LiveStrong!!!

So the LiveStrong benefit basketball game between the two major high schools was a success. Thank you so much for coming out to cheer Naomi and her teammates on even though some of you really don't appreciate hs athletics and the game started very late. It meant so much to me. Throughout the day, Steve went to Coach Steve to get more t-shirts, who conveniently works near our house. I went early to sell raffle tickets with Darlene, Sierra's grandmom (who is just 2 years older than me) climbing up and down the stands. In all $750 of tickets were sold. Some people donated their tickets to me, which was very sweet even though as it turned out, they weren't winning tickets. The prizes were 6 extremely elaborate gift baskets stuffed with at least $100 worth of goodies. I met up with the LiveStrong people who urged me to sign up right away. LiveStrong is a nationwide program started by Lance Armstrong to deal with the aftermath of cancer. It's a 12 week program administered here by the Y to rebuild one's muscles. Also I met up with Coach Crystal (Pioneer's varsity coach), a cancer survivor, who was hand-painting brooms for part of the raffle-she's an art teacher. We had a nice chat. Lots of positive vibes all around.

Naomi was antsy and cranky before the game. On top of it all, she had cramps. She felt there was too much pressure on her. I didn't tell her that Josh and Julia were going to be there too. She really hates screwing up in front of him. Josh helped her game out quite a bit growing up. He was a very good player himself, much older and bigger than Naomi, and still wouldn't give her a break. She had to learn to shoot around him. He was disappointed that she wasn't a 'little brother' but athletically, she was much more co-ordinated than most of his friends when they were the same age. Until her peers hit puberty, she held her own against the boys her age.

Two of Huron's posts are injured, although Jasmine will be able to play next week, leaving just Naomi and Sierra. Sierra has been on varsity only this year and doesn't have enough experience with all the complicated plays the team runs. JV teams usually have 2 or 3 plays to run and they are fairly simple.
Kelcie, the youngest player, was getting very good but she has some scary medical issues now to deal with and is out for the season . Naomi ended up playing most of the game. Compared to most teams, Huron plays an extremely fast paced game. They have a deep bench and will tire out any team who doesn't. Naomi was subbed out briefly but then Pioneer would start to catch up and Naomi had to go back in. She played very well defensively and even had a fast break on offense. Coach Steve was quite pleased with her. Pioneer played its best game ever but it lacks the stars such as Tyler and Devonyea, who are impossible to stop. They have 3 games next week to finish up the season but all against 'easy' teams. Then Districts start and they want to go far.

Naomi's chief objection to the newspaper article was that it said my age, which for some reason is a source of acute embarassment for her. Nevermind that I have been much more physically active than the young moms of her peers running around the soccer fields coaching when she was younger and doing our cross state bike rides.

I woke up early yesterday to try to deal with the mess our house has become so my cousin wouldn't think I am a total slob. I was able to get a long walk in too as today we are to get a big storm. It is now starting 3 hours late-I should go out right now but don't feel like it. My cousin Donna finally came with a very nice gift basket full of thoughtful goodies (so I am not gift basket deprived) including a cute outfit for my theoretical granddaughter who Shanna may be carrying right now or maybe Julia will carry (after she conceives) later: 75% chance of having a little girl in the next 15 months from my reckoning. Donna and I went out for lunch and had a good time discussing this and that. My mom had two sisters that very much looked like her (there was another sister who died before she was born). Donna very much looks like her mom or my mom, who I don't look like at all. At the end of the night, I was very tired.

J&J want to drive to Grand Rapids today to visit Julia's uncle. Trying to talk them out of that-bad storm.

Shanna's family will move to a more affordable and larger place in Dorchester in the next month. I'll miss cute Arlington and its Minuteman trail.