07-29-21 and 07-30-21 The Days the World Series Baseball team died

 

Ken is a dyed in the wool Cubs fan.  I half-watched most games that he watched, but I did start getting interested in 2016, when more games were broadcast because they started playing well.

They won the  World Series in 2016 and have done decently since, until this year, when they haven't been playing as well.  I really liked that I knew the names of the players.  Ken got to see the Schwarber a few years ago in Iowa when he wasn't hitting very well.  Anna, Joel and I got to see Bryant (KB) in Iowa when he was rehabilitating from an injury in 2018.  (Ken was out of town for work....I actually skipped part of the middle school parent-teacher conferences to go.) 

We had great seats!  We must have been early because I think many more people arrived later to see KB.

We also saw many of these guys before they hit the big league.

Last year Lester and Schwarber left the team as free agents.  Russell and Zobriest left a couple of years ago with family issues.

Well the nail was placed in the coffin when they traded Rizzo, KB and Jave Baez in the last 2 days.  (They also traded their EXCELLENT closer Kimbrell, but he was newer to the team.)

UGH!  They were all going to be free agents after this season and they let them go this weekend.  It was crazy because we went to see the Iowa Cubs (AAA) yesterday and you could hear people talking about it.  Also everyone's shirts (except I saw one Contreras shirt) are now obsolete!  Ken has Bryant shirt.  Anna and I had Lester and Joel had a Russell from years ago.  But all during the game,  most people walked by with shirts of players that were all let go that day or the day before! 

I watched an interview with Rizzo and it looked like someone had punched him in the face.  He started with the Iowa Cubs, I believe, right out of high school.  (correction....not true.....he came to the Cubs  when he was still quite young after fighting cancer....per Ken)

So sad.  The joke was that the Cubs were still going to expect people to pay over $100 to watch Contreras (catcher and now team captain) play with the the Iowa Cubs in Chicago.  I felt like they didn't even get good people in the trade.  Baseball is not going to be as enjoyable for me now!

I love this show of sportsmanship

 

I love that Caleb Dressel threw his gold medal to his fellow swimmer Brooks Curry.  Brooks swam in the preliminary race so that Caleb could reserve his energy for the big swim.  I know that eventually both would get a medal (the people who swim in the prelims. get a medal too....but they don't get to go to the medal platform).  But I love that Caleb stated how much Brooks contribution helped him.

Rummage sale success

 

Our church returned to having a rummage sale and it was a winner.  I spent $94.25 but here is what things would have cost new (and many things were new in the box!!)  Plus the money went to the church maybe for the Peter's Pence fund (for when people request help with rent etc.....but I could be wrong, it might go for some other service)

Table and 4 chairs for Carolyn's apartment fall 2022, in such great shape and solid wood (<$400)

I bought this fun game to take on vacation. ($11.95 on Amazon)

A fidget toy ($6 new from Tangle)...might take this to work

2 @ 50 cents each, new in the box (online $17.90 each)

The Better Baker Gourmet Bowl maker

new earbuds for small ears for Anna (listed on Ebay for $44, and $39.95 on Amazon...but I think now this specific pair are only sold by secondary sellers and sometimes they are just shooting for the moon...but they were $3 new at the sale)

New in the box Pampered Chef 9X13 baker  (online $70 to a crazy $179...they don't sell this exact item on Pampered chef anymore...this is considered "vintage")  I know that I always considered this item too expensive to buy when I went to Pampered Chef parties

New in the box Henry Watson mortar and pedestal ($35 online)  (Carolyn found this for herself)

Step into reading Phonics book set (looked new at the sale, on Amazon $10.59)  (I hope to eventually be a reading volunteer)

A smattering of other things and 28 additional children's books (mostly paperback, 50 cents each and the books I picked mostly looked "in excellent condition")

I bet most of the kitchen items that were new in the box might have been given as gifts to someone who eventually decided, "I will never use this"  I might not keep the Gourmet Bowl maker after we try a few things, but everything else I really like for keeps.

Rita visits again

 We love this pup!

We hope Erin and Kullen need to take lots of trips.

Anna goes to Dubuque

 The Girl Scouts took a day trip.  This is Eagle Point Park, where my Dad's family holds its reunions.

You can see the Mississippi in the far background.

Not sure what is up with the mask situation.  I know that they were asked to bring a mask (I see it under Anna's chin), but I also know that some of the masked girls in this picture are fully vaccinated.  Very squinty picture.  I am posting these pictures so that my Dad (who lived in Dubuque for a big part of his life) could see the pictures of his old hometown, not for their great photo quality :0)

Visit to Grandpa

Joel and I got to spend the day with Grandpa Schilling!

Saturday morning Joel took the ACT in Keokuk, which is close to Burlington.  Joel needed to get one more question correct on the ACT to get a scholarship from the University of Iowa....isn't that just the way?  By the time he knew he missed his goal there were no test sights near Ankeny.  I said, he was just destined to go visit GPA!!!!

 

Margo Frankel Woods .... revisited

Carolyn and I went for a hike...so fun!

Just a reminder of what the place looked like this fall when the kids had the day off of school.  Carolyn and I searched for this rainbow tree, but decided it had been cut down to clear the path.  (we found some cut timber around the place it should be)

although clearly there are new obstacles!!

brave Carolyn

Carolyn and I said we want to see the place in Winter and Spring too!

 

Anna goes to Catholic Youth Camp!!!

 I love this place.  Here you can see Anna with her buddy Ruth.  In the background are the brand new boy's cabins!  They created these cabins just in time to have the 2020 season cancelled.  Joel actually has stayed in them twice.  Once for CORE (Youth ministry leaders) retreat in the fall and then for Faith in Action in the Spring!

Anna had a great time!  She finally took the swim test and went canoeing.  Previous years she said that she just couldn't tread water for so long!  (I knew she could and I am guessing that this year most of the kids did go canoeing.)  I wish we had family camp.  (They did do this some years, but we were on vacation during the year when I was paying attention!)

Great story...when I was standing in line I saw this guy:

He looked very familiar to me.....so I asked, "Have you done Faith in Action?"  (This program is our whole diocese, not just our church.)  He said he did and asked my last name.  When I said McCleary, he said, "You mean Lyn?"  (Some people call Carolyn, Lyn although I don't)  He went on, "She was one of my favorite people."  Now I think Anthony is a great guy, volunteering his time this week to be a camp  counselor, but even more than that I am shocked that he remembered Carolyn by her last name 2 + years later.  (Faith in Action was cancelled Carolyn's senior year.)  Doesn't that story warm your heart?

July 3rd Mass

 

Joel cantored for Mass today and Matthew played the beginning (America the Beautiful) and closing hymns.

You don't realize how much the cantor has to do until it is your child doing it!  Way to go Joel and Matthew!!!!   (In this photo Joel's hands are raised when he is inviting everyone to join in singing.)  I asked Joel if he would cantor again and he replied an unenthusiastic "maybe".  I think he will be more likely to help cantor when the youth choir also is singing.  (He has done that in the past....much less pressure!  Of course we have had no youth choir in over a year!)  At least he wasn't singing in the heat of the pandemic when the congregation wasn't singing.  It was like a solo-festival then.

7/3/21

 Brent, Julie and Leslie were driving back to Kansas City after attending their Grandmother's memorial service.  (She died in November, I think.)  It was great that we could meet them right off the interstate for some coffee or tea as they drove through town.  We hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving or Christmas 2019... longer still for Brent!  Yeah for vaccines!!!

Merry Christmas....I mean Happy 4th of July

My niece Julie embroidered these stockings and delivered them to me yesterday!

Tah dah....yeah for project completion.  I am motivated in part because I know there are 4 more stockings to finish before Christmas (3 may arrive on Wednesday and 1 will come in August) and I don't want to mail them. (too nerve wracking to put in the mail box if I can help it)

Here is how Ken celebrated the 4th!  Fixing the stairs to the deck!  Unfortunately, the piece of wood that he used originally is no longer carried by the lumber yard.  (maybe because they had a history of breaking like ours did) Anyway, he needed to make his own "stair support".  Joel wasn't  umping today, so he could help.

 

Anna's first drive!!!

Our beloved Mitsubishi is heading on to a new life!  (It's replacement was purchased yesterday.)  So Ken wanted Anna to get some practice on the old car before it moves on.  She was so excited that she jumped out of bed before 8....Ken wanted her to be fresh while driving (and the area empty on a Saturday morning)