Confession #753

Here it goes....

I have a frienemy.

Well, actually I have more than one, and in this case frienemies beget frienemies...quite literally!

I've tried to untangle the crazy way we became frienemies, but I really can't. All I can say is that Patsy Clairmont was involved, I fell hard for a frog picture, we started following each other's blogs, then became friends on Facebook, then ended up in a fantasy football league together.  And THAT'S when I became frienemies with the one I'm writing about in this post. I'll call her *Willa McGillicuddy to protect reputations. Her mom, Labelle McGillicuddy was my original frienemy, the one with the frog picture. (It's absolutely perfect. You'd be smitten, too.) 

Anyway, long story only a little tiny bit shorter...

We discovered we had a shared love of baseball! 

Except, here's the kicker (and this is where it becomes shameful on my part):

 they're a Yankees family.

(You can see why I'd change names to protect everyone.)

THAT'S what made us frienemies. 

The Yankees (for those who don't know or care about major league baseball) are the sworn mortal enemies of the Red Sox from the origin of the sport, basically. I'm not going to delve into the history of the rivalry because that would start a brawl here on the Chronicles and that's not the point of the post. The point is that enemies can become friends and still remain enemies. Frienemies.


My frienemy, Willa, lives near where the Red Sox hold their spring training and preseason games. As my luck would have it and hers would fail, she has a friend with connections to the Red Sox. There were tickets in the family box of one of the games bestowed from a player, she asked Willa to accompany her...putting Willa in a painful dilemma.

Should she participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shmooze with MLB players of the sworn villainous team, thereby almost ensuring bad luck in the upcoming season for HER team? Or politely decline, knowing in her heart that she was a loyal 3 generation fan and kicking herself all the way to the nursing home when her children's children asked her "WHY, Gramma? WHY did you give up that opportunity?!"

It was impossible!
Poor Willa!

In the end, she did the right thing.
She grabbed a couple balls and a Sharpie marker, and went to the game.

Willa sent me one of the signed balls....the LUCKY BALL...and now I'm going to share photos of it with you. (This is a rare opportunity. The LUCKY BALL doesn't make public appearances as a rule.)

 The first signature, and the one with the most importance to the story of the LUCKY BALL is that of Xander Bogaerts (#2)

(Photo from Yahoo)

You can look up all his stats (this year they're stinking good), but he's the one who gave Willa's friend the tickets. 

The best part about his signature is that it's right above the "Made in China" stamp on the ball. 

It's so dear and naive, and I smile every time I see that. 

This sideways signature is Brock Holt (#26)...Brockstar. 

Photo from MLB

He's got great hair.

And he's ALSO a rising star this year! (Part of the reason I call it LUCKY BALL despite the Red Sox having a rather stinky season is because those who signed it seem to be having a lucky year. It's like they were blessed by the selfless, brave choice Willa made.)

 This is precious.

It's a signature by Luis Tiant (bottom). He was one of the greatest Red Sox pitchers of all time. 

Photo courtesy MLB

He's a legend, Red Sox Hall of Fame...hot stuff.

I'm not worthy.

Directly over the top is the signature of Anthony Varvarro, pitcher on the disabled list of the Red Sox roster.

Now, THAT was intriguing to me.

So I asked Willa who signed the ball first.

I couldn't imagine the moxy of a guy (especially a PITCHER) who would sign his name above El Tiante's signature...the arrogance!

Tiant signed the ball after Varvarro, robbing me of the thought.

And Varvarro's the only guy I haven't figured out if luck is holding for him this year.

Finally, John Farrell's signature.

Photo courtesy Zimbio

He's the manager of the team who is currently on the DL, I guess, with lymphoma cancer.  And for a while I wondered if the LUCKY BALL had failed him.

But actually, the cancer was discovered in a routine surgery for a hernia, so it really WAS lucky.

 LUCKY BALL sits on the shelf above my sink, next to my tiara, flamingo sunglasses, SF 49ers helmet decal, and notes from friends. (And frienemies!)

As a followup on Willa....
She's in counselling.

NOT REALLY!
Willa is still a very loyal Yankees fan, but she does keep track of certain Red Sox players now, having met them and all.  Her friend is still able to get tickets to games, so they're going to another one in a week or two. (You should also know that her friend doesn't care about baseball at all. It's a darned shame, and we chew on that quite a lot.)

Willa's mother, Labelle, continues to be my frienemy, too, but she says that Willa "stole" me from her. Just because we text daily. All I know is that I love them both and they'll just have to work that out on their own.

I hold dreams of going to "Fenway South" someday for spring training, but it's smack in the middle of calving season so that doesn't look imminent unless I win the lottery. (Which I'd have to actually play to win.)

So ends the confession.
I hope we can still be friends.
At the very least....if you're a Yankees fan....frienemies.

Tessie Lou

 

She's VERY busy.

First morning, she had a lovely point...on the pink flamingos in the yard.  Today, she gave them a good talking to, when they wouldn't play with her.

Alice-the-Cat has reservations about puppies.

And with good reason!
The funny thing about Alice is that she doesn't use claws, just sound effects and a good strong right hookless hook.  Tessie didn't use her teeth, just licked her.
Today, they're pretty good pals.
Jack Sparrow-cat. now, makes a big honkin' scene and acts as though he's facing the Big Bad Wolf, which makes chasing him very fun.

Very busy, very important puppy coming through...

This is how she looks when I'm unloading the dishwasher or stirring something on the stove.  She's always about a foot away from me.  Even now, as I type, she's snoozing on the floor under my chair.  Maggie looked over and smiled and said, "Just like Molly..."
It's bittersweet.

Gotta be a bird around here, SOMEWHERE!

Maggie and Tessie are really good friends!  Mags has been so good about playing with her and walking her around the yard...and snuggling her on the couch.  That's a pretty tough job, but someone has to do it...

Twilla and Tessie.
It's not going smashingly, but it's not going awfully, either.
As long as Tessie doesn't try to get in her face or on her couch, Twilla is cool.  She growls, but has only snapped once.  Tessie can't understand; doesn't EVERYONE want to be her friend?!?

You see a theme going, here.
Maggie really thought it was important that Miss Tessie wore the team colors and had a team bowl.  It's appropriate and poignant since THIS is the year that THE RED SOX WON THE WORLD SERIES!!!

It's so wonderful to have a Brittie-ful house, again...

A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

*ahem*
(Patricia Hunter, look away...this may be too painful for you.)

THE RED SOX WON THE WORLD SERIES AT HOME IN FENWAY PARK LAST NIGHT!!!
Fenway is 101 years old this year, and the last time the Red Sox won a World Series there was in 1918.

And I wanted to party like it was 1918 last night, but we had shipped calves and fought cows all day, so it was all I could do to stay awake for the end of the game....
But I DID, and sat on my sad little couch and cried tears of joy and exhaustion when Uehara threw that final strike.

I agree with my friend Emily (Patricia's daughter who sadly inherited the Yankee gene) that sports can be a distraction from the hard things in life, that we watch sports to be able to "get away" from the issues in our lives, in the world, that are too big for us.  I know I do.  This fall, my family has very graciously and generously gifted me the television for the World Series.  Apparently, they figured it was easier to join me than fight the passion.

And speaking of the passion for the Red Sox...
(Did I mention that they WON THE WORLD SERIES?!?!?)

There's a Dropkick Murphy's song about the Red Sox and Fenway, called "Tessie".  It's one of Angus's favorite songs, mostly because it sounds a lot like shouting and if you sing it in the car with the windows rolled down, you won't get in trouble for making lots of noise and being unruly.  That's the point of the song, really.

We are getting our own Tessie this Sunday.
It's really fortuitous, since THE RED SOX WON THE WORLD SERIES LAST NIGHT AT HOME IN FENWAY PARK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 95 YEARS!

Here she is:

She already has a Boston Red Sox collar and food dish and everything.  

That little white spot on her head looks sort of like a heart, but we suspect it may actually be a baseball diamond.  

Either way, we can't wait!

It's a good year to be a Red Sox fan.

Because, you know...

THEY'RE THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!

(Incidentally, I'm wearing my tiara for a week in celebration of this momentous occasion! Everyone thinks I'm nuts anyway, but what no one realizes is that it was gifted to me from a St. Louis Cardinals fan.  That's right.  The team that the Red Sox beat four times out of six to WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!!)

(Not that it's a big deal or anything...)

And if you're interested in hearing the "Tessie" song, go HERE.

October...

...is hunting season, and the Farmer's BFF has returned Buck Fever to our house.  Here's a picture of  A.C. with his first antelope, EVER, and the two brilliant guides he managed to "hire".  

We're teasing him a little about the hamburger load in his gun...

Maggie was thrilled to be included and is all about eating antelope heart.  Her camera now has pictures of gut piles which she shows to anyone who will look.  

We're so proud....

And actually, this is REALLY a good buck.

(Even before it was photoshopped...)

We've been watching the Red Sox make their run to the World Series, and due to the lucky shirts and crossed fingers, they're IN!!!  YES!  A-a-a-a-n-d there goes a week of evenings, starting tomorrow, while they play the St. Louis Cardinals.  First couple games at Fenway, folks...tune in to see greatness and the Green Monster!

When our kids go on field trips, it's literal.  We haul them out to a field, throw them together with all the other country schools and let them dig in the dirt for dinosaurs. 

(Maggie and Angus are on the far left.)

Other parts of the country have trees for fall color...we just have great sunsets and bored cows.  I don't know this one, personally, but she's grown fond of grazing near our yard in the evenings.  When I went out to try to take a picture of the golden hills, she assumed the "gorgeous cow" pose and worked it.

There you go...
A condensed version of a small life in a big pasture.

(It's the best I could do, Steve Brock!)