Fantasy Football

Football - It's that time of year again! 

We are a family that loves football, and we live in a football town.  The Orioles are our baseball team and they are beloved, but they are more like a comfortable friend.  They have their ups and downs (lately - more downs), and the stadium attendance reflected that.

But the Ravens... football fans are a different breed.  Baltimore fans are rabid.  While they love the Ravens and the whole town turns purple every Friday, the home fans ruthlessly pick apart the team; players, coaches, and management every Monday morning on the sports radio programs.  It's hard to live in this town and not be a Ravens fan.  The energy every Sunday is gripping, and attending a tailgate and home game was like a visiting a big purple carnival.

My son-in-law has managed a fantasy football team every season for many years now, and the extended family joins in with delight.  Each year I have a team and try to do my best with the players I end up with, but I seldom know non Raven players and tend to select them based on names that amuse me - and there are plenty.

I always try to pick a team name that reflects my literary interests.  I've been the Dewey Decimators, The Game of Throws, and Fifty Shades of Ray.  

Ever since Hamilton came out on Disney+, I've been addicted to the show.  I watch it ad nauseam, I listen to it on Spotify, I read everything I can about it, and I have the Chernow book in my reading queue.  Of course, this year's team needs to reflect my Hamilton love.  

Debuting in a few weeks will be my team:  Not Throwin' Away My Pass.

Camp Grandkids

 

Last week just about broke me!!  My local grandkids' daycare was closed for the week, and my daughter asked if I'd fill in.  Of course, I was delighted to host "Camp Mimi" for a 1 and 3 year old.  I armed myself with new toys, games, and snacks.  

What I ran out of was energy!!  We were on the go the entire time with

the exception of the daily nap-time hour for the 1 year old.  This "Camp Mimi" falling in the midst of an upsurge of Covid cases in my state, I didn't feel confident taking the grandkids on outings.  We played outside and inside, we played with Playdoh and made cookies, we build with Zoobs and made Brio train routes, we played with water and chalk.

I was happy to see them arrive each morning, but I was also happy to see them head home each evening.  Time to rest for a while and then begin training for the next daycare closure.

An Ending and A New Beginning

I have been writing this blog for several years now.  It started out as a way to give people a look at the books, students, and school that I loved.  It eventually morphed into a book review blog - children's books since I was an elementary school librarian.  

I retired this spring after 27 years.  I still loved my job, school, and students.  I didn't leave because of the Coronavirus.  I left because there are lots of things I'd like to do that don't necessarily fit in with the school calendar.  Things like visit out of state grandchildren, be available to share the daycare load for local grandchildren, and travel in the fall and spring (hopefully again!).  

I am finding my self reading - A LOT!  I love that I have the time to read without feeling guilty and I am free to read whatever I want.  As an elementary school librarian I read middle grade fiction all the time.  I no longer feel guilty when reading about serial killers or books that contain spanky sex.

As a result, this blog will be moving away from writing about children's books and moving toward to great wide world of the printed word.