Recently, my most frequent reoccurring dream has been either me or a group of my friends and I in England.

I've always wanted to go there because it's one half of where my family came from.

Dad's side came from Ireland in the mid 1700's and Mom's side came from England.

While Dad's side is interesting because they first settled in Pennsylvania and my Great (whatever) Grandfather and his oldest son both fought in the Revolutionary War, Mom's side has always fascinated me.

Her first relative to make the crossing was a Baron. There is supposed to be a letter somewhere in the family bible from or to him. My Mom saw it when she was a little girl. As of right now, I don't know which relative has the bible - it was one of my uncles and Mom tried to borrow it to at least photo copy the letter and the names of past generations, but my uncle wouldn't let her for some reason. That uncle, like my Mom and and the rest of her siblings have all passed away now. Her sister was the last, just a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to contact her daughter, since she has been lately delving into our family's genealogy.

The reason Mom's side seems so fascinating to me is the origin story: GrandDad was coming over with his fiance to start a farm on land he had purchased in Virginia. During a storm, his fiance was washed overboard and drowned. Arriving here, he needed a wife to start his family (they seem to move a lot quicker back in the 1700's, lol) and wound up marrying a Native American woman.

If I can get positive results from my cousin, then whenever this virus thing is over I can perhaps realize my dream of coming 'home'.

I should be retired by then (fingers crossed). Maybe I can get a senior discount on the trip.

One can only dream.

~

Most people who know a little about Jimi Hendrix only know the psychedelic side from films.

Here, you can see another, bluesier side of the legend:


He played in my hometown when I was 15 and the world forever changed.

~

I found this on Youtube today. Eddie Feigner of The King and his Court fame. A four man fast pitch softball team the played not only all over the U.S. for about 60 years with Eddie pitching, but all over the world, too. His fastball was clocked at over 100 mph and still over 90 towards the end of his career. In a 1967 fundraising game at Dodger Stadium, he consecutively struck out All Stars Roberto Clemente, Harmon Killebrew, Maury Wills, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson and Willie Mays. He also struck out Pete Rose twice in that game.


Well worth the time to learn some history about a fascinating man. He played in my hometown almost every summer for years, against our repeated state championship fast pitch softball team. I used to sit on the hood of my car out beyond the outfield fence to watch in awe.

2020 is one of the worst years that I can remember in my 68 years.

Usually there is something good to come along in a year every time we have something bad - not really to offset the bad, but to take the sting out of the bad.

Nope, not yet and we still have over three months to go until we can turn the page on this ugly, ugly year.

We still have a heated presidential election to come, a virus that may get worse before it gets better and protesting/rioting like I haven't seen since the late 1960's.

Take a breath and hold on... and pray for 2021 to be better (fingers crossed).

~

Sometimes it's really frustrating doing a web search.

A lot can depend on the way you phrase what you're looking for.

But in the end, the discovery is worth the challenge.

Soldier on, researchers!

~

... he was called the 'King of Rock-nRoll':


Even a little electric malfunction couldn't slow him down.

~

Tom Seaver ~ 1944-2020

A Hall of Fame career and a decent guy.

He never pitched for my team, but I enjoyed watching his career.

R.I.P. Tom Terrific

Why are they called peanut butter cups when the cup is made of chocolate?

Ever wonder where they get the seeds to plant seedless grapes?

If I drink half a glass of whole milk, would you say it's still whole?