Angels in the Outfield & Homemade Applesauce in the Sports Widow's Kitchen
August 26, 2008 10:25 PM | 0 Comments
It was a mercifully quiet, low-impact sports night for me. It's been raining steadily here in Seattle, and there is a chill in the air that reminds me Fall is right around the corner. We have an espellier in our front yard and it's producing three varieties of apples, two of which are ready for harvesting.
So I alternated between watching the movie Angels in the Outfield with the kids (it was on TV) and making homemade applesauce. After flipping burgers on the grill and a hotdog for our the non-burger lover (14-year-old Kit), our sports fan Bryan descended to the basement family room to watch sports on TV: "I'll take baseball for $500, please."
The first time I saw Angels in the Outfield, my son Austin was in the hospital fighting a bizarre infection in his left leg. It was a nightmare for my husband Bryan and I. It happened nearly five years ago on the anniversary of 911. Austin, who was in kindergarten, complained about having pain in his ankle. The school nurse called me, and I took him home. We propped up his leg and iced it, but by 9pm, Austin was hysterical from the pain and his temperature was 103 degrees. What was puzzling was that there was no external evidence of a problem on the leg; no swelling, no bruising. We raced Austin to Seattle Children's Hospital, and they discovered that he was fighting a massive infection.
When Austin went into surgery the next day, we were prepared for the worst. The infection had colonized between the muscle and bone of his calf and there was a fear that it may be necrotizing or flesh-eating. Prior to the surgery they had no idea what condition his leg would be in or if they could halt the agressive infection. It was my darkest moment as a parent.In the end, strep was identified as the culprit, but the doctors never could determine how it happened. The theory was that the strep entered an old cut or a spider bite and then colonized the leg when Austin hit it on playground equipment.But the rest is history. Like the movie Angels in the Outfield, Austin must have had angels watching over him.
After two weeks in the hospital and subsequent weeks of physical therapy, Austin completely recovered. As an active boy involved in baseball, basketball, tennis and shortly soccer, you'd never know he had to face this challenge, but it has given him a maturity that others his age don't have.
On a totally different subject, my applesauce is outstanding, if I do say so myselt. I combined some Joy of Cooking recipes and, voila, it's a masterpiece.
Apple (Pie) Sauce
1) Peel, core and cut apples to approximately 1/2-inch thickness
2) Place apples in a skillet with butter and lemon juice
3) Saute with lid on, over low heat for 15-20 minutes, until apples are stewed and soft
4) Mash with a potato masher or use a food processor for a finer consistency
5) Add brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla to taste
It's like eating apple pie, and the kids are very enthusiastic about it.The Sports Widow(aka Nan Hall)
Tell me what you think of Angels in the Outfield & Homemade Applesauce in the Sports Widow's Kitchen...
From the Baseball Archives
The Sports Widow Reflects on Sports Palaces and KOs
August 23, 2008 8:12 PM | 0 Comments
Today marked our return to West Seattle, after a 2-week stint in Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach. As I left Washington, D.C., which is where I met my sports fan husband Bryan, memories swarmed me like mosquitos in a swamp, like mosquitos in Washington, D.C., which at one time was a swamp and, frankly, still acts like one. Ask my children, these mosquitos have unusually large proboscises (I'm too lazy to look this one up, but it means stingers, emphasis on plural).
The Sports Test, Quoth the Raven and Other Baltimore Stories
August 22, 2008 9:30 PM | 0 Comments
It was our last full day on the East Coast and 10-year-old Austin had to see The National Aquarium in Baltimore. When he is not planning to be a baseball or basketball player, his goal is to be a wildlife photographer or to host a wildlife show, a la Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter.
Parents Are Teammates, Too
August 1, 2008 11:07 PM | 0 Comments
Tonight my sports fan was parked in front of the TV watching a baseball game. I couldn't tell you which one, but the announcer's play-by-plays blared monotonously in the background while I: baked my nearly-14-year-old daughter Kit's birthday cake (with the help of resident chefs 8-year-old Caroline and 10-year-old Austin); made frosting from scratch, of course; and processed all three of them through baths/showers.
Sports Widow Rehab from Little League Baseball & Coach's Gifts
July 29, 2008 11:05 PM | 0 Comments
OK. It's over. Seriously. I have proof: I just turned in my 10-year-old son Austin's Little League Baseball All Stars uniform, but drat, wouldn't you know it, I grabbed the wrong black under shirt? There's always something, isn't there?
Tonight we punctuated the Little League Baseball All Star Season and bid for the Washington State championship with an end-of-season barbecue at none other than Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club, our local community pool. Because of the rigorous summer schedule and all of the All Star commitments, our family has barely been at the pool, but over the last week we're suddenly members of the Frequent Swimmers Club.
Game 3: Westside Red Bulls Lose, But From The Sports Widow's Perspective, They're Winners
July 22, 2008 8:30 PM | 0 Comments
Well, I got The Call. My sports fan husband Bryan phoned home to tell me the sad news: My 10-year-old son Austin's Little League Baseball All Stars team, the Westside Red Bulls, narrowly lost their third game in the Washington State Tournament, which marks the end of The Road to Vancouver. The score was 6-5.
Free Day for Westside Red Bulls at the Washington State Little League Baseball All Stars Tournament
July 21, 2008 9:19 PM | 0 Comments
Free Day & Logistics: Scenic Multnomah Falls, WA
Today we took respite from the intensity of the Washington State Little League Baseball All Stars Tournament by going on a scenic tour to Multnomah Falls. We hiked about halfway up, and I fully intended to reach the top, but I quickly readjusted my goal. My new goal was to descend quickly and find the nearest restroom. Delivering three large-headed, 100th percentile babies hasn't done me any favors in the endurance category and the pounding sound of The Falls wasn't helping matters. After the tour of The Falls, we went to a hatchery and passed the Bonneville Dam. We also ate at a kitschy cafeteria-style burger joint with an incredible view of the mighty Columbia River. I think it was called the Flambee Grill. I ordered a burger with mushrooms and swiss cheese, delusionally believing that it would be made with fresh mushrooms and a slab of Oregon Tillamook cheese ( I am a cheesehead, after all), but the reality was canned mushrooms with sliced Kraft. What was I thinking?
Game 2: West Side Redbulls at the Washington State Little League Baseball All Stars Tournament
July 20, 2008 5:24 PM | 0 Comments
It’s Sunday morning, Day 2 of the Washington State Little League Baseball All Stars Tournament for 9/10-year-olds. I begin the day at my usual breakfast post, at the La Quinta, WA, Make-Your-Own Waffle Iron. Tip: If you forget to use cooking spray, you’re history. You’ll spend the next ½-hour prying off pieces of waffle. This did not happen to me, but the guy at the Waffle Iron next door was really frustrated. I cheered him up by telling him he wouldn’t have to chew quite so much. This was metaphorically good preparation for the upcoming game, learning to deal with mauled waffles instead of perfect ones.
Game 1: Westside Redbulls at the Washington State Little League Baseball All Stars Tournament
July 19, 2008 3:30 PM | 0 Comments
Next, it was off to the game. Opening ceremonies included an announcer who desperately needed a pronunciation guide, Boy Scout flag-bearers and a piped in instrumental version of the National Anthem a la M.A.S.H.(TV_series).
Breakfast with the West Seattle Little League Baseball All Stars in Vancouver, WA
July 19, 2008 9:30 AM | 0 Comments
It’s morning at the La Quinta in Vancouver, WA, which is conveniently located less than a mile from the epicenter of this week’s events - HB Fuller Park, where the Washington State Little League Baseball All Star Tournament in the 9/10 Division is occurring. The sounds of energetic, boisterous boys from the Westside Red Bulls All Star team carry through the hotel halls. I establish one important point. How do you pronounce La Quinta: La KWIN tah, La KEEN tah, or La KIN tah? I’ve heard everything. The desk clerk confirms my favored pronunciation: La Keen tah. It’s gratifying to see my elementary school TV Spanish coming back to me.
Vancouver, Here We Come for the State Little League Baseball Championship
July 18, 2008 1:14 PM | 0 Comments
We’re heading to Vancouver, WASHINGTON, for the state Little League Baseball Championship Tournament, and our luxurious accommodations are at the La Quinta, which I guess is redundant, because La means The in Spanish. The specter, I mean the prospect, of a weekend with Austin and his teammates and their families looms, I mean gleams, before me. I just hope my limited Spanish will be sufficient for my stay at La Quinta. In grade school I took TV Spanish and learned important phrases like: “Por favor sierra la puerta,” which means “Please, close the door.” This should come in handy while at the hotel. My understanding is that cervesa is another handy word. I forgot to mention that this is the 50th Annivesary of the West Seattle Little League, which is quite momentous.
Another Little League Baseball Task
July 16, 2008 6:10 PM | 0 Comments
Tonight’s Little League Baseball championship assignment is to create a sign, essentially a blown up trading card, starring my 10-year-old son Austin. The sign is supposed to include his player details: Photo, nickname, number. Each player will have one, and we’ll use them to cheer them on.
Little League Benefactor With Strings Attached
July 14, 2008 6:03 PM | 0 Comments
Today’s my day off from work. (I am a marketing professional in health care and, happily, work a 32-hour week, which permits me to live in the delusion that I can cram all personal/family needs into a single day of the week.) The first item on the agenda was to take a homemade banana cake to one of the local jewelers. This jeweler offered to donate a generous sum of money to our cause IF we satisfied his request for baked goods, but these weren’t just any baked goods; he was very specific.
Awash in Little League Baseball & A Car Wash Fundraiser
July 12, 2008 5:57 PM | 0 Comments
Our local West Seattle branch of the Puget Consumers Cooperative, a health food store chain in the Northwest, generously agreed to let the Red Bulls use one of their parking lots for a Car Wash/Bake Sale Fundraiser. In addition, some of the families scrounged up Seattle Mariners memorabilia and tickets to assemble prize baskets we could raffle. (Darn, I have a University of Washington Husky’s Football commemorative book that’s still in the plastic sleeve, but this doesn’t go with the theme. I scavenged our house for other potential items we could sell. I briefly consider selling our futon at the car wash, but it’s over 20 years old and I’m not sure how much we’d fetch for it.)
Little League Baseball Abducted My Family
July 9, 2008 5:53 PM | 0 Comments
One of the Team Moms just shared the shocking news with me: Depending on how Austin’s All Star team advances in the tournament, we could be doing time in Vancouver, WA, for as long as 10 days! That’s 10 days of gas, food, lodging and a posse of 9/10-year-old boys and their entourages. This is going to wreak havoc on our family budget and schedule.
Our Destiny: The Little League Baseball State Championship
June 28, 2008 5:45 PM | 0 Comments
The Red Bulls are going to State! Yeah, they won the District 7 (I think that’s the number) Tournament, and they are now statebound (don’t ask me the final score). Yes, this means the 9/10-year-olds are heading to Vancouver.
I'm Tired of Playing the Game: Little League Baseball, That Is
June 27, 2008 7:24 PM | 0 Comments
While most Little League Baseball mothers are breathing a sigh of relief because the season is over, there is a select few, which includes me, that is continuing to slog through a prolonged season. Austin's team, the Red Bulls (I'm disappointed because at one point they toyed with the concept of The Cheeseheads) won their championship, and now they've proceeded to the district level. They play at a field near Seatac, which is adjacent to the airport, which I find distracting. One good hit and one of those boys could probably hit the window of the passenger seated in 6A.
The Sports Widow Pep Talk
June 6, 2008 10:10 PM | 0 Comments
This morning, as I was conducting my usual sweep through two bedrooms to wake the 9AM elementary school contingent in my family (my sixth grader has a 6:15AM appointment, so she was long gone), I detected what I would describe as a "loss hangover." My lively renditions of "Good Mornin', Good Mornin" from Singing in the Rain and "Rise & Shine" from Girl Scout Camp at Camp Northern Hills in Wisconsin were surprisingly inadequate to wake the somber 10-year-old Austin. Instead, he lay motionless in his bed with tears ambling down his cheeks over last night's loss at the hand of the despicable Smelly Sweat Socks (in truth, it is possible my singing exacerbated the situation). Since the Boa Constrictors have been undefeated this season, Austin's feeling of loss was unfamiliar to him and paralyzing. As a lost, middle-management career person, I can relate to his angst. So, I, the Sports Widow who has never truly cared enough to care enough about losing a game, needed to find it in myself to deliver an inspiring pep talk.
Winning isn't everything (But it sure can help minimize a Sports Widow's pain)
June 5, 2008 9:37 PM | 0 Comments
Yesterday was another one of those days where I am reminded of how much we sacrfice in the name of sports. I started out the morning discussing the Seattle Mariners' Manager's 45-second diatribe, complete with 17 expletives, about their poor performance, with my son while schlepping him to the dentist to resolve a chipped tooth, in which the offender was cooked broccoli (go figure). In the PM, I raced from my day job as a marketing professional, which is quickly being supplanted by my real job as sports manager, to attend a parent tennis team meeting at our local Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club (AHSTC). Unaccustomed to reaching this destination from Tukwila (don't ask where this is), I took a creative route (short hand for nearly got lost) to locate my destination, which is a seasonal community club open from May through September. Then, after getting the details of the Tennis Team, I raced to 10-year-old Austin's third play-off game.
The Thrill of Little League Baseball Victory
May 19, 2008 9:04 AM | 0 Comments
I'm sure I've mentioned this about a million times: I am NOT a winner. The only thing I ever won outright was a Noah's Ark coloring book, which was one of the prizes handed out at a 5-year-old birthday party. I think I won a few of my high school tennis matches, but the eye of the tiger is not a part of my psychological makeup. This is why my reactions to my son Austin's Little League Baseball experience are so odd. He's 10, and his team, which I have nicknamed the Boa Constrictors, has devoured all of the prey in its path. They are undefeated for the regular season, as they coil their way into the playoffs. 
Little League Mom Tips: Snack Shack Shift
May 9, 2008 8:24 PM | 0 Comments
I'm pleased to say that I survived another shift at the Little League Baseball Snack Shack. I think it's the advanced preparation that really made the difference this time, and my friend Rhonda's instructions/warnings. Going in ahead of time really helped ease my fears about how the whole operation worked, especially the dreaded hotdog rotisserie.
Last year, I had a devil of a time trying to harpoon those weenies as they rotated around a weak flame. I felt like I was at the duck-shooting station at the county fair and had no chance of winning that ridiculously large and poorly executed stuffed animal, usually a bunny with a goofy smile. This time, I found out where the shut-off button is on the hotdog machine, which makes the whole proposition so much more reasonable. You should know if you don't already that I have a fear of machines and technology of all sorts.
Here are some of the skills that are required for womaning the snack shack:
Baseball Consumes The Sports Widow's Schedule
April 11, 2008 9:39 AM | 0 Comments
As if the onset of the Major League Baseball season weren't enough, Little League Baseball is beginning to assert itself on our family schedule, beginning with the triumphant return of The Boa Constrictors, my nickname for my 10-year-old son Austin's baseball team. (Since I used to be the PR Director at Woodland Park Zoo here in Seattle, I just love the idea of an American baseball team named after a non-indigenous species.
It's positively revolutionary. And, you have to admit that boa constrictors ARE powerful predators that swallow their prey whole, so this team name would automatically add cache and inspire fear in opponents.)
Sports Widow Reviews MLB Spring Training…
March 20, 2008 10:04 AM | 0 Comments
We just got back from Tucson, AZ where we celebrated my mom’s Birthday with a family reunion. It was wonderfully sunny and warm…a great break from the overcast drizzly Seattle skies.
Believe it or not, one of the highlights of the trip was our trek to Mesa, AZ to see the Chicago Cubs play the Kansas City Royals in a MLB Cactus League exhibition game.
Halloween, The World Series and Two Children's Birthdays Converge: A New Twilight Zone Episode
October 27, 2007 12:53 PM | 0 Comments
It's October. The leaves are swirling. Halloween is approaching. NFL and NCAA football are in full swing. The MLB World Series is about to begin. And, two of my three children were born during this month, so there are two birthday parties, two sacrificial offerings to be planned and staged. If that's not pressure, I don't understand the definition.
Right now, as we speak, my husband Bryan and 10-year-old son Austin are alternately groaning and yelling at the TV. The Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians are duking it out for the American League Championship Series, which determines which team will go to the World Series and play against the Colorado Rockies. Frankly, I don't care whether they're wearing red socks or white socks or dirty ones (with the exception that the latter would require Clorox), but it makes me reminisce about the birth of my son Austin 10 years ago, about how I unwittingly spawned another sports fan, who would seal my fate as a Sports Widow. An interesting side point is that my son Austin and his Dad Bryan are rooting for different teams. Because Austin likes those despots, the New York Yankees, he is a fan of the Cleveland Indians. Bryan, on the other hand, is cheering for the Boston Red Sox.
True Confessions: The Sports Widow Has Trophy Envy
June 26, 2007 10:46 PM | 0 Comments
In the past week, I have witnessed both 9-year-old Austin and now 7-year-old Caroline receive gleaming, glittering trophies for their athleticism in baseball. For Caroline it was her first. Her trophy was gender-specific, complete with a girl player with a ponytail. For Austin, it was his umpteenth trophy.
Apparently seeing your name inscribed on a cheap chunk of plastic and pseudo metal never gets old. As they seize that symbol of recognition, the delight in their eyes and the pride of accomplishment are simultaneously mystifying and tormenting to me. As I've said, I never did anything that was worthy of a trophy. I'm not even sure if I won a single game while playing Junior Varsity on the Shorewood High School Tennis Team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
IF I were to receive a trophy, my most extraordinary talent would have to be talking. I personally dream of receiving the coveted Charmin' Chatty Cathy trophy for Extraordinary Loquaciousness. For me, talking is a daily athletic event. My honorable mentions may be in the categories of film enthusiasm, baking or for my strong connection with my Wisconsin roots - my kids call me The Dairy Queen because of my love for all things in this food genre.
Do you have a trophy collection?
If you don't, what should you receive a trophy for?
Fan Fare: An End-of-Season Party Treat
June 24, 2007 10:49 PM | 0 Comments
This evening, Austin's Little League team, coaches and family members congregated around a bonfire at Alki Beach to celebrate the end of the year. The chill from being drenched on the return trip home from the Mariners Baseball game was still seizing me, but I nonetheless persevered.
It was a potluck, and since I am a baker I decided to bring my Southern auntie's famous Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting, made from scratch of course. Instead of making a cake, however, I poured the batter into cupcake tins since they're easier to distribute in a picnic setting. Aunt Joan, pronounced in Deep Southern as two syllables - Jo-ON, is from Purvis, Mississippi, and I'll tell you she knows how to turn on an oven. Caroline artfully decorated the cupcakes with jelly beans that were left over from Easter. BTW, does anyone know the life expectancy of a jelly bean? Was I imperiling the health of our guests by using semi-ancient jelly beans? Our jelly bean designs were a combo of smiley faces and flowers; simple, yet elegant. I didn't want to mess with perfection, but I did see an intriguing approach to cupcakes in Real Simple, my favorite magazine of all time. (My fan Bryan insists that I am drawn to Real Simple because I have a real simple intellect, but my MENSA stature is widely known and flies in the face of this theory.) Back to the point, instead of cupcake tins, one Real Simple reader poured her batter into waffle ice cream cones and baked them. Astonishing! Edible tins! What a concept! Lord have mercy, what would Aunt Joan think of that??
A Baseball Widow Role Reversal
June 24, 2007 10:42 PM | 1 Comments
Today it was Caroline's and my turn to attend a Mariners game with her Little League Team, the Pink Angels, which is a YMCA-operated franchise. As we prepared, Bryan and 9-year-old Austin, aka "mini-me," were lounging on our bed in the master bedroom, surrounded by the Sunday sports page, and throwing out their game preparation tips from the peanut gallery. "Don't wear that. You've got to wear an M's shirt," advised Bryan. "I don't have an M's shirt," I whined. "You can wear mine." Bryan's is an XXL, so for me - petite fragile flower that I am - to wear his T-shirt is like donning a pup tent. Considering this a fashion faux pas, I passed on the offer. Then I asked Austin if I could wear his, and he said if a girl wore it he'd NEVER wear it again. I wound up with a lackluster ensemble, a basic white T-shirt, jean jacket, jeans and tennis shoes. Then, because we decided to take the bus, I was scrounging around at the last minute to find change. This is NOT the way to go to a game, my friends. In the future, I will let the great Ernest Shackleton be my role model. I will take this seriously. It's a journey, and preparation is key.
Whatever Happened to Playing the Field in Sports?
June 12, 2007 9:43 PM | 0 Comments
Austin, my 9-year-old son, stayed home from school today. After giving it all for the Little League Baseball play-offs and the All-Star try-outs this weekend, he was spent. Apparently, even the Energizer Bunny has limits. Bloodshot eyes, listlessness, physical, mental and emotional exhaustion were written all over his frame. Austin even slept DURING THE DAY, from 9am-1pm. WHEN does that ever happen?
Then, Austin heard the bad news: He didn't make the All-Stars. Three of his buddies, who had better batting averages, were selected, and another teammate, like him, was not. The score: 3 IN and 2 OUT from his team, the Boa Constrictors. Throughout the day, I watched Austin navigate the emotional waters of disappointment.
The Sports Widow Vacuums Away Her Sorrows at the Car Palace
June 9, 2007 4:49 PM | 0 Comments
After Austin's Little Leage team, the Boas, lost in the playoffs today, I felt compelled to do something dramatic to alter my dreary mood. My sister-in-law, Ann, offered to take care of the girls for a few hours, and Austin and Bryan were at the All-Star try-outs all afternoon, so I opted for a quick trip to Home Depot for drawer pulls. Then, as if on auto-pilot, my car, a Dodge Plymouth Voyager dubbed "the eggplant on wheels" nosed to the Carwash Palace, the instant remedy for all spiritual woes.
Little League Baseball Playoff Loss Makes The Sports Widow Cry
June 9, 2007 4:38 PM | 0 Comments
Today the Boa Constrictors did their best to swallow their prey whole, as boas do in the wild. In the end, however, the Boas choked on the Sweat Sox, ending their playoff run. They placed second in the regular season and third in the play-offs. During the past few games, I made a commitment to TRY to pay attention and TRY to be a good cheerleader for 9-year-old Austin and his team. We could never be accused of lacking in team spirit.
The Little League Baseball Playoffs are Playing The Sports Widow
June 6, 2007 6:27 AM | 1 Comments
The Boa Constrictors played their third game of the playoffs in the West Seattle Little League and, through some mighty playing, earned the right to play ANOTHER game this Friday. You mean this could keep going FOREVER? I could be exposed to the whims of Northwest nature and freeze my tail off in the stands more? The joy. The rapture. The sports widow moments.
Here are some of the game highlights:
The Weekly, Nearly Suffocating Sports Line-up
May 17, 2007 6:49 AM | 0 Comments
I don't know how some families do it. We do NOT overprogram our children with extracurricular activities, but with two of them in baseball now, the schedule is getting out of control. As a sampling, here is last week in review.
Monday - Baseball Practice, Caroline
Wednesday - Baseball Practice, Austin
Friday - Baseball Game, Austin
Saturday afternoon - Baseball Game Caroline, her FIRST
Sunday afternoon - Baseball Practice, Austin
Sunday evening - Baseball Spaghetti Fundraiser at the local Catholic Church gym, complete with refs serving the meal and Bingo (Sadly, I didn't win. I haven't won anything since I age 4, when I won a Noah's Ark coloring book as a door prize at a birthday party in Brookston, Indiana)
Tonight, Monday, The Implacable, Vicious Cycle Begins to Repeat - Baseball Practice, Caroline...
The Sports Widow Catches Baseballs - Really!!!
April 30, 2007 10:55 PM | 0 Comments
Today 7-year-old Caroline had her second baseball practice. My 12-year-old daughter Kit, 9-year-old son Austin and I all trooped over to the practice to accompany her since Bryan was at a dental appointment. This is an aside, but we have our dental work done at THE quintessential dental practice in Seattle - Espresso Dental. They offer late hours, lattes to order and freshly baked cookies, along with the usual cleaning, fillings, and whitening - HEY, between the sweets and the coffee stains, you don't think they're trying to gin up business, do you? You don't think it's a masterful plot to create unhealthy teeth that require constant dental work? Hmmmmm. I HAVE had a lot of cavities, but this is the only time I get to watch Ellen or the Food Channel.
Anyway, I don't like to write the script for anyone, but my daughter Kit exhibits all of the signs of a Sports Widow in the making. She would much rather read a book than play a sport, so she usually sits in the stands with a blue and black patterned Mexican blanket wrapped around her. You know the one everyone seems to have inherited from their mothers in the 70's when a large shipment of blankets from Mexico arrived?
While Caroline was practicing running the bases, capturing the ball and swinging at the T-ball stand, Austin asked me to play catch with him in the adjacent field. True confessions: I am still a bit gun-shy after my mishap in April 2006 in which Austin gave me a gigantic shiner during our annual Wapato Point trip and I had to return to work under a cloud of suspicion regarding the health of my marriage. This time, however, I insisted on something that has changed my life.
The Feminine Side of Little League Baseball
April 23, 2007 10:17 PM | 0 Comments
I can't believe I am saying this, but for about two years now I have been TRYING to steer my youngest daughter, 7-year-old Caroline, in the direction of sports. Even though I am challenged and frequently perplexed by the role sports plays in my life and in our society, I recognize the benefits, namely exercise, team work and character-building. FINALLY, after promoting everything from soccer to yoga, the right opportunity arose: A YMCA softball team coached by the father of one of Caroline's 1st Grade classmates. Caroline would know several of the girls, making it a social event, as well as a sport. She's very relationship-driven so it's perfect. They had their first practice today in beautiful Alki, which is a neighborhood in West Seattle adjacent to Eliot Bay.
Womaning the Little League Baseball Snack Shack
April 16, 2007 9:22 PM | 0 Comments
I've described the glories of the Little League Baseball Snack Shack, but there's a flip side to this. Periodically, we parents have to run the Snack Shack, and I was drafted this week. Austin was playing his first game: The Boa Constrictors versus The Sweat Socks. In order to make the 6:30pm commitment, I had to run home from work and change into a transition outfit. This largely entails jettisoning the pantyhose and skirt in exchange for a pair of jeans and comfortable shoes. Then, since it's typically windy near the beach in West Seattle, I add another jacket layer.
When I reported for duty at the Snack Shack with my 12-year-old daughter Kit, I was breathless and instantly felt performance pressure. The quarters are very tight and the expectations are high. The shack is packed to the gills with consumable inventory that was likely purchased at Costco, menacing food prep machines that threaten electrocution and demanding customers, both large and small, with varying concepts of how our monetary system in the United States functions. Let's just say that denominations and coinage values are not their strong suit.
The New York Yankees Invade Christmas
December 18, 2006 8:40 PM | 0 Comments
Last Thursday's wind storm knocked out power all over the Seattle area. Unfortunately, the situation is even worse on the block on which we are temporarily residing. A transformer blew, affecting our block and approximately 3 blocks around it. The likelihood that our neigborhood would be high on Seattle City Light's priority list is extremely low. So, we are refugees and it's just one week before Christmas. This predicament prompted us to go what I refer to as Disaster Shopping.
How to Hit a Home Run: Host a Baseball-Themed Birthday Party
October 16, 2006 10:59 AM | 0 Comments
We just celebrated Austin's 9th birthday on Friday. We joined forces with his friend Jeffrey and held a joint birthday party, which included a tour of Safeco Field, the Seattle Mariner's Baseball Stadium. You haven't lived until you've carpooled sixteen 9-year-old boys, who scream like banshees and are authorities on the topics of belching, toe-jam and flatulence.
My Husband is a Seeder - What Should The Sports Widow Do?
July 31, 2006 6:22 AM | 0 Comments
All summer, my husband Bryan has been on a strange snack craze. He appears to be addicted to David's low-salt sunflower seeds. Much to my horror, he has become what they call a "seeder." In my opinion, this is one step away from becoming a member of the family rodentia and growing exceptionally long, sharp incisors.
What to do When a Seattle Mariner's Baseball Player's Ankle is Cracked
July 10, 2006 6:19 AM | 0 Comments
The Sports Widow Bravely Performs Surgery
While we were in the process of moving, I broke one of the most precious objects I posess, and I broke it in the most pedestrian, urban way. It was an Acheulean handaxe from Kenya, a teardrop-shaped, obsidian (black glass) tool hewn by Homo erectus nearly 1 million years ago. It was found at a site near Lake Nakuru, which is the salt lake you see in National Geographic specials where all the flamingos congregate, making the lake a spectacular sea of pink.
Sports Widow End-of-Little-League-Baseball-Season Highlights
June 20, 2006 6:29 AM | 0 Comments
Unfortunately, my schedule has been so crazy. Here's a roundup of what's been going on in reverse order:
Getting Played By the Play-offs...Baseball that is
June 12, 2006 6:35 AM | 0 Comments
A couple of weeks ago, I was in my usual spot in the Little League bleachers watching Austin play what I thought was his last game, when I learned something menacing. Because his team is among the younger ones in The League, its performance has been toward the middle to low end. This lulled me into believing that the Boa Constrictors had no future, as reptilian as this may sound. Nonetheless, it was announced that the Boas would participate in the playoffs, a word, which choked me just like its namesake. What this translated into was more games, more practices, more Snack-Shacking, and an extremely numb posterior, if not a broadening one from the steady administration of after-work hot dogs and other fan fare.
The Words Play Ball Take On Real Meaning
June 4, 2006 6:38 AM | 0 Comments
The Sports Widow's Husband and Son Are Famous
Last week, Bryan and Austin went to a Seattle Mariners baseball game. It was one of those evenings where the stars aligned, where the gods of sports smiled on them, where they had fan Mojo. Where I could have used a mojito.
The La-Z-Boy Recliner: The Sports Fan's Friend and The Sports Widow's Most Elusive One
May 5, 2006 7:00 AM | 0 Comments
Seeing my son Austin last week recuperating from his Little League Baseball injury in our La-Z-Boy reminded me of how far I've come in my esteem for this piece of furniture, not to mention how much the future generation of La-Z-Boys has evolved aesthetically.
If You're a Mensan Wannabe, Can You Bunt a Bundt Cake?
May 1, 2006 6:56 AM | 0 Comments
The Sports Widow Mom Ponders the Bunt in Baseball
For years, one of my standard amusements is to infer I am a Mensan, a member of the Mensa Society, which I quote "welcomes people from every walk of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of society." I kid around about the subject enough that my friends and co-workers begin to believe in the possibility, despite all signals to the contrary. In their defense, I do use multi-syllabic vocabulary words, and I've learned the art of furrowing my right brow, as if in deep, profound thought, both of which are good smoke screens.
When the Sports Fan Travels, His Athletic Shoes Are Tough to Fill
April 30, 2006 7:02 AM | 0 Comments
The Sports Widow Mom Struggles With His Absence and Things Like the TV Remote
My husband Bryan is attending a conference in Boston. If you must know, they've asked him to participate in a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party, but I don't like to brag. As we speak, he is hoisting tea into the harbor. (FYI, since you don't know me, only parts of this statement are untrue.) Since Bryan left at 06:00 PST on Saturday, all I've been hearing from Austin, my 8-year-old sports fan, is: "That's not the way Dad usually does it." I'm not proud of this, but my resentment is mounting. What am I? Chopped liver? I thought this reverent language was reserved for adored, absentee mothers, who were regaining their strength by sunning in Tahiti. So, here are a few challenges that have arisen since my husband's departure.
Little League Baseball Bewilderment & Survival
April 24, 2006 7:05 AM | 0 Comments
I am the unschooled Mom of an 8-year-old son, Austin, who is in Little League Baseball this Spring. Last Saturday, his team, the Boa Constrictors, played the Marlins. Hmmmmm. A snake battling a large fish. The word marlin always reminds me of Old Man and the Sea. While this is in the literary realm, there is a metaphor here. For me, learning baseball is the equivalent of that old guy trying to reel in a recalcitrant marlin. It takes a great deal of exertion and tenacity. So, here's how I'm surviving Little League Baseball.
Foul Territory and the Sports Widow
April 24, 2006 6:46 AM | 0 Comments
The Term Applies to Baseball AND Moms
Long ago, when Bryan and I started having children (about 12 years ago), we made an unspoken pact that I was responsible for cleaning up anything that was truly disgusting, particularly bodily issuances from children. While Bryan changed his share of diapers, when the going got tough, the tough (and that would be Bryan) definitely got going, and I was always the last woman left standing.
The Sports Widow is on the Injured List... Again
April 17, 2006 7:07 AM | 0 Comments
A Baseball Collides With My Left Eye
Last week, my family enjoyed Spring Break at a lovely place called Wapato Point on Lake Chelan in Washington State. We've been going to this destination for the past five years. It's a particularly great spot for elementary-age children. We have three: Kit, short for Katharine (11), Austin (8) and Caroline (6). Most of the vacation we cater to the whims of this young trio: We swim in a heavily chlorinated pool, chase tennis balls and occasionally make contact with them using a racket, and explore this spectacular region, which was sculpted by glaciers. Last Tuesday, however, we decided to visit Big Pine Winery, one of the local wineries that are cropping up in the area. In order to placate mostly Austin and his unquenchable desire to be active, we gathered up the baseball bat, mitts and ball so that he and his cronies could play in a field on the vineyard while we adults relaxed and sampled wine.
The Madness May Be Over, but the Season Never Ends
April 3, 2006 7:09 AM | 0 Comments
March Madness is Just the Beginning for the Sports Widow
It's time to break out the champagne or at the minimum some box wine with a good nozzle. The sporting event that has turned my husband and 8-year-old son into the equivalent of a painting, entitled "Still Life: Man and Boy With Snacks and Beverages in Front of Tube," has concluded. Yes, tonight, the Florida Gators clamped their jaws on the UCLA Bruins, wrestling them to the finish and thereby mercifully ending the 2006 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Basketball Tournament.
How I Became a Sports Widow
March 2, 2006 7:11 AM | 0 Comments
The only math formula I ever memorized was: Tragedy+Time=Comedy. When I apply this to my relationship with sports, believe me, comedy is the operative word.
