gables I was more okay with it. Anne of Green Gables hated her name too although I think she wanted to be Cordelia and I wouldn’t have wanted that name either. I do like my name ending with an e and I don’t really like the nickname “Annie” although there are a few people I have let call me that.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      It took me a long time to grow into my name; I was usually the only Margaret in my class! When you’re a kid, you just want to fit in, and an old-fashioned name set me apart.

  16. PipeTobacco Avatar
    PipeTobacco

    Trying this on my phone, but my thumbs are tired….. so too brief, but….

    1. Very glad for Ian’s progress!

    2. How is Anders doing regarding his little brother? Sometimes it is hard for the older sibling when the new one requires so much individual attention.

    3. I really like the background to the bat story!!! And it is so fun you were able to meet Jay in person!

    4. I did not know what spanakopita was, so I looked it up….. it sounds utterly amazing. It made me thing of a savory cross pollination of baklava and lasagne- tomatoes. I will have to see if I ever see it on the menu next time I am at a Mediterranean or Greek restaurant.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      Anders is aware of his baby brother, but shows little interest in interacting with him. I was happy that the bat went to someone who appreciates it better than I do! Spanakopita is usually what I order because I like it so much! This one had cheese and spinach.

  17. Pam Avatar

    I didn’t know about your rain – nothing in our news about it, as far as I’ve seen. Oh dear, how difficult, but thankfully not for you.

    Ian is a pet. I hope he’s ok but as you say, you’ll all love him whatever.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      I don’t know how I missed this comment! Ian is adorable and so sweet. I hope he’s OK too. He seems like a normal baby to me–but what do I know?

  18. Tonya Avatar

    I’m glad to hear that YD is now open to therapy, and I sure hope she can find someone good. Maybe some word-of-mouth local recommendations? Ugh, I know it’s very hard.

    The bat story is very cool, and I love that Jay is Kayak Woman’s cousin!

    Yesterday was very pleasant, and now it sounds like we’re in for more wet CRAP. I hear we can expect some strong winds tomorrow? Yikes—lots of trees in soggy ground + wind doesn’t equal anything good.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      I’m missing too many comments lately! She is open to it but doesn’t follow through very well. I love blogging for the connections and in this case, there’s a double one!

  19. landunabashedlyfe24eed30a Avatar
    landunabashedlyfe24eed30a

    How fun to meet another blog friend! I feel for YD. The stress of a 2nd baby, recovering from childbirth, and all the other stuff. I’m glad she has you.

    1. Margaret Avatar

      Blog friends are the best! YD has a lot on her plate which causes the same old problems to re-surface. I just want her to fix them!

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