Ironing, Baseball, and Just How Hot Is It!

This may be the first days of summer with global warming and all that, but no days have ever seemed hotter than those last spring days of high school.  I would dress appropriately for the day, had to wear a skirt, had to wear a blouse with sleeves, had to wear hose, thought I had to wear a girdle to hold up the hose. 

Even with the large windows wide open in the older section of Coventry High School, it was still pretty warm; and in the newer sections, it was worse with less ventilation.  I can remember the sweat trickling down my face while taking a test and leaving droplets on my paper.  After leaving my mostly not air-conditioned classrooms to head for home, I would board the blazing hot bus where the leather seats would stick to my body for the ride home.  I would then clump into my equally not air-conditioned house to find my mom ironing in front of the tv.  Yep, ironing. 

Mom would set up the ironing board in front of the tv with a stool to perch on and watch the Cleveland Indians' games.  She loved baseball, especially the Indians, and would save her ironing to do in the afternoons so she could watch the games.  Once I had changed clothes and flopped in the shade somewhere, I would begin to cool off but I could still hear the distinctive noise of a baseball game on tv.  Nothing else sounds like that.  And the only thing worse in my teenage opinion was the sound of a baseball game on the radio. 

We lived in an old farm house surrounded by huge trees and eventually the evening would cool off and the house would fill with light filtered breezes.  Many an evening I fell asleep with wide open windows and the rustling branches as a lullaby. 

Now there is air conditioning everywhere; and when briefly we were without, my husband had a true conniption fit.  But I opened the windows and let the fan pull the breezes into the bedroom and drifted off with no complaints.  Also now I understand my mom's fascination with the boys of summer.  Having watched Kai play since T-ball, I've learned a great deal about baseball and can cheer and moan and groan with the rest of the crowd.  I actually missed Kai's game last night for a Quilt Guild meeting, and he hit a three run triple!  I am sorry not to have seen it, but delighted that he hit it.  When I turn on basesball, it's most likely the college world series of softball or baseball or maybe the Little League World Series.  But I don't save my ironing to accompany the watching.  Let's face it, the only time I iron is when I'm quilting.

Front Window

Inspiration came from two things:  Rear Window is showing at the local theater and our neighbors across the street threw a wedding.  I never meant to become a voyeur but our front window opens on a very large expanse of fields with a house and outbuildings off to the left side.  For years not much happened but eventually some interesting neighbors moved in.  We don't know them but I can't help noticing what goes on as it's our view.

The first event was the "O."  For days the man marked a large oval in the middle of the field.  We had discussions about it.  Personally I was waiting for the buckeye leaves to be marked at the bottom and the OSU insignia would be complete.  But one day the go carts appeared, not one, many, and the races were on.  For one summer, almost every weekend the carts would go round and round with no discernible winners but lots of fun, I think. 

The next time my attention was drawn across the street, Quinn and I were sitting on our front deck, relaxing on a warm summer evening, when we noticed the cats.  They had drifted out of the barn and were draped on the ledged slope.  We counted ten that day, of all sorts and colors.  I had noticed that once in a while, I'd discover a cat on our porch or sunning in the driveway and here was the source.  We've never seen that many since, but Quinn and I often look to see if they're out.

Today was the wedding.  Coming home from a run to the library, I noticed the approximately 50 chairs set up in rows leading to an arbor, all beneath the two large trees that grace the property.  I have to admit I was tempted to move my self into a chair on the front deck with a book and a beverage for proper observation, but I ended up just glancing out the front window now and then for glimpses of the bride and the guests.  There are large tents set up for the reception and pup tents set up off to the side, but not for the honeymoon, I hope.

The view out the rear window isn't near as interesting.

Yard Sales!

Wow, I wish I liked yard sales.  It just took me double the normal time to drive from Hebron to Dogwood Lakes, just past Jacksontown on Route 40.   It's National Yard Sale weekend!  Many people are careless about where they park and crossing the road so it's a bit of a free for all just getting home. Dogwood Lakes is also having their annual sale so it's even tough on Somerset Road.

Last year I took the grandkids to the yard sales in Hebron.  I gave each two bucks and turned them loose.  Quinn found a manual portable typewriter in a case, which, of course, we had to carry for the rest of the yard sales.  And Kai discovered a plush cat in the hat type hat which he wore the rest of the walk.  It was fun, but this year they're out on the lake with Mom and Dad, and I can't get the energy to go by myself after all the fun I had at the first of the month Kroger trip. Segue:  Joe seriously used to believe that I enjoyed grocery shopping.  That finally ended when he had to do it for me when I was laid up with my knee surgeries.  It only took me 44 years to convince him that it's a pain in the butt.
Anyway the typewriter is in the hall closet at my house and I'm not sure what happened to Kai's hat.  I am sure there are some great buys out there.  There must be! All those people can't be wrong.