Back in third grade, Mrs. Hood introduced us to the fine art of book reports. "Due every Friday no less...here are your 40 books you will read them all, write a report about the book, read everyone else's book report on the book and present your report on Fridays by reading it to the class and no I don't care if it takes all day you WILL do it. If you are sick you will just have to do 2 the next week. NO EXCUSES. I will do untold things to you - including but not limited to reducing you to tears if you don't comply...comprende?".
True to her word, and she had a system to match it, the agony of Friday came like the terrible swift sword. The books were a mix, including a book on the Wright Brothers, something about a kid living in Ohio in 1803 (statehood if memory serves me), a fun one about the 500 hats and of course the baseball books - something about a kid tripping on his shoelaces running to first, the manager telling him that a home run wasn't needed, just a single to win the game and the hero waiting for his pitch, sure to be a fastball but being served up a teasing breaking ball. I was at a loss for some hook in my book report, something that would set mine apart. As taught to do, I got out my mom's thesaurus and looked up tease....naw nothing I could use or understand ... so I asked her for help and we went through a whole bunch of words and phrases until we found "catch the eye" because that is what curve balls do...they tease your eye; the ball looking big as the moon, its wonderful spin - you can see the stitches all red against the long faded dirty white - ahhh tantalizing - a feast for the eye. Got it. Wrote it.
I've watched my SO/mom display that incredible patience scores of times...endlessly. Her help is unconditional and like a book never says "no - you can't read me anymore" she always gives up her knowledge. She is always there for the reading. She is also a feast for the eye and the soul. Tantalizing.
( a reader wrote me and told me that the musical links were down and wonder what I had put in so I'm republishing headed here. Thanks for letting me know Mister Anonymous)