Weekend Fun

It is 50ish outdoors and 9 am.  I am waiting for Terry to get dressed to go Flea Marketing.  Michigan plays at noonish.   After last week's loss to our nemesis, Michigan State, we are out for blood.  We are  5 - 1 as of today.   Just a couple of years ago, I had to leave the house at game time.  I couldn't take the pouting, whining and "Turtle Throws a Tantrum" ( from the Sweet Pickles books) of that man I love, over a football game.  I saw a lot of movies that year.  He has mellowed a bit, or knows he will be watching all alone otherwise.  A victory is not as much fun without someone to high five on a good play.

At the Flea Market I am looking for shelves I can paint for my daughter's townhouse.  I think I've found enough frames to do for right now.  Wish me luck in the treasure hunt.


All is well in the world.  Michigan won.  Michigan State lost.  And, I found a couple of treasures at the flea market. 

Sad Day for a Memory

I get the email version of the "Big City" newspaper, that everyone in my small hometown had delivered.    I was so sad today, to see that the football coach from my high school days had  passed away in Florida.  His wife was an English teacher during my Freshman year and she also was the drama coach my Senior year.  With his leadership, we has a good football team all four years I was in high school.  She was my favorite teacher.  Needless to say, I am feeling a little melancholy about this. 

I have posted about spritzing on the Ambush cologne and  wearing my currant date's  red and black, leather and wool, varsity jacket to those football games.  A bunch of us girls would wait in the parking lot, after the games, for our certain guy to come out of the showers , dressed in chinos/slacks and a sweater, smelling like Jade East or Canoe.  Mostly, they won, thanks to Coach Samec's tough couching, because that ride afterwards was no fun if they lost.  And, if they lost, they wouldn't want to stay for the dances which was pretty high on our social life calendar.

One of my most vivid memories of him was how mad he got that some dumb girl had made a poster for a dance featuring the football players during a game,  with a thought bubble over one of them saying, " I can't wait until this game is over so I can go to the dance.".... He was livid. That is not what his players should be thinking.   He kept the team at practice longer because of it.  That poster had been made by the Captain of the football team's girlfriend...ME.  oops......

I'm in the middle with the long hair.  The Queen was the blond, second from the right.  All of the rest of us were close friends and hoped she would get it and she did.  

It rained buckets that night so all the work on the floats was for nothing. They stayed in the barns.   There was no Homecoming parade. No "Beauty Queen" waves from the back of a convertible.  We did walk out onto the field and became drowned rats for the dance following the game.

There I am in the back, left, holding the "Spirit Wand" that the Seniors had won at the Pep Rally for having the most spirit.  Such innocent times.  My whole high school only had and still does have about 500 students. Total.  My class graduated the smallest number from that school, which was built to replace the two story 1920's version, and opened the year before my Freshman year.   We had a very spirited 76 students in that class.  

This time brings to mind,  "going steady" with your boyfriend's class ring held on with a mound of adhesive tape under it or rubber bands twisted around the top.  Of dress codes, study halls and being asked out on dates at least by Wednesday for a Friday or Saturday night.

About 4 years ago, I was working in one of my retail jobs and Jayne saw me, came over and told me she knew who I was.  I had not a clue it was her.  Believe me, I do not look like this 17 year old, long haired teenager anymore.  She still knew me.  She said "I was one of your teachers."  Then, I knew.   Then it clicked.  I was so glad she approached me.

So Coach and Mrs. S., thanks for the memories. 

The Lights are Out

One of my favorite television programs came to an final end.  "Friday Night Lights" has been on for 5 years.  I have followed them from network to network and then, this last year they were only on Direct TV.  Terry was able to get a copy from someone for now we are watching the final season.  If you are not a fan,  "Friday Night Lights" is about small town,  high school football in Texas.

 Both Terry and I were lucky enough to attend small high schools.  Mine has a total of about 500 students in the entire school.  I'm not sure how many were in his, but it was very similar.  He played football in high school and then at a small, private university.  All three of our daughters went to the same school I did.  When your school community is that small, you know everybody.  Much like the television program, the town rallies behind the players, the school and the students. 

I think the die hard viewers, like myself, can relate to what was happening on the field and in the homes of this fictional town. In my own home, we agreed to have Daughter #1's best friend, in high school,  live with us.  She was 16 years old and both she and her brother had come from such screwed up, divorced,  parents that both were emancipated at 15.  This sweet young woman had lived with the football coach and  his wife for a year before coming to us.  The coach had grown children so she was a little lonely there.  Her brother was an all state football player himself and lived with another team mate and his family.

She was with us for a about 1 1/2 years before she went back to her Mom's house.  She was  the Homecoming Rep riding the convertible that year,  and on the Blueberry Festival Court.  Her dad came to drive the car she rode in.  Thanks Dad. He also gave her for a birthday, one year, one ticket to see Cher, at a venue 90 miles from us.  Once ticket.  Needless to say, she didn't go and no one would buy it.  Not one, single ticket. Her brother got a number of scholarships and is a coach himself now.  She also has a college degree and is doing well.  That small town team of ours had a 62 game winning streak while my girls were in school.  The signs that lined expressways from town to town cheered them on.  They were eventually beat in a non league game by a rivaling, neighbor, school on their field. That 12 mile ride home was a long one.

Then there is the Kenny Chesney song "Boys of Fall" song. I asked Terry if he was aware that the last game was, really the last one.  The last time he would put on that uniform.  The last tackle.  The last time he would walk off the field.  The last time unlacing those shoes. The last time he would hear the crowd cheer.  He said, "No, I just knew it was done.  I knew I wasn't big enough to keep going."  

Now my grandsons, ages 8 and 9 have put on that uniform.   I hope the whole town is behind them too.