How Would You Spend the Lottery?

A few weeks ago, my (newly) 18-year-old daughter was excited that on the first day she could buy a lottery ticket, the jackpot was an unheard-of ungodly amount, like $300 million or something. Of course, I bought a ticket or two myself.

My late mother frowned on gambling, and considered the Lottery gambling. My comment to her once was "Anything that takes my mind off my problems, and makes me smile thinking of spending this money can't be bad."

My thinking on how I would spend that money hasn't changed, much, anyway. With any big payout (over $100 million), I would first pay the debts, then I would establish a trust for each of my kids. They would get money as long as they held a job. I don't care what job, they just need to work. I would hope they would work a non-profit, but that would be their decision.

I would take a big trip--like 3-4 months. Rent a place in Italy or France and just relax and drink some good wine and eat some good food. Maybe bring some friends for a while. Poke around shops. Buy another bulldog. Some me-and-Joe-and-kids time.

I would establish a scholarship at UNC for a high-school kid who had decent-enough grades to get accepted, but worked all through high school. In my house right now, none of my kids are eligible for any need-based scholarship, and (because of our values) were forced to work during high school, interfering with the time they put into school. I don't delude myself and believe that if they didn't work, they would have done better in school, but the argument is that they could have. Anyway, paying for their college in full has been a bit of a stretch for their dad and me, not so much now, but in the retirement we could be putting away. Choices, you know? So, the scholarship would help someone, or more than just one student, who has worked, earned decent grades, and would put a hardship on their family to pay for school. If the Lottery were large enough, I might establish the same scholarship at University of Kansas, but maybe not.

I would figure out how to have an account that would hold enough money that The Lord's Diner (a "restaurant" in Wichita serving a hot meal to anyone who comes in) could buy food from the interest. The Lord's Diner is a great concept, and I appreciate that it is staffed by only a few people, and everyone else is a volunteer. It was begun and initially funded by the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, but nearly everyone in Wichita has a night to serve: churches, both Catholic and Protestant; businesses; schools; sororities and fraternities;--you name it, the group has most likely signed up for a stint working.

I might buy myself a new car, but maybe not. I do love my little Caroline-blue Beetle.

So, what would you do with a Lottery windfall?

I cannot believe that it has been over 2 years since I posted an entry here. Many things have happened in my life and in the lives of my family, but by the grace of a good and loving God, we have been made into stronger people, and, I think, a stronger family. However, I really missed the writing, as well as some of the interaction I was experiencing here. I wonder what happened to some of my internet acquaintances, and hope their lives are productive and peaceful.

I am still reading, and will share books from time to time. I still make quilts, and have learned a lot and will post pictures. But, I think that I have found a purpose for this blog, and I intend to rant. So, to get a better feel for me, here is a bit of history: I was born in North Carolina into a typical (read prejudiced) family. I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church, where I was surrounded by good and loving people.  I went to a fundamentalist Christian high school, where I learned more about how to be a bad Christian than I did how to be a Christlike disciple. I always felt disliked, or at least overlooked, by my extended family, other than one set of grandparents. Because my immediate family rooted for NCSU and Norm Sloan, I (again, praise God!) followed Dean Smith and the Tar Heels, and eventually matriculated there and finally graduated from that esteemed institution. No one in my family, except Uncle Marlin, congratulated me for getting into Carolina. My mother cried. I was baptized as a young teenager, and while there have been years that I didn't attend church, I have never not believed in a loving God and a Savior full of grace I don't deserve. I met my husband in Germany, and finally he agreed to marry me, and I moved to his home state, Kansas. He is Catholic, so we attend the Catholic Church. Churches/institutions in my life might change, but it is the same God over me, and I am comfortable with that. My parents were Republican bigwigs, and their political cronies showed me what a terrible, terrible waste of energy and money this nation's political machine can be. After being disenchanted there, and seeing things occur in the White House over the past 20 years, I have become apolitical. I will talk more about that later. My father says I am a Liberal now, but I disagree. My college friends will definitely disagree! Because I feel bad about being apolitical, I rarely read the news in any depth. It depresses me and makes me sad for my country.

So, when I rant, and you say "Where did that come from?!", look at my history, and see if you can find a place where something makes sense. I have a hard time doing it.

I'm Back!

So very, very much has happened since I last posted: I lost my mom, the Tar Heels won, the Tar Heels lost, I got a job, we have a new president, and this past weekend, some wacko shot some people over what may be political hatred. I just have to comment. Plus, I wanted to keep a list of the books I have read like I did in 2009. So here goes. I will be posting somewhat regularly about different things. I still haven't decided what I want this blog to be. Maybe this is the year it evolves into what I want it to be.

First, books.

So far this year, I have read: A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Finch--a book club pick), The Reversal (Michael Connelly), heart of the matter (Emily Giffin) and My Reading Life (Pat Conroy). Finch's book was OK-very Victorian and not all that compelling a main character. I was much more fascinated by a secondary character, Lady Jane, who was able to maintain her social status while behaving outside of the norm of women of that era. I would like to know more about her, but such was not the case.

The Reversal was classic Connelly--I enjoy his writing so much. Nothing new and special, but extremely enjoyable all the same.

heart of the matter--I am confused by Emily Giffin's books. I like them very much, but they are marketed like chick lit, but they are so much better than what that term implies. This particular volume was marred by the removal of the next to the last page, wherein the cheating husband reveals his remorse (why would someone remove that page?). Anyway, I liked it and will continue to read her books.

Pat Conroy is someone I have resisted reading for a long, long time. Mostly because I felt conflicted about the movies made from his books. Also because any interview I listened to that included him sounded somehow, I don't know, sanctimonious? Self-centered? Maybe it was just my age ("The Great Santini" was released when I was in middle school---lots of talk about it from my peers made it unwatchable for me; "The Prince of Tides" seemed a bit trite--somehow, Barbra Streisand in a Sosuthern novelist's story seemed, well, wrong!). For whatever reason, I wouldn't read him. Finally, I picked up South of Broad, and found Conroy's writing to be beautiful, simply beautiful. Unexpectedly beautiful. Although I heartily disliked the story (it seemed as though he began he story about one thing [the main character's reaction to his brother's suicide] but changed to telling a story about one of the friend's sexual status and subsequent death from AIDS, and then remembered that the story was about the brother's suicide and quickly added the backstory to the suicide). But the description of Charleston: I felt like I lived there. Prose like that is hard to come by. Anyway, I checked out My Reading Life from the library (no pages ripped out! Yay!). I had to read a couple excerpts out loud to my husband (who grunted quietly at them). I absolutely loved his discussion of Gone With the Wind, and think I may have to reread that one (for the third time, but my first as an adult). He has made me order some Anne Rivers Siddons' books from Paperback Swap.com, and I look forward to putting those in my (huge) pile of books to be read. However, his discussion of his love of books and language in his chapter on the Old New York Book Shop is what swayed me to his other books. If Conroy really feels that way about books and words, then maybe South of Broad wasn't really meant to be a novel, but he had to make it look that way for his publisher. I have ordered a couple more of his books to add to my stack; I'll keep you posted.

My First Visit to the Dean Smith Center for a Ball Game

I had been to the Smith Center before--saw Rod Stewart there (whew!-in a red leather suit!--
Whew!), visited my daughter at basketball camp there, went in simply to look around. But I had never seen the Heels play there. That was all about to change...

My friend Moneypenny was visiting her folks during February. I got a phone call from her asking if I wanted to go to the dook game. Knowing that we had already played dook at cameron, I knew exactly what game she was talking about. After hyperventilating for a minute, I assured her that if she got the tickets, I was there!

Her friend gave her the tickets. I bought an airplane ticket. It was a done deal. I didn't tell anyone in Raleigh except my sister, Jaymi. I flew in on Friday, and my friend Moneypenny picked me up from the airport. We had a lovely dinner at a beautiful restaurant in Cary, and then we were up and running the next morning. I was up at 6:00 a.m. to get dressed and drive to Wake Forest to see my niece Morgan before she left for school. After a lovely breakfast and delightful company, I drove out to my parents' home and surprised the heck out of them! They had no idea I was anywhere near the state, and I had a short, but great, visit with them. I get tickled every time I remember how surprised they were.

Finally, it was Sunday--the day of the big game. My sister and brother-in-law drove to Chapel Hill with my other niece for breakfast. Breadman's is ALWAYS a great choice. Moneypenny and I met up and shopped a little on Franklin Street, pointing out the changes since we were in residence. Then we trekked down campus to the Smith Center. We waiting in line to see the new museum (which was incredible, but too little history--a lot of current players' items and stats). Then, the game.

We arrived during warmups, which is always fun to watch. Everyone cheered as players came up from the locker room to warm up. I got a photo of Danny Green waving to me! We sat about 10 rows behind Michael Jordan (great seats!). Everyone booed as the dookies came in, especially the former players, I mean, the coaching staff. As the seniors were introduced, each got a round of applause. The most touching thing, to my mind: Marcus Ginyard is redshirted, so he will be back next year as a fifth-year senior. His recruiting class is graduating (on time, I might add!) this year. All the graduating seniors were on the floor enjoying their moment, when one of them (I think Mike Copeland) went to the bench and led Marcus onto the court. Then the game started. I think they scored first, but we led most of the way. I felt pretty comfortable after the 15-minute mark of the second half.

Postgame Senior speeches were fun and touching. Psycho T, the stoic, don't let anyone get in his way, cried during his final appearance at the Smith Center. It was adorable. I cried, and I am not even his mom! It was really wonderful to see ALL the players recognize the time and money and energy their families put into their basketball career.

What a great tradition we have. I know others feel the same way, and I know we all think that "our" tradition is more special than any other. It is, because it is ours. All the people in that gym had one thing in common, even the dookies: we love the game. And that game belonged to the Heels, all those before and all those to come. God bless those Tar Heel Boys!

Books, Book Clubs, and More Books

I have finally been invited to join a book club! I went 2 months ago to my first meeting (The Guernsey LIterary and Potato Peel Society), wherein I did NOT get to read the book (although I bought the book and will read it later). This past week was my first meeting for which I read the book, Away, by Amy Bloom. I loved the writing of Away, but did not much like the story. If the writing is that prosaic, I like the story to either be too unbelievable or very believable. The Hobbit (completely unbelievable, but beautiful) and Sophie's Choice (believable, and horrible, but beautiful) come to mind as examples.

As you can see by my sidebar, I love to read. I love books, and I love bookstores and libraries. I am grateful that my love of reading has been passed down to at least 2 of my children. Both of my daughters love to read, and hopefully my son will discover the joy as well.

This month, the book club will be reading The People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. It looks interesting, and I will post after I have read it.

Winners Again

Well, my beloved Tar Heel boys did it again last night--beating the blue devils in Durham. And for most of the game, they looked darn good doing it. Why is it that we, as fans, get so wrapped up in this? We have absolutely nothing, NOTHING, to do with winning, losing--we don't know these boys, will (most likely) never meet these boys, gain nothing but bragging rights (to what?!), waste hours thinking about or researching or writing about the game/rivalry, spend money to watch or commune during a game, and for what? The opportunity to align ourselves with winners. Or, in my case, with a premier program/university. If you have read my previous postings regarding Coach Smith, then you know the influence he has had on my life and my outlook on the world. That is where I come from.

So, here's to you, boys! Let's do it again in March. Show them who's boss.

God Bless those Tar Heel Boys!

New Quilts

This is Austin's quilt that I made for him for Christmas.

This one is for Taylor for her Christmas. It is classic Winnie the Pooh motifs.

This is a quilt I began about 7 years ago and have just gotten it quilted. I am binding it (soon) and will put it on my bed.

I really like the way this turned out, even though I amde so many mistakes on it.

Long Time, No Rants

Wow, has it really been since August that I posted?! So much has happened!

I completed 4 quilts, all of which have been given away as gifts. Kim just called yesterday to thank me for hers and the kids; they love them, and that is gratifying. Now, on to the 8 that I have waiting for me!

School started, and Kate is enjoying her senior year (I think!). She is off to Manhattan, which is making her dad crazy, and I am enjoying every minute of that!

Sam's grades are marginally better, but any improvement is good, right? He is proving to be a good kid, even though he makes his parents crazy.

Emma's one desire of the year was to see Tyler Hansbrough play in a Carolina uniform. To that end, we traveled to Chicago and watched the Valparaiso game. She got the other Tyler's autograph and her picture made with him, and she was happy.

I read several books that I didn't post, notably, Gods Behaving Badly. A memorable premise, but disappointing in the end.

I promise to post more in the future--especially as my beloved Tar Heels begin conference play on Sunday.

Another Book--Another Rant

I finished another book this weekend: Escape, by Robert Tannenbaum. I loved his early books. I really liked how stand-up Butch Karp is, how flawed Marlene is, and how loyal Guma and Espey and the others are to Butch. Escape is about 550 pages long, and of those pages, about 50 are dedicated to a court case, and about 100 are dedicated to the other plot (yet another bombing of NYC that the Karp clan prevents). The rest is backstory. Really frustrating when you have read all the other books. It is almost as if he pulls synopses from the other books and works them in. There was no characterization in this novel--we learned nothing new about any body except the new ADA Kenny Katz. Well, we really didn't learn anything about him either, just that Karp sees himself in him and wants to treat Katz as Garrahy treated Karp. I reallyliked Tannenbaum's books, and I am sorry that I was so angry at this end of this one. I won't read another, and that makes me sad.

I wish I could say that my summer has been spent joyously with my children, putting up scads of home-grown produce, and creating lots of peace and comfort in my home. But, No. My summer has been spent going, coming, cleaning, sewing, reading, picking up, dropping off, ad infinitum. I can say it has been a fairly good summer--no broken bones, no surgeries, no car accidents--nothing to mar the landscape. I did get my very first (and second) quilt tops made, and they are at the quilter's even as I type. Here's a photo of the first one:

I have read several books this summer, and here lately, I have really been on a reading jag. Since June 20, I have finished several books, not all noteworthy, except that they belong on my list. I read Jimmy Black's Tales of the Tar Heels, which is a great account of the 1982 Tar Heel trip to the Final Four, Coach Smith's first championship. I was very pleased to see that he addressed the "dark years" of Matt Doherty's coaching stint at Carolina, and he did it sensitively. I appreciated that. I have read The Whole Truth, by David Baldacci, A Quilter's Homecoming (Audiobook), by Jennifer Chiaverini, Motor Mouth (Audiobook), by Janet Evanovich, Petite Anglaise, by Catherine Sanderson, Inside the Mind of BTK, by John Douglas and Johnny Dodd, You've Been Warned, by James Patterson. Two of these I want to discuss a little: Petite Anglaise and Inside the Mind of BTK.

I thought Petite Anglaise was a chick-lit book. I tend to check these out and keep them in the car to read while I wait for children to get in the car so I can take them someplace else. The cover gave that impression. But no, it is an account of what happened when the author began keeping a blog. It was interesting that she (1) started writing a blog that immediately had a huge readership. No one reads my blog except maybe, sometimes, my husband. And SoSock, but I haven't heard from him in a long time (I hope everything is OK with him). So that in and of itself is pretty impressive. But then, she meets the people who comment on her blog, and who email her about her life as she has written in her blog. It as a very interesting read for a blogger, even without the crux of the book, which was her love life. I enjoyed the book very much, much more because I blog.

The other book I want to talk about is the BTK book. I truly enjoy reading books that make me uncomfortable in my faith, books that make me see things about my knowledge of God and my faith in God from a different angle. Because I live in the city where this gross little man with severe psychological problems committed his crimes, I have been very interested in reading what is written (in a professional, clinical sense) about him. I think I have read all the books that have been written since his capture, including Beatty's book that drove him out of hiding. One book apparently was written after extensive interviews with his minister. In that book, BTK is credited with the thougtht that staying in the church is not only good cover, but that he can ask forgiveness after he kills and still be covered, as it were, on the salvation part. This is while he takes the body of a woman he has killed and poses her in his church (one book said on the altar, or in the altar area, while this book said it was in the basement [ this book had some other things really very wrong, so I am going with the altar]). Anyway, the point is, in relation to my thinking about faith: I know that anyone can be forgiven of anything if they ask. I completely believe in God's grace, and I know that His love can cover any mountain of sin. But can you sin, horribly and purposefully, with the knowledge that "all I have to do is be sorry" and that is OK? or at least forgiven? See where I am going with this? How sorry do you have to be? I don't think that BTK is crazy. I don't believe that he is insane, at least inasmuch as that he was impulsive and couldn't control that. I believe that he is simply an evil, evil man. How does his love of torture be forgiven? Even Nazis were in a better position than this; they at least believed they were being patriotic in some strange, misguided way. Still evil, mind you, but not selfishly so.

Old Friends

Last weekend, I went to the wedding of one of my college roommates. Most of my old roommates were there, and it brought to mind the how and whys of friendship. We were thrown together randomly, and 28 years later, brought together again. We laughed at old times and things we did when we were (much) younger. We talked about where we are going at this stage of our lives. We talked about our children and husbands (and ex-). For a weekend, we were friends again.

When I was younger, I read a book about siblings. One line impressed me a lot: "Your sibling knows exactly what button to push; he or she created the button." That is true, too, of old friends. Each of these friends created in me a facet to the person who went to Chapel Hill in 1980. Each gave a bit of themselves, and (I hope) each took something from me. None of us live in North Carolina any longer, but our history made it important enough for everyone to come together again to see each other, and plan to do it again. I hope and pray that happens.

We are different people from those who lived in Ehringhaus in 1980, but a part of us remembers who we were, and we celebrate that together. Mostly because no one else understands--just those who helped make us who we are now.

Something New

I wanted to post some of my "art" for lack of a better term. I have never thought of myself as creative, but I do love to scrapbook, and have gotten into swaps involving altered things, ATCs (Artist's Trading Cards), and greeting cards. The top photo is the last ATC I made for a swap; we had to do something for the letter A. I cut the apple on my Cricut, and was really pleased with the way it turned out. The brad was one I found in a package with different colors of postage stamps. I really love the way this turned out, although most ATCs are more collage-y and altered. I am not sure that I am completely comfortable with a lot of the techniques, not the mention the content of some ATCs that you will find on a search, but I like the clean lines of this one.

The other two photos are scrapbook layouts I did yesterday. I did five all told, and these 2 were my favorites. I get frustrated looking at magazine layouts that ooh and ahh over children, and layouts made about a cup of coffee or something like that. I scrapbook to document the life of my family--nothing more, nothing less. I want each page of my scrapbook to show something that we did; an event that occurred in the regular day of family life. Consequently, I start each year's book with summer vacation or summer sports, have a page dedicated to the beginning of school (my favorite day of the year), and follow through with birthdays, get-togethers, Homecoming, holidays, and so on. I like to see my scrapbooks as sort of a diary of our year.

I also hate journaling. I will put a note on a page sometimes, but I can't stand the "letter to your child" kind of journaling. Mostly, I think that 99% of that kind of journaling is a load of crap. I mean, really, most days, I am struggling to talk to my kids about something reasonable, instead of just issuing commands (like: get out of bed--it's 2:00 p.m., or get off the phone--the house is on fire, or get in the car--school starts in 2 minutes). Rarely do I look at my child and think, I love this child so much my heart will break the first time she talks back to me, or this boy of mine is such a bundle of joy--I hope that everything good happens to him (knowing that he flunks each grade he starts and would rather stay at the YMCA all day long shooting hoops than come home and spend 2 minutes with his little sister). I don't think this makes me a bad mom; on the contrary, I think our family is normal. I am just realistic. I wonder if the scrappers who gush about their baby does the same for their last child as their first.

Anyway, the first layout above is when my husband took my kids skiing to Frisco. I used a layout sketch for this, but I changed in slightly so that all the photos on the left side tilt up like a mountain, where the sketch had them kind of hodge-podge-y. I cut out the titles with my Cricut.

The second layout is Thanksgiving of 2006. I liked the colors and papers, although I think I might need to go back and outline the green chipboard letters on the lower right-hand side of the page. Anyway, I liked the way this looked, and am pleased with the book so far.

I wish that I had a 12x12 scanner, so I wouldn't have to take a picture of my layouts. My husband spoils me enough, so I just should leave it on my wish list.

More Books! Again!

It has been such a long time since I have blogged, and I promised that I would do more of it. Now I just have to do it!

I have read more books while I have been not blogging. Here is a quick rundown:

The Ungarnished Truth, by Ellie Matthews: A funner idea than the book really was. I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as Julie and Julia.

Remember Me, by Sophie Kinsella: Not as good as her Shopaholic books, but still fun. I enjoyed it, but wish I had the paperback instead of the hardback, as I would like to list it on paperbackswap.com.

baby proof, by Emily Griffith: I think I enjoyed this book more than any other in this list, except the Paris book. Funny, but not too, and gave me something to think about, as well.

The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy, by Robert LeLeux: Why is it that because I find David Sedaris absolutely hysterical that people automatically assume I enjoy reading books by all gay men? This book was OK, but just OK. I am sorry I paid full price for it.

A Town Like Paris, by Bryce Corbett: Although I didn't like his style of foreshadowing, and he tended to use certain phrases over and over, I loved this book. Loved his sense of adventure, marveled at his egotism, and fell in love with Paris again myself. In discussing this choice of words with my husband, I do not mean to imply that Mr. Corbett's egotism is a bad thing; in fact, I was happy to be along for the ride. I knew someone (while I myself was a temporary ex-pat) just like Mr. Corbett, although, to my knowledge, he is still searching for his showgirl. I laughed out loud at this book, and am loathe to put it into paperbackswap.com.

A Prisoner of Birth, by Jeffrey Archer: Couldn't put this book down, although it was a formula book. I have always loved Archer, since I read his short story about Mary and Joseph looking for a room at the inn before the birth of their/her baby. I didn't care so much for The Eleventh Commandment, and this one was much better.

The Machiavelli Covenant, by Allan Folsom (audiobook): I enjoyed this well enough, but thought the withcraft angle was a little forced. The rest of it was good, and the pacing kept me listening intently.

Pure Drivel, by Steve Martin (audiobook): You know he's a favorite of mine, and this one is an oldie, but still funny.

In case I haven't discussed www.paperbackswap.com, please let me tell you about it. This is set up so that you list paperback books that you have read. Every time someone sees one of your books that they want, they request it. You send it to them at no charge, and when they receive it, you receive a credit. You spend your credits to buy books. There is no charge; everyone pays postage to mail books (at media rate, of course). It is a great idea, and I have used it a LOT. I got all the books that my daughter had to have for her HS Junior English classes, which saved me about $45.00. Love a deal! Check it out.

I Don't Hate the Month of May So Much Now...

I used to really hate the month of May. My children go to parochial schools, and there are (too) many days they get off in May. Add to that the Awards Days, Field Days, Last Day of Class Parties--just too many days to be in school. And I despise summer. Kids in and out of the house all the time. Some of them I like, some of them I love, and some I just can't stand to be around. I know all the good points of having my kids in the house: I know where they are; I know what they are doing; I know who their friends are. I also know I shouldn't resent them being here. I know that I will miss them when they are gone (although not as much as people tell me I will).

Defending Roy Williams

As you know if you have read my blog, I am a Tar Heel. Born and Bred, never wavering, always staunch, even during the Doherty years. I love my husband; I love my children; I can't decide if the Heels come before or after my dogs. And I love my dogs! So, living among and being married to a Jayhawk in the era of Roy Williams has not always been easy. When he said he was never leaving Kansas, I actually kicked something (I think it was a chair). When he said he was leaving Kansas, my husband called him names (then I kicked him!--not really).

In the 5 years since Roy Williams left Kansas, I have felt honor-bound to defend his decision to leave. I don't profess to know Coach Williams. I do know that if Dean Smith recommended him, then he is a credit to our program in Chapel Hill. Coach Williams seems to be carrying on the "Carolina Tradition" as if Coach Smith left the notes on how to do so in a drawer in the basketball office. When he was here in Kansas, I was glad to hear Roy talk--it reminded me of home. I am more glad to see him in Chapel Hill--kind of a feeling of "all's right with the world."

I went to San Antonio this past weekend for the Final Four with my best friend. She of the Jayhawk variety. My husband couldn't get out of some work things, and she could, so we went. We discussed even before we had an idea to go whether our friendship would survive this game. You see, she was a "Roy-Hater". Felt like he lied, led them down a rosy path only to strand them. I never understood--she likes Coach Self. She just hates Roy Williams. Unreasonably. Through her hatred, she has taught all of those around her a little about herself. (Her husband, God bless his heart, learned that there would never, never be an amicable divorce, should a separation ever be in their future, and that he really should treat her a little more respectfully!) We not only have not spoken about Roy in 5 years, we haven't even watched a basketball game together. It has been difficult. Basketball was the only thing we could not talk about.

I brought magazines for the 9-hour trip home, imagining a world where we could be trapped in the car not speaking except to beg for a pitstop, which she may or may not grant. So in the car on the way down, we finally talked about basketball. And Roy. Even before we left Wichita, after searching her heart, she decided that hating him was not the best option, and she even broke down and said that, if the Heels won, she would buy a shirt and wear it Monday night. I told her I would buy that shirt.

Well, we all know what happened. My Heels played as badly as they have played in a long, long, time. My friend made an interesting observation: While they were up 28 points in the first half, she wondered how the Hawks would lose--I wondered when the Heels would make their run and win. Kind of the difference in the Hawks and Heels in a nutshell.

So for Monday's game, Roy was shown on TV wearing a Jayhawk sticker. To hear some Tar Heels talk, you would think that the man had a little Dean Smith voodoo doll with a noose around his neck, hanging him in effigy once again. On the message boards, Roy was denounced by his own people. I am so very,very tired of defending Roy Williams to people who don't know him. I don't know him, and he doesn't ask for me to defend him. He doesn't need me to defend him. He just seems like a nice man, and I can't stand to hear people who don't know him hating him, or criticizing his actions. Not his coaching--we all love to second-guess a coach. Should he have called a time-out in the first half? If he has done his job (and his record this year says that he has not only done it, he has done it very, very well), those kids know what to do. This is a discussion of his coaching, not his character. Shooting him down for wearing a Jayhawk on his shirt? That is assassinating his character. Who are we to do that?

So here's my take: Roy came back to Carolina because (among anything else that is personal to him) he is loyal. Why do we hold that against him when he is loyal to another team? Do we not agree that his character is such that he could not coach his best against that same team? I know that I do. Good teams have bad games. Our bad game came at the worst possible time. As much as a coach says "my bad", it isn't his bad--the bad belongs to every player, every manager, every coach, even every fan. It just wasn't going to happen that night. It will happen again. And again. And again. The good and the bad.

Our friendship survived. The program lives on.

Thanks, Roy.

Challenge 31 -- A Picture of Myself

Here I am, finished with the Challenge. I have really enjoyed doing the challenge posts, even though sometimes I felt like I was rushing through them because I got behind. I have remembered some things that I hadn't remembered for a while, like the beech tree in my grandma's yard, and I have stretched some boundaries that I wouldn't have pushed unless challenged. Thank you, Barb!

Challenge 30 -- Family News Story

The biggest news story in our family this month is that Mom not only got time off from the kids, she got to spend it in San Antonio at the Final Four with her best friend, Linda. Linda and Mom are on the opposite sides of the court, so to speak, on April 5, and so we hope the friendship lasts after that game. Mom, of course, is pulling for her beloved Tar Heels. Linda is a true blue Rock Chalk Jayhawk. Only one team can play in the Championship, and we want it to be the Tar Heels. OK, I want it to be the Tar Heels. You won't read about us in any of the news reports or stories after the game, but if the friendship survives, and I know Linda well enough to know that it will, it should be in the papers.

Challenge 29 -- Driver of Most Trips

This is our last road trip. My husband, of course, driving, because, well, he can't stand it when I drive. There was a parent's mirror (my term) and my son thought it was a cool shot of the inside of the car. Joe driving, me, and my oldest daughter behind us, her sister beside her, and Sam in the back. I can't figure how he got the picture though!

Challenge 28 -- Autographed Books

This is a book my mother gave me--I don't know where she found it. I have always been the reader in my family--thanks to my Grananny Phillips. (Her name was Nannie, and so we always called her Grananny, instead of Gramma or Granny.) Anyway, Grananny gave me a book for Christmas when I was in 3rd grade; the third Nancy Drew book. I was so disappointed that I didn't get a toy. So I sat down and started my book (my cousins wouldn't let me play with their new toys). A couple hours later, I was nearly
done with the book and ready for new ones. I haven't stopped reading since. I even majored in English, which nearly killed me from reading, but now I read almost strictly for pleasure. Anyway, back to this book: This is an autographed Mark Twain. The book is "The $30,000.00 Bequest and Other Stories." It isn't worth much because the book is in bad shape, and Twain tended to sell his autograph toward the end of his life to stave off bankruptcy. But it is neat to have this. I also have an autographed Dom DeLuise children's book, and several autographed Julia Child cookbooks. All in all, though, I would rather talk to the authors than just have their signatures.

Challenge 27 -- Game Show

I don't watch this anymore because I don't have time, but I used to watch it enought that all my kids would say "Mom, you should go on Jeopardy!" Of course, I never did, but it is fun to say "I could do that" and know that you might be able to.