​We’ve just set a record in Minnesota for the most snow in the month of February. So, of course, my mind wanders to thoughts of warm weather and baseball. Spring training has begun for the Twins; our real spring can’t be too far behind that.
 
Or can it? It’s also the time of year when false optimism reigns supreme. Every fan feels their team has a chance to have a great year. Since I became interested in baseball, I have been told every spring by Sid that the Twins have a good team with a shot at going all the way.
 
Baseball has always been my favorite sport. While it’s a team sport, it’s also a one on one person vs. person confrontation between the pitcher and the batter. It’s the only major sport where points are scored by a person.  Instead of a ball or puck crossing a line or going into a net, in baseball a run scores from a person touching home plate.
 
There’s also more of a sense of the history of the game. I have the feeling that while some NBA fans would recognize who George Mikan was, they wouldn’t be able to tell you much about any of his feats on the court. While a large share of baseball fans would be able to tell you the story of an obscure player named Fred Merkle.
 
But for now, I’ll just say I enjoy being able to look outside and see mountains of snow at the end of my driveway and dream about baseball and summer.
 
Go Twins!

​I’ve always been interested in our family history, but not to the point of doing anything like family trees and things like that. However, I’ve started a project that I’m finding enjoyable.
 
My Mom has many photographs in the house. We went through a lot of them when we looked for photos to put out at Dad’s funeral service. I don’t know who a lot of the people in the photos are or the stories behind them. So, I’ve been sitting down with my Mom and going through the photos and having her tell me about them. I use my phone to record everything and then I take pictures of all the photos so they can go together.
 
Mom says she enjoys doing that. It brings back memories for her. I love to hear all about things, not only the photos but the stories behind them. One photo was of Mom and the other women she worked with at Cargill. That led into a discussion of what working was like in her day.
 
I’ve got ancestors from both sides of the Civil War. There was a Great-Uncle who was “passing”. Meaning he was African-American, but he was light enough to pass as a white person. However, he and my Great-Aunt never had children because they weren’t sure what color they would be.
 
I’m learning family history and what the times were like in the past and I am delighted to share the time with Mom.
 
I’m attaching a photo from a wedding album. Going around the table are my mom’s siblings; Louis, Mary Gayle and Terry; the Bride and Groom; my Grandfather Al and his Mother Pauline (“who was NOT happy about her daughter’s choice for a husband”); Mom’s Uncle and Aunt; finally, on the far left my Mom, Patricia.