Yesterday I heard the loud gobbles of turkeys. I went to look and saw amorous turkeys, three pairs of them. The gobblers had spread their tails. I could see all the colors of the feathers, the gold and the copper. One had such long tail feathers I could hear the  feathers scrape on the ground. One of the hens couldn’t resist and the two danced around each other. I went back inside the house and let them dance in peace. 

I have loved baseball since I was a kid. The basic rules were easy to learn. The nuances like a Texas leaguer or when to bunt came later. Girls played softball, never baseball, but once, when I went to my brother’s practice, the coach asked me if I wanted to play. I did. I played second base for a few innings. I had two hits including a double. The coach was amazed. I was thrilled. 

My first Red Sox game was at night. A friend’s sister worked for the Sox so she got seats for us. We got there early to watch batting practice. I remember walking out from the tunnel to the field. The lights were lit, and the grass was the greenest grass I had ever seen. I stood mesmerized. The outfielders were close. One caught a ball near me and gave me the ball. It was a treasure. Our seats were box seats close to the field. We ate hot dogs. We ate peanuts. Shells were all round my feet. I don’t even remember if the Sox won or not, but I vividly remember everything else. 

In those days tickets were cheap. The bleacher seats were under a dollar. They were my usual hang out. The bleacher crowd was always loud, fun. Years later my friend could get box seats for any game. His father was a well known state politician. I remember for one game we were beside the dugout in row 2. My friend’s mother had filled a picnic basket we took to the game. We even had popcorn. 

My house has Red Sox memorabilia. I have only one signed ball, a Trot Nixon. I have a NESN bobble head with Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy. Don is the Padres announcer now and Jerry had passed away. They were such fun. I miss both of them. I have a David Ortiz commemorative bat, a few Sox hats, a signed Bill Monbouquette card, a Wally doll, a couple of ticket stubs and my favorite, a brick. The Sox sold bricks to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Fenway. Mine was a gift from friends. My brick is in the Monbouquette section. That signed card was another gift. My friends were stumped as to what to put on the brick. They decided on Kathleen Ryan, Peace Corps, Ghana 1969-1971. Check it out if you are ever in Fenway.

Today is opening day!! 

My furnace has stopped heating the house. It blows for all it is worth but the heat doesn’t rise. The last thing I need is a new furnace. I am hoping it can be fixed. I called and made an appointment. They will be here this afternoon. Until then, I’ll bundle. I’ll let you know.

Last night was in the low 20’s. That’s winter. Today will be in the low 40’s, sort of spring. In the front garden, the daffodil buds are high. The purple hyacinths are poking above the ground. I can hardly wait for them to bloom. I can hardly wait for color. I’m tired of grays and browns. 

Today is a dark, rainy day, but I have to go out anyway. I have a dentist appointment, just a cleaning, and I need some stamps. 

When I was a kid, I loved my dentist. He always gave me gas so I just slept through it all. My father, though, thought that dentist was too expensive so he decided to take me to East Boston to his childhood dentist. That man could have easily stepped into the role of Orin Scrivello D.D.S. in Little Shop of Horrors. His equipment was old. I think it was the same equipment he used on my father. He didn’t use Novocain. I was in so much pain I held on to the arms of the chair so hard I swear I left finger indentations. Tears would stream down my cheeks. I remember getting home and being in horrific pain. He had left an exposed nerve. My father took me back. I think I would have preferred the exposed nerve. 

My childhood doctor was a big man, a huge man. He wore suspenders. He’d sit behind his desk asking questions. My parents were of the generation that didn’t have check-ups so we didn’t either. I saw the doctor only when I needed to for things like stitches or heavy duty colds. My doctor’s office was on the first floor of his house. The house was old, huge and beautiful. It was right beside the driveway of the school parking lot and playground. I remember all the wood in the waiting area, the beautiful stairs and a wooden newel which was big and shiny. I also remember the skeleton in his office. It was real and hung by the window. That house is still there, still beautiful.

Break time! I’m off to the dentist.

I’m now home with clean, shiny teeth.

I hate crooked pictures. I have even straightened a couple in my doctor’s office. They assault my sensibilities. I hate socks which slide down into my shoes, but I don’t mind holey socks. I am not a fan of refried beans. They look disgusting like something a baby may have left. I love corn but not so much cream corn as it spreads cross the plate. I do have a corn bread recipe which calls for cream corn. The bread is delicious. Having been an English teacher, I hear all the grammatical errors on TV. The most common is the wrong use of a pronoun as the object of the preposition. I always correct it out loud. The dogs think I’m talking to them.