We were a family of Cubs fans. We went to our annual pilgrimage to Wrigley Field each year. My first baseball glove has the cubs logo in the mitt (I still have it by the way).
I may have stayed a Cubs fan forever if it hadn't been for these three men:
Ray Rayner
Dave Roller
This is the story of how a Children's T.V. host, a baseball player and my own father led me to more than 50 years of White Sox allegiance.
Ray Rayner hosted a television show on WGN TV when I was a kid. He had several regular bits he would do on the show: he would feed a duck named Chelveston while he played a popular song (where I ffirst heard American Pie), He would have a regular visit with Lester Fisher (the director of the Lincoln Park Zoo), He would visit a puppet named Cuddly Duddly at his dog house, and in between these bits he would be a disc jocker for cartoons, (mostly Warner Brothers).
His role in making me a Sox fan was when he would do the daily traffic and sports reports. Equipped with a Cubs cap with a White Sox cap sewed in the back of it. He would show the results of the previous day's baseball games. He would switch the sides of the cap depending on which team he was reporting on. This gave me as a child the notion that in Chicago you could like both teams.
Ray Rayner reporting on a Cubs victory while wearing the Cubs end of his Cubs/Sox cap.
The 2nd person most responsible for me switching my favorite team from the Cubs to the Sox was my Dad. When I was growing up the White Sox would offer 2 tickets to grade school students who either had straight A's or perfect attendance for the year. One l year my sister, who was the year ahead of me achieved straight A's. She won the two tickets and My Dad took her to a game to see the White Sox play the Baltimore Orioles. My sister was 15 months older than me, and I had a brother 18 months younger than me. By that time I had another brother who was still a toddler. 1 on 1 time alone with my Dad was not really something any of us kids ever got on a regular basis. So when my Dad took Kathy to a game, I knew that was something I wanted to do as well. When school restarted in the Fall, I was determined to win a pair of free White Sox tickets to get 3 to 5 hours alone with my Dad. That year was the only year in my academic career that I ever had perfect attendance. The next summer My father and I attended my first White Sox game.
Dick Allen only played 3 years on the South side but he made his presence know in a major way. He hit 85 homes runs in those 3 years and a batting average over .300 and the best slugging percentage of all baseball. I remember him hitting at least 1 home run at the game we went to, I was a White Sox fan after that. Even without the free tickets my Dad continued to take me to at least 1 game a year through high school. Dick Allen was my White Sox hero, but certainly not my last. One of my Cubs hero's Don Kessinger finished his career with the White Sox as a player manager. Carlton Fisk who was one of my favorite players on an opposing teem came to the White Sox as a free agent when I was in high school. Wilbur Wood, Bill Melton. Bucky Dent. Jorge Orta. Harold Baines, and the list goes on and on. Dick Allen died a few years ago but was finally elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame by the Veteran's committee and he will be inducted this year.
When I think of the White Sox I think back of the 5o+ years of memories I have watching them. Going to games with my Dad and taking my kids to the games. Next Saturday I am taking my wife to the White Sox game. They just happen to be giving away Dick Allen Hall of Fame bobble heads. My favorite team, my favorite player and my favorite person in the world. I don't care If I never get back.
On April 10, 2017 I started a blog called Writer's Write Readers Read Bloggers Blog. It was one of many transition blogs I did in between this blog being a home school blog a whatever it is now blog. In my first post at WWRRBB I admitted not having written for a while and how I needed to rectify that.
Although that particular blog didn't last long, I have been writing faiirly regularly since 2017. I also said in that post:
I also need to read more. Reading informs and prepares the writer. I have finished one book this year and that was on January 7th. I need to make time in the day for it. I mean how much Netflix can one guy watch? That's not a rhetorical question, I need answers!!!!
The truth is I also have read quite a bit since 2017. In the past couple of years I have struggled in reading. While I still read a lot of blog posts my book reading is not what it once was. Like the above example I have only finished 1 book this year.
April of course is not a great month to finish books. I still enjoy reading and I count listening to books as reading. I have a number of books I have started this year and just need to dig back in and get some finished.
Here are some of my favorite types of books to read:
Familiar books. I mentioned in my N post that I generally read the Chronicles of Narnia each year. The past 2 years I have not done that. It's not that I've grown tired of them. I'm pretty sure I will never grow tired of them. Some people don't like reading books or watching movies over and over. I can understand and appreciate that. But foe me rereading books or watching movies again is like visiting friends.
Familiar authors. This would not only extend to reading more books by beloved authors, but also reading book about those authors, or fiction books about those authors or those authors characters. For example Stephanie Barron has written a number of mysteries s featuring Jane Austen. as the protagonist. One of the books that I started this year and haven't got very far in yet is a book about a present day woman who discovers letters from one of her ancestors in her attic. The ancestor? Jo March the protagonist of Little Women.
Children's Books. Why? Because I was a child and my love for books started when I was a child. Because I am a parent and I loved reading to my children. I was literally reading to them before they were born. Because I am a teacher and I love reading to children because adults in school read to me which increased my love for books.
Mysteries. I don't like all mysteries, but some of my favorite authors like David Rosenfelt, Bill Pronzinni, and Dorothy L. Sayers write masterful mysteries.
Recommendations from a variety of sources - These sources include but are not limited to book lists, podcasts, bloggers, movies I have seen, books or characters referenced in others books or films. I started reading Louis Lamour books because Allen Levi wrote a song entitled The Reason I Read Louis Lamour
I like writing about reading. It reminds me why I love to read. The blogging challenge is almost over and perhaps then I can start a reading challenge of my own.
welcome to Team Saturdazzle. The A to Z challenge is almost over. Today I am supposed to be on the letter W and I am only on the letter U. So it's time for some A to A catch up. In the past when I've been behind I have doubled or tripled up in one post. When you do that it makes your index post a little difficult to do. So instead of that I am going to write 3 small posts for each letter I'm behind without the usual A to Z Prologues and Epilogues. I will link them all here when I am finished.
My theme for the A to Z Challenge this year is the A to Z's of me:
My A to Z Challenge Theme this year is the ABC's of me. Each day in the month of April with the exception of Sundays I will be posting about one aspect of my life that begins with the letter of the day.
It's time for some A to Z catch-up. , I am currently 2 posts behind. The next letter is S so let's get right to it shall we?
My A to Z Challenge Theme this year is the ABC's of me. Each day in the month of April with the exception of Sundays I will be posting about one aspect of my life that begins with the letter of the day.
It's time for some A to Z catch-up. , I am currently 3 posts behind. The next letter is S so let's get right to it shall we?
Randy Stonehill is one of my five favorite singers. Collectively I call these artists the Big 5. I have seen them all multiple times in concert and am more than familiar with each one's entire body of work. I have been listening to Randy since 1982 and like just about everything he puts out. Stonehill still performs and I had the opportunity to see him two times in a 6 month period bettween October of 2023 and March 2024. Here are some sights and sounds from those concerts.
Randy Stonehill & Phil Keaggy
10/7/23/ South Holland Illinois
Randy Stonehill , Leslie Stonehill & Phil Keaggy 10/7/23
South Holland Illinois
Randy Stonehill 3/2/2024
Concord Missouri
Randy Stonehill
Concord, Missouri 3/2/24
Randy Stonehill - This Old Face
A few years ago I wrote a review of Stonehill's most recent album The Lost Art of Listening. This is what I said about This Old Face:
This Old Face- Whimsical wisdom amid evocative imagery is one of the thing's I've come to expect from Uncle Rand these many years and This Old Face does not disappoint. This song could be titled turning 70 as this is something Stonehill, born in 1952, will be doing sooner than later. Featuredlyrics: It's been weathered by the wind of sadness and of sin but it shines whenever Heaven's love appears
Randy did a children's album called Uncle Stonehill's Hat and Emma , Amy and I were able to se him perform as Uncle Stonehill when Emma was little. The next 3 videos are Randy performing a song form that album at the concert in March 2024
.:
Randy Stonehill - Stormy Winds Intro
Randy Stonehill - Stormy Winds Part I
Randy Stonehill - Stormy Winds Part II
Randy Stonehill Returning To Depart
So a little musical interlude from one of my favorite artists to add to my ABC's of me.
