Friday, November 25, 2016

Can they win another game for Joe


It’s the state semi-finals tonight, Joe. And they’re matched against the same team that took them down last year, but barely.

It was a beautiful night last year. As I left from taking Emily for band inspection, folks were beginning to gather at the intersections of the residential and main roads. Why, I wondered, and then realized they were gathering to cheer the team buses. (They probably cheered the band buses, too.)

The team spirit of the city impressed me, and I swing around back into town to sit in the grocery store parking lot and watch. It was inspiring. Homemade signs, the beat up yard signs signifying the home of a band member (Loud is Good), anything they could get over their heads, the parents waved.

Tonight I had to get Laura to school way early.  The director wants to see how many gave up the holiday to march in the band, decide what sort of a show they could put on, and run through it. Sadly, it’s cold and drizzly. I bet the parents were at the corners anyway; football is a pretty big deal around here.

Instead of going home tonight, I went straight through on the main road and out to another township past mine. An old acquaintance is newly admitted to a care facility there, the memory unit. When the aid took me to her, she knew me and knew my name as soon as I spoke it. She remembered and used it the rest of the visit.

We had such a good chat. One of the sisters associated with the facility stopped to introduce herself, and my friend introduced me. The sister asked me to stay to supper and went and arranged us a private table and another meal. I couldn’t believe I signed out more than two hours after I signed in.

So, a cheer for Jean, too, who told me she would be ninety on her next birthday, “whenever that is. I was born in 1927.” That needs cheering from the street corner, too.


16 comments:

  1. And to top it all off, you got out of shopping Black Friday. I napped today instead of shopping. Can't imagine those crowds.

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  2. Have to root for the home team even if it means more band.

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    1. Text from Laura at 9:45: We Lose :-)

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    2. Hari om
      Hoorah for the teams, hoorah for the band, hoorah for Jenny; but most of all, HOORAH FOR JOANNE! YAMxx

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    3. Tsk... Jean... using fhe tablet this morning and there will be mor tylos...

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  3. Yay for the team, the band, and Jean. Of the three, I secretly think Jean deserves it the most. It sounds like she is in a good facility.

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  4. Echoing jenny_o. It sounds as if her memory (and her manners) are pretty good still.

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  5. Yay, Jenny! Still going strong!

    The dedication of those students and their parents is wonderful!

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  6. There is always next year for the team.

    How wonderful that Jean was having a good day for your visit. I am sure your visit brought cheer to your friend.

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  7. sounds like Laura was ready for it to be over too.

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  8. Makes me happy... makes me sad.... just awesome how you deal with it all.

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  9. How lovely that they arranged for you to dine with your friend. That sounds like a sign of a good care center to me. That never would have happened where I worked. When my son was in high school band, the band competed in Florida ever four years. They always returned to Maryland with parents cheering for them and the one and only police car and fire engine in town with their sirens blaring. It was good for my son to be part of such a group.

    Love,
    Janie

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  10. On a side note, I'm glad the Cubs finally won the world series again. Even in 1927, the cubs were in a win-drought

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  11. Cheers to Joan, the band and the home team! Just coming from Jenny's blog. You, my friend, are grade A "Lifter".

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  12. Sounds like a wonderful time visiting with your friend! I like the town's, school's, and family's involvements with the team and the band, cheering them on! I'm not sure if it goes on here, but its a nice thing to do!

    betty

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