Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrasts

In contrast to so many other players of the game today, Tony Gwynn played his entire twenty year career for one team…the San Diego Padres.

However, there were no contrasts to this man’s game…he was simply one of the very best baseball players in my lifetime.

He was, and always will be “Mr. Padre”.

Tony Gwynn Statue

Tony Gwynn – (May 9, 1960 – June 16, 2014)

His endeavors on the field with a .338 career batting average, 5 gold gloves & 8 batting titles, were only surpassed by his greatness as a genuine good person.

Another good guy gone too soon.

http://m.mlb.com/sd/video/topic/80042754/v34075837/padres-hold-public-memorial-service-for-tony-gwynn/?c_id=sd

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Thankful Thursday: 3 gifts round

3 gifts round…

1.  I’m thankful for the round sun. For the warmth that it brings during the day, and for that never-ending moment of awe, when I get to watch it “fall down” into the ocean!

sunset

2. I’m thankful that there are still these moments in life when it really doesn’t take a lot to bring joy to someone else.  We took our grandkids to Toys R Us (oh my!) and they each had a dollar to spend.  A dollar isn’t much in a store of that size, but much to my grandson’s delight, we found these round marbles…priced at $1.00.  Perfect!

marbles

3.  And last, but not least…I’m thankful that Opening Day for baseball is right around the corner!  I’m looking forward to seeing this round ball hit out of the park a few times…but only by my team of course!

Official ML baseball

These are just a few of the many things that I am thankful for today. It’s important to stop…take a moment…and reflect on the good things in life.

Will you join me in counting the blessings on your journey through life?

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

Football vs. Baseball: or The Agony and The Ecstasy

I enjoy watching professional football games on TV with my husband. I really do.  But I tell you what….I think this game is going to be the death of me! (Well, probably not, but you know what I mean!)

OH MY GOODNESS!

It is so intense!

Every year I tell him how much I hate it, and every year, I come back for more.

Now, baseball on the other hand…I have never said that I hate it.

Frustrated, yes. Annoyed, some times.

I might even get disappointed from time-to-time, but it’s just so much easier to watch and enjoy baseball!

There have been many days when I have looked forward to sitting down in the evening, with a good cup of coffee, just to relax and watch the baseball game.

Have I ever had that thought cross my mind when it comes to watching a football game? Have I ever thought, hey, I’m just going to sit down and “relax” and watch the football game this afternoon?

Never!

After many years of watching them both…I have concluded, watching pro football is like watching bases loaded, 2 outs, 3 balls, 2 strikes, last batter up, baseball”… Every. Single. Second of the football game!

Every single play!  Every single drive!

It’s insane!!

There’s no lulling you into the fact that the bases are loaded. There is no calm announcer telling you that there is the possibility that with just one swing of the bat you could have a grand slam on your hands, and that the game is over, and your team lost.

Nope!

There’s no calm anything in football! It smacks you upside the head (literally) from the very first second of the game!

When they start running after the kick-off, my heart starts racing, and stays that way pretty much throughout the whole, entire game! Oh, sure. We have half-time to re-group, but in some cases, all that does is prolong the inevitable, and make it even more stressful!

I’ve tried hiding my face with a pillow so that I don’t have to see what happens next.

I’ve tried watching through my fingers, as they were spread across my eyes.

I’ve tried every way I can to watch and not watch at the same time, but I just keep coming back for more, and at times, it is just pure agony.

Why, oh why, do I do this to myself?

I asked him just that.

He said; “Because that’s what makes this game so great! It’s intense, and exciting. It’s like watching bases loaded, 2 outs, 3 balls, 2 strikes, last batter up, baseball, every single second of the game! It’s fun!”

I don’t know if it’s fun or not. The jury’s still out on that one.  It’s certainly not fun when your team doesn’t win.

But when they do….it’s like watching, “bases loaded, 2 outs, 3 balls, 2 strikes, last batter up, baseball,” … only this time your guy hit the ball for the grand slam! 🙂

I guess that’s what keeps me coming back…to both games.

Fun? Maybe.

Exciting? Definitely!

Play ball!

Those two little words that we have been waiting all winter to hear!

PLAY BALL!

20130327-231454.jpg

In just a few short hours, Opening Day 2013 will start for Major League Baseball teams all across the USA!

The game I’m going to be watching is, San Diego Padres: @New York Mets, Monday, April 1, 1:10 p.m.

Let’s go Padres!