The Baseball Revelation

Baseball is superior to other sports in so many ways. It's really the only sport I LOVE watching, both on television and of course live. I tolerate a few other sports, and as you know, I completely shun the National Felons League these days. If I had the time and a park nearby, I think I'd watch a game every day.

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. ~George F. Will

Baseball is a team game but, at the same time, it's a very lonely game: unlike in soccer or basketball, where players roam around, in baseball everyone has their little plot of the field to tend. When the action comes to you, the spotlight is on you but no one can help you. ~Chad Harbach

Baseball is like church. Many attend - few understand. ~Leo Ernest Durocher

There are so many things to love. The parks, the rooftops, the strategy. The obscure rules that pop out  and make or break a game when you least expect it. The 7th inning stretch. The fact that you need to bring a glove. The games that go on forever. The PEANUTS. The hot dogs. The beer. That time I took a foul ball to the knuckle in Denver and got to meet a bunch of players. The sheer AMERICAN-ness of it all. The movies and the books. The legends. The singing. The fact that it takes place over the best parts of the year. The Cal Ripken Jr.s and Nolan Ryans of the world. The fact that there are 108 stitches on a baseball. The secret hand signals.

Yesterday, I realized, accidentally, one of the things I love the MOST about it. I was standing in the kitchen and there was a game on that I could hear and not see. I was listening to the relaxing, conversational tone of the two people covering the game, and it struck me.

All other sports have commentators who are CONSTANTLY yelling. Even away from the games - in their discussion of the games on sports shows they are just bellowing in this anxiety-producing fast-paced hysteria that I realized annoys the heck out of me. 

Baseball has such a long stride that that hysteria isn't built into the commentary because they'd all be exhausted by the end of a long inning or twenty. So they just talk. And they have SILENCE sometimes, because that's okay in baseball. And when it gets exciting, they get excited. 

It's just so much more peaceful. More suited to the radio than any other sport. And I guess I'm more of a radio person anyway. It's just so much more relaxing.

Speaking of relaxing, that's exactly what I'm doing this weekend. I did a video yesterday that you'll see Monday and then I plowed in for a three hour nap, which I'm assuming I really needed since it was unplanned.

However, I have discovered that the felines have some sort of nap sensing technology. The SECOND you start to nod off, you are INSTANTLY occupied by the nap sensing beasties. There's no such thing as a solitary nap and they don't care which of your limbs become numb while they are occupying you. Splotch for some reason LOVES to sleep on my neck. I think he might be trying to kill me.

After I woke up and extracted the occupiers I thought I'd get cracking on my card for today. It was a quickie with the new Made With Love set. I don't normally buy baby sets but I could NOT resist these little animals in the set. I did a little stamp surgery to cut the baby greeting away from the kitty.

Then I used my MISTI to make sure my red, white and blue kitties were all in a row. (PS - just read there's a 4th of July sale on the MISTI if you still don't have one - read about it here.)

So after all that, I give to you - the most patriotic kitties in the WORRRRLLLDDDD.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

I just colored the kitties with Touch Twin markers, added little silver glimmer paper stars and used the Neutrals Pattern pack paper behind it. It hurt me to glue down the side with that cute handwriting, but the dots looked better with my kittens.

What are YOU up to this weekend? Got any fun Independence Day traditions? Parades? Cookouts?

Whatever it is, I hope it's fun, relaxing and safe. This is one of my favorite holidays.

After you get done celebrating, when your boss isn't looking, come back on Monday for a fun surprise and a big giveaway. :)

LoveyameanitGodblessAmericabye.