GREAT SEATS!!!! GREAT GAME!!!!

TUESDAY CARDS 1-ASTROS 0!!!







Bob,Ed, and John at the Cardinals game on Tuesday.












Albert at bat in the first inning. You can see the ball headed for left field and a double. Albert drove in the only run of the game with this hit.



Newest Cardinal Matt Halladay

Pitcher is Adam Wainwright as he gave up only three hits and no runs for victory number fifteen.


A guest recently took this picture of me and Mr. Bush.!!!!

ONE LAST SUMMER FUN DAY!!!!!!!!




James sitting on stadium chairs from old Busch stadium.


Kayleigh and Paul on the slip and slide

Three cousins having fun

Memories are better than neat grass??????/

I think my grass is glad that school has started.!!!!!!!

ST LOUIS PAST!!!!!!!!!!!

Nancy's cousin Bill sent me this neat show of scenes and history of the 50's in St Louis.

I think you will enjoy.

ALL STAR BALL PLAYER!!!!!
Last Sunday Paul played in his league all star game. He played seven innings and was two for four. In addition he played well in the field.
Paul, I am sure this is only the first and you will be playing in many more all star games.

THE YOUNG and THE OLD!!!!!!!

Friday evening a young family friend Tim married Kristin in a beautiful ceremony in Tower Grove Park. We have known Tim and his family since the first day of kindergarten for him and Edward.

Edward and Tim have remained friends since the moment they met.

The setting was perfect and Vern, Tim's father, made his public speaking debut by performing the marriage ceremony. His words had personal stories, humour, bibilical scriptures, and a plea for grandchildren.



Tim and Kristin give their vows to each other.

Vern introduces for the first time Tim and Kristin as Mr. and Mrs.

The front entrance to Rose of the Hill the former Ruggeri's restaurant.

The reception was special for Nancy and I as it was held at "Rose of the Hill" the former location of Ruggeri's restaurant. Ruggeri's has always held a special place in our hearts as they hosted a late dinner party for us on 5-9-1959. My friend Jack insisted that we do something after the church punch and cake reception. Nancy and I had little or no money so obviously we could not pay for more than our dinners.

The pictures on the walls have changed as the couple has changed over the fifty years.

At about 4:00 PM Jack called Ruggeri's and asked them if they could handle a dinner party for about twelve to twenty people at about 9:00 PM and we would NEED separate checks.

We arrived with our friends and were greeted by the famous organist Stan Kann playing "Here Comes the Bride". This was before he became famous. At this time in St Louis restaurant history Ruggeri's would have certainly made the top ten. Yogi Berra the great Yankee catcher had this quote "It is so crowded nobody goes there anymore". Yogi and Joe Garagiola both worked there as busboys and then waiters before becoming famous ball players.

Thanks Tim and Kristin for bringing back so many wonderful memories.

The wedding was perfect and the reception was great.

Congratulations!!!!

TIM and KRISTIN

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!!!!



Rick Ankiel as a "Pitcher"??????












Al Lang field St Petersburg Fl. spring training site of the Cardinals From the forties through 1995.





"Mr Ironman" Cal Ripken now retired

I am shaking hands with Darrel Porter MVP for the 1982 world champions St Louis Cardinals ------passed away a few years ago.

Astro Dome Houston Texas Shawn and I saw a game in 1999 now it is Enron field.

I am sitting in front of Holman Stadium former spring training site of the LA Dodgers from the forties through 2009. the Dodgers now are training in Arizona. This was really a shame as the town of Vero Beach Fl. was named Dodger Town.

The King dome formerly of Seattle WA. Nancy and I saw a game there in 1998.

I recently finished "The life of Benjamin Franklin" by Walter Isaacson.

It was both interesting and laborious reading all at the same time. The author had a very scholarly writing style and I needed a dictionary at my side in order to be able to understand. Yet the book was worth the time commitment of eight weeks as I now know so much more than I previously knew about a great American statesman and patriot.

A few of the things I picked out of Franklin' varied life and accomplishments.

1- He was a self made man and proud to be a man of the apron as he described his work ethnic. The only signer of the Declaration of Independence that was working in a trade.

2-He was a goal setter and positive thinking man long before Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carnegie. He authored Poor Richard's Almanac.He was a scientist and prolific inventor but always was looking at the practical use that would benefit society.

There was lots of tidbits about his flirtatious nature and possible affairs he had with younger women while traveling both in the USA and abroad. This was more information than I really cared to know about some two hundred and twenty years later. Where is the proof. We do know he spent lots more time in France and England even thought his wife requested for him to return home as she was sick and dying. He did not return home even thought his mission was basically done. Yet he always wanted a grandson with him so that a family member would close his eyes when he died. He was a complicated man.

Even thought it was laborious it was also interesting and worth the effort. I would recommend this biography if you would like to learn a lot more than what they taught us in school.

WEDNESDAY FINDS US AT GRANTS FARM!!!!!!!!!




The gang at the farm




JAMES

Grandma,Paul, and James

Believe it or not his mother has fed the goats a long time ago

James at work



I still enjoy looking at and taking pictures of the magnificent CLYDEDALE'S!!!!

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!! A SITTING PRESIDENT GRACES MY BLOG





If anyone would have told me in 2006 when I started blogging that in the future a sitting president would appear on my blog I would have a bridge to sell you. Yet on 7/14/2009 the prophecy would be a fact not fiction.





No matter what your politics he was elected president when most over sixty age people would have said "never in our life time"

Photo one President Barack Obama and the best current major league ball player.


President Obama throwing out the first pitch














President Obama heads for the mound.

President Obama with the greatest living Cardinal Stan The Man Musial.


Our five other living baseball Cardinals Hall of Famer's.

Nancy and I talk often how two kids from the south area of the city of St Louis could have experience so much in fifty years. The places we have been, the sights we have seen, the celebrities we have met, and the friends we have was never on our personal radar.

A GRAND PARENTING WEEKEND
Saturday night we were at Paul's ballgame and this is his first week at facing live pitching for the first time.

Friday night found us at Camp Ne O Tez for dinner and awards night for nine and ten year old boys. Terri,Joe, Kelsey, and Edward were staff members for the week and Donovan was a camper. It was a beautiful and very cool evening especially for those of us in shorts and a T-shirt.

Photos of Kelsey and James

Martha and Julie makes the blog along with Sherri.




Donovan after a week of camping

Paul and James at play.

For those in the know Donovan's elbow was not broken or fractured. He should be good as new in a week.