Little League, or where to find me in the summer time

Good Morning, everyone!

It’s spring time!  If you were to go to our local schools and take a poll, you would find a large number of those kids play a sport in the spring time.  For many here it’s either YMCA Soccer or Little League Baseball.

My brother played soccer when he was a kid, and I always loved going to the games.  My daughter, Paige, even played for a season.  She was only three, though, and really couldn’t find the appeal.  I like the soccer program here, and we have great fields to play on now, but my kids always choose baseball.

I played Little League for one year when I was Eight years old.  It really was a lot of fun!  I wanted to play longer, but never got the chance.  My brother played for about six years.  I loved sitting in the stands and cheering his team on.  I really can’t think of a much better way to spend a summer evening then at the ball diamond… except for maybe in front of a campfire!

YAY!!  Now comes the part where I brag about my kids!

Annie plays for the American League Indians.  This is her fifth year playing.  In American League, the kids pitch, and steals are allowed.  The games generally last an hour and forty-five minutes, but have to go four innings.  There are a wide range of skill levels in this league, and even the sizes of the kids are wide ranging.  Annie is the second tallest kid on her team, and the tallest is a girl too!

Before I go any further, there will be people who ask (of the whole 2 people who read this), why is your girl playing baseball and not softball?  We have a softball program here through the YMCA.  From what I hear it’s a good program too.  The Little League program here is co-ed, (and I am not gonna lie, cheaper)  and really geared to all ages and skill levels as well as genders.  It was her choice to play baseball over softball, and I am quite proud of her for it!

That said, Annie’s team had their first game on Tuesday.  They played the White sox in a game that was good from the beginning.  The Indians took the lead early, and held it for most of the game.  Annie got walked twice, and scored both times.  She even slid into home (for the first time!!) and knocked down a kid that was blocking home plate!  In the end, a few bad fielding errors cost us the game, and we lost by one.  We play again on Friday.  Watch this space for updates!

Gwynn decided not to play this year, but she played for four years.  Two years on the T-ball Angels, and two years on the Coach’s Pitch Cubs.  She was doing quite well too.

Paige is starting her fourth year playing Little League.  She played two years on the T-ball Angels, and this is her second year on the Coach’s Pitch Cubs.  They had a practice game last night.  I was quite pleased!


                            Second Photo by H. Renee Photography

Ben is starting his second season on the T-ball Blue Jays.  He really has a lot of fun and is learning a lot!

The Little League is always looking for volunteers.  I am sure this is true in our league as well as all over the country.  They are looking for people to coach, to maintain fields, to sponsor teams, to score keep, to run concession stands, to drive team members, and to umpire.  If you have spare time, there is surely a spot to fill.  If you don’t have time to volunteer, and you are looking for a worthy cause to donate a few dollars to, your local Little league is a good place to start.  The money you donate (or give to the players who solicit you for a fund raiser), goes to buying uniforms, paying umpires, field maintenance, and helping kids whose families can’t pay, get a chance to play.

I have seen great things happen in my kids since they have stated playing, that I am sure happen to most kids who play.  Confidence being the number one result.  If you take the most timid child, and show them they can hit a ball and put him up in front of a few dozen people, a new kid will emerge standing at home plate.   They go from not believing in themselves to wanting to try new things over night.  Even if they never become professional athletes as a result of their time on the field, the confidence to stand up and face your fears is infinitely valuable.

Yes you can get hurt in Little League baseball.  In Annie’s first year of American League, I think she got hit with pitches eleven times!  I was always so proud of her for getting back out there every time even if she was terrified of the ball.  She always wanted to keep going.  You can’t buy that kind of courage.

Paige is facing a new challenge this year.  She is the only girl on her team this year.  She almost always, at least, had  her sister Gwynn on her team too.  It’s hard for her trying to fit in with all the boys, but she still goes out every day and does her very best.  She has friends on the team, so that helps.  I have heard her say several times that she isn’t that good compared to some of the boys, and I keep telling her to do her best every day and she will be fine.  I am hoping she will learn to believe in herself.  That is an important lesson we all need to learn. 

If you are looking for more information on Little League baseball there is a website for the National program.   If you live in Wabash (like I do)  they have a website too.  If you can’t find information on your local program, ask around.  Check with your chamber of commerce, your local United Way, Your school system, or YMCA.  Generally if you ask around long enough, someone will point you in the right direction. 

If you are already involved in the Little League, there are a lot of resources for you too!  Did you know there are apps for your smart phone.  Go here!!   They have apps for scoring, Rules, and game viewing!  I never would have thought of this stuff when I was watching my brother play. 

Looking for books or DVD’s concerning Little League baseball?  They are out there, coaching 2, pitching too, hitting TWO , fielding to, and T-ball basics too.  There are books on the history if Little League baseball, and books for kids about other kids who play. 

Look on YouTube for all kinds of things on Little League baseball.   There are videos on coaching strategies, and tips, videos from the little league world series, videos from proud parents, and exceptional players.  Here is one of my faves from ESPN.

Anyway, if you are looking for something to do this summer, or a way to volunteer, start with your Local Little League.  Look for me out at the diamond, since I will be spending a good deal of my spring and summer there!!

By the way, I have You Tube videos of my kids too, but this one makes me cry ever time I watch it!

Have fun, and play hard!

Movies 2011

Hello again!

I love watching movies, even if i don't get a chance to see many in the theaters.  We have a Netfilx account and we watch several movies and TV series every week.  I also read a lot of books that get turned into movies, but that is a post for another day.  

These are the movies that will most likely get added to our Netflix list and moved to the top as soon as possible.

 Water for Elephants came out April 22.  I heard about this movie form a Twilight blog because it starts Robert Pattinson and saw it was a bookso I read it.  I really did like the Story.  I have heard good things about it so far, and Rob, in an interview, said he really liked working with the animals.  

 Fast Five comes out on April 29.  This is the fifth in a series of movies starring Vin Diesel.  The women who watch these movies by choice, and not because their male counterparts force them to, do so because of Diesel or his co-star Paul Walker.  Me, I am in it for the cars!  

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides comes out May 20.  I want to see this one because it is a continuation of a very good series.  I am extremely disappointed that Orlando Bloom isn't in it though.

The Hangover II comes out May 26.  I loved the first installment of this series.  It was so funny, and made me wish I could go to Vegas!  Alas, I am a "responsible adult", and don't get to lose myself in this kind of insanity.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon comes out on July 1.  I just love how this series looks and sounds!  The special effects are always done so well, and I like the soundtracks too!  Speaking of soundtracks, I heard Linkin Park also has a song in this one, which excites me because I really enjoyed "New Divide".

Abduction comes out September 23.  This looks like an exciting action movie starring Taylor Lautner.  I'm not gonna lie, I want to see this movie because of him.  It looks like a good movie too, but I kinda hope he takes his shirt off. 

There are a couple kids movies coming out this summer that everyone in my house wants to see.  It would be so cool if one of the drive in's nearby could do a double feature with them.  

Kung Fu Panda May 26

Cars June 23

We really like comic book movies around here.  My husband read a lot of comics as a kid, and I am sure my son will when he gets a little older.  Personally I just love the stories.  Thor, May 6, The Green Lantern on June 17, and Captain America: The First Avenger July 22 all look to be really good movies.  I am sure they will be a big hit. The one I really want to see is X-Men First Class.  This one comes out on June 3

 There are a few others closer to the end of the year that I am also really excited about.  I don't have trailers for them yet, but I will link you to their IMDB pages for information.  As soon as their are trailers I will update this post. Final Destination 5, August 26, Puss In Boots, November 4, The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made, November 23, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows December 16 all should be big hits.  I can't forget about the other HUGE movie series spawned by a great series of books.  The first half of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn hits theaters on November 23.  You can keep up dated  here or, here.  I will of course post a trailer as soon as there is an official one. 

Last, but certainly not least, at least to me, is the grand finale to the decade long Harry Potter movie franchise.  I LOVE these books, and I have enjoyed these movies too.  I am going to be really sad to see the series end.  This one, I promise you, I will see in the theaters.  I am hoping we can go see it in IMAX.  Anyway, this movie comes out on July 15.  The first trailer came out tonight.  Enjoy!

What do you think?  Are there other movies that I missed?  Let me know and I will look them up!

Hope

Words

I love words. I love reading words. I love writing words. I love the way words can make your dreams come true. Words can also make you feel like a complete idiot whether you like it or not.

Words, and situations like these, can tie us all together. We can all relate to being overjoyed with hearing the exact words we needed to hear, or saying the one thing we never should have said.

I suppose that is all part of growing up, of being human.

Do you remember your first love? Do you remember the day they asked you out? The way they stammered and shuffled their feet. How they were smiling, and sweating, and how when you finally said you would go they were so happy!

Think about the first time you told someone “I love you.” Those three words have to be the three most powerful words in the world. Those three seemingly insignificant words have the potential to heal and harm in one fail swoop. I think we all know someone who has said I love you to manipulate someone.

If there was ever a reason for me to dislike words I think manipulation would be the reason. There are people in our world that have a gift for stringing words together in a way that can make anyone believe everything they say. While that can be a wonderful thing if you are a hostage negotiator, a doctor, a clergymen, or even a teacher, using the power of words to harm others is, in my opinion, immoral.

I suppose though, if you really think about it, writers manipulate us with their words. When I read a book, I lose myself in its characters, it's far away places, and the overwhelming emotions the author weaves into the pages. From the first few pages of even the shortest novella, the author convinces you to trust them while they grab hold of you form the inside out and drag you on a journey that only a master wordsmith could. It's subtle, but those words, those emotions, the pictures the author paints in your imagination are a form of manipulation.

I, personally, enjoy every minute of it.

The first book I remember actually losing myself in was Superfudge by Judy Bloom. I was grounded from watching TV because of a bad report card or something. I was sitting in the doorway between my kitchen and living room with my back to the television. I could see my dad look up at me once in a while just waiting for me to break the rules. I think I sat and read that entire book that night, right up until bedtime.

The first book that ever made me cry was Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I could feel that boy's pain and love for those dogs. He worked so hard for them only to have them taken away far too soon. I have read that book several times since the first, and each time it still grabs me in the exact same way, or nearly so I suppose. I am a little older now.

I think I am going to add a couple lists to this blog. One will be my favorite books/authors. The other may be a list of the books I have read recently.

I hope everyone can say they have a favorite book. If yolu don't and you want to look else ware for a good read, maybe my selections can help you.

Have a good week everyone.

... I tipped my cup and downed the last swallow. "Joscelin, is love supposed to make you feel like you're sick and dying, and mad enough to hit someone, and drunk with joy, and your heart's a boulder in your chest trying to burst into a thousand pieces, all at once?"

"Mm-hmm." He finished his ale. "That would be love."

--Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey; page 106

Social Networking and Other things

Yay!  Two posts in one day!!  That will likely never happen again.

So, I was trying to think of what my first "official" post should be about when it hit me, I should tell whomever is reading this about my social networking stuff, just in case you want to friend, follow, or subscribe to me.  That seems like a horribly long run-on sentence.

I have an iPhone that I love, so social networking has become really easy lately.  I like that, if I want to, I can tell you all about whatever I think is interesting the second I feel like sharing.  I love my computer, but I don't like dragging it everywhere.  Most of the sites I check in to I have apps for.

My Facebook is http://www.facebook.com/hopen.  I don't play any games right now.  I used to, and that is where all the friends came from.  I don't mind though.  Sometimes they are fun to talk to.  I use my Facebook mostly for keeping in touch with my family and friends that don't live nearby.  There are LOTS of pictures of my kids there.


I like Twitter a lot.  I am @hopieg there.  I use Twitter for entertainment and informational purposes.  I like to laugh and a lot of the people I follow fulfill that for me.  Some of my faves: @Peytonshead @Lord_Voldemort7 @thinkgeek @PatMcAfeeShow (punter for the Indianapolis Colts) @maureenjohnson @wilw @realjohngreen @hankgreen @PaulandStorm.

My YouTube is http://www.youtube.com/hopieg07.  Most of the videos I post are of my kids.  I use YouTube mostly for looking and not for posting.  Faves: wheezywaiter, vlogbrothers, navergnide, charlieissocoollike, MuppetsStudio, truthorfail.  Add me if you make videos, I will check you out!

I am also on www.getglue.com/hopeig, www.foursquare.com/hopieg, and www.SoundTracking.com/users/hopieg.  These I am not super active on, but I do check in.  They are fun ways to procrastinate and learn about new things.

As far as books, movies, music, and games go, I get them from legitimate sources.  I have an iTunes account for music, Netflix for movies, and Gamefly for games. No, I don't want links to get these things for free.  The people that make these things work hard to make them.  If I am going to use them I should compensate the makers.  I don't play many video games, but I do like to watch my husband and kids play them.  If i find them interesting, sometimes I play too.  I might talk about the games anyway.

I got myself a Kindle for Christmas. I got the model with Wireless and 3G even though the town I live in doesn't have 3G.  I LOVE my Kindle.   I hate to say it, but I almost like reading books more on the Kindle than I do in book form, but only because I am so hard on books.  I love the way books smell and feel in your hands, but I always tear them or spill something on them.

I download my books from Amazon.  I know there are lots of places to get free books on the internet, but most of the books I have seen on these places have similar books to the Amazon site.   If I can't find a book on the Kindle I go buy it or check it out from the library.  I like my local library, even if it is small.


So here are the currents for me.  I Just finished Nick and  Norah's Infinite Playlist.   I give it four stars ****.  (that is out of five)  It is a lot different than the movie, which I liked, but not as much as the book.  Nick and Norah meet in a club and "pretend" to go out long enough to make each other's exes jealous.  They soon realise they have a love for similar music that leads them on an all night adventure.

I am currently reading a compilation of short stories called Songs of Love and Death.  The stories are about star crossed lovers, and a lot of them are set in paranormal worlds with paranormal characters.   I will have my review soon.


So I guess that is all for now.   I think I will make a post about my favorite books an authors in the near future.  I read so fast that by the time you get through one post, I may be done with another book.  Watch for that in the future.

The song of the day running through my head is Shoot it Out by 10 Years.  I like all kinds of music, especially loud music you can get lost in.  I have no idea why this was lodged in my brain today, but I don't mind. :D

Take care everyone!!

We have to start somewhere.

So why not here? 

Hello!  My Name is Hope Gaston.  Welcome to my corner of the interwebs!  Come have a look around.  I hope you enjoy yourself!

I suppose I should have a "goal" or a "theme" for my blog, but frankly I have no idea what this is going to be about.  I plan on making notes at the end of posts about the books I am reading or what I am listening to when I am writing.   I read a lot so these will change often!

I might review books, movies, TV shows, video games,  gadgets and doodads too.  I will probably talk about the toys my kids play with if I think they are worth sharing.   I will likely mention politics and current events from time to time.  I will try not to push too many buttons.   My thoughts generally run a bit conservative as a product of my environment, but I tend to pick and choose as it suits my morals.  I am open to discussion and varying opinions as long as it is done with respect and manners.

I promise to use the spell check button after I finish writing.  I am a horrible speller, but sometimes I make mistakes that even spell check can't fix!   You can correct me as long as you are nice. :)  I will never be too old to learn something new. 

That said, if there is a topic you wish to discuss, or inform me about, pass it on!  I will gladly look it over and let you know what I think!   I love learning new things, and I love a good discussion.  Just remember to be nice and remember that not everyone has the same opinion as you. 

I suppose that is all for now!  I will make my first actual post on whatever is going on, later.  Thanks for stopping by! I hope you subscribe, and come back again!!!