This is unadulaterated joy! It’s my son’s soccer team celebrating the goal they scored to win their first playoff game. It was scored in the last 30 seconds of double overtime.
This team has won lots of games. In fact, they won their division championship, but they never celebrated with such abandon. I think I know why: because they really EARNED this moment of triumph. Their opponents played well, and my son’s team was down 1-0 at the half. Coming back to force the game into overtime was satisfying, but winning with almost no time left on the clock created a sense of jubilation.
When we earn our happiness by putting forth our best efforts, it’s so much more satisfying than having it just handed to us for no good reason. I try to remember that when things are not going well. If I can make it work out, I will feel all the greater joy.
Categories: Son
Tagged: soccer
It’s that time of year again where I round up the weirdest gift ideas I can find in the catalogues that rain through my mailslot.
This first one is something that I might secretly want for myself if it weren’t for the price. Yes, I’m a Trekkie so this appeals to me:
It’s a Kirk and Spock Transporter Figure Set. “One shake of our water tube transporters recreates the effect [of beaming up], with flashing red, green and blue LED lights, enhanced by swirls of gold glitter.”
The hitch: the set costs $49.98 plus tax, shipping and handling. That seems kind of pricey for something I’d play with on Christmas Day and then put on a shelf to collect dust. Maybe there are Trekkies more devoted than I, but I refuse to even ask Santa to fork over $50 for this.
However, for all you lottery winners, here’s the link if you want to buy one: http://www.thingsyouneverknew.com/product/code/55944.do?showPrevNext=false
Beam me up, Scotty!
Categories: Star Trek · holiday gift
I discovered Jon Katz through his Suburban Detective series, books I adored. The first was titled Death by Station Wagon. What soccer mom could resist? Evidently, his mysteries didn’t sell well enough so the series was discontinued, much to my disappointment, since each one was better than the last.
Jon Katz then turned to writing about dogs and the rest is history. His first doggy story, A Dog Year, about a psychotic Border Collie he rescued, made me laugh and cry at the same time. It was great stuff and hit the bestseller lists.
So I was delighted to see Soul of a Dog in my local library and snatched it up immediately. Mr. Katz has left his suburban home and moved to Bedlam Farm in upstate New York. This book talks about all of the animals on the farm although dogs are certainly central. There’s Elvis the enormous Snickers-loving steer, Henrietta the unusual hen, Mother the barn cat, along with various sheep, donkeys, and goats. Nearest and dearest to his heart are Rose and Izzy, the Border Collies, and Lenore, the Labrador. The entertaining stories about these critters are framed by Katz’s own exploration of the on-going debate as to whether animals have souls.
As an animal lover myself, I gobbled up Katz’s descriptions of his creature companions, but I also enjoyed the depth his occasional philosophical tangents gave the book. He is remarkably clear-eyed about the dangers of anthropomorphizing our pets, yet he clearly cares deeply about all of his animals.
This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves animals. I’ve already put it on my gift-giving list.
Categories: Books · Dog · Nod from Nancy · holiday gift
Tagged: Jon Katz, Soul of a Dog
