It's Spring! In the northern areas, daffodil bulbs begin to erupt, their slender green leaves a sure sign of warmer days ahead, the red buds of spring adding a vibrant color to the otherwise still bleak landscapes, pussy willows making their annual appearance, reminding all Mother Nature is stirring, from her long winter's sleep. In the warmer climates to the south, Spring is in full bloom, garden centers overflowing with everything and every color imaginable. One would think in the land of the tropical sun, prices should be less expensive. Depends on the purchase, annuals costing much less here than New England. Yet, the local garden center here, trying to sell live pussy willow seedlings for $17.95 a pot. I'd rather pick my own, thank you.
Other signs of Spring are all around. Baseball, baseball and more baseball, this being the last week of Spring training for major league teams. They will now leave the confines of their Winter homes, where it has been an exceptionally warm and sunny Spring, heading north and west, many to much cooler temps, others lucky enough to call a warm southern state, home!
Early Spring conversations at Fred's News; baseball, baseball and of course Boston Red Sox baseball. Everybody an expert, everybody had an opinion. It is understandable that Fenway Park is always sold out, the diehard fans that frequented Fred's News just a tiny drop of water in a large pond, yet put all those minuscule drops together and Fenway is overflowing. Conversations could become ugly, especially if opinions were challenged. Donnie Charron, perhaps the most endearing of all our Red Sox fans. Decisions made by management, he took personally, It was easy to understand Donnie's feelings about his Boston team, he bore the weight of that team on his shoulders........"what was he thinking?" Donnie would lament, as management made choices he wholeheartedly disagreed with. Mr. Bill would wait for Donnie during baseball season, they would re-hash the previous day's game over and over again, obviously trying to make sense of it all. Joining them, other Fred's News customers; Mary, Buzzy, Billy B., Ray Hill, Dave S., and yes, Matt Simoneau, who was always at odds with dad Sim, an avid Yankees supporter. I always felt bad for Mrs. Sim, caught in the middle but very able to hold her own.
Donnie, very much a gentle spirited man, who never seemed to really be upset about anything, yet let the Red Sox loose, that was one really pissed off person. "Why do I torture myself?" he ask Mr. Bill. Sorry Donnie, Mr. Bill does the same thing, "Get over it!" I would holler. Our friend Donnie passed away much too soon, we were trying to remember if he did see the Red Sox win their first world series of his lifetime...sadly we can't. Yet there is pleasure in knowing, with all the Red Sox fans "in and out" of this world, word most definitely made it through! My Dad, also a diehard Boston fan, never watched his team win the title "World Champs", yet I know when Mom was reunited with Dad, her first words were "Mickey they finally did it!", Daddy's reply "I know sweetheart wasn't it great!" Play ball!
Other signs of Spring are all around. Baseball, baseball and more baseball, this being the last week of Spring training for major league teams. They will now leave the confines of their Winter homes, where it has been an exceptionally warm and sunny Spring, heading north and west, many to much cooler temps, others lucky enough to call a warm southern state, home!
Early Spring conversations at Fred's News; baseball, baseball and of course Boston Red Sox baseball. Everybody an expert, everybody had an opinion. It is understandable that Fenway Park is always sold out, the diehard fans that frequented Fred's News just a tiny drop of water in a large pond, yet put all those minuscule drops together and Fenway is overflowing. Conversations could become ugly, especially if opinions were challenged. Donnie Charron, perhaps the most endearing of all our Red Sox fans. Decisions made by management, he took personally, It was easy to understand Donnie's feelings about his Boston team, he bore the weight of that team on his shoulders........"what was he thinking?" Donnie would lament, as management made choices he wholeheartedly disagreed with. Mr. Bill would wait for Donnie during baseball season, they would re-hash the previous day's game over and over again, obviously trying to make sense of it all. Joining them, other Fred's News customers; Mary, Buzzy, Billy B., Ray Hill, Dave S., and yes, Matt Simoneau, who was always at odds with dad Sim, an avid Yankees supporter. I always felt bad for Mrs. Sim, caught in the middle but very able to hold her own.
Donnie, very much a gentle spirited man, who never seemed to really be upset about anything, yet let the Red Sox loose, that was one really pissed off person. "Why do I torture myself?" he ask Mr. Bill. Sorry Donnie, Mr. Bill does the same thing, "Get over it!" I would holler. Our friend Donnie passed away much too soon, we were trying to remember if he did see the Red Sox win their first world series of his lifetime...sadly we can't. Yet there is pleasure in knowing, with all the Red Sox fans "in and out" of this world, word most definitely made it through! My Dad, also a diehard Boston fan, never watched his team win the title "World Champs", yet I know when Mom was reunited with Dad, her first words were "Mickey they finally did it!", Daddy's reply "I know sweetheart wasn't it great!" Play ball!
My dad, Ken Troeger, was a die-hard Red Sox fan. The only time I heard him talk to the TV was when the Red Sox were playing. Thankfully he lived to see them win the World Title. That was a happy day for him.
ReplyDeleteOMG so funny, my Dad would do the same thing! As a metter fact Mr. Bill is always yelling at the TV if it is Red Sox Baseball: two things, it is either a male thing or an aging thing!
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