We're No. 1!!

After winning five more games in their second at-home tourney, the University of Georgia Bulldogs softball team ranked No. 1 in the Top 25 Poll by the USA Today/National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Divisoon 1. This high ranking is the first in school history. Georgia switched places with the UCLA Bruins who were first. With a l0-0 record, Georgia received 16 first place votes over the UCLA’s 10 first place votes. The Dawgs travel to California this weekend for a tourney, and we are wishing them the best.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale Salukis also did well last weekend when they won the Bulldog Round-Robin at Starksville, MS. Michelle Bradley was named MVP of the tournament there, and Haley Gorman, Jayna Spivey, and Taylor Orsburn were also named to the all-tournament team. The Salukis will be at Fort Meyers, FL, this weekend.

Gerald and I will be kept busy trying to catch games on Game Tracker.

After visiting with Katherine Sunday afternoon, David assigned me to go to evening church service to pick up Sam. Sam took me up on going out to eat after the service, and I had the privilege of eating supper at Bob Evans with my tall 8th grade grandson.

Sunday morning Gerald and I took our assigned time with the older preschoolers during the morning worship service. With help from Cody Barger and Tyler Diefenbach, we had adequate hands to keep the kids occupied and safe. Tracy Diefenbach brought in our one toddler present after Boone finished his nap, and he enjoyed watching the older kids play. I remember when Cody was one of the preschoolers, and then as he grew up, he became one of helpers with the preschoolers. Now it is satisfying to see our college kids still helping with the preschoolers. I grew up with no interaction with little ones and was so ignorant and inexperienced when I had children of my own. I think these older youth learn a great deal about child care as they participate in programs for the preschoolers.

I cannot seem to stick with my Sunday/Wednesday blog writing schedule anymore for some reason. Maybe I need to revise my schedule to Monday and Thursday. However, yesterday I spent the morning with some imaging tests over at Carterville that turned out to give me good news, but I was so sleepy when I got home and lunch was over that I just wanted to nap during the rainy overcast afternoon and I did. I also had as one goal yesterday to finish reading the 576 page Volume 1 of The Moravian Springplace Mission to the Cherokees. Despite just having a few pages to read, I took the afternoon nap falling asleep while watching Book Notes in Gerald’s recliner.

I did not attempt to finish the book until this morning. Dr. Rowena McClinton from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville translated, edited and wrote the introduction to these two volumes of the journal primarily written by Anna Gambold. John and Anna Gambold served the mission from 1805 until Anna’s death in 1821. Dr. McClinton had to translate Anna’s account of the daily life there in Springplace, Georgia, from the archaic German script Her introduction and many footnotes were as interesting as the daily account of the missionaries’ triumphs and troubles as they served the Cherokees whom they loved. Hmmm. Now I get to start Volume II. Maybe I will start it this weekend between games on Game Tracker. I can bounce back and forth between the communication of the early 19th century and that of the 21st Century.