State Champion as a High School Junior

My granddaughter stands with her parents at a Lacrosse game.

I visited and got to see my youngest granddaughter play a Lacrosse game last May. I had no idea how it was played until then!

Wikipedia says this:

Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively modified by European colonists, reducing the violence, to create its current collegiate and professional form.

My granddaughter was one of the juniors on the team, so didn't play the whole game, which was mainly high school graduating seniors, in May of 2024.

Here Kate, number 8, is going in to play for a bit in the second half of their winning game.

The Liberty Girls Lacrosse team won their State Championship. Here is a cut-away with my granddaughter second from right in white outfit. I think these must be the coaches in front.

Practicing catching the yellow balls in their nets, then passing to other teammates, and finally slapping the ball into the goal...a very fast game!

Proud parents. The girls also received a team ring...much like what a Superbowl winner might wear...huge, impressive (but not solid gold!) I think this token will be displayed by them more often.

Kate is second from left holding the state trophy.

I'm so glad my son and daughter in law have supported these 3 of my granddaughters in their interest in sports from a young age. They have all followed their own interests: gymnastics, cheering, swimming, soccer, field hockey, and now Lacrosse. (I probably forgot some.)

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Today's quote:

Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. 

-Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (1915-2005)

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Today's art:

By Cory McCrory, a group of seated ceramic mermaids all in a row.

 Sepia Saturday suggests this for this January week: some school mates relaxing together.

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Reality check:

WNC News & Weather published this Saturday 1.18.25:

(Black Mountain, Buncombe County NC was not included in the snow storm warning, which was given to counties west and north of us.)

Extreme Cold Watch for Buncombe County, NC, etc.

Including the cities of -

Black Mountain, etc.

**EXTREME COLD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING**

* WHAT...Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 20 below at elevations above 3500 feet, and as low as 5 to 10 below in valley locations possible.

* WHERE...Portions of northeast Georgia and western North Carolina.

* WHEN...From late Sunday night through Monday morning.

* IMPACTS...The cold wind chills as low as 20 below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Unless the forecast changes, elevations above 3500 feet will likely require an Extreme Cold Warning, while elevations below 3500 feet will need an Advisory.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must

go outside.

A grandmother's pride

 My granddaughter who lives in Columbus OH is a student in that university as well, going into her senior year in Early Childhood Education.

This spring she and 3 other young women traveled abroad for 10 days. They had some family friends in 2 places, so they started in Ireland, then went to Italy where my neice (astranged from me) lives, and then Nice France before coming home.

I finally got some of the photos that she took, my granddaughter! I think I'll share the ones without her in them...lots of scenery! I'll keep the ones of her pretty smile in my family album.

The three above are from their Ireland visit.

The next two are from Positano Italy.

Then they went to Florence.

And then to Nice France...

I've only been to Portugal in Europe, so it's wonderful to tease my granddaughter that she's now my internationally traveling grand!

Next I'll start posting some Black Mountain NC pictures...like the auto show last Sat.

Yes, I will share photos soon of Ohio family's vacation I didn't know about until I called my son as they were about to fly home (waiting in the Atlanta Airport) from the Turks and Caicos Islands. Same family! So wonderful they all enjoyed that trip together! I actually called my son on Thurs. because a fellow blogger told me it was Creme Broulee day...and my son loves it! He didn't know about that!

Today's quote:

Try not to take everything personally, things that people say and do don't always have anything to do with you.

It's Tuesday so you need a laugh, or chuckle, or smile, or whatever!

 

Imagine me stumbling around in the kitchen trying to get that first cup of coffee. I take out the new half and half container, and open the top, and pull out the little safety stopper. Pour the coffee, then shake the half and half like I always do. Except this time no top. So half and half went everywhere. Did you know it makes a nice shine on the kitchen floor?

Yesterday I was a sucker for punishment. I had a mammogram and had to wait to get in and get squeezed in all the wrong places. Then I went to the pharmacy and again waited to get my flu shot in the arm. Home and took some Tylenol 'cause usually I have a bit of reaction to flu shots. Last week's Omacron Covid booster just gave me a sore arm and shoulder. We shall see...

OK that last one isn't exactly funny. More along the lines of Matrix.

Thanks to FaceBook friends for posting most of these.

And today is a special woman's birthday, my granddaughter in Florida. Have a very happy day, and many more to follow!

Today's quote:

Tomorrow, I will continue to be.
But you will have to be very attentive to see me.
I will be a flower, or a leaf.
I will be in these forms and I will say hello to you.
If you are attentive enough, you will recognize me,
and you may greet me. I will be very happy.

—Thich Nhat Hanh

First day of High School, and a few birthday pics

My youngest granddaughter is about to go to her first day of school as a high school freshman. Her bigger sister is a senior in the same high school. And her biggest sis is a sophomore in college this year!

My 79th and friend, Teresa, masked!

Or unmasked! Lunch by the creek at Ole's Guacamoles.

More lunches will follow!!

Today's quote:

Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.

ROBIN WALL KIMMERER, author of "Braiding sweetgrass"

Cheer-leaders and an Ent-wife

My graduating (high school) granddaughter and her best friend were celebrated in a party a week ago at my son's home. It included around 100 guests, my son estimated...

Oh my. I still am wearing a mask any time I leave home. But my granddaughter is about to move into an apartment close to where she will soon be attending college. She just has one class that will be in-person, while the rest will be on-line.

And she has a part time job with her girlfriend, to be coaches for a middle school cheer-team.  They obviously know a lot about being cheerleaders by now. And 18 year olds moving into independent living (there's one other roommate as well) is a great step in their lives. I wish them well.

The Spirit of an Ent-Wife.

If you've read Tolkien, (The Two Towers) you probably remember that Pippin and Merry got rescued by the Ent trees...who were looking for their Ent Wives. So here mine is, waiting to be sold at the Red House Gallery.

The Swannanoa Fine Arts League's Red House is open on weekends again. And I sold the last tree vase I'd had on display. So my Ent-wife is now there for anyone who likes her.

Quote for today:
Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others. For the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.
—Albert Einstein

My lovely youngest granddaughter

Becoming a teenager this year!

This month I'm celebrating the birthday of my youngest granddaughter, here shown ready to enjoy a feast last November.

Two at the same time...an earlier version on the wall behind her!

Step back in time to when she was just a wee lassie.

Looking friendly or fierce, the field hockey team...my granddaughter is front row, second from right.  I'm so proud of her achievements! What a lovely young woman!

There must be something about December

When you're overloaded with holiday stuff, and even say no to some of the practices, there is always more to overload you. Well, me I mean. And I keep saying yes to more things to do!

This was the final result of my granddaughter's clay project...I hope I can see it after it had been fired...not sure if she's going to put black slip into the grooves she carved. I hope she takes a pic of it  when it's finished.  Kind of Medusa, isn't it?

So the day I was leaving Ohio, I planned to get up early to beat the rush hour traffic. Didn't work like I planned at all. I kept waking up for hours, every 3-8 minutes, at least from 4-6 am. So when the alarm went off, my poor old body bravely got out of bed, drank a half of my coffee that daughter-in-law made for me, took my morning meds, and lay back down and went to sleep. I ached all over, and was nauseous.  Great! (I had taken a flu shot, better not be sick!)

 About 2 hours of good sleep (or was it 3) I was finally ready to hit the road.  Traffic was really good at 10 am! But I went on the wrong interstate out of the loop around the city, and had to backtrack and get on the right one.

 I had stopped for gas and saw this truck carrying a couple of pristine army ambulances...so later as I passed it I had time to catch a shot or two.

 However, after about 4 hours (including some stops for gas and you know...) I was getting tired again. That means I start coughing hard, and I didn't want to drive at the same time. I was aware that getting over-tired also leads me to lung infections. So I made it to Lexington KY, and found a motel pretty early.

There are mountains all through Kentucky and Tennessee, so it's a beautiful drive even on dreary cold days. At least all the snow had been the day before.

You can barely see the top of the distant ridge has some snow on it. I never saw any along the highway! Whoopee for that! Home by mid-afternoon, and mostly unpacked that night!

On Monday I'd been asked to help out at the office at church this week. And on Tues. another woman called and said she'd also volunteered to help. So Wed. there we were trying to get the computer to behave.  Something had jammed the email program, I kid you not!

We just kept getting error messages. Then we had our friend who does i.t. come look at it, and I finally found my note as to another way to get to the email which worked.  But none of us could fix the problem.  And let's just say every time I thought something I wrote on an update to the newsletter, (which had some major flaws originally) was going to work, it later gave problems.  My friend said "it's like Mercury retrograde again and again."

We didn't turn off the computer, but put it to sleep. And we'll both look at things again tomorrow!

The sad news was finding out my friend who had been working there up till Thanksgiving week is very ill and won't be working for a long while.

I napped each day, and then had good 9 hours of sleep each night, and right now (knock on wood) I'm feeling almost normal (for me.)  I've got a long pottery sale on Saturday coming up, and have to spend as much time as possible getting things tagged and packed into bins.

Then and now

A photo of a plein air pastel drawing I did in 1997.  Probably Amicalola Falls in Georgia. Glad to see my middle son, Russ  has it hanging over his desk in his office.

About the same time in his life, that's Russ on the right, my youngest Tai in the middle, and me from many moons ago on left.

While I visited his family last week, Russ made lovely fires for us in the cold evenings and also was doing the Christmas lights installation outside in mid-30s degrees...and the system he'd invested in wasn't working, so he tried a few other methods before he was satisfied.  Brrrr.

I like the sweet consideration that Michelle and Russ gave me of staging my guest room with many old photos of me.  I know they aren't there all the time, but it was a fun welcome, and I took my own photos of theirs!

And this is my youngest granddaughter (raised a foot on hearth) Russ, and myself, taken last week!

Russ being pensive, which was how he spent a lot of time figuring out how to hang lights outside, when he came in to warm up.

I'm sharing this with Sepia Saturday, these are some fond memories for me! (I might have more next week!)

Don't miss the photo of Russ riding a pony when about 4 years old!  HERE