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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

to 100 faster than anyone before....

Name me some great Braves pitchers. From any season. C'mon, even you 7 Braves haters that gather in your mom's basement once a month to stick pins in a Chipper Jones voodoo doll can acknowledge some amazingly great pitchers in the Braves past.
Smoltz, Glavine, maybe a guy named Spahn... well out of all the boys who have taken the mound representing the Braves, can you tell me who got to 100 strikeouts the fastest?

Okay, the pictures may have helped you. But for those of you who don't know yet, it was The Baby Faced Assassin, Craig Kimbrel.
 100 K's in 59 1/3 innings. That's not bad. Can anybody besides dayf tell me who's record he broke???

All this from a kid who looks like he should be delivering my newspaper.
I'm not sure if he even shaves yet.

Go get 'em kid... I just hope Freddy doesn't wear your arm off....

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Look what I found! Part 356

As some of you know, I'm a very organized person. Neat and orderly. Except for my card collection. Go figure. But I've been working on it. And I am gaining on it. Slowly. But the key is that I am gaining.
One of the fun things about all of this, is coming across lost treasures in boxes and closets that I had forgotten about.
This is one of those. A Braves team set from the 1979 TCMA Baseball set. But we're not talking about Ted Turner's '79 Braves here. Oh no.

May I introduce you to Roy Hartsfield, 1950 and '51 Boston Braves 2nd baseman. Also the very first manager of the Blue Jays.
 Buddy Kerr 1950 and '51 Boston Braves shortstop. I love these photos.
 Del Crandall. Like dayf, I think up until Javy and BMac, Del was the greatest Braves catcher.
 Sam Jethroe. Sam led the NL in steals and runs scored during his first two seasons in 1950 and '51.
 Sid Gordon. Sid was one of the Braves sluggers for a few seasons after being acquired from the Giants. He was one of the ones who moved with the team from Boston to Milwaukee.
 As expected, not all of the vintage photos can be perfect. Such as the case with Vern Bickford here.
 Willard Marshall. Will only spent two season's with the Braves. Leaving for Cincinnati when Boston left for Milwaukee.
 Johnny Logan, one of the Braves best shortstops of all time.
 Some guy named Spahn. I think he was a pitcher.
 Mr Eddie Matthews. Can you imagine sitting in that one room school house learning about fractions or something and looking out and seeing Eddie Freaking Matthews taking some cuts? Class dismissed.
I love these cards.... I may try and find the rest of the set now.... just what I need, right?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

A couple of weekends ago, I dragged the wife out of town to one of the local nurseries to look at some trees and greenery for the back yard. She agreed a little too readily, but I unfortunately didn't notice at the time. After picking out some shrubbery, (why do I feel like watching Monty Python right now?) she volunteered to drive home. The second warning sign I missed. I must be getting old. Or I've given up and haven't yet noticed.
Anyways... I'm sure a lot of you have been trapped like this. On the way home, she pulled off onto a different road and into a yard sale. All the signs in front of me and I missed all of them. Now I'm doomed for a morning of yard sales. Fantastic. Now what? Think fast man!

I did what any sane person would do. No, not cower in the back of the truck in the fetal position.... I got revenge. Payback if you will.

I bought stuff. Stuff I know would annoy the hell out of my wife. Want to see?

I bought books. Old books. Books about stuff she couldn't care less about. And I plan on leaving them laying around half read throughout the house.
 There's some beauties in there... .25 cents each! The bottom three on the left were a box set for .50 cents!
You should've seen her cringe when I asked her to hold some of them while I dug for more....

and then there's the cards! Oh yeah! Again, out of a .25 cent box. How come I can't find a card shop with a .25 cent box, or even a card show with one, but I can find one at a yard sale in rural Alberta?
That's Big Andruw, an unopened pack of 5x7 cards from an Esso gas station, a Pavel Bure Young Gun rookie card with a Pat Fallon Team Canada rookie card in one of theose double holder thingies.... and not one, but two Eric Lindros rookie cards in screw down holders.
I used to sell those for $40.... now I'm buying them for .25.... with a $2 screw down holder included.

The look on her face when I held those up and shouted to her from 30 feet away, "Honey! Look!"

I added a rusty old metal Coca Cola sign and a lantern from the wagon train days for $5 so I could put them in the garage where she parks. She sees them just sitting there every day, twice a day now.

And I no longer am asked to go to yard sales with her.

I need to write a book or something....

Monday, June 20, 2011

Does this make me one of "them"???

I caved. I relented. I gave in. I conceded. For the first time in just over 19 years, I fell off the wagon. There were no 12 steps to save me. My dealer merely smiled and took my money.

I bought....... a Beckett.
For the first time since spring of 1992, I bought a beckett price guide. Even typing the words price guide gives me the shivers.
Did you know these things are now $10??? And that's only because my dealer wants everyone to be hooked so he doesn't charge the $15 cover price?!!
Not only that, but they are now 3/4 " thick! I should be able to read for hours! But no. Out of 168 pages, 14 pages of advertisements, 8 pages of stories, and 144 pages of price guide. All in glorious black and white, blurry newsprint.
Does this mean that everytime someone offers me a trade that I'll go sprinting over to check to see if I'm giving up a $40 card and only getting $38 in cards back? No.
I needed a handy printed checklist to look up cards because there are waaaay too many sets out there that I don't know about. After perusing this...... it may or may not work. Too soon to tell.

So out of this, I have two questions.... #1 Does this make me one of them? You know the guy I'm talking about...... I don't think so, but we're entering perilous waters here....
and question #2.... How do I tell my wife? Confused? Here's part two to my story....

Because I always need a good laugh, I started to look up some of my cards in the .... "price guide" section. I'm sitting there, chuckling away, when my wife happens along. She asks what I'm doing, and then offers to help. Now she rarely helps with anything card related except opening packs.... so I accept her offer.

Spending time with her, check. Still playing with sportscards, check. Good times, check.

I soon realized that it was a huge mistake. As I continued to pull out cards, she kept looking up their "worth". I was in big trouble.
After an hour, my wife had figured out just by using this small sample size, then multiplying by what I had upstairs, that we were millionaires. She couldn't understand why I wasn't as excited as she was.... there was no bursting her bubble. Deep into her beautiful brown eyes were dollar signs.... lots of them.
The next day I came home and there were vacation brochures on the counter. Belize, Bora Bora, and Montenegro.

I don't even know where Montenegro is.....

Then she comes home with a new car.

After reviving me, she explained it was just a test drive, and would I like to take it for a spin?

So I ask you, how the hell do I explain to her reality. And that this price guide is the furthest thing from it???
Why do they even print a price guide that haas no prices even close to true value???

Monday, June 13, 2011

Hockey players are tougher than baseball players......

this is too true.......

Top 10 Hockey Tough Guys and Their Baseball Counterparts

hockey player ian laperriere slapshot to mouth10: Ian Laperriere, Philadelphia Flyers:

During the first period of a game versus the Buffalo Sabres, Laperriere stopped a wicked slap shot with his mouth and lost seven teeth in the process. An injury this gruesome should require at least a few weeks eating through a straw and drooling all over yourself. Not for a hockey player. Laperriere sat out the second period while he received 100 stitches. He then returned to the ice for the third period and didn’t miss a game all season.
This led to what may be one of the greatest headlines in Philadelphia sports history: “Puck Out Indefinitely After Taking a Laperriere to the Face”

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

In 2004 Sammy Sosa spent 15 days on the disabled list with back spasms caused by sneezing too hard.

9: Martin St Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning:hockey player martin st louis losing teeth

During game one of the 2011 Eastern Conference playoffs vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, the diminutive Lightning winger got two teeth knocked out by a high stick. Of course, he finished the game and underwent a double root canal the next day.
In the next series against the Washington Capitals, he took two more shots to the mouth and the team's dentists had to cement three of his teeth back in. After each game he’d spend 40 minutes in the trainer’s room draining the pus and trying to re-stabilize his teeth so he could continue in the series.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Outfielder Kevin Mitchell and donuts were close friends. One night, in a fit of desperate craving, Mitchell microwaved a frozen donut just a little too long. The donut hardened and as he chomped down he broke his tooth. The broken tooth led to a root canal and a trip to the disabled list for two weeks of rest, relaxation and properly defrosted donuts.

hockey player eddie shore boston bruins8: Eddie Shore, Boston Bruins

Back in 1925 during practice (when practice wasn’t inspired by Allen Iverson) Shore’s ear was nearly ripped off during a confrontation with teammate Billy Coutu. Shore visited several doctors who all told him that the ear would have to be amputated. After an exhaustive search, Shore found one doctor who was willing to try sewing it back on. And near as I can tell from a Google image search, the ear stayed put.
Shore, the original tough guy hockey player, refused anesthetics, used a mirror to watch the good doctor work his magic and then played in the next game.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Spending a lot of time in the sun while wearing a baseball hat can lead to an awkward tan line. You know, the one where your chin, nose and cheeks are a perfect golden brown but your forehead stays as white as your bottom. This must have really annoyed Marty Cordova because the former Baltimore Orioles outfielder was known to spend a lot of his down-time in a tanning bed. During one visit, the 1995 Rookie of the Year got a little too relaxed, fell asleep and the resulting tanning bed burns forced him to miss a few games.

7: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightninghockey player steven stamkos puck to face

During game seven of the 2011 Eastern Conference finals, the 21-year-old Stamkos took a slapshot to the face that badly broke his nose and left a lot of blood on the ice. But this was game seven. A winner-take-all for a trip to the Stanley Cup finals and Stamkos wasn’t about to spend the rest of the game in the locker room.
Like Humpty Dumpty before him, the Lightning training staff worked feverishly to put the young center back together again. Stamkos returned to the ice only five minutes later with a nose packed with cotton, some temporary stitches and a full face cage.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Diamondbacks pitcher Brian Anderson ended up losing the feeling in his pitching arm after a 20-minute cab ride to shop on Rodeo Drive.  Anderson blamed the numbness in his elbow from laying his pitching arm across the top of the backseat. Quite possibly the first time a professional athlete was injured by the backseat of a cab.

hockey player jeremy roenick fixing broken jaw6: Jeremy Roenick, Phoenix Coyotes:

Roenick was once one of the scrappiest players in the NHL and he had his share of enemies around the league. One of those enemies was 6’5” 240 lbs Dallas Stars defenseman Darian Hatcher. Hatcher lined up Roenick behind the net one game and gave the winger a crushing elbow to the face and head that broke his jaw in multiple places.  Hatcher was immediately ejected. Roenick paused, skated to the bench, spit out some blood and stuck his fingers into his mouth to adjust the shattered remnants of his jaw. He took his next shift.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

During a post-game interview, Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan tore the meniscus in his left knee while smashing a shaving cream pie into the face of teammate Wes Helms. Coghlan missed six weeks after surgery.

5: Paul Kariya, Anaheim Mighty Duckshockey player paul kariya knocked out by scott stevens

During game six of the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Stevens lined up Kariya in the open ice and leveled the Ducks captain and star player. Kariya was knocked out cold and lay motionless on the ice. After several seconds Kariya regained consciousness and teammates helped him off the ice and into the locker room.
It was assumed that Kariya would be out for the remainder of the series, but just 11 minutes later Kariya skated back out onto the ice. Not only did he return to play, he also scored a goal to lead the Ducks to victory and force a game seven.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Braves outfielder Terry Harper separated his shoulder while waving a teammate home and subsequently high-fiving him. There is no excuse for this, unless the teammate rounding third was Brock Lesnar.

hockey player mario lemieux cancer survivor4: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins

While on pace to break Wayne Gretzky’s single season scoring record, the Penguins superstar announced that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and would have to undergo radiation treatment for at least two months.  Lemieux’s life and career were both threatened.
On the last day of his radiation treatment, Lemieux left a Pittsburgh hospital headed for the airport and flew directly to Philadelphia for a game THAT NIGHT. In his first game back he scored a goal and an assist and even got a standing ovation from the Philadelphia fans; fans who are best known for their accuracy throwing batteries at the opposition, not giving applause.
Despite missing two months of action, Lemieux captured the scoring title with 160 points on the year. To put that in perspective, Daniel Sedin led the league in 2011 with 106 points.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Cincinnati Reds Pitcher Steve Foster injured his shoulder knocking over milk bottles during a segment with Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show”.

3: Bobby Baun, Toronto Maple Leafshockey player bobby baun toronto maple leafs

In the 1964 Stanley Cup finals against the Detroit Red Wings, the Maple Leafs blue liner blocked a Gordie Howe shot with his ankle and fell to the ice in pain. Baun had to be carried off the ice with a stretcher and suspected the ankle was broken. In true hockey player style, Baun refused x-rays and instead opted for a "tight tape job". The game went into overtime and it was Baun who scored the game-winner forcing a game seven.
Still refusing to have the ankle x-rayed for fear the team wouldn’t allow him to play, Baun popped some painkillers and headed to the ice for game seven. He didn’t miss a shift and the Leafs cruised to a 4-0 victory. Afterward Baun finally had that x-ray which revealed a badly broken ankle.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Milwaukee Brewers knuckleballer Steve Sparks attended a motivational speaking seminar where the host ripped phone books in half! The session worked, Sparks was so fired up he tried to do the stunt himself…and dislocated his shoulder.

hockey player maurice rocket richard2: Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Montreal Canadiens

In game seven of the Stanley Cup semifinals between the Canadiens and the Boston Bruins, Richard was upended and landed on the ice head-first. These were the days before helmets, and Richard lay motionless surrounded by a growing pool of blood.  After regaining consciousness he was helped off the ice by teammates and into the locker room.
To the surprise of everyone in the arena, Richard came back to the bench in the third period with a bandage on his forehead and a jersey still soaked in his own blood. He bounded onto the ice, blood still tricking down his face, and took the puck coast-to-coast through the entire Bruins team to score the winning goal. Many still refer to it as “the greatest goal in the history of the game”.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Enigmatic Giants third baseman Chris Brown once asked out of the lineup because of a strained eyelid that made it difficult to blink. When asked the cause of his injury, he informed the skipper that “he slept on it wrong.”

1: Clint Malarchuk, Buffalo Sabreshockey player clint malarchuk bleeding from throat

One of the most gruesome injuries ever sustained in professional sports was back in 1989 when Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk was struck in the throat by another skate. The skate blade sliced open his interior carotid artery and a scene from a Horror movie played out before the fans eyes. Malarchuk rose on his own power and skated toward the nearest door off the ice.
It's odd to say that Malarchuk had luck on his side, but he did. The closest door led to the on-site emergency room where the medical staff was able to stabilize the bleeding enough for transport to a local hospital. Three hundred stitches later the wound was closed and Malarchuk was saved.
What makes this the ultimate Hockey player story? A mere four days later Malarchuk was back on the ice for practice, and a week after that he started in goal against the Quebec Nordiques.

Meanwhile, in Baseball ...

Just before the 2006 American League Championship Series, Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Joel Zumaya strained his arm and was unavailable for most of the series. How did he get hurt? Playing too much Guitar Hero.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Night Time is the Right Time

A little while ago the infamous Night Owl put up some cards on his blog from teh 2009 OPC baseball set. I love this set and have been trying to complete it for sometime now. I casually inquired (read: BEGGED) for any help with completion that he may be able to offer.

Well wouldn't you know, N.O. had the last card I needed to complete the set.
 Awesome. Owl also sent over one of the inserts I need as well. (I'm trying to complete all the insert sets also)
 32 Yankees in the picture but somehow it's Jeter that is saluting the crowd. This just in... there are other Yankees on the ballclub... and more talented ones too.....  over rated has been...

Of course Owl felt guilty sending over a Phillie and a Yankee. Who wouldn't??? So he softened the blow by including a bunch of Braves and a few random hockey cards. (I'm Canadian, you know, eh?)

Mr Murphy from that new fangled Gypsy set all the kids are talking about....
 and his friend JHey.
 Tommy Hanson about to unleash a fastball that is so fast it will strike you out. Last week. Before you even came to town.
 An old Chipper!!! You know this sucker is gettting peeled.
 A shiny of the best catcher in baseball. Odd how finally the sports "journalists" are now calling him that. I've been doing it for years.
 And a gold Frenchie! I miss Jeff. I'm glad he's playing really well for the Chiefs. I mean Royals.
 I now have the black, blue, and gold Frenchie's from that set. I only need the orange.

Among the random hockey cards was one of one of my all-time favourite players. Lyle Odelein.
I had the privilege of meeting Lyle a number of years ago. And it was a privilege. Lyle is one of those golly gee shucks kind of guys who is humbled and honoured that someone would even recognize him, let alone be a fan. Thanks for the beers Lyle.

And thanks to Night Owl for all of the cards, including those that I was waaay too lazy to scan. A return package is on the way to you.

Monday, June 6, 2011

My easiest trade ever.

I don't do a lot of trading with other bloggers much anymore. It takes a lot of time, which I always seem to have none of. I prefer the old way. I get a stack of cards of a certain team, then fire them off to someone as a surprise. It's fun, and does not take any time at all.
However, most of the kids trade nowadays, so time to get with it.

I was perusing my blogroll the other day when I found a post from Bo of Baseball Cards Come To Life fame.
Bo had issued a plea, NAY!, a cry for help. He was missing one card for his 1991 Fleer set. Ryne Sandberg. Well looking through my box, I found 8 or so and decided I could spare one. I put out an email to Bo saying I would send him one.
He told me to look through his tradelist for something I wanted. This made me a wee uncomfortable as asking for something in return for '91 Fleer is bad mojo. I said I would send him the Sandberg gratis, however if he really wanted to send me something, there was a card I liked.

Of course Bo sent it.
1983 Topps #411. One card closer to my Braves team set. Awesome.

Thanks Bo!!!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

I need '89 Topps! and other things.....

Yes... the phrase you never thought you'd ever hear from a card blogger... I need '89 Topps baseball. And some other years as well.
So if you have this card....
 or any of his friends that I need.... please dig through your closets, under your bed, the bottom of the recycle bin, and save them for me.
I finally got off my butt and finished my Topps Braves want list. Well, from 1952 through 1991 anyways.... '92 until now is going to be a bitch.
So if you have Topps baseball cards from 1952 to 1991, and wish to help, please go HERE to checkout my wantlist.
I thank you.


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Week Five Winner

(click to enlarge)

We’ve chosen our Contest Winner of the week! This photo was taken after interviewing Jason Aldean at Country Jam 2012. Check back for your next chance to make us laugh! Congratulations to Sammie Dekan who won a $20 Gift Card to Pizza Ranch and 2 tickets to the Micon Cinemas, as well as 50,000 Rewards Points!

Here’s her winning caption:

Alex: “My milkshakes bring all the stars to Eau Claire”
Cora: “OMG I’m in LOVE, and he touched my leg!”
Terry: “All I got was this braid…”

Honorable Mentions:

Alex: “Nothing special about him”
Cora: “That was AWESOME!!”
Terry: “I’m excited on the inside”

From: Brenda Parker

Alex: I swear it looked this big!
Cora: I think it looked little!
Answer to Jason’s question: Do these tight jeans make my butt look big?

From: Keri Bradford

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From the edge of the swamp

Location: marengo, il, United States

Saturday, November 28, 2009

the quest for fire

this year we kept our thanksgiving celebration small, keeping life simple. the wife ordered a pre-cooked turkey from a local supermarket, along with an ample amount of sweet potatoes, an order of stuffing and a tub of gravy.

she made cranberry sauce herself, at my insistence. thanksgiving cannot be right without the homemade sauce.

she and our son and i then chowed down together, and afterward, us adults napped during the afternoon, according to custom.

the next day we had friends stop by to enjoy left-overs, as well as each others company.

lenora and her three children, arielle, josiah and hanna arrived, along with the wife's younger brother, doug. we all had a good time and swapped some great family stories.

now i have a good friend who lives way down south of the equator in tasmania, australia. i've known paul for years, and we talk a lot on our computers.

since he and i share an affinity for hot, spicy foods, he is always recommending new things for me to try, and i return the favor.

over the years, we have both sent each other packages through the mail of exotic food products. i once shipped him some chewy american candies that he had never heard of, which featured a bubblegum center (mostly for his three boys to try -- they were close to my son's ages at the time); he in turn mailed me a package filled with different kinds of tim tams for my family to sample.

i had never heard of tim tams before. i soon learned that they were an australian chocolate-covered cake-like roll which tasted pleasing to my tongue. he also sent me a jar of vegemite, a dark-brown smelly sandwich spread that i found to be inedible by most civilized people, including myself.

(i threatened to send him a jar of peanut butter in retaliation, but i decided that might spoil our friendship.)

about a week ago, while on-line with paul, i described a quick meal i threw together on occasion that he should try. here is the recipe.

first, lightly brown a couple of handfuls of broken tortilla chips in a skillet over medium heat, using a small amount of canola oil. then add at least 3 scrambled eggs to the mix, stirring together. after loading the cooked meal on a plate, cover with a goodly amount of pace picante sauce.

he asked me what kind of sauce that was. i replied that it was the best-tasting, hottest salsa on the market, and was made and bottled in paris, texas.

paul replied, "way to go!", voicing approval.

a few minutes later, he asked if i had ever tried habanero sauce.

I had heard of habanero peppers before. another australian acquaintance who drove a truck for a living (hauling what he claimed were the meanest cows in the world across some of the most desolate roads on earth) spoke highly of the hot peppers and recommended them to anyone brave enough to eat one.

but i had never tasted them or the sauce, so i said no.

paul quickly sent me a website where the product was sold. i showed the site to my wife which included a picture of a jar of the sauce. she said she had seen it in stores here, so i asked her get me some, which she did.

so as our holiday guests arrived here last night, i could barely hold still.

as soon as josiah walked into the room, i invited him to try some of my new habenero sauce. i pointed to the container that sat on the kitchen table, along side other common snacks.

(i sampled the red sauce earlier, and was anxious to see if josiah, who also loves hot and spicy things, could survive the heat.)

he willingly dipped a single tortilla chip into the jar and took a small bite. the rest of us stood by, watching and waiting and on high alert.

it tastes different, he said, after a moment. he looked pleased as he kept chewing.

his sister arielle took pictures on her cell phone, capturing the action.

then suddenly josiah's eyes widened. we all leaned forward with intense interest.

with sudden gusto, the lad let out a loud and entertaining howl.

that shortly became the end of the experiment with the lively habanero sauce, after josiah cooled down, and then our company went to munching on more-familiar snacks for the rest of the evening.

but now i must find another use for this product.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

thanksgiving, west texas-style

on this day, in 1956, my buddy and i got arrested by the police, ruining the day for everyone around us. here is what happened.

my best friend's mom and my mom had gotten together early that morning in the kitchen at my house to begin cooking up the traditional holiday meal for both of our families. in less than an hour, my pal and i found ourselves both banished from the room.

"you two are in the way of the cooks. shoo! get out of here!"

two houses away laid a railroad track spur. on it sat an empty rail car with its side doors opened wide. he and i hopped aboard the car, sat down in the doorway, and with our pair of legs dangling, sat there trying unsuccessfully to light and smoke a single cigarette which kenneth had pilfered from his mother's purse. we soon gave that up as too difficult and no fun, so we looked for something better to try.

eastward from where we were arose a huge landmark for our town, famous throughout the panhandle of texas: plainview's own harvest queen grain elevator -- the largest collection of silos in the region, so it was said.

on its many rounded sides hung tall and tempting iron ladders, stretching to the sky. kenneth and i agreed it would be fun to climb the edifice, so we took off, heading in that direction.

twenty minutes later, we circled the building, looking for easy access, but none of the ladders were even close to the ground. we failed before getting started.

disappointed but undaunted, we then noticed the city water tower which stood nearby. one-third the height of the harvest queen, it seemed puny by comparison, but it did look like a target we could manage.

the only barrier was a surrounding chain-link fence, which he and i scaled effortlessly. a short run after that and we were climbing at last. i went up first while my pal followed.

the day was sunny and mild when we started.

about half-way up the tower, i noticed the wind began to blow steadily, so i hung on to each rung for dear life, but kept on going. but by the time we reached the top (rather, a narrow walkway which encircled the tower), the temperature had dropped dramatically. we then stood there while clinging to the guardrail, both shivering while gazing down on the town.

shortly, kenneth pointed to a speck on the ground directly below us.

"see that man down there? look how he is waving at us."

so we both waved back at him. what a friendly guy.

but he kept flailing his arms nonstop, which suddenly began to worry us.

"what's he want? he looks upset about something, the way he's acting. i think he wants us to climb down right now."

so we began the slow and foreboding descent.

at the bottom, the excited waving man, who immediately identified himself as an official from the city water department, angrily hauled us both off in his sedan to deposit we young criminals at the downtown police station.

so there we sat and sweated on a wooden bench for several hours, not talking to each other but staring at the floor and expecting the worst.

the hours crept by until our parents showed up, all wearing dreadful looks on their faces. then after a descriptive explanation of our risky trespassing exploits by the police, we two were relieved to be released into their custody.

but as i remember things, the remainder of that day was not a very thankful one for either kenneth or me.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

men say, no go, bwana. men say, ju-ju

when i recently mentioned tarzan the ape man as one of my heroes, i forgot about another character i much admired called jungle jim (starring johnny weissmuller), along with the actor johnny sheffield, who played the leading role in "bomba the jungle boy".

sheffield also played "boy", tarzan's young son, in some of the later tarzan movies.

what brought this to my mind today was bits of the dialogue i still recall from back then.

one particular word they used in the script was "umgawa". the authentic-sounding "african" word seemed to appear throughout their movies, and as i learned, could mean anything from "get down", "stop!", "go away" or "watch out! the elephants are coming!".

i could understand the meanings with no problem at all.

i also bought into the excitement at the time, and got down low in my theater seat to see what might happen next.

another phrase always occurred after an arduous trek through the thick jungle undergrowth. heavily-ladened african natives followed after their rifle-toting white leaders, while in the background, the beat of native drums played, increasingly growing louder and louder.

suddenly the troupe came upon a human skull, mounted on a stick close to the trail.

the drumming came to a stop.

then the men threw off their burdens and began chattering excitedly among themselves.

a spokesman for the workers then approached the white leader with the memorable line,

"men say no go, bwana. men say ju-ju."

that meant danger ahead, i assumed, and a problem for the remainder of the plot.

of course, the white man never ever listened to reason.

sort of reminds me of me.

Friday, November 20, 2009

hoppy and the electric knife

i had lots of movie heroes to admire, as a child who lived in southern georgia during the 1940s. our parents were not poor people, but thrifty folk, so as a result there were few toys to be had in our house, or other worldly pleasures.

but one in particular was the movie theater in the close-by town of claxton. the price of admission was a nickle, and we kids went there often.

on saturdays, the tos theater would feature movies starring roy rogers and dale evans, or gene autry, lash la rue, buck rogers or tarzan the ape man, and then one of my favorites of all times, the cowboy, hopalong cassidy.

the man wore a black outfit, including his hat. in most westerns at the time, only bad guys wore all black.

but he rode a white horse named topper, and was an absolute good guy, taming the wild west with great skill. i loved this guy.

one weekend, i got to travel to savannah where i attended a matinee for a huge crowd of children. hopalong cassidy himself made a personal appearance that day, and i was forever hooked on the man after that. why couldn't all adults be like him?

somehow, somewhere, at some point in my childhood, i came into possession of my first pocket knife. it was a real treat at the time, being one of the few store-bought toys i had ever owned.

emblazoned on one side of the black, plastic handles was a depiction of hoppy himself, riding high atop his famous steed. the wondrous cowboy swung a lariat in one hand while topper reared up on his hind legs.

i could not wait for the moment to use that knife in some heroic way.

in a barn next to our house, a black rope hung from the rafters. it was a little too long to be of good use. over a foot of it lay on the cement flooring, dragging the ground, simply going to waste.

i liked to swing on the stiff rope at times, pretending to be tarzan himself, but the excess which scraped the floor beneath my feet bothered me. it seemed to be perfectly ripe as the first target of my brand-new weapon.

always a barefoot child, i opened the shiny blade and began sawing away at the black, hardened rope, hurriedly wanting to be done with the task.

as i remember what happened next, some stranger, some outlaw, perhaps, sneaked up behind me while i cut deep into the rope. i never saw him coming.

but i felt him hit me hard on the back of the neck, knocking me half-way across the room.

stunned and scared to death, i scrambled to my feet and fled the barn. i never found the knife, nor saw it ever again.

months later, i came across a lamp in our house which had its bulb removed. curious, i stuck my finger down into the empty socket.

oddly, that same strange man hit me in the back of the neck again, and at that moment i made the connection: electricity and i had been formally introduced to each other, and we two have been foes ever since that day.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

a fear of eight legs

most american spiders are harmless creatures.

we (as compared to our brothers and sisters down in australia, for example) only have two that we have to contend with, which are considered only slightly dangerous by the experts; the black widow spider and our small brown recluse.

both are said to be non-life threatening.

oh, and then there is the tarantula, a scary-looking hairy thing that still gives me the creeps, even as an adult.

they (hollywood, california) made horror movies about a particular one during the 1950s, which involved atomic radiation gone wild, and the resulting gigantic spider, who terrorized the state of new mexico, killed and devoured lots of cattle, plus a few people along the way.

that monstrous beast scared the heebie-jeebies out of me when i was young. i recall being afraid to walk home from the theater after dark that night.

but man, i loved it a lot, only craving for more of the same.

once, a few years ago, a visiting friend of mine and her daughter (who came to us all the way from adelaide, in the state of south australia) stopped by and stayed with my family and me for several days. we had a blast, mostly. we stayed up all night and talked and talked, and slept very little. she even brought me some vegemite to sample, and i tried it but gagged. and naturally, we offered her some of our peanut butter, which she hated as well.

now at the time, we lived in an old farm house that had an ancient basement below. i invited my friend down the steps to view the old logs which had been used as floor joists; they still had the bark on them, and were very unusual, and i thought, most remarkable for this day and age. i always showed it off to visitors.

but half-way down the stairs she spotted a lone spider web, and immediately reversed her course, squealing loudly with fright.

what was her deal, i wondered?

now how was i to know that she grew up around dangerous red back spiders and funnel web spiders, which kill many people down-under? all i knew about at the time were kangaroos and the funny-looking duck-billed platypus, and of course, that ever-huggable koala bear.

nice place, australia. i would still like to go there myself someday.

but she has never let me forget about that event, even now, and has just recently gone on to marry an american fellow by the name of patrick. and then she moved into his home out in the midwest prairie, in the state of iowa.

her new husband has his own basement that he must be proud of, and i now hear that she refuses to ever set foot down those frightful steps.

surely there are giant spiders living there. we all know that.

Monday, November 16, 2009

the death of aunt bessie

my aunt bessie, who was 95 years old, passed away last week.

she lived nearby where i grew up as a kid, far out in the country near the small community of daisy, georgia. my younger sister alma recently drove all the way from east texas to attend the funeral.

i just discovered a few years back that neither bessie nor my uncle charlie (deceased) were ever our true kin. they merely lived close to us, and had the same last name as ours. it turns out, as i learned, that it was custom back then for children to address their elders as aunt and uncle, as a sign of respect.

however, our families were close.

aunt bessie kept my two sisters and me many a night when our parent went out on the town. bessie had 3 children of her own, who we though of as our cousins, so we always had a good time there.

one girl, wilma, was my age, and was a dead ringer for barbara eden who played the female genie in the tv show, "i dream of jeannie". she had the same exotic eyes, a pouty mouth, long blonde hair; i was hooked and fell fast in love.

but she was my cousin, i rationalized, so i held my feelings in check.

years later, after finding out the true situation, i much regretted being so honorable.

her brother, gary, was a few years older and much taller than me. he wore thick-lens glasses, and looked thoughtful and intelligent.

once he showed me a fresh scar on his head. a doctor had stitched it up, telling gary he only had a few cents left, and so gary asked me to spot them for him. i never got the joke till years later.

the eldest child, charlene, was much older that most of us, and always looked regal, as i recall. she once moved in with my parents after we relocated to west texas. her goal then was to become a model, and a local photographer did his best to make it happen, even though it never did.

aunt bessie and uncle charlie were a farming family. they seemed to be better off financially that most of our dirt-poor neighbors. charlie grew cotton, corn, sugar cane and tobacco. he kept cows, pigs and aunt bessie kept a flock of chickens. they had a well in the back yard that we as kids would drop stones down just to hear them splash.

once, a bunch of us decided to ride uncle charlie's pigs for sport. it was very exciting hearing those pigs squeal, but much too scary when uncle charlie showed up and began yelling at everybody. we scattered like flies.

a big event happened one summer when a stick of curing tobacco leaves that had been hung high up in his tobacco barn slipped and fell during the night, and the long stick punctured a hole in one of the heating tubes near the ground. the ensuing fire consumed the entire barn along with its contents, and gave people for miles around news to talk about for weeks.

one sultry afternoon, i trekked barefooted down one of the dirt roads near our house to investigate some of my neighbors. along the way i came upon a familiar sight in the road, yet strange, somehow. i stopped and studied it for a few moments.

it was not unusual to find a dead snake stretched out on some part of a roadway in rural georgia, nor was it odd to plainly see tire tracks from a car that had swerved to intentionally run over the serpent. but the things that got my attention were these:

the snake's eyes were shut tight. it's tongue hung limply from the mouth, almost touching the dirt. but the most puzzling thing was how the snake laid there on the road, chopped-up looking. it appeared the reptile had been neatly hacked into several pieces by a meat cleaver or some sharp object. i knew the thing was dead, and never bothered to poke it with a stick, as i normally might have.

i then continued on with my ambling journey, shortly arriving at an old negro lady's house, whom i knew quite well. she sat in the shade of her front porch, and waved when she saw me coming. i stopped and excitedly told her of my fresh experience with that unusual snake. then she wisley nodded and said that it was called a "giant snake". i had never heard of one before, but i believed the woman with all my heart. respecting adults was a way of life in those days.

farther down the road i came to my aunt and uncle's farmhouse. aunt bessie was shelling a bowl full of black-eyed peas while sitting on the porch swing. i climbed up beside her and repeated the incident with all it's detail, including the old woman's comment.

she showed her delight with my story by listening closely, and then she laughed softly.

"honey, she was saying "joint snake".

much later in my life, i discovered a real creature called a legless lizard, or common glass snake.

aunt bessie made the tastiest grits i ever ate, and i will miss both her friendly ways and her southern cooking.

the mouse that roared at me

i heard a mouse last night. it woke me up from a sound sleep, chewing loudly on something near by. darn it, they are back, i thought. the little gnarly whippersnappers.

i laid in bed for a while, groggily hoping the critter would go away. but it kept right on chewing and jarring my senses.

i finally woke up and took action.

first, i used my hand and banged on the back of a metal chair, which stood next to my bed. the noise it produced was dull and ineffective. so i banged on it harder, this time using a near-by flashlight. it sounded more or less the same: the mouse kept crunching away.

then i cleared my throat loudly. nothing changed. after that, as he showed no fright, i pounded on the floor several times with my fist.

crazy mouse - he kept right on chewing noisily on something that must have been too good to pass up. i pictured the little rodent as having crossed eyes and smiling wanly.

finally, from my bed i hissed loudly at the room, pretending that i was a cat.

my frustration worked wonders; the room instantly grew silent, and eventually i fell back to sleep.

how easy was that, mouse-trap people?


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Golf Invitational

2017 Golf Invitational

Wyoming Congressional Award 25th Invitational Golf Tournament

August 7- 9, 2017

The Wyoming Congressional Award Council is proud to announce the 25th Annual Wyoming Congressional Award Invitational! The golf tournament will be held in Jackson Hole from August 7 - 9, 2017.

The Wyoming Congressional Award Invitational combines business with pleasure while supporting the ideals of the Congressional Award program. The tournament is instrumental in promoting the values of service and personal challenge and to recognize Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award medalists and their initiative, achievement and service in their communities.

Because of the high demand for the tournament, space will be designated based on first come, first serve by payment. No spaces will be held without payment.  For your convenience, you may soon register and pay online.  Please review the sponsorship levels carefully prior to payment.

Guests receive the same benefits as golfers with alternative activities during the day. This year’s guests activities will include horseback riding in Teton Village and white water rafting down the Snake River. Other guests are welcome to share in these unique experiences for an additional charge.

Jackson Hole Resort Lodging will honor a 10% discount on all lodging made through them using group code #252 with direct reservations at 307-732-3655. In order to receive the discount, a reservation with a 3 night minimum must be made. You can review properties at

August 7-9, 2017

25thAnnual Wyoming Congressional Award Golf Tournament

Teton Pines Resort & Country Club

JacksonHole, WY

Sponsorship Opportunities Available:

Gold Corporate Sponsorship

$20,000, 8 golfers/6 guests

Silver Corporate Sponsorship

$15,000, 6 golfers/ 4 guests

Bronze Corporate Sponsorship

$10,000, 4 golfers/ 2 guests

Gold Booster

$5,000, 2 golfers/ 2 guests

Silver Booster

$2,500, 1 golfer/ 1 guest

Bronze Booster (WY Residents Only)

$1,500, 1 golfer/ 1 guest

Friend of the Congressional Award

$500, 1 ticket for Reception & BBQ

*****Please RSVP Today !!!!*****

Please contact Danielle Davis Enzi at or via phone

(307) 421-3429 to discuss sponsorship details or to RSVP

For additional information, please contact:
 Trista Ostrom @ 307-514-2004 or
Danielle Enzi @ 307-421-3429 or


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NPR In The News: The Neal Conan Highlights Edition

Jun 27, 2013
Originally published on June 27, 2013 11:03 am

We're celebrating this week Talk of the Nation's 21 years of news, conversations and stories, as well as those who brought the show to air each weekday afternoon. Others are saluting the program right alongside us. Highlights magazine wanted to do something special as well.

The kids' magazine turned this Dave Klug illustration of Talk of the Nation Host Neal Conan into a "Check... and Double Check" game (one Neal admittedly always struggles to complete).

Can you spot all the differences?

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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SUNY Plattsburgh

U.S. News & World Report logo

Campus Notches Strong Placements in Range of National Rankings

SUNY Plattsburgh has once again been named one of "America’s Best Colleges — Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report. READ MORE

Upcoming Events

May 23, 2017

News and Press Releases

Alternative Spring Break Allows Students to Give Back

12:11pm EST, 6 Mar 2014

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (March 6, 2014) — This year’s Alternative Spring Break will take students to communities as far away as Greensboro, Ga.

The yearly program offers a chance for students to engage in service opportunities with communities in need. As students embark on this volunteer experience they will learn to work with others, appreciate diversity and develop vital leadership skills according to Cori Jackson, director of the Student Center for Involvement.

Alternative Spring Break is a sought-out experience for students. “It opened my eyes to diversity and makes you appreciate what you have,” said student Kelsey Darby, who will be participating in her third annual trip this year. “It is definitely a life-changing experience.”

In addition to Greensboro, students will volunteer at sites in Bridgeport, Conn., Mount Rogers, Va., Bridgeton, N.J., Georgetown, S.C. and Pursglove, W.Va.

“It is an impactful experience for students because it begins a lifelong continuation of volunteer and community service,” Jackson said.

Students depart for their destinations Saturday, March 15. In order to make the program possible, students raise money by selling candy on campus and creating final exam care packages.

For more information contact the Center of Student Involvement 518-564-4830.

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If you would like more information on any of the following news releases, please contact:

Gerianne Wright, Assistant Director of Communications
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Phone: (518) 564-2090
E-mail: news@plattsburgh.edu


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Donna Summer, whom millions of fans revered as "the Queen of Disco," has died at the age of 63 in Florida after a battle with cancer, the Associated Press confirmed with the singer's family Thursday morning.
2011The news comes as a surprise to those who were not aware that she was ill. The legendary superstar was publicly active as recently as last June, when she appeared as a guest panelist on Bravo's music reality show Platinum Hit.

Eva Longoria Biography and Pictures Gallery 2012

Eva Jacqueline Longoria (born March 15, 1975) is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. Longoria received a nomination for the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance on Desperate Housewives.
Longoria first rose to fame on television for portraying Isabella Braña on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2001 to 2003. She became nationally recognized in the 2000s after appearing in several high-profile advertising campaigns and numerous men's magazines, reaching #14 in the FHM "Sexiest Women 2008" poll, and having appeared on the cover of various international women's magazines including Vogue, Marie Claire and Harper's Bazaar.Longoria has also starred in films such as Harsh Times (2005), The Sentinel (2006) and Over Her Dead Body (2008).

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May 10, 2016

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KWaltPhotography Coming Soon

Kwaltphotography.com was registered on Go Daddy on 06 May 2016. The site is almost absent on social networks. It has

The site is hosted in United States by Unified Layer. The domain for the website was purchased through Go Daddy on 06 May 2016 (1 year ago) and will expire in 18 days.

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Vibrant Blue Seamless Patterns

Today’s web treat is a free combo pack of high resolution seamless Vibrant Blue textures in .jpg format as well as a corresponding Photoshop tileable pattern (.pat) set.

Click thumbnails below to view the fullsize versions and download individually, or download the complete zip below.

Included Images

Included in the zip

  • Full size versions of all the thumbs shown above
  • Photoshop .pat pattern set of all images shown above

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Warm Pink Grunge Tileable Patterns Part 2 Method Wordpress Theme Warm Pink Grunge Tileable Patterns Echelon Wordpress Theme Large Tileable Abstract Nebula Textures Warm Amber Photoshop Patterns Part 2 Construct Wordpress Theme Fractalized Grunge Photoshop Brushes & Texture Pack Dejavu Wordpress Theme Grungy Vintage Dots Patterns 154 Blue Chrome Rain Social Networking Icons Faded Mauve Vintage Photoshop Patterns Part 2 Persuasion Wordpress Theme Myriad Wordpress Theme Fusion Wordpress Theme Baby Pink Pastel Tileable Patterns Soft Pastel Abstract Light Patterns Abstract Grunge Photoshop Brushes & Texture Pack Tileable Midnight Blue Grunge Patterns Social Media Grungy Watercolor Brushes Free Seamless Marbleized Textures Warm Amber Photoshop Patterns Part 5 Elegance Wordpress Theme Seamless Olive Green Patterns

4 comments on “Vibrant Blue Seamless Patterns

  1. Anna says:

    I love the twirly blue background (second from the bottom). I have a necklace with that design. I think it has some spirtual symbolism, although I don’t know what that is.

    05/10/2011 2:58 pm
  2. Sam says:

    Its a blue color, a boy color but have cat and flower designs. Its quite funny and the color blue is too dark..Maybe its more interesting when its a light blue.

    06/17/2011 9:00 pm

    Tweets that mention Vibrant Blue Seamless Patterns | WebTreats ETC -- Topsy.com

    30+ Harika Photoshop Deseni | nactumu - Tasarım ve Teknoloji Blogu

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Friday, January 13, 2012

Great Information!

I ran across this amazing blog post with a ton of great information.  I just wanted to share it with you!

Love That Max: Great sites for therapy ideas for kids with specia...: This guest post is by Heidi Kay, co-founder of PediaStaff, Inc , a staffing company with offices around the country specializing

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Friday, April 9, 2010

{this moment}

Big Boy grabbed my hand today, and looked up at me with the cutest pleading face. And said 'NaNa' and lead me over to the counter where our bananas are.
He also has started to add an accent to Mama, which just makes my heart melt.
{Inspired my this moment on SoulaMama where you capture a moment from the week. But I have to add caption.. }

Leslie said...

that is so sweet...he is adorable

Evelyn Fields said...

So so cute! It is really hard not to add a caption.

racrobin said...

Awww, too adorable!!!

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Rich Copley: Gallery Hopping, Life in the Theatre and a Grand Night for Singing

It’s time for our preview of weekend events with Rich Copley of the Lexington Herald Leader.  Rich tells WEKU’s John Hingsbergen that the weekend begins with one of Lexington’s popular Gallery Hops.

Rich Copley is an arts reporter for the Lexington Herald Leader.  Information on the weekend’s events is available in today’s (Friday) edition.  You can also find out about arts and cultural events by visiting the events calendar on-line, at WEKU dot FM.


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REVIEW: Beach House - "Bloom"

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Beach House
Release Date: May 15th, 2012
Label: Sub Pop Records

Bloom sounds too much like Teen DreamDevotion sounds too much like the self-titled debut record. If you’re one of the countless listeners who has complained about the similarities between Bloom and Teen Dream, I ask that you to take a step back, and look at the bigger picture.  Listen to the advances Beach House has made from 2006 with their self-titled album to their current and perhaps strongest release, Bloom.  I’m much more fascinated in growth over a career rather than jolting sonic changes release after release in order to stay “fresh.”  When a band puts out four albums in six years, easy comparisons between similar-sounding releases will undoubtedly be made.  But if you zoom out and look at their full discography, you’ll begin to see their true development, and an impressive exploration of sound.  It’s within this context of steady development that Bloom becomes the paramount moment for Beach House.

The most obvious advances Beach House has made over their four releases all relate to confidence.  Frontwoman Victoria Legrand has evolved from a shy lo-fi vocalist to an emotional dynamo who can make even the simplest of line deliveries feel like the most important words ever spoken.  Alex Scally has always played infectious guitar riffs, but on Teen Dream and now Bloom, Scally’s focus has shifted to pushing the sound to a crisper, shinier tone – the perfect complement to Legrand’s vocals.  There are two reasons for this growth in confidence.  First, the money spent on production has increased album to album, allowing the band to overcome obstacles that were financially insurmountable on their first two records.  Secondly, Beach House are self-historians, understanding their own ideal sound better than anyone, as well as the sound their audience desires and the sound they ultimately conjure on each record.  It’s obvious that Bloom is the record they’ve tried to make three times previously. Now, with the money and experience in their corner, they achieved their ultimate sound.

While Bloom is nearly a perfect record, it isn’t without a few faults.  My biggest complaint has been present with all of their releases.  Legrand crafts some beautifully intimate and wide-ranging lyrics, and tackles huge themes song to song, from love to abandonment to the simple complications of human connections. And yet none of Beach House’s albums, including Bloom, ever makes a statement through theme that marries the entire record.  The result is an album (while tied tightly together through a consistent emotional response to the dream pop) that feels thematically disjointed and a bit empty.  This is only a problem if you sit down and read the lyrics along with the entire album, a problem that can be easily ignored by many, but when we’re talking about the great albums, a connective literary message that provides a hint of context for each track is necessary in order to be considered among the best of all time.

Another complaint I have with Bloom is the way the album says goodbye three times.  I’m a sucker for closing tracks – a great one can guide the listener out of the record and tie back in some of the themes/sounds presented throughout the audible journey.  The slower paced “On The Sea” is a smaller, more gentle song than the previous eight tracks and immediately signals the end of Bloom.  It’s soft and touching, a perfect closer.  Then the listener is hit with six and a half minutes of “Irene” which, once again, is a nice Beach House tune, but perhaps unnecessary after the subtle charm of “On The Sea.”  On top of this, a hidden track pops up thirteen minutes and twenty seconds into “Irene.”  The song acts like Salvador Dali’s melting of the standard Beach House sound.  It’s slow, a bit off, and distorted like a record spinning incorrectly on a broken turntable.  Like “Irene,” this hidden track is nice, and it fits into the world of Beach House surprisingly well, maybe even acting as a goodbye to the sound they’ve been working on since 2006.  But as the third “goodbye” on Bloom, it comes across as exhausting rather than charming.

These faults aside, Bloom is Beach House at their best.  Songs like “Myth,” “Wild,” “Lazuli,” “The Hours,” “New Year,” and “On The Sea” are leaps and bounds stronger than anything Beach House has released over their four-album career.  Yes, they feel like extensions of songs from Teen Dream, but why is that automatically a problem and not something to be applauded?  Teen Dream is about as close to a universally loved record as we’ve had in recent memory – Beach House took that sound and presented it even more effectively on Bloom.  They’ve arrived, with three previous releases acting as an artistic road map for the journey they’ve taken to find, hone, and perfect the sound they always wanted to achieve.

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Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Supporting Women's Natural Pushing Instincts

Canadian First Nations Birth Sculpture

Just a brief post this week to link to a spot-on wonderful article from Midwife Thinking on supporting women's natural pushing instincts. It goes very well with my series on birth positions.

I know that birth professionals truly mean well, but directed pushing and inflexible positioning can harm women and babies. It's time for these practices to stop.

That's not to say that coaching or help is never needed during pushing, but too often it is given when it is not needed and is harmful far too often. I know I personally experienced directed pushing or inflexibility towards positioning in several of my births, and I know many other women who have too. It's still all too common in many places. In fact, it's rare NOT to see directed pushing in hospitals, and many doctors finish their residencies have seen only reclining or semi-reclining positions.

Some outdated practices during pushing even actively harm women and babies, yet are still used at times. A friend of mine experienced damage from these outdated techniques only a year or two ago. This must change!

Read the excellent article from Midwife Thinking on supporting natural pushing instincts here

Monday, January 4, 2016

The Importance of Chores

Every so often I go on a parenting rant. Today is one of those days. I need to rant about the importance of chores.

I think assigning kids chores is a vitally important part of parenting. Yet I know too many parents who don't give their kids chores (or who give only minimal chores).

This past summer we had two extra kids at our house for a couple of months as a favor for someone whose housing had fallen through between jobs. These are great kids and we care about them, so for the most part we didn't mind having them over, but there was one piece of major friction. They had very little experience doing chores and great resentment at being expected to help. That created some real conflict.

This has been a chronic problem. In the past, when visiting, these kids would open a piece of string cheese and drop the wrapping on the floor rather than take it to the trash. I was floored that they expected others to clean up their mess for them. What parent doesn't teach their child to pick up after themselves?

Well, they quickly learned that when visiting our house, you have to help maintain the space you live in. I didn't expect them to do the same level of cleaning as my kids, but they did have to help pick up toys, clean the room they were in, and do some vacuuming. They did it, but oh my goodness, the whining and moaning that went with that ─ it was ridiculous! But at least they got some exposure to these skills and some experience doing them for a few months.

Sadly, it didn't last once they moved back in with their parents because no one there asks them to help clean, and their parents do only the most minimal cleaning themselves. Obviously, this is a learned behavior. But what is it teaching them for later on in life?

These kids were outraged that my kids have to do chores. In fact, they sowed dissension by constantly telling my kids how horrible they have it because they have to help clean. One of the visitors actually told me I was a bad parent because my kids had "too many chores." Imagine! No, my kids are not domestic slaves, but I do expect them to pitch in and help with the upkeep of the house and yard. Duh. They live here, they help out.

Now, these temporary visitors are not bad kids. They are generally pretty nice and have good hearts, so I took the criticism as an opportunity to open a discussion about the responsibility to help the community you are a part of, but it still appalls me that they think that doing basic chores is excessive.

How in the world are they going to become competent adults who take care of their own household if they never learn the skills to do so? How are they going to be good employees later on if they feel incredibly put upon just cleaning up their own darn mess? How are they going to learn to be considerate of others if they expect others to constantly take care of their needs?

An article in the Wall Street Journal notes:
In a survey of 1,001 U.S. adults released last fall by Braun Research, 82% reported having regular chores growing up, but only 28% said that they require their own children to do them.
That number seems distorted to me, frankly. I doubt that only a quarter of parents today are having kids do chores. But from my observations as a teacher, I am pretty sure that it's true of quite a few families. And I'm shocked at the number of friends of ours who have their kids doing only the most basic of chores.

Now of course, every parent gets to make their own parenting decisions, and no one made me the boss of parenting rules. Every family has to work out their own family balance of various tasks. The way our family divides up the chores doesn't have to be the way someone else's family divides up their chores.

But there is a trend right now away from having kids do many chores, and I believe this is doing a real disservice to those kids.

Chores ─ substantial chores ─ are important in developing a child's character.

Why Do Chores?

Why is it important to have kids help out with chores around the house? Partly it's about developing important life skills that they will need as adults. But I really believe it's more about developing the child's character.

Chores Teach Life Skills

Many kids have no idea how to clean a house, how to cook a decent (non-fast food) meal, or how to do their own laundry. They have no idea how to grow food, take care of a car, weed a garden, or do maintenance tasks around the house ─ because no one has taught them how to do it.

Someday, kids will have to take care of themselves. These skills don't just magically appear at age 18; they have to learn them somewhere along the way. Many schools don't have Home Ec classes anymore, so the only place they will learn these life skills is at home. The best way to learn is by doing. And the best way to learn is to start with a little bit at a time, practicing from a very young age, rather than expecting them to suddenly learn these skills all at once when they move out.

Chores Teach a Work Ethic and Good Habits

Kids need to develop a work ethic. They need to be assigned a task, learn how to complete that task satisfactorily, and then actually complete it. They need to do it over and over again, as part of a routine. They need to learn how to do the rhythm of daily chores, weekly/monthly chores, and periodic deep cleaning chores.

A work ethic for an adult job doesn't just magically spring to life at 18. Developing a work ethic comes from doing chores as a kid, taking care of animals, helping with siblings, completing your homework on time, and helping others out in your community.

Kids who don't do chores and who aren't held to any kind of standards regarding homework and other work never really learn this work ethic. They become incapable adult workers who constantly feel put upon because they have to do things they don't like and things that take real effort to complete. If things go wrong, it's always someone else's fault, and they rarely get things done on time or with satisfactory results.

Chores Teach Strength of Will

Kids need to develop the ability to do things that are hard. Many kids won't try something that is hard, or they give up halfway through because they lack the strength of will to finish things or to make themselves work hard. They want everything easy and handed to them on a plate with very little effort.

Chores, music lessons, sports, crafts, art, exercise, hobbies...all these things help teach strength of will. They help kids learn to apply themselves by doing things that are hard at first, that take perseverance, that take daily discipline.

Chores Teach Accountability and Responsibility

Adults are held accountable for doing their jobs at work, for taking care of themselves and their families, for keeping up the homes they live in, for paying taxes, etc. Accountability doesn't just magically appear. It takes daily application of micro-doses of responsibility and then being held accountable for those small responsibilities.

Children must be held accountable for completing their chores satisfactorily. Otherwise, you negate a large portion of the lesson on work ethics. A job halfway done is not a job well-done. Doing the follow-through is just as important as giving chores in the first place.

Chores Teach Independence and Accomplishment

Kids need to learn how to do tasks without constant supervision and hovering. They need to be shown how to do certain chores, then given the chance to actually do them, even if that means failing at them at first. Learning how to improve is part of the process. When kids learn how to do a chore well, there is a feeling of accomplishment. If an adult steps in and does the chore for them, they don't develop that feeling of competency.

Kids also need to keep practicing chores until they can do them on their own, without being asked. This is one of the hardest parts, but it's still important to strive for it. When they can be trusted to do their chores without being nagged, they develop a feeling of independence. They know that yes, they CAN do hard things, and do it on their own. This will be a huge help as they move into adulthood and are required to do things without reminders or someone holding their hands.

Chores Teach Contributing to the Community

Children are inherently selfish when they are little. At first, they think about their own needs, not the needs of others, and they want to be taken care of, not do the caretaking. But children live in a larger community, and they need to see the bigger picture. Chores help them see that sometimes you have to do things that are not immediately gratifying in order to make the space a better place to live or to help out others who need the help.

Kids often don't understand the amount of work that goes into taking care of a household. Chores help them begin to see how everyone in a household has to contribute in order to keep up the household and keep it functioning. Chores also teach kids to help others and to contribute to society at large, not solely to their own happiness and gratification.

Barriers to Chores

To me, chores for kids is a no-brainer. But of course, if doing chores was easy, it wouldn't be such a stress in so many households.

There are many barriers that can get in the way of giving kids chores and holding them accountable. They are all real and understandable concerns. However, as parents we have to find a way around these barriers so that kids develop these important life skills and character traits.

"I Don't Want To Burden My Children"

One barrier is the parent who wants to give his kids the "gift" of a chore-free childhood so they can just play and enjoy themselves the whole time.

I'm a major fan of unstructured play for kids, so I hear this argument. Unstructured play is how kids learn best for a long time. Our kids today have far too many activities and need more time just for playing.

But giving kids the gift of lots of play time doesn't have to mean that they can't have chore time too. It doesn't harm a child to do a reasonable amount of chores; on the contrary, it strengthens them.

Of course, children should not be slaves, either. You do have to find a sensible balance, but keeping the child from having enough chores is really not doing them a favor.

"My Kids Are Too Busy"

On the opposite side of the spectrum are the children who are so overscheduled that they "don't have time" to do chores. These are stressed-out kids who need down time, so parents regularly excuse them from having to do any chores.

In this situation, parents need to re-think their children's schedules. Kids' activities are important character-builders, but too much is just as harmful as too little. Chores and unstructured free play time are vital for mental and emotional health. If your kids are "too busy" for chores, then it's time to find more balance in your home life.

Remember, the rhythm and structure of regular chores actually helps calm stressed-out kids and provides them a release from their busy schedule. It provides a transition time from a frenetic schedule to the down time they need so much.

"I Want Them To Focus on their Studies"

Some parents justify not giving chores because they view the child's main job as studying for college.

It is important for kids to do well in school and build their academic skills, whatever their future career path. But the personal growth skills they build from having chores helps in that process. These skills do not exist in a vacuum; building accountability, responsibility, and learning how to do hard things will only help them in their academics.

Parents can find a way to help kids learn how to schedule their time so they can manage academics, activities, chores, and playtime. Sometimes, flexibility will be needed, of course. During particularly busy times, you may need to negotiate a compromise. But too much focus on academics or activities at the expense of other things is harmful too.

"I Can Do It Faster and Better"

Probably the biggest barrier is that sometimes it's just easier to do the chore yourself! You are better at doing the chore, you are going to do a more thorough job, and you can usually get it done in half the time. Plus then you don't have to listen to them whining about having to do it, which seems to be universal for kids these days.

But again, you are not doing the child any favors by doing it for them. You have to be willing to let them fail at the chore, to slowly learn how to get better at the chore, and to learn how to do it more efficiently. THAT'S how they learn the accountability and responsibility and independence.

It doesn't just happen magically; it's a process. And you have to let go of control enough for them to work through that process on their own, even if that means the chore is done less than perfectly at times. For some parents, that letting go of control is the most difficult thing of all, but it's important that we do.

Parents Who Do Too Much

Another barrier is the parent who feels that he or she has to do it all for the kids. Women are particularly prone to this trap because many of us were taught that housecleaning is the woman's main responsibility and having a spotless house is part of being a "good mother," but men can be martyr parents too.

Parents are not meant to be slaves, doing everything for children. We do our children no favors if we do too much for them. It infantilizes them and keeps them dependent.

When children grow up seeing others taking care of all their needs, they begin to feel entitled to it. They grow up expecting others to take care of them, rather than taking care of themselves. They grow up dependent on others, instead of becoming independent and learning to do for themselves. This can transfer to dependency in their adult life as well.

Give your children the gift of independence and self-sufficiency. Let them learn to take care of themselves and others, not just be taken care of.

Gender-Related Chores

Another barrier to independence is gender-related chores. Even today, many girls are expected to do far more housework than boys are. Even when boys are given cooking or cleaning chores, they may not be held to the same standard of quality as women. Conversely, boys are expected to do far more yardwork than girls and girls aren't expected to know how to fix things or handle tools.

This is harmful in many ways. Boys learn the lesson that women are "supposed" to take care of them. This makes them dependent on women and incompetent to take care of themselves. Girls learn that they "need" boys to take care of the house and yard, and grow up feeling helpless around tools and mechanical/physical work.

Both genders should be doing all types of chores. Our boys need to learn to cook, clean, and care for others, and our girls need to learn to care for the maintenance needs of the house and yard. If it's a life skill that might be needed someday, both genders should learn it.

Sometimes, it makes sense in some households to divide chores along traditional responsibilities for a while. That's up to you. But take the long view; kids should learn all types of chores so they know how to do them all. Teaching them only half the chores handicaps them in the long run; someday they may be forced by circumstances to do the jobs they never learned.

The Messy House Conundrum

Sometimes kids don't follow through on chores and it can leave you with a messy house. And then people coming by judge you for your messy house, or the incomplete chore impedes the smooth running of your house.

The conundrum is, when kids don't do their chore, do you do it for them? Many parents do because it's just easier. But what is this teaching the kids? They are not learning to be accountable for their chore. It's better to leave the chore undone until the child can be held accountable and complete the task.

Of course, there are nuances here. Some chores (like taking care of animals) can't be put off because lives are depending on it. Some chores just have to get done in order for the household to function. And sometimes kids get super busy and you need to help out with chores for a while as a compromise.

There's going to be times when you help out, but it shouldn't be a regular thing. Otherwise, the child is really not being held truly accountable, and that's one of the main underlying reasons for chores.

Final Thoughts

Of course, theory is always easier than putting something into practice. Our family struggles with chores, like every other family. My kids do more chores than most of their peers, but they do far less than a lot of kids who grow up on ranches or farms. Finding that combination of enough-but-not-too-much is tough and takes some experimentation.

Most parents would agree that children need to do some chores. However, trying to figure out how much, what chores, at what age, and how to hold them accountable is a difficult job. Every family will come up with different answers.

When considering chores for your own household, think about the following things:
  • What chores need to be completed around the house
  • Which chores are most meaningful for the smooth running of the household
  • What are the ages and capabilities of your children
  • What life skills do you want your children to learn and by what age
  • What is a realistic chore load for them and for you
Start them young. Young children can do more than you'd think, and they love to help at first. Start by having them help clean up their toys. Give clean-up time a regular routine; all toys picked up as part of getting ready for bedtime, or helping clean the kitchen immediately after dinner. Sing a particular song or make a game of it to make it more motivating. The key is having as regular a structure as possible.

As they get a little older, children can help with other tasks like sorting laundry, setting the table, taking dirty dishes to the sink, wiping down the table, etc. In the later grade-school years, they can start doing harder chores, like vacuuming, sweeping, dishes, recycling, taking out the trash and compost, etc.

By the time they are in middle school, kids can do their own laundry and some house and yard maintenance (raking leaves, mowing the lawn, gardening, weeding, composting, etc.). By high school, they should know how to cook a number of basic dishes and practice that by fixing dinner for the family on a regular basis. They should also help out with maintenance chores like deep cleaning, changing furnace filters, maintaining the family car, winterizing the house, etc.

Most people think that high school is when the chores should really kick in, but honestly, our experience is that high school is when it gets most challenging. Once they get really busy with their studies and activities, it's far too easy to step in and do chores for them. Yet as they grow closer to being on their own, it's more important than ever for them to learn life skills and how to manage their time to complete all their obligations. So instead of chores getting easier with age, you may find that you have to be even more strict about chore expectations.

However, I'm not a fan of tying allowances to chores. Kids should help around the house and yard because they are part of the family unit that lives there, not because they need to be motivated by money. You shouldn't have to bribe your kids to do chores. On the other hand, it's okay for kids to have the opportunity to earn extra money if they volunteer for special projects or extra-big chores.

Flexibility is key. There's no one-size-fits-all chore list that works for each family. Each chore list has to be adapted to your own particular situation and needs.

The point is to make sure that children have regular chores that they are responsible for, and to hold them accountable for doing those chores.

All too soon your children will be adults and out on their own. Will you have taught them the majority of what they need to know to live on their own? Will they be responsible community members who help out others? Will they know how to be accountable for their work? Or will they expect others to always take care of them and not know how to care for themselves?

Chores are a VITAL part of parenting. Make sure that you are holding your children responsible for helping out around the house. It's one of the harder parenting tasks, honestly, but it's one of the most important ones.


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Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Spring Showers ATC

I used a digital stamp from Star Stampz called Spring Rain for this ATC. The image is colored with markers. The ATC is layered and embellished with glitter and ribbon.

I would like to enter this ATC in the following challenges:

Love to Scrap - #96 girls
A Snowflake's Promise - #39 anything goes
Simply Papercrafts - #45 anything goes
DigiChoosday - #15 anything goes
Star Stampz - Spring
CCC Digi - #71 glitter (sponsor's digi)
Come and Get it - girls
Artistic Inspirations - #177 ribbon
Simon Says Monday - splash
Incy Wincy - so cute

♥ Wendy

  1. What a lovely ATC. Love the colors you used. Thanks for joining us this week at Come and Get It Challenge.

  2. very sweet, thank you for sharing with us at Digi Choosday this week, Julie DT x

  3. Super cute!!! Thank you for joining us at Love to Scrap, good luck!!! Amy DT

  4. Such a sweet ATC, love the image and the coloring with the touches of glitter. Thank you so much for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Hugs, Sandra

  5. Adorable. Love the image you chose and the rainy "glitter" accents.. Thanks for using a Star Stampz Image and Thanks for playing along with us this fortnight at Star Stampz. AJ DT SS

  6. A super card, such a lovely image.
    Thank you for joining us for our Anything Goes challenge at Digi Choosday.

  7. Lovely Card. Thanks for playing along with us this fortnight. Lisa DT CCC Digi Creations

  8. Great ATC love the cute image and layers--Thank you for joining us at Artistic Inspirations
    Carol DT x

  9. Thank you so much for joining us over at Incy Wincy Designs Challenge :)

    Have a great day


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West Florida Hospital

Influenza Vaccine

The content below is part of the “Health Library” and is not indicative of services available at the facility.

What Is Influenza?

Influenza (also called the flu) is an upper respiratory infection. It is caused by a strain of the influenza virus. There are many types of influenza viruses but there are two main kinds that infect humans:

  • Type A
  • Type B

Each year (usually beginning in October), the flu spreads around the world. You can get the flu when you breathe in droplets from someone infected with the virus. It can also be spread by touching a contaminated surface, then putting your hand to your mouth or nose. For most, the flu will cause fever, aches, fatigue, coughing, congestion, loss of appetite, and sore throat. However, some people are more vulnerable to more severe complications which may require hospitalization. Risk factors for severe complications include:

  • Age younger than 5 years old or age 65 years and older
  • Certain medical conditions, including:
    • Chronic lung condition, such as asthma or COPD
    • Cardiovascular disease
    • Kidney or liver disease
    • Neurological, blood, or metabolic condition, such as diabetes
  • Suppressed immune system, such as those with HIV, cancer, or chronic steroid use
  • Current pregnancy
  • Long-term aspirin therapy in people under 19 years old
  • American Indian and Alaskan Native ancestry
  • Severe obesity

What Is the Influenza Vaccine?

The flu shot is made from an inactivated, killed virus. There are 3 types of flu shots available:

  • Regular flu shot (the most common type)—for people aged 6 months and older, injected into the muscle (usually in the upper arm)
  • High-dose shot (Fluzone High-Dose)—for people aged 65 years and older, injected into the muscle
  • Intradermal shot (Fluzone Intradermal)—for people aged 18-64 years old, injected into the skin with a smaller needle

There is also a nasal spray (FluMist) made from live, weakened flu viruses. The nasal spray is available for healthy people aged 2-49 years who are not pregnant. It is the preferred vaccine for healthy children who are 2-8 years of age.

The flu shots and nasal spray contain several influenza viral strains. The type of strains that the vaccine contains change from year to year. The strains are based on which viruses are likely to circulate during that flu season.

Who Should Get Vaccinated and When?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that anyone aged 6 months and older should get a flu shot. Children 6 months to 8 years of age will need 2 doses of the vaccine. This will help your child build immunity to the virus.

It takes about 2 weeks for the vaccination to protect you against the flu. Even if you have been vaccinated, you can still get the flu. If you have symptoms, tell your doctor.

You can get the flu anytime during the year. But, flu season typically lasts from October to May. The best time to get vaccinated is as soon as the vaccine is available. This will protect you before the flu comes to your community.

What Are the Risks Associated With the Influenza Vaccine?

Almost all people who receive the influenza vaccine have no problems. There are certain risks associated with the vaccine. As with any vaccine, there is a small risk of serious problems, including severe allergic reaction.

Side effects associated with the flu shot include:

  • Soreness, redness, and swelling around the injection site
  • Low-grade fever
  • Muscle aches

Side effects associated with the nasal spray vaccine include:

  • Runny nose
  • Headache
  • Vomiting
  • Muscle aches
  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Cough
  • Wheezing

Who Should Not Get Vaccinated?

Certain people should talk to their doctor before receiving the influenza vaccine. These include people who:

  • Have any severe (life-threatening) allergies to chicken eggs
  • Have had a severe reaction to the flu vaccine in the past
  • Have had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
  • Are currently are very sick with a fever

The following people should not get the nasal spray:

  • Children who:
    • Are aged 24 months or younger
    • Have asthma
    • Are aged 2-4 years who have had wheezing in the past 12 months
    • Have a condition that may increase their risk of flu complications
  • People who:
    • Are aged 50 years and older
    • Have a chronic condition, such as heart disease, lung disease, asthma, kidney or liver disease, metabolic disease, blood disorders
    • Have a nerve or muscle disorder
    • Have a weakened immune system
    • Are in close contact with others who have a weakened immune system
    • Have a nasal condition which makes it difficult to breath
    • Have gotten any other vaccines in the last 4 weeks
    • Have taken influenza antiviral medication within the previous 48 hours
  • Pregnant women
  • Children or teens on long-term aspirin therapy

What Other Ways Can Influenza Be Prevented?

Good preventive measures include:

  • Avoid close contact with people who have respiratory infections.
  • Wash your hands often for 15-20 seconds with soap and water. This is especially important to do when you come in contact with someone who is sick. Rubbing alcohol-based cleaners on your hands is also useful.
  • Do not share drinks or personal items.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
  • Do not put your hands near your eyes, mouth, or nose.

What Happens in the Event of an Outbreak?

In the event of an outbreak, the primary focus is to vaccinate as many at risk people as possible, especially those in high priority groups. The use of antiviral medications can reduce the length of the illness when given within two days of onset. Finally, people who are infected should be isolated as much as possible.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: David Horn, MD
  • Review Date: 08/2015 -
  • Update Date: 08/10/2015 -

  • United States Department of Health and Human Services

  • Vaccines & Immunizations

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • Public Health Agency of Canada

  • Vaccines, Blood & Biologics

    United States Food and Drug Administration

  • Fluzone high-dose seasonal influenza vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: Updated September 3, 2015. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • Influenza in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: Updated June 17, 2015. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • Influenza in children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: Updated July 7, 2015. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • Influenza vaccine in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: Updated August 3, 2015. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • Influenza vaccine in children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: Updated November 21, 2014. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • Key facts about seasonal flu vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: Updated October 22, 2014. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • People at high risk of developing flu-related complications. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: Updated January 8, 2015. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • 10/15/2007 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance Nichol KL, Nordin JD, Nelson DB, Mullooly JP, Hak E. Effectiveness of influenza vaccine in the community-dwelling elderly. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(14):1373-1381.

  • 3/5/2012 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance FDA approves first quadrivalent vaccine to prevent seasonal influenza. US Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: Updated March 15, 2012. Accessed August 10, 2015.

  • 8/10/2015 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance Grohskopf LA, Sokolow LZ, Olsen SJ, et al. Prevention and control of influenza with vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on immunization practices, United States, 2015-16 influenza season. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2015;64(30):818-825.


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Tuesday | May 23, 2017
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Penaloza, Cantiberos-Ontiveros crowned Jr. Hawaiian Idols

May 12, 2017 - 11:40am

Second time competitors Leilana Penaloza and Tia Cantiberos-Ontiveros were crowned the Jr. Hawaiian Idols in late April.

Penaloza, 13, took the crown for the 8-13 age group while Cantiberos-Ontiveros, 19, took the crown for the 14-20 age group following finals held April 29. Jr.

Each also received $125 cash from Hawaiian Queen Coffee, family luau tickets by Island Breeze Productions and a three-hour bowling party for six at KBXtreme.

Second place went to Cleselle Espejo and Kahai Hai-Kelly with each winning $50 from Hawaiian Queen Coffee and a three-hour bowling party for six. Third-place winners Carley-Ann Taylor and Audrey Poggensee received $25 and complimentary bowling.

Espejo was also the fan favorite award winner, receiving the most fan votes among Jr. and adult Hawaiian Idol entrants.

Jr. Hawaiian Idol, for kids and young adults ages 8-20, was held first in 2016 to give younger adults a “stage” of their own after many requests. ■

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