I've always loved baseball.

I played from the time I was 6 until I was 19.

I gave up playing because I had trouble hitting a curveball.

Many years later,

I'm still swinging,

because no matter who you are,

life keeps throwing you curveballs -

usually when things are going good

and you feel like you're on top of the world.

So make sure you're on your guard -

you never know when one will be heading your way.

~

In high school, my last semester there, I took a class to 'kill time'.

In other words,

I already had enough credits to graduate, but decided to take some fun classes,

like a cooking class for guys.

One of the other classes I took was just to relax in the morning -

really to finish waking up.

It was a journalism class, which I had already taken a couple of years before.

By this time, I didn't want to do any more stories for our school paper.

I was supposed to be the cartoonist for the paper

and thought that being in class with fellow students who WERE writing stories would inspire my artwork.

We had a new teacher for the class. She was straight out of college.

She asked everyone what areas of the school they wanted to write about.

When she came to me, I told her I was just there to do a weekly cartoon for the paper.

She didn't say anything, but it must have bothered her.

She could have told me that if I wasn't going to write any stories that I shouldn't be there.

No.

She just started assigning me stories to write and wouldn't publish any of the cartoons I made for the paper.

So I didn't do any of the assignments.

She seemed a bit stubborn...

but I was, too.

Any way,

there were about four weeks left in the semester when she pulled me aside for a little 'chat'.

She told me she was going to flunk me for the class.

I told her I didn't care, that I had enough credits to graduate.

One 'F' wouldn't kill me.

She was frustrated.

And then I found out why we were having a little 'chat'.

There was a big fundraiser/dinner for the school coming up and she was supposed to submit a school design for the dinner napkins.

Only she had just found out that there wasn't any school logos (mascot) on file to use.

Uh-oh! She needed someone to supply one.

She told me that if I designed/supplied one she would give me a 'C' for the class.

I sat down at my desk and sketched one out in about five minutes.

She saw it, liked it and started to reach for it.

I said "New deal."

I get an A for the class and don't come back for the rest of the term.

Ya should have seen the anger in her eyes.

But, she agreed after a minute.

I made one mistake that day.

I should have copyrighted that logo,

because the school has used it on everything ever since.

It's on all official things for the school,

even on sports uniforms and the center circle for the basketball court.

Yeah, I got what I wanted that day...

but I've been paying for it ever since.

~

My mother passed away 23 years ago on May 7th, 2001.

At age 70 she told me something that remains an inspiration to this day:

"No matter how old I get,

I will always feel 19 inside."

Words to definitely live by.

~

A country girl will pee in the woods,

in a field,

or by a barn -

but she will not pee in a dirty bathroom.

~

Living with a dog consists of 90% following each other around,

watching each other use the bathroom

and wondering what the other one has in their mouth.

~

That wonderful time of year when my sinuses continually rotate between

Stuffy, with sinus headache

to

Runny, with watery eyes

to

Sneezing fits

to

momentary clearness, when I can actually enjoy the weather.

~

We used to watch the old commercial where the old woman was saying:

"I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Now, at my age, it's not funny any more.

~

I live in a town with a university.

Gas prices are higher here than surrounding areas.

Didn't used to be when we had two major factories in town.

Now they're gone and we've digressed into a college town.

If they would make an electric car with a self charging battery,

I would switch off of gas today.

~

I'm thrilled I'll be using my combination air fryer/microwave to cook dinner tonight.

Yes, my like is that boring.

~

The three rings of marriage:

Engagement

Wedding

Suffering

~