Feel Sorry for UK Fans?

It's the day before "the game" which around here, is probably going to have more viewers than the National Basketball Championship since the University of Louisville (my favorite team) and the University of Kentucky play each other Saturday evening in the Semi-Final game.

I had my 90 seconds of fame earlier today when I called in to Joe Elliot's radio show. He referenced the article (link below) about "Why You Should Feel Sorry for Kentucky Fans" which pretty much mirrors what I'd already pointed out. Basically, it says that while UK fans are happy that their team is winning, it is as expected, so there isn't the joy associated with the unexpected wins of the underdog UL team.

When I called in, there were two callers. While they didn't know (they didn't ask) turns out the other caller was a UK fan and I am the UL fan so that worked out well for them. He went first, disagreed with the article, and pointed out that UK fans are happy and wouldn't trade their season for ours in a heartbeat.  Then I spoke and agreed with him, and said that UK fans are happy and certainly wouldn't trade seasons.  However, then I pointed out that while normally UK fans would be overjoyed at making the Final Four and would most certainly be lording it over the UL fans, it didn't go quite as expected. Turns out, Louisville made it first, so were there waiting for them. (Oh, the joy!) Then I agreed with the article, saying that it is great fun for Louisville going this far. As the author of the article said, "The expected achievement is nothing compared to the unexpected success."

I wouldn't go so far as to claim that UK fans are sad, as that'd be silly, and untrue, but the best they can do now is go one game more than Louisville in the tournament.  (It's a shame we're on the same side of the bracket as I think Louisville would have a chance to beat either of the other 2 teams the way they're playing.)

Most likely, Kentucky will  beat UL in order to get to that final game - a thrill in itself, yet when you're the most talented team in the country, is it really a big feat to beat an underdog team that wasn't sure it'd make it past the first game of the tournament? Nope. It's a win they'll gladly take, but I suspect that the happiness they'll have at winning the tournament isn't anything compared to the outrageous, surprising thrill that Louisville got just to get to the Final Four.  So, guess the article is right; you've got to fell sorry for the Kentucky fans, if anyone, as you sure shouldn't feel sorry for Louisville!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303404704577307611133498908.html

Politicos Speak With Forked Blue Tongue

This week it seems March Madness has really hit home as we have TWO Final Four teams in the Tournament. How amazing is that? Outstnding! For me, a Louisville fan, it's an unexpected treat yet there are so many from Kentucky that just want to be mean and arrogant that it takes away what should be a really fun experience. I agree with them that UK will most likely win it all - I have all along - yet, they can't even be nice enough to acknowledge the achievement UL has made?  (The UK fans remain the reason I'll never be able to fully be a UK fan, just offering a polite support because it's our state.)

My favorite magazine is "Kentucky Monthly" and the Publisher, Steve Vest, shared an interesting article on his facebook wall today. I thought you might like it as well.

http://kentuckymonthly.com/kentributor-blogs/extra-vested-interest-kentucky-monthly-blogs/politicos-speak-with-forked-blue-tongue/#.T3IO8lsiH5k.facebook

“We’re facing a huge challenge on Saturday against a great team,” said UofL’s president, sporting blue Oakley sunglasses. “If, however, we lose, the sun will still come up the next day in Louisville …”

“I’m not so sure that would be the case in Lexington,” said Capilouto, who apparently is the only one with enough detachment to see how things truly are.

He's probably right about that. Terry Meiners (WHAS radio personality) said, "UK should win it all but getting a team of unknowns into the Final Four guarantees that Pitino (UL's Coach) has already won." 

Reading Coach Calipari's fb wall the other day, there were the usual congratulations from fans. Yet there were some that reminded him it's "All or None" with them. (as if he didn't know!) One fan felt the need to remind him that getting to the Final Four wasn't enough. Coach Cal had promised a national championship and it's been 3 years! They went to the Final Four last year and came home empty handed! Empty handed? Sorry, but that's just sad. 

Renewal

Trees are almost as pretty in the spring as they are in the fall.  Some trees have lacy green leaves that look as if they were applied to the tree with sponges and oil paint. Other trees have beautiful blossoms. The pear trees have been blooming here all week, with their blossoms floating through the air like warm snow. 

Yesterday I saw dogwoods beginning to bloom for the first time this year. That's my absolute favorite spring tree!

Spring is not just a season, but an emotion. It is a time of renewal, of the earth and of the psyche. We celebrate the resurrection of the Lord as we rejoice in the return of growing things around us. 

Celebration Song

Wow! The sky is so BLUE today! Maybe the reason it seems even more blue than usual are the huge fluffy white clouds? At any rate, God looks glorious out there today.  
  

The daffodils march in waves of yellow joy and pansies smile back at you.  A fat robin looks around the yard for the biggest, juiciest worm she can find. The grass is bright green and spring flowers are blooming.

While the sun shining on the brilliant spring makes me happy inside, I do realize that for some, this is the dreaded pollen season. This year is worse than usual in many places, too. I'm sorry. 

But I still can't help but feel blessed to look out and see the beauty that is ours to rejoice in.  Thank you, God, for Spring.

Welcome to Friday!

 See the sparkle as the sun hits the water? What joy! The river twists and turns, always tumbling forward and you never know just what might be around the next bend. Our life journey is like that, isn't it?

This picture is of the Little Pigeon River which winds all around the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and through the cities of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  It's an extremely important location to me.

This particular picture was used on the cover of my first book, Cancer Can't Destroy Love. My dad loved fishing in this river and this is one of his favorite spots. He died of pancreatic cancer and that story is a part of the book. (My friend Kath is also a big part of the book, but that's a story for another day.) There's a flat wide rock over to the right, just out of view of the picture. That's where I sat and read books growing up, completely unaware that one day I would write them.

On "Fabulous Fridays," I'll share some of my favorite writings, which will be gathered in a special section. They may be from previously shared books, books in progress, or just thoughts I've had and written in my journal. It'll be a hodge-podge of pieces, so check in and see. You never know what might be discovered! Who knows that we'll share together each week? I will try to share a variety of things, but it'll be whatever touches me at the moment. (talk about unpredictable!) In exchange, I'd LOVE to hear from you. Comments are most welcome at all times. Enjoy!

For more information about the book I mentioned above, click here: http://morningglorybooks.com/Page5.html 

Garden Fever with Pinterest

With this unseasonably warm weather, it's been so tempting to plant flowers. Yet, I constantly remind myself that it's still March and we could have cold weather again. We've had measureable snow in April and even snow flurries on Derby Day! So, I wait....  in the meantime, I'm sharing some fun "gardening" things on one of my Pinterest boards. Click on "Pinterest Treasures" above for today's post.

Love = Unity

And the two will become one flesh; 

so they are no longer two, but one. 

Mark 10:8

Three years ago today, the couple in the picture. Emma Elizabeth Creasy and Rudyard Peralta Bamba were married. His mother lit one candle and I lit another. Then Rudy and Emma took the flames from these candles to light the one, symbolizing the uniting of our two families, and from these two families, their one new one.

It was a day of great joy as the young couple expressed their love to the world. I've heard some of my friends speak of "losing" a son or daughter because they got married. In our case, when Rudy and Emma were joined, we gained a son and his mom, Novie, feels she gained a daughter. Their siblings all welcomed the new member to their group as well.

In the past three years, they've weathered times of trial and stress, had happiness and fun, and strengthened their bond of love. Their union has produced a wonderful son, Noah, a source of joy for many. They'll have more worries, but none they can't deal with together, and hopefully, even more joys. 

So, today, even though they think they are the ones celebrating their anniversary, I am as well. It was 3 years ago that Rudy officially joined our family and we're forever made richer by it. Seeing how happy they are together is a blessing. 

  

Happy Anniversary Emma and Rudy!

The Secret Life of Birds

Can you identify this picture?

What am I doing at 4 in the morning on this fine Tuesday, the first day of spring?  Well, for the past 2 hours I've been on the computer since I couldn't sleep. A quick 20 minute check caught me up on Facebook, with 2 minutes being more than enough for my regular e-mail account. What? People don't write "real" messages anymore? Sad. We're a sound-bite society, content to write quick one liners on Facebook, no longer interested in long discussions with a friend via e-mail.  (And considering it was 2 in the morning, you'd appreciate I was willing to have electronic communication and didn't try to call you, right? :)

That doesn't account for the other hour and a half, does it? Nope, it doesn't. One of the things I've worked on is something for my blog. It'll be unveiled on Friday and I think it's going to be a good addition.  It's all ready to go, but I'm somewhat patiently waiting. (waiting, anyway) This picture is connected to what I worked on for Friday. Can anyone identify it? Put your answers in the comment section below.

The birds are getting louder and louder as it gets later. It's still dark but one in particular seems to have a lot to say. Let's listen and see what's going on:

Emma-bird: Hurry, Hurry! It's the first day of spring and we aren't ready!
Ben-bird: Are you crazy? It's 4 in the morning. The sun hasn't even gotten up yet. zzzzzzzz zzzzzzz
Emma-bird: Andrew-bird, get over here. I told you to move this nest over to the side door. Move it!  Hey Jon-bird, did you and Ben-bird get that new nest finished yet? It's supposed to be on the front gutter but I don't see it yet.
Keith-bird: Are you sure you want it there? Seems it'd be in the way. Besides, what's wrong with the old nest?
Andrew-bird: I agree. The old nest is fine and the location is perfect, just where it is.
Ben-bird: Oh, new nest. Hmmm... well, no.  But I did refinish this new skateboard. Wheeeee!
Jon-bird: Hey! I think if I twist this piece of twine like this, and add this other one, we could rig up our nest to get free wifi!  Hey, Ben! Come help me!
Barb-bird: It's been spring for 6 weeks - we are SOOO late getting things started. I should stop what I'm doing and write about that.
Emma-bird: UGH. If you want something done right, especially when it comes to moving, you just have to do it yourself! I can't put these new baby bird eggs in our old nest! It's dusty!
Barb-bird: New baby bird eggs? Oh wonderful! Come on boys! Get that new nest built. NOW!

Wow. No wonder there's so much conversation. Who knew?

Jesus' List

Sometimes, we think life would be wonderful if we could always be on the mountaintop, or in other words, living a life of joy without problems. But if that were always the case, would we even appreciate the good times if we had nothing else to compare them to? 

Life has the sad and hard times as well, but in a way, they are the times of blessings. For it is in these times that we find ourselves seeking a closer relationship with God. It is in the valleys of life where we discover the blessing of strength to continue by relying on God. 

Having lupus has led to many serious problems in my life, yet in a way, it has been a blessing. Would I have become as close to God if I had not had such worries? 

A friend of mine posted this list, a good reminder for us all. It's written as a list from Jesus.

If you never felt pain, then how would you know 
that I am a Healer?  

If you never had to pray, how would you know 

that I am a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself 
an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness, how would you 
understand joy?

If you never made a mistake, how would you know 
that I am a forgiver?

If you knew all, how would you know 
that I will answer your questions?

If you never were in trouble, how would you know 
that I will come to your rescue

If you never were broken, then how would you know 
that I can make you whole again?

If you never had a problem, how would you know 
that I can solve them?

If you never had any suffering, then how would you know 
what I went through?

If you never went through the fire, then how would 
you become pure?

If I gave you all things, how would you 
appreciate anything?

If I never corrected you, how would you 
know that I love you?

If you had all power, then how would you 
learn  to depend on me?

If your life was perfect, then what would you need me for?

Love, Jesus

The Ides of March Madness

Oldham Co. Colonels

"Beware the Ides of March!" said the soothsayer to Roman Dictator, Julius Caesar.  Back "in the day," the  Ides just meant the 15th day of March (as well as May, July, & October, the 13th of other months) and was a way of noting the date. However, this changed in 44 BC when Caesar was murdered by a group of senators led by his friend Brutus.
When? On the Ides of March, of course. Why? Because they felt he was getting too powerful.

Today is the Ides of March and March Madness is upon us!  Many dreams will be realized and shattered.  I'd hope that just having the opportunity to play in the games will be the realization of a dream, yet in the moment at least, if it doesn't go as hoped, it may seem like the end of the world.  Our state has FOUR different teams in the NCAA Tournament - though unfortunately, they have two of them playing each other which isn't nice.

The Oldham County High School boys’ basketball team will be playing in the Boys’ Sweet 16 for the second straight year and the sixth time in the past 11 when it meets Bowling Green at noon.  (Something ominous about the noon showdown!)  At the same time, Murray State University faces Colorado State. At 1:30, Louisville faces Davidson. Depending on "which" UL team takes the court will determine how this goes. Then, tonight, Western Kentucky University (#16 seed) faces the University of Kentucky (#1 Seed) at 6:45.  WKU played a wonderful game the other day, coming from 16 down with 4 minutes to go to win by a point in order to get to this game. President Obama was there, along with the Prime Minister of England. They will always remember playing that game, the biggest comeback in NCAA history!

The Murray and  WKU/KY games will be played at the Yum! Center, University of Louisville's home court, so there will be plenty of local fan support. Around here, basketball is THE sport for many, especially on the college level (because frankly, despite some occasional bowl appearances, our football teams just aren't always that good!) Most people fill out their brackets and productivity will be down! I always do two brackets, one my "reality" bracket of what I think will happen, and the other, my "hope" bracket. My "hope bracket" usually has my favorite teams going at least a game past where they're likely to end! I posted my brackets on my blog yesterday. You can see them by going to the tab above.

So, beware the Ides of March, lest the mighty fall!  (And just watch, a bunch of UK fans will get riled up and think I'm talking about them. LOL.  I'm not.)

Go Colonels! Go Cards! Go Racers! Go Hilltoppers!
and yes, even Go Wildcats!

Pinterest!

I've added a new feature to my blog. Each week I'll be adding something from my Pinterest boards.

 This week I shared my two favorite writing spots. Click on the tab under the heading to check them out!

Reality Reflected in Magazine Titles

The long title is: "A Lesson from Magazine Titles - or The Surprising Lesson about God's Purpose for Us I Got from Watching the Peter, Paul, and Mary Concert."

Noel Paul Stookey* told a story 25 years ago that is even more true today. He said:
 There used to be a magazine called "Life." That's pretty good, it includes everything, doesn't it?  Then, a magazine called "People" come out. Well, people are a part of life, that's true, but just a part of it.  Then, the magazine "Us" came out. Not we, not them, just us.  I thought that was pretty bad, but then a new magazine came out. "Self." What is this saying about us? Self? Soon, I'll open up the mailbox and will see the magazine "ME" - you open it up and it's 17 pages of Reynold's Wrap.

He brings up an interesting point, which is not unusual. Their music often brought up interesting points, many controversial ones, and some that forced us to confront realities and consider what to do about things.  People, as a whole, are getting more selfish, more egocentric. It is easy to focus only on ourselves, yet that is not how we were designed. We are a social people, and God intended us to treat others as we want to be treated. When we, humanity, lost our way, God sent His Son to get us back on track, paving the way for new tomorrows.

Our lives, whether we are aware of it or not, are like pebbles thrown into the water. As the pebble sends circles out from where it hit the water, our lives touch others.  We may not realize it, but our actions, and non-actions, touch someone else. They in turn touch someone, and it continues until many are affected by the original action. Thank goodness for those that are out there making a difference for others. They are good role models for the rest of us.

*better known as "Paul" of Peter, Paul, and Mary.

30 Years of Motherhood

Jonathan, age 4 weeks, Easter 1982

Thirty years ago today, my life changed. It wasn't a surprise that it changed, as we had many months warning, yet at the same time, the impact couldn't be predicted. 30 years ago today, I became a mother.

Jonathan Keith Creasy was born March 12, 1982 and our lives were forever changed. Our focus shifted and everything else was insignificant.

Tournaments? Must be March

UL - Big East Champions!  :)

There are many ways of marking time; most people use a calendar to keep up with the year. Around here, in Kentucky, calendars aren't all that necessary, or if they are, they don't look like those everywhere else. Right after Christmas, we have basketball season, all of which is a build-up for "March Madness." It leads right into Derby Festival, a couple of weeks of fun until they race some horses and end it all.  So, you can expect quite a bit of basketball musing coming up. (Go Cards!)

Oh sure, other areas have basketball teams, but it's not usually the only big focus. They get distracted by football and baseball - we have those, but everyone knows they're just fillers until basketball starts again. Kids are issued a basketball and a social security number when they're born it seems.

phone blogging?

A friend of mine uses her phone to do computer stuff. A lot of you probably do. I don't because I wouldn't be able to see it that small. She says she doesn't know how to make comments when reading the blog. Since it's just under the blog post on the computer, I have no idea.  Can you help her? Just add any phone tips in the comments. Thanks.

Spring's Reminder

Spring flowers are God's reminder that despite the cold of winter, despite the destruction of tornadoes, hurricanes, and fire, and despite the actions of those that try to annoy you, things return again, bright and cheerful, and it's all going to be okay.  It might not be okay right now, but it will. Just wait.

Howdy

Today, for me, is one of those "not great" days. I won't even admit to having a bad day, as I just don't do that very well. :)  However, when it comes to my blog, this means there's an absence of brain cells available. (You don't know how many times the backspace key has been used so far. A lot.) But it occurred to me that this might be a good time to introduce a concept I'd considered... planned programming, for lack of a better word.

God and Tornadoes

After days of warnings, tornadoes hit our area today.  Some areas near me were heavily damaged. Luckily, our immediate area was spared. Shifting 25 miles could have changed the story entirely.

the junior/senior high school

Tonight, I'm feeling so fortunate, knowing that I don't have to spend the time without power, or cleaning up trees, or worse, looking for a place to stay.  There are people doing this tonight, and people that are mourning the loss of loved ones and wish they'd "only" lost everything they owned. As they dig people out and go through more areas, the death toll keeps rising.

a neighborhood

God was with us today as we watched the radar, ready to head to the basement. But God was also with those that had tornadoes in their midst. He didn't spare some people but strike others. Terrible things happen sometimes, and God is with us then, too.  My prayers are with those affected and I wish I could ease their pain.

Rainbow after the storms ended.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and 

saves those who are crushed in spirit  

Psalm 34:18

Blog Etiquette

Venting:
You know, it's one thing to invite someone to read your blog (and I check them out to consider) but it's something else to go to someone else's blog and your only comment be about your own blog, not what they posted.  3 comments in the past 2 days and that's all they were!

Spring Fever

While it's 3 weeks until it's officially Spring, it's March so I decided it was time to declare it so. After all, the weather seems to think it's spring and I saw some jonquils blooming yesterday. So far, ours are not and I hope they hold off a bit longer. I'd hate for them to be all gone before we even get to spring!

God has blessed us with a pretty day today, sunny and not too cold. I put up my spring wreath on the front door. It has forsythia on it, as well as apples, which most (all?) of my wreaths have in one way or the other.

Welcome to my world. Welcome to spring.  "In the old days," back when I was in the classroom, I'd be putting away the snowflake bulletin board border, putting some shamrocks and spring flowers out, and hanging up some kites. The World Civ classes would be studying the Roman Empire by now. Language Arts classes would be busy revising their great literary pieces. The Spring Break countdown would be on.

 I was thinking about that this morning... interesting to me that I haven't thought of this kind of thing in quite a while. What they were doing used to always be on my mind. I must REALLY be retired now! Or maybe, just enjoying the shift, as last night I thought of a fun shamrock project Noah would enjoy helping me do.  (involves family pictures! I'll share if we do it.)

Happy Almost Spring!  :)