Existing In BFE

In keeping with the theme of baseball, a glimpse into the past. Stuck somewhere in my things I found a packet of old tickets to a Cards - Mets game.  I seem to have kept these safe and sound but lost my Master's thesis somewhere.   Yeah, in '86 you could get a seat for $7.00.       Old Busch stadium from the Arch. My Ho Jo autographed scorecard. To the ballpark early. Go Mets! Pesky plane with the banner. That's Strawberry helping to bring home Backman.  Stay away rain. Comfy division lead.  Yeah, this was '86. Not all of our trips to St. Louis were great ones, but they were always good.  We had a lousy hotel once with a postage sized swimming pool which is what I pumped the kids ups with.  Had a flat tire once.  Got a speeding ticket in Jacksonville.  But you have to balance all that with getting out of the usual routine and checking out major league baseball.   This is an extraordinary time of th

I've had a thing for baseball since I was a kid. One of my first acts of rebellion, in a house obsessed with the Cubs, was to randomly pick a different team to root for.  It was a Sunday like all the others - nothing was greater than a Sunday in Seaton.  The whoops and hollers from my fellow womb-mates as we watched from the den on TV as guys like Joey Amalfitano, Dick Bertell, John Boccabella and Lindy McDaniel carried the water for another season of futile optimism and the gentle drone of Jack Brickhouse.  In an act of monumental defiance against all things Cubs, I decided to root, aghast!, for a different team. Apparently I was not content being just another sheep in the corral, or maybe I had some ethereal vision of the Cub's fan's ultimate futility, I don't know, but that decision has been a constant ever since.  I took the newspaper and found the standings of the National league. Even back then, at age 11, I was declaring my independence.  I took my finger and fol

++++++++++ 32,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, a squirrel buried a seed in Northeast Siberia.  That seed was found and was grown into a flower.  How cool is that? ++++++++++ ++++++++++ Businesses that make money by collecting and selling detailed records of private lives were once plainly described as “surveillance companies.” Their rebranding as “social media” is the most successful deception since the Department of War became the Department of Defense.  Edward Snowden ++++++++++ Last week I gave you a rooster.  This week on my early morning walk I discovered frogs. ++++++++++ Adventures In Babysitting Some days are really long. ++++++++++ Update on that post office mess in Seaton, Illinois.  Remember a few months ago I was informed by friend Jeff in Tybee Island, Georgia that the Savannah news had a piece about the Seaton post office.  Mold forced the evacuation of the place and they were running

This is the driveway to the Oak View Country Club in Aledo.  The pictures were sent to me by Mrs. Wombie last week.  There's been at least one Blythe member for the last 60 years.  At one point there were three of them. This is the drive from the main road that will take you to the Clubhouse, cart sheds and the #1 tee off.   For most of those 60 years we have been driving up this road the hillsides were full of lush green oak trees.  Now it is littered with fallen limbs and trunks.  Now if you want lush, turn around and try somewhere else, lush left this place last year.  The grass is greening here today, and the guys who make this a beautiful course are doing their thing.  But golfing will be a less fun time this year.  This year will take a little to get used to.  A whole lot more sun will be shining on the course, and some golfer's scores will lower just a tad.  The trees that kept the sun from shining everywhere, and the trees that made some errant shots impossible, are

This is Seaton around 1900.  The population was 326.  It would never get any higher.   The building closest to us there on the left is the depot.  I actually remember trains going through town.  I have a sign that says Seaton that came off a sign near the tracks.  There was an old trestle bridge at Uncle Ed's farm over the tracks that went through town.  The building with the witch's hat turret was the bank building.  At one time there were a couple blacksmith's, an opera house, hotel and a couple churches.  Whoever Clara R was she sent this postcard to old Mike up in Chicago.  Imagine such a simple address finding its owner.  And without a stamp, no less, unless it fell off somewhere.   One can only assume this was bought and postmarked from the post office, maybe eliminating the need for one.  Reminds me of a Christmas card we received once that just had "Marj and the Boys" as an address.  The wonder and awe of small towns. By the time the Bl

Guys in power have been abusing that power since we crawled out of the primordial soup, I suppose.  Or, of you are a Creationist, since Adam was tempted by the asp.  Or if you prefer, the serpent, or the snake.  Or Eve, you name it.  It's been a while so I'm a little fuzzy on my Genesis stories.  I'm no trump apologist but I think its important to put some things in perspective.  Only two presidents have been without their extra-marital liaisons since the 30's.  FDR, even though confined to his wheelchair, apparently was able to do the dos-e-doe with his special friends, Lucy and Daisy.  Hey, Eleanor had her own thing going, too. Likewise Ike whose secretary was able to take dictation standing, sitting or reclining, stood in for dear old Mamie who did her part manning the home front.  JFK was notorious for his dalliances even though he gutted it own with his bad back and all.  Imagine a healthy Jack whittling his conquests in that coconut he kept of his WWII days.  LB

Early morning.  Alone.  Snowy.  White.  Wonderful.

This diagram of where your favorite news organizations rank on the neutral/most extreme and liberal/conservative spectrums has been updated.  I posted the first inception a while back and, in the interest of smart consumers of news I repost today.  Do with it what you will - I still think we tune in to those agendas that we agree with rather than pinpointing real factual news, but that's just me.  Maybe I'm wrong.       ++++++++++ As I was walking one early morning these notes of breakfast kept ringing in my ears. ++++++++++ I was truly amazed, and shocked, to discover the backlash on those kids' school walkout last week.  All they are wanting is common-sense gun laws to decrease the likelihood some nut with a military style assault weapon will take more kids out at school.  I saw with dismay state-run Fox and their nightly talking heads go out of their way to blast their position.  I further read several entries on Facebook, one in particular

The current Mrs. Blythe roped me into escorting her to see her sister and brother-in-law two weekends ago.  I like an adventure as much as the next guy, even if it means a stop to see people.  As you all know, I'm a people person.  Ask anyone.  Whenever I've ever been around them: past, way-way past and present, there's always been a kind of gender segregation.  The guys are with the guys and the women are with the women.  I've never liked that set-up because then it means that instead of being a 4th, and can sit back and muse, I'm thrust into a couple deal and forced to actually engage in conversation.  It can be draining.   But I like Bill, and really, always have.  He has always been decent to me and tends to be a talker, thus relieving me of the responsibility.  Besides, Bill and I share a passion.  He has around 10 old cars and I have one, too.  They live in The Villages, about 3 hours away from where I am incarcerated. For those not aware of The Village

Thursday night. 8:40 Dear Mona and all. Blessed is he who expecteth nothing for he shall not be disappointed. Ask and ye shall receive. I've wanted a nice warm comfort just like the one you sent me and I want to thank you all a lot. The gift that is given with the giver is fair but the gift without the giver is bare, Thou shalt love the Lord thy god with all thy heart + with all they soul + with all thy strength + with all thy mind; + thy neighbour as they self.  Luke 10-27.     That's my sentiments and thin(e) too. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.  Psalm 37:23-24 Thanks for the nice present + god bless you. Sincerely Mack.  I enjoy a well written thank you note like anyone else.  I like to put a little thought in mine, too.  Mona was my maternal grandmother, and as I remember, a prett