It poured all night long. I could hear it on the roof and windows, and I just stayed in bed and listened as I fell asleep. My house in Ghana had a tin roof, and the sound of rain filled all the rooms especially when the tremendous thunder and lightening storms came which announced the beginning of the rainy season. Those storms and that sound are some of my favorite memories.

Today is damp and gray. The rain became intermittent drops just before it stopped earlier this morning. Gracie didn’t mind and neither did I when I went to get the papers. There is barely a wind, and the day is quiet.

I have four nephews, my sister’s two sons and my brother’s. Mike, who lives in the next town and is a baseball fanatic and collector, still remembers his first visit to Fenway Park. I took both him and his brother Tim. It was a beautiful summer day, and we sat in the bleachers. Mike remembers who had hits, who pitched and how much fun he had. His first impression was how green the outfield grass was and that Fenway was smaller than it looked on TV. He has hopes that we’ll go to a game together this summer and so do I. Ryan and Justin are from Colorado, but they are Sox fans. It’s a family thing. They also remember their first game at Fenway Park. I took them too.Ryan remembers where we sat and who pitched. I am glad to be part of those memories.

My sister is having the whole family over for today’s Red Sox opening game. She was trying to figure out her menu when we talked yesterday. My friends Clare and Tony are coming here for the game. We’ll all wear our Red Sox gear including Gracie. We have been waiting for this day all winter.

It is cold and damp and rainy but baseball means summer isn’t so very far away. The game starts at four, my time. Colorado will call after especially good plays and after every Sox home run. I’m hoping they’ll be many. I’m hoping that phone will ring off the hook. I am so glad for the start of baseball season.