I Am A Golfer – Playing In the Women’s Guest Tournament

 

We all carry comments and preceptions about ourselves inside our heads.  My “voices” say to me things like:  “You are a good cook.”  “You have pretty eyes.”  “You are not artistic.” “You talk too much.”  Another thing they say is, “You are not athletic.”  I never played sports in high school.  In PE, when I HAD to participate in baseball, I played right field and spent the entire game watching for rattlesnakes.  I was on the drill team rather than the basketball team.   

So when friends discovered that our new community had a 9 hole golf course, they all asked, “Are you and Jay going to play golf?”   Playing golf was not part of our plan, but after walking to the golf course a few evenings, seeing the beautiful greens, looking out at the ocean, feeling the breeze, hearing the birds, we looked at each other and said, “Maybe?”   

Determined not to spend money on something we may not take seriously, we set out to find some used equipment.  Jay found a complete set of clubs and a bag at a rummage sale for…$5.00.  I asked around and had a nice neighbor offer me her old clubs for free and I bought a golf bag at the GoodWill store for $8.09…with my senior discount.  

  

After practicing putting with Gabe 

and playing the first hole over and over again and then venturing to the first 4 holes, 

we decided to join the Golf Club and just get to know some of the people.

Imagine my surprise when a neighbor, Maybrit, called me a few days later to invite me to play in her foursome in the Womens/Guest Annual Tournament.  Though I professed my non-Nancy Lopez status, she insisted I could do it.  It was a scramble which meant that you always played the best ball hit and there was no pressure…I could just have fun and meet some new friends.  I said “yes!”

Those who know me, know I am not a costume person so I graciously accepted the costume I was expected to wear for my “team” and was a “Wonder Woman” she picked me up at 8:30 am.

It was foggy but that didn't stop the women.  

After coffee and donuts, Suzy gave us the rules and we were off.  

Half way through there was a little refreshment stop...Bloody Marys...provided by the course angels.

Bottom line, she was right.  I had a wonderful time.  My team of Maybrit, Linda and Ann made me feel very welcomed and they encouraged my attempts.  

I even feel like I contributed to our second place win for Low Gross because they used one of my tee shots, 

one of my chip shots…and…drum roll please…I putted for a birdie!! 

I will never be Nancy Lopez, but I am glad I did this because now I know that I can at least hold my own on the course and will enjoy going out with Jay when we decide to venture beyond the first 4 holes!  Who knows, I might even develop a new voice in my head...  As long as I am breathing, I can continue to change and grow!

I Am A Traditionalist - Charlotte's Bridal Shower

I can never think of traditions without hearing Tevya, in “Fiddler on the Roof,” singing in his deep resounding voice.  I love traditions.  For me, it is a consistent way of marking special times in life’s journey.  

Yesterday we experienced the traditional “rite of passage” of the bridal shower.  A young woman (Charlotte) was surrounded by her circle of women (friends, relatives) who will walk with her through this very special transition period in her life…as she moves from one status to another…from being a single woman to being a wife and sharing the rest of her life with a husband (my son, Marc). 

Times of transition are filled with emotion.  Of course there is excitement, happiness, anticipation but there can also be some fear, anxiety, self-doubt.  Can I really do this?  Will I be up to the task?  Who is better to give the advice, the understanding, the listening ear, the support, than other women, women who understand how she feels, especially women who have known her through various stages of her life, women who love her and will hold up her up!

Yesterday, 24 women gathered around Charlotte at the home of her “future sister-in-love,” Milli, to celebrate and support her transition.  

Many traveled the long distance from Charlotte’s home town of Dos Palos, CA.  They made toasts and expressed their good wishes.   

They surrounded her with the things she loves and even fed her, her favorite grilled cheese sandwiches.   

Overtime some traditions give way to new traditions.  When I was a bride, I received aprons and cookbooks.  Charlotte received more current gifts from her friends!

As I prepared to walk beside this new daughter-in-love as she marries my son,  I wanted to gift her with something personal so I knit her a lace shawl.  It was very intricate so it took time and concentration and in each stitch was wrapped a wish and a prayer for happiness that will hug her whenever she wears it.  It was in her favorite color, cobalt blue, and it had “bling” which she loves!

Her "blingy" shoes!

Traditions provide roots…and more than anything they remind us of who we are and that we belong to something bigger than ourselves…we are connected to a family, a group, a circle of friends…reminding us that we are not alone, nourishing our spirit.  The friends who surround us helped to shape who we are and who are yet to be…they help us remember who we REALLY are. Life is just better together!

One tradition that signals Charlotte’s entry into our family is the signing of the “You Are Special Today” plate.  This plate has been used throughout the years to honor family members at special times.   

Today as Charlotte began her entry into our family, she ate off the plate and she signed her name…it’s our Tradition!

Charlotte...we all love you, I love you and I love that you love my son, Marc.  

Welcome to our family!! 

I Am A Grandmother - "Goooooooo Huskies!"

The question, “Are there coincidences?” could be debated for hours.  Is life just a toss of the dice, or is there an order, a plan?  In hindsight, it always looks like there has been a path but the future is never as clear as the past! 

One coincidence that occurred after our move to San Pedro is that our grandson, Gabriel, who was entering sixth grade, “middle school,” was enrolled in a new school that just happened to be in…San Pedro!  What a coincidence!  When he was accepted into the school, he called us and said… "Now you can pick me up from school!”  And we do, at least once a week.  It also means we can easily attend his extra-curricular activities.

Gabriel is a child that is full of energy 

Gabriel - 21 months - running!

and he is passionate about his activities.  Whether it is working on his math, singing a song, telling a story, or playing a sport, he always “tries his best” and gives it 110%.  He LOVES sports and through the years we have attended many baseball,  hockey, and soccer games.   

Gabriel - 5 years old - Soccer

This year, he signed up for his school’s soccer team and we are now RHP Huskie fans!  Last Friday we attended his first game.

 

We cheered and yelled. It was very hot, but that did not deter his effort! 

 

 Even though they did not win, Gabe “played his best” and “supported his team!”

Most of his fan club was there…including his mother and grandmother, Basillia.    

In 1958, Harry Belafonte recorded a song, “Turn Around” and many times during the years, the words have echoed in my head and my heart as I have watched my own sons and now my grandsons live through life’s passages.  The feelings it brings are always “bittersweet.”  It is the awareness of the passage of time and the reminder to “pay attention” to the moment, to be fully present because my life is not a destination, it is the journey.  It is what is happening right now…in front of me.  So, I watch my grandson and drink him in with my eyes.  I watch him enter adolescence.  I watch him comb his hair a certain way, "like David Beckham."  I watch him asked to be called "Gabe, not Gabriel or Gabey."  I see him look surreptitiously at a pretty girl.  I see and I hold tight to the vision, because...time passes just too quickly!

Where are you going, my little one, little one
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you're two, turn around and you're four
Turn around and you're a young girl (BOY) going out of my door