Birthday Celebrations, Controversy in Baseball and More

 

I am grateful for Friday. I am thankful the week is finally closing. My sweetheart Avery had a birthday today. He was unable to take off today from work but he does get a three day weekend, having Monday off instead.

This day is a very important one to me. My father was born on this date. I would not wish him back to this messy world but when he was in it, he loved celebrating all the holidays and birthdays with loved one. I knew my husband was a good man when I met him and found out his birthday was the same day as my dad. I remember my dad was smiling when I told him Avery shared his birthday. He said, "He must be a good man." I wish my father  a happy 36th birthday in heaven. I feel he is smiling down on all of us. My father was a "phamily man". Secondary only to his faith, he cherished his phamily.

I have found, as the years roll by, I never feel better than I did the day I lost my father.  Time marches on and my love for my dad will not cease until this life ends and a new heavenly one begins. Then I can see all those loved ones who went before me. I am anxious for that day.

Anyone who knows me any length of time will know my dad played semi pro ball. He played in the 1930's with the likes of guys who he had the opportunity to play against like Babe Ruth and Satchel Paige. The stories I heard from my dad about these baseball greats, when men were men and basball was played for the love of the game, not any politics. The climate today ripped out the heart of the great American pastime and turned it into a political free-for-all. Sad but  I am grateful my dad is not here to witness the shameful events taking place. Today my cousin reminded me, if Bob Feller were alive he would throw a fast ball right into the middle of the nonsense surrounding the Cleveland Indians. Call 'em what you like, be PC but they will forever be the Cleveland Indians to me. I can see my sweet father shaking his head in disgust at all this political nonsense.  If anyone had the notion to sit down and talk with someone from my father's era, they would have learned lots of wonderful baseball facts and lots of other important hisdtorical facts. They would never have spoken one political word about the once great American past time.

My father in his favorite shirt,  navy blue with white dots. He loved that shirt. You have to realize, all week long I have remembered conversations with my dad about baseball. He would remind me, that Bob Feller pitched for the Cleveland Indians until his career was interrupted by WWII and his service in the U.S. Navy. He would say things like, Ted WIlliams and Stan "the Man" Musial would both agree that Feller was the greatest pitcher of their era, Williams adding he was also the fastest. He would remind me of the great poverty Joltin Joe DiMaggio grew up with and yet went on to become one of the greatest basbeball players in the history of the game. Joe DiMaggio loved opening day. He said he felt he owed giving his best to kids watching him from the stands. He said they deserved to see him at his very best.  My dad would talk about Branch Rickey, the former baseball player and basbeall executive who crossed the color barrier to hire Jackie Robinson. That is why they are known as the "Greatest Generation". Because they cared, they loved their teammates, the played the game of basball simply because they were passionate about it. I should sit down and write out asll the little things I remember in conversations with my day. Cal Ripkin Jr. breaking Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive games played (2632) after 56 years and a title Gehrig held (2130) that people never dreamed would be broken. I believe in this age of baseball Cal Ripken Jr. will be holding that record long after this world passes away. Another travesty of baseball, my dad would remind me that Pete Rose did belong in the hall of Fame and anyone who thinks differently is judging him because they are putting themselves above God Himself. "Charlie Hustle"  will always be one of the greats and he will always be in my Hall of Fame. I could sit here all night telling these little tidbits. Dizzy Dean was another favorite. But you will have to do your own research. If I go on telling tales about these Greatest Generation men in sport, I will surpass War & Peace and need a U-haul to carry my words to the printer. If you want to learn how baseball was before the PC Patrol moved in, check out guys who played the game before political correctness became a way of life in the world. I am glad I have many of these memories tucked inside my heart. Who knows when all history will be erased completely to ease the minds of people who never understood what history really is and why when bad things happen in it, the simple fact is, you never repeat it! It is so complex they would have to rise Stephen Hawking from his grave but he might hurt their feelings too.

My dapper husband at his former elementary school, Parkview. He was a handsome lad. He grew up to be such an exceptional man. He reminds me very much of my own father. Except I believe my father, having been raised in the Catholic church.  read his bible privately and my husband shares the gospel with anyone who cares to sit down and listen to the words from it.

Avery and his mom, Rita in Arkansas, November 1960. His father Carl was born and raised there.  My husband is the spitting image of his late father and our youngest son Nick is the spitting image of Avery. Noelle has a friend, Tracy, that she grew up with. To this day, Tracy, who lives in Arkansas, by the way, will say how is little Avery or Hey isn't that little Avery? I have wanted to travel to Arkansas because so many of my father-in-law's loved ones are buried there. He had quite a rich history. spanning years from Ulster Province in Ireland to Arkansas and Tennessee as well as Pennsylvania and North Carolina. We have the genealogy paperwork and those are the four states I can recall where many Robinson phamily members settled. Their trials and suffering have afforded so many a better life. I really wish more people would understand that. I have always done my own research and will continue to do so. If you think times are tough today, you should have to pull out several volumes of the Encyclopedia Brittanica and search for information that was otherwise, not readily available 50 years ago. Personally, it broke my heart to give up my encyclopedia set.

I am grateful for all the memories, grateful for the parents I had, grateful for the man I married and had a marvelous dinner with tonight. I will share those details tomorrow. Sweet dreams. Happy Birthday Wishes to everyone who celebrated another 365 trip around the sun.