What's Up Wednesday 5-31-17

I'm linking up with Sheaffer Told Me To The Larson Lingo and Mix and Match Mama for What's Up Wednesday today.

What We're Eating This Week:

We're shuffling carpools and practices and hitting the road this week for high school baseball playoffs, so I'm afraid the nutrition game in Skinner World is not looking good. There will likely be lots of drive thru happening around here. 'Tis the season.

What I'm Reminiscing About:

Well, with the incessant graduation talk and thought around here, there has been so much reminiscing lately that it's getting ridiculous, but I can't help it. I'm in a constant state of reminiscing about this kid.

What I'm Loving:

For the first time I can remember in many, many years we didn't have any baseball for the Memorial Day Weekend until Monday. I loved grilling out with friends and hanging on the deck, napping, reading, watching an entire season of Parks and Rec, going for a couple of long runs and watching the boys play basketball in the pool with their buddies. And even more, I loved watching Drew and his teammates who physically cannot go the whole weekend without playing baseball. You can take them off the baseball diamond, but they'll just create their own.

What We've Been Up To:

I'm staring at this screen trying to think about how I can come up with something besides baseball. But, it's what I've got. How 'bout this: baseball and praying. I can't stop thinking of this verse for our Eagles today as we head to the Regional Semi-Final.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

    and young men shall fall exhausted;

31 

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

    they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31

What I'm Dreading:

I'm trying to make it a habit not to dread anything. Trying to focus on hope, not dread.

What I'm Working On:

Lots of thank you notes to coaches and coordinators of our Kyle's Kamp Dreams Games which are high school sports games that raise money for pediatric cancer and host local cancer patients as honored guests. This year our teams in Northern Virginia raised over $20,000 for Children's Hospital Foundation. I'm so proud of these teams I could bust. The money is great, but the smile on these little kids faces when they're hanging out with the big kids is the best ever.

What I'm Excited About:

Family coming from Georgia, Texas and California to Virginia to celebrate my graduate.

What I'm Watching:

We started watching Sons of Liberty on Sunday night and I have a mad crush on Sam Adams. I'm not saying I feel great about it, I'm just saying, that I have some feelings. He's the one in the middle if you're wondering. Kind of the Tim Riggins of the Revolution, I'd say. ;-)

What I'm Reading:

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Daniel James Brown

Steve has been singing the praises of this book for years and I have finally started it. So far, so good. I think the characters are fascinating. If I can get through the technical parts about rowing, I think I'll enjoy it.

Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers 
Anne Lamott

I have never read an Anne Lamott book even though I've read eleventy million of her quotes and have found that most of them really resonate with me. Like this:

"In prayer, I see the suffering bathed in light. In God, there is no darkness. I see God's light permeate them, soak into them, guide their feet. I want to tell God what to do: 'Look, Pal, this is a catastrophe. You have got to shape up.' But it wouldn't work. So I pray for people who are hurting, that they be filled with air and light. Air and light heal; they somehow get into those dark, musty places, like spiritual antibiotics."

What I'm Listening To:

All the songs with "Freedom" in the title or lyrics. As I mentioned, we traveled four hours to watch Joe and his Freedom High School baseball teammates play in the Regional Semi-finals on Monday so to pass the time The Lovely and Talented Mrs. C. put together a "Freedom" play list. We felt it was pretty good mojo to be wearing the name "Freedom"on our jerseys while we played on Memorial Day of all days. The fact that Mrs. C. discovered that Beyonce sang a song called Freedom as did George Michael, Jimi Hendrix and Aretha Franklin made us feel like all the good things were coming our way. After that long trip we were a bit stir crazy, so we rolled into the baseball park blaring our Freedom music certain we would intimidate our opponents, Alas, the only ones who heard our battle cry were a couple of bus drivers. That won't stop us from doing the same today.

What I'm Wearing:

My baseball mom uniform: black and gold Eagles tee shirt, jeans, and Converse. Also, now that we've determined that the sunglasses that we got for $9.97 at a gas station on the way to the last game when I realized I'd forgotten mine are obviously good luck, I'll be sporting those again. 

What I'm Doing This Weekend:

Depending on today's game there could be more high school baseball (fingers and toes crossed) or Joe could be turning in his uniform for.ev.er. There will be some Little League baseball, a basketball tournament and preparation for family to come in for Joe's graduation next week.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month:

Not packing lunches after June 9th because I am dangerously close to resorting to the dreaded Lunchables. Ick.

What Else Is New:

Um, things aren't necessarily "new" around here. Life is the same - routine and normal, just like I like it. So it took me awhile to come up with this. How 'bout I got new running shoes after a year of running in the old ones? Here's a tip. My runs have been slow and kinda painful lately so I just started getting all depressed about being old and thinking that my running days were coming to an end. I put on my new shoes and felt like I could run forever. It makes a difference and it's worth it. Also these  are like magic. They are the best things that have ever happened to my feet.

Happy Wednesday, Y'all! I'm off to watch some boys play ball. 

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