I Think Our Weather Has a Personality Disorder

 Got up early today because the City was having a cleanup day - drop your items in a bin for free. It was overcast but not foggy for once this week! Husband was convinced there would be lines of people, especially after they announced that once the bin was full, it was over and done; and only open to .town residents;  and a  seperate area for electronics. So  ee thought that meant there would be personnel at each site.  There were 4 or 5 sites around town. Went to the first site and there was no bin. Went to 2d site and there was one bin but no one there to verify residency. Also no line! So we dumped our stuff and went home. 

Husband didnt want to go to the #1 (on my list!!) garage sale today.....so we started out (just like most stores do not open as early as we are use to living elsewhere, neither dot he garage sales) and had to put our sunglasses on because the skies were blue and cloudless!

By the time we were on our way to our 3d or 4th stop, it was overcast again. Now it is late afternoon and the sun is out!

I am hoping this will help contain my piles of craft supplies next to my recliner!

These will be used to adorn XS or something - I just thought the tiny locks were so cute! Too bad there were no keys with them....nah, I dont need no stinking keys!

$1 for an almost new loaf pan - cephalon loaf pan. Now I can weed out one of my old ones....

I could not resist the saying on this!

Husband found this for me - and they let me bundle some things together so I was happy with the price. Now have to decide where it will go

Christmas in March!

I weeded through this - dumped A LOT of loose needles! Kept quite a bit of thread - silk thread, buttonhole, thread, regular thread, many on interesting wooden spools. Bits and pieces of  yarn which will be good for gnomes....I grabbed it primarily for the Longaberger basket and the scissors - overall I think I got my money's worth!

There were actually 3 of these little measuring tools (I am sure I have quite a few more around the house)  but this was interesting with the square top. And the rose decoration was so pretty. I dont think I have ever seen a darning egg with a silver (maybe silver plate?) handle before! And I am not sure what the other one is far - to darn the sole of a sock? Anyone know?

Did a lot of dusty cleaning in the bedroom (yes, Bella is apparently still with us!) Only got about 1/2 done but there is always tomorrow......then we took some things out to the trailer. 

And now I have more laundry to do tomorrow (one load done this morning but now it is the high use/high cost electric hours....so the clothing that hubby got on dirty with grease will have to wait until tomorrow. And this is why we really really need to CLEAN out the trailer basement, reorganize, regroup!

So Proud And So Excited

 Last weekend we were back in the area that we moved away from 2+ years ago.

Youngest grandson has been playing waterpolo for a couple of years now. And he loves it.

He does very well at it - but he needs to grow more!

Anyway, he was selected to try out for the USA Waterpolo Olympic Development Program for the 14 & Unders.

Training, evaluating, and cuts....he was pretty well convinced he was not going to be chosen.

And he left the last day, after shaking the coache's hand and telling him how much he appreciated the opportunity and the training, and thanking him for the opportunity. This is the kind of kid he is!

But he was!

And then, he and his mother both expected he would be put on the B Team since this was his first try at this. And they got the email that he was on the B Team. But then - it turns out - the wrong email was sent and he was actually chosen for the A Team!

So, as a team, they had one meeting and one practice. And then a 2 day nation wide tournament. With only 1 day of meeting. Now, this team has a total of 4 players from his water polo team; and other boys that he has swam with, or competed against. But still, not a cohesive team, and a new coach.

They played 3 games on Saturday and won them all! One was against a team from CT, and another game was against their own B Team! One they won in OT! That was a nailbiter of a game!

Sunday they played a game, and won. And now they are in the gold medal round.....against the top team in their section. Yeah, they lost. They lost bad. You could even see when they gave up. 

BUT....this brand new team came in 2d overall for their age group - silver medal winners! So proud of these boys!!!

We had a great time being up there. Got to eat at places we miss (hello Amici's Pizza! Hello Chik-Fil-A!). Drove around and saw SO MANY changes around town......Got to go to not 1 but TWO bookstores! And I got some new walking shoes which I just discovered I really needed!

That first game Saturday morning was at 0700 and so cold - it was like 36 degrees! But it was a clear and sunny day and so it did eventually get warmer. And on Sunday the first game wasnt until 10 AM so it was warmer! Felt so sorry for those kids!

After receiving their medals we left to drive our 2 hours home. And after we got home we recieved a phone call from our grandson who told us he had been selected for a very special award: 

Nick Johnson Inspiration Award - USA Water Polo

It is a very touching award - and yes I know I am biased - but it describes our Luke perfectly! And so it is extra special that others see this in him!

Monday evening daughter called us and told us they had received notification that he had been chosen for the National Team Selection Camp. I am linking the money raising he (via my daughter) is doing for this experience - it explains a little bit about it (and any donations are tax deductible!).

USA WATER POLO INC - Jessyca Bozzy's fundraiser (networkforgood.com)

This will be quite the experience for them. Parents are discouraged from going. So he will be flying down with his team, staying with his team, flying back with his team.....and helicopter mom is going to be unbearable until he is home! (I will be quite relieved when he is home too I have to admit. I know lots of kids fly by themselves younger than he is but.....and this is only into LAX - only one of the biggest airports - but not that far from home).

This whole experience helps teach them to act professional - dress professional - discouraged parental over involvement (these experiences are for the kids not the parents) and are really grooming them to be Olympic bound. So it is quite an honor - quite an experience. And hopefully, not overly stressful for this guy. He LOVES the sport, and I hope this experience does not change this for him.

At the end of April we will be flying down to San Diego to watch him at a tournament for his other water polo team.