I will give you a little hint………………………………………….the bowling ball I am holding weighs about eight pounds…………………………….the shoes, should you be able to zoom in on them, appear to be a relic of the 1960’s……………………………the bowler (a “relic” of the 1960’s herself!!!!!!), wearing her traditional black & white, has not been to a bowling alley in years & received a big fat “D” in her bowling class while at OSU (quite pathetic, I know).  And so, ……………………………….you would be more correct if  you were to have answered “gutter ball” to the question posed in the picture.  However, I do have to mention that I did manage to knock down every pin on at least one occasion.  I resorted to a  secret “weapon” (remember that I am aligned with the TEA party……LOL)  at my disposal………………..I tried to visualize the bowling pins as certain members of Congress……..LOL!!!!!  I only said that b/c I know that there are those of you from BOTH sides of the political discourse who would have no problem with resorting to that type of visualization  & besides I love to give my kids a reason to roll their eyes at me!!!  The back story to the pic is that Stephanie, Jennifer, Megan, Jessica, Jess’s Mom (Deanna), Christine, Jo, Kathy & I decided to  “get active” this past weekend  & headed to a nearby bowling alley for some exercise & as it turned out, one heck of a lot of groans & laughs!  Jessica had a bit of an edge as her grandparents own a bowling alley in Canton where she began bowling as a little girl………………………..she even sported her own bowling ball & bag!!!  Come to think of it,  she even had her very own wrist support……………..no wonder she scored better than “I” ( I was going to say “me”, but I don’t think that is grammatically correct even though it sounds better!)…… wonder why I am so obsessed over correct pronoun usage when obviously none of my punctuation is grammatically correct……….!!!!!!!!  Anyway,  as I look back over my scores, I think that I should probably just stick to golf & trust me, given my golf handicap,  that definitely reflects on a pretty depressingly low bowling average!!!!

And while I am on the subject of sports (so much safer to discuss than politics or religion!)…………………have you filled out a bracket for March Madness?  We have one going on in the family & once again, I made an ID – TEN  – T  error which is the lingo the help desk techs use for people like me (id- 1o – t) who fail to, either completely read the instructions given, or fail to comprehend them (LOL).  I had decided that I would fill out two bracket forms hoping to give myself a little better chance at winning, but apparently I neglected to hit “save” for my 2nd entry………………………..I’ll keep you informed on how I am doing with my one &  only entry………..when you have some “skin” in the game (woo hoo…..$5 !!) it makes watching the games even more exciting!!  I happen to have the Buckeyes going all the way………………..yes, all of you Clark nieces & nephews the “dreamcrusher” herself, has a dream.- Ohio State as “National Champions”  (I just pray………oops, Aunt Evie would frown……..you are not allowed to pray for your team to win………… that would be an unworthy request!……………so I will hope that the Bucks, who won big in the first match-up, can make it through the next round (so as not to spoil St. Patrick’s Day for us!).  I kind of hate to see the basketball season come to a close…………..the grandkids are all signed up for their respective baseball/softball/t-ball teams &, ugh!……………I really, really find baseball sooooooo  slow &, well, …………boring (just hope the “Yankees” didn’t hear me say that! – besides, I can watch them play on TV in my air-conditioned home, not out in the hot sun with the bees, gnats & mosquitos LOL).   I had a good laugh at Luke’s last basketball game…………………..his coach, Brian Byrne, a longtime family friend,  was called for a technical midway through the last quarter.  A look of astonishment swept over the faces of all of the parents in the bleachers b/c Brian is the most positive, fun-loving & fair coach any kid could ever hope to have.  And then, we heard the referee (with a huge smile on his face) yell out that the technical was called on Brian for naming his team the “Mashed Potatoes”!!  And yes, that was the team’s official name which apparently had its origins from Brian’s 0wn childhood basketball team.    Tommy must, therefore, think that food is the main ingredient when it comes to the naming of basketball teams b/c earlier in the week he had asked Stephanie to take him back to see the Pork Chops play again.  Stephanie was puzzled & asked him who the Pork Chops were & Tommy explained that this was the basketball team that Stephanie had taken Luke & him to see, the basketball players who did all of those amazing tricks………………………..hey Tommy, that would be the “Harlem Globetrotters”!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah yes, the mind of a child……………almost as curious & interesting as the mind of an OTHSMC (over the hill, scatterbrained, mathematically challenged!) 1960’s relic.  LOL   Now the ride home from school with the TGIFriday grandkids provides loads of very “curious & interesting” data.  Last Friday as the “Fab Five” squeezed into my Nissan Altima (sshhhhhh……..don’t tell the safety patrol!!) the chatter began………did I know that Mrs. M was moving from the 6th grade down to the 2nd grade & Mr. S. the math teacher, was  moving to 7th grade & the remaining 6th grade teacher Mrs. B, who is well……..not quite mean……….but pretty strict as well as tough, is probably going to make Sam’s life next year rather unpleasant?………………oh, & at recess, Joe (who is Joe?) got smacked in the nose & there was blood everywhere…………….even all over his light blue IC school shirt (by now I’m feeling sorry for Joe’s mom, whoever she is!)……………..and……………did I know that Natalie was grounded from all electronics over the weekend?………………..her preferred punishment, as opposed to not being allowed to enter her next Irish step-dancing competition…………………….all b/c of a stupid chair!!!!!  Ah yes, according to Natalie (the FDQ “family drama queen”) she was being punished for the simple act of moving a chair………………………….really Natalie?????……………..well, upon further questioning, it seems that Jennifer had asked her to move a chair & Natalie was not very respectful of her mother’s request……………….actually, Natalie proceeded to inform me that what she had really wanted to say to Jennifer was, “Well, why don’t you just move it yourself?!”………………..G-A-S-P!!!!!!!!!!!…………………….she hastened to add that, of course, she didn’t say it out loud………………………(imagine what her punishment would have been then!!……she can’t be punished for her thoughts or can she, Jennifer??).  Whew………. I can hardly wait to hear this Friday’s chatter.

It is in these moments with the grandkids that, strangely enough, I feel not only Crick’s absence, but in some mysterious way, his presence the most.  He was always, always, always at the center of their chaos (&, as we all know, most of the time he was the cause of it!!!!).  And when the grandchildren all take their leave,  as I go about the task of checking to see what was left behind  (today it was the National Guard cap that Crick had given to Sam, as well as Eddie’s chew toy & leash………………………….have I never mentioned Eddie?? he is the “granddog”!!………………………& yes, he was here along with all of the two-legged grandchildren :)…………………………………I wonder if Sam & Jennifer have missed these items yet!)……… anyway……………..I think back to that moment in which the faulty Christmas lights came on, &, crazy as it may sound, a sense of peace fills my soul.  For I know in my heart that through these nine rambunctious, thoughtful, funny, competitive, curious, loving,  creative, outgoing grandchildren, the essence of all that defined Crick lives on.  And as he often told the school kids at Glacier Ridge, “My eyes are on you!”.  That is how I like to think of him now…………………………..his eyes on all of us :)!!!!

“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”                           Matthew 5:4

TNT

TGW