I'd like to claim credit for Jack's brilliant and somewhat unorthodox dance moves but those who recall my limited moves from the Youth Center dances of the early 1980s know I'd be lying. Enjoy the show!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Drowning Pumpkins
It's now official...the last living plant in the inaugural pumpkin patch we planted in the back field has died, a victim of the wettest June on record in Maine. It was predeceased by 11 others like it, as well as a half dozen squash plants.
Our last hope for pumpkins this fall now lies with the seed that Grace and Jack planted - some below ground, many more scattered atop Chelsea's famous hard, gray clay - on the upper half of the garden.
I'm also hopeful that we may see a few vines sprout from the compost pile in the coming weeks...if the sun returns for more than a day at a time, that is.
Our last hope for pumpkins this fall now lies with the seed that Grace and Jack planted - some below ground, many more scattered atop Chelsea's famous hard, gray clay - on the upper half of the garden.
I'm also hopeful that we may see a few vines sprout from the compost pile in the coming weeks...if the sun returns for more than a day at a time, that is.
The Joy of Coaching
We pretended not to notice the commotion inside the dugout before Thursday night's game between Soule's Auto Supply and Wal-Mart.
Jasmine was the first to enter, carrying three manilla folders, each containing a thank you card for a coach. There was a noticeable air of excitement as she gathered the girls, one by one, and handed them a pen so they could sign each card. My 8-year-old daughter Grace was among them, her laughter and chatter blending with theirs as the noisy "secret" meeting continued.
Ten minutes later, with each card now containing eight names - Abbie, Jasmine, Isabella, Amanda, Ally, Grace, Olivia and Jaimee - the Soule's team handed their thank you cards to me and my fellow coaches Bruce and Andy.
It was a simple gesture that meant far more to both the coaches and the players. And the card will be added to the treasured mementos I have collected from six years of coaching soccer and softball.
I am the first to admit that I will never be the most knowledgeable of coaches when it comes to the sports I coach. This is particularly true of soccer, a sport I knew little about six years ago, having grown up playing football in Winslow - a town with a long, rich tradition in the sport.
In truth, I never envisioned myself as a coach. I became involved, as many parents do, because of a need for coaches for the sports in which my children participated. My initial trepidation disappeared long ago and, believe it or not, I've actually learned a few things about soccer and softball over the years thanks to some willing and patient mentors (you know who you are!).
What I've always been able to offer, however, is positive encouragement, enthusiasm and a love of interacting with children of varying ages. Seeing one or more of my children included in the mix has been especially rewarding for me...and I hope to them as well.
Seeing a child develop confidence and skills over a course of a short season - something they'll hopefully carry with them throughout their lifetimes - makes the hours spent at games and practices so worthwhile. It is a wise investment that carries so many seen and unseen rewards.
So I will keep this latest thank you card in the special place I've reserved for similar mementos received from past teams, and will follow these children closely as they continue with sports and life.
And I hope they'll remember me too - as a coach who cared.
Jasmine was the first to enter, carrying three manilla folders, each containing a thank you card for a coach. There was a noticeable air of excitement as she gathered the girls, one by one, and handed them a pen so they could sign each card. My 8-year-old daughter Grace was among them, her laughter and chatter blending with theirs as the noisy "secret" meeting continued.
Ten minutes later, with each card now containing eight names - Abbie, Jasmine, Isabella, Amanda, Ally, Grace, Olivia and Jaimee - the Soule's team handed their thank you cards to me and my fellow coaches Bruce and Andy.
It was a simple gesture that meant far more to both the coaches and the players. And the card will be added to the treasured mementos I have collected from six years of coaching soccer and softball.
I am the first to admit that I will never be the most knowledgeable of coaches when it comes to the sports I coach. This is particularly true of soccer, a sport I knew little about six years ago, having grown up playing football in Winslow - a town with a long, rich tradition in the sport.
In truth, I never envisioned myself as a coach. I became involved, as many parents do, because of a need for coaches for the sports in which my children participated. My initial trepidation disappeared long ago and, believe it or not, I've actually learned a few things about soccer and softball over the years thanks to some willing and patient mentors (you know who you are!).
What I've always been able to offer, however, is positive encouragement, enthusiasm and a love of interacting with children of varying ages. Seeing one or more of my children included in the mix has been especially rewarding for me...and I hope to them as well.
Seeing a child develop confidence and skills over a course of a short season - something they'll hopefully carry with them throughout their lifetimes - makes the hours spent at games and practices so worthwhile. It is a wise investment that carries so many seen and unseen rewards.
So I will keep this latest thank you card in the special place I've reserved for similar mementos received from past teams, and will follow these children closely as they continue with sports and life.
And I hope they'll remember me too - as a coach who cared.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Supporting a new Chelsea School
Tuesday was a bright day for Chelsea's future with townspeople's acceptance of a new school project. If everything goes according to plan, my three children will enter a beautiful new building at the start of the 2011 school year.
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/6514610.html
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/6514610.html
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