Street Sense October News

My typical Friday night is leaving school, ordering a pepperoni and balck olive large pizza from the pizza parlor a mile from my home, picking it up and relaxing on the couch for the rest of the evening, preferably in my slippers. This past Friday was different.

My husband and I were gifted free tickets to a Washington Nats baseball game. He was up for finishing his work in NE DC to meet me there via Metro. I was up for using the Metro stop nearest to our home. to retrieve our free tickets. Once tickets were secured, I got a text that said my husband was on the way but still a few stops away.

I began walking back to the Statium Metro entrance, found a bench and took a seat. I pulled out Black Star, Kwame Alexander’s newest book and sequel to The Door of No Return (so good but that’s another story!) and continued reading. Yep. I always travel with a book.

Suddenly, I hear something that makes me look up. A man with desheviled hair was asking me something. I stared at him, trying to decifer his message, when I noticed he was holding a stack of newspapers. “Wait, do you have a story in there?” I asked. You see, years ago, I worked in DC and I was famililar with Street Sense Media. Their mission is: to end homelessness in the Washington, D.C. area by empowering people in need with the skills, tools, and confidence to succeed. Together we use a range of media platforms to raise awareness and spotlight solutions to homelessness in our community. One platform is a bimonthly newspaper, Street Sense.

“I do!” the gentleman said proudly. He sat down across from my and opened the October newspaper issue to page 10 and read this poem to me.

I Love the Fall
by Anthony Carney
Artist/Vendor

We’re three days in to the new season, so let’s fall back together! In both the summer and the fall, September is the month for love. Do you remember when we fell in love? I sure do!
Second summer is right around the corner. On a certain day next month, kids will treat or trick (I just pulled one!) in their amazing costumes. A few weeks later we will turn our clocks back. And on another certain October day – the 6th, the most important – I’ll celebrate my birthday. I’ll gratefully accept cash gifts from you, my customers.

“I have an October birthday, too!”

“Both Libras! We got the balance!”

I told him I like to write too, how I blog on Tuesdays and he asked how he could read it. I told him my WordPress address. Then, I found a twenty dollar bill in my purse and exchanged it with him for the newspaper.

I am grateful that my Friday night took me on a different path. I saw a baseball game. I enjoyed peanuts and a beer. And I meet Anthony, a fellow writer! All just a metro ride away!

How do you typically spend your Friday evenings?

Black History via my school and baseball

I’m getting ready to start year six at Dorothy Hamm Middle School in Arlington. I wrote about the unique history of the site of my school and its namesake, Dorothy Hamm here. It is easy to take for granted in 2024, that I work at a school that is integrated. Having the name of the local African-American mother, who fought for integrating this very site on February 2, 1959 so her son could attend, is powerful. I actually grew up miles away from this very school site but never learned this civil rights history. I guess because I lived in my 1970s white bubble. For this school year, I created this list of sites to encourage the school staff to visit and learn more about the civil rights movement in our area.

This weekend, I took a listen to a podcast called Road to Rickwood. Immediately, I was drawn in to the story, learning about a baseball stadium built at the turn of 20th century. As it referenced the Birmingham, Alabama’s Negro League teams, who played on the Rickwood field, I was reminded of my town. I learned that the current Virginia Hospital Center , just blocks from my house, is built on the site of where the Arlington African-American Baseball Teams played in the 1930s. In the article I read, it sadly stated, “After the land was purchased for development, the teams folded, for lack of a place to play.”

I encourage you to learn about your own town and its connections to the civil rights movement. I also encourage you to learn more about our American history through the lens of baseball, by listening to Road to Rickwood. I humbly admit that I knew of Birmingham but only as a small paragrpah from my history book. Marches, attack dogs, water hoses and that bomb which killed four girls in a chruch basement. And that speech from its jail, written by Dr. King. This podcast, took a sport I love and a town I knew a little about and taught me so much more.

As a reading specialist, I teach my students to make connections because it is a powerful comprehension strategy. This weekend, I made a list and I listened to a podcast and both deepened my comprehension of American history.

NOTE: If you are ever in Arlington, Virginia, come visit my school!

Twins Baseball

Last month:
“What are you doing next Wednesday?”

“It’s SOL Math day so I’ll be administering the state test in the AM.”

“Want to catch the Twins playing the Nats. The games at 1pm.”

“Sure. I can leave school when the test is over at 11am and meet you at the park.”

“Great, I’ll get the tickets!

I enjoyed my hotdog with a beer and peanuts as the Twins played the Nats. I sang the 7th inning stretch song along with President TJ. I cheered loudly as the Twins won! And all during a sunny work day!

Weeks later:
“What are you doing this weekend?”

“Well, it is the last weekend before the last week of the school year, so lots of paperwork to complete. Why?”

“The Twins are playing the Pirates in Pittsburg at a Saturday game at 4pm.”

“Let’s go!”

“We’d need to leave Friday around noontime and stay over Friday and Saturday.”

“Sign me up!”

I enjoyed fireworks from my hotel patio on Friday night when the Twins lost in Game 1 of the series. I explored a new town once inhabited first by the Native Indians. Then the French and then the British, before becoming a town in the state of Pennsylania and then built up by the riches of the Carnegie, Mellon and Heinz families. I clocked 11 miles of steps and then rested my feet to watch the Twins be defeated. Oh well, you can’t win them all.

So glad my husband’s family moved to Minnesota when he was a baby and lived there until moving to VA when he was in 2nd grade. So glad he grew up playing baseball as a left-handed first baseman. So glad we decided to be spontaneous, twice, this Spring.

“Where are the Twins playing next?!”

What baseball team do you cheer for?
What ballpark do you recommend I visit next?

Silver Linings

Today I glanced at my phone and saw MONDAY 13 on the calendar app and it hit me. I counted on my fingers to make sure. Yep. Four. It has been four months. Four months since the Governor of VA shuttered school buildings due to the virus and suggested that we all stay home to stay safe.

Looking back on these months, I do notice silver linings.

For one, I am now a better observer, especially when it comes to spring flowers. I might even go as far as saying I’m now an expert on when flowers bloom. To help me pass the time while being home, I started taking a walk throughout my neighborhood. This routine allowed me to notice so many trees and flowerbeds. Daily I snapped a photo of a bloom that caught my eye. Now my photofeed reminds me exactly when cetain flora comes to life. In March, the pink magnolia trees petals looked so lovely against the blue spring sky. Early April brought the cherry blossoms followed by the azaleas and dogwood. Then my favorite, the lilacs. In May, it was time for the rhododendron and the roses. June brings the hydrangea. Now it is July and the lily pads in our new pond bloomed for the first time.

Another silver lining involves my nephew. On June 4, 2019, he was the 151st pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Last week, just thirteen months later, he got the call! The LA Angels told him to report to Spring training! I wonder if the world was still normal, would he have gotten the call. Maybe. Maybe not. No matter. I am so proud of Garrett’s dedication to playing a sport he loves.

I thought about this as I took my walk last Saturday morning. For the first time, I saw my neighborhood baseball field occupied. A little guy took to the mound and the ref yelled, “Batter up!” and the the supportive fans sat 6 feet apart.

What’s your silver lining?

If you have 2 minutes, watch this video to be reminded why baseball is such a great sport.

Another Baseball Story, Another Time

 

I’m glad I made a list on this padlet because I’m not sure what to write. So instead, I’ll work on my writing by trying 2 related exercises. One is shared on page 128 of Kate Messner’s book, 59 Reasons to Write. It suggests:  Look at a history book and see the story beyond the text. Another is shared on page 222 of Jen Serravallo’s Writing Strategy Book. It suggests looking closely at an illustration or photograph that can teach you about a topic you are writing about and jot down quick notes.

Since I watched my nephew play college baseball yesterday, I have baseball on my mind. I search websites looking for historical photos and hit the jackpot by finding the NYC LIbrary’s A. G. SPALDING BASEBALL COLLECTION. Here’s the photo I picked, one out of the 500+ baseball photos:

The site explains that “The personal collection of materials related to baseball and other sports gathered by the early baseball player and sporting-goods tycoon A.G. Spalding came to the Library in 1921 as a gift from his widow.”

Who was Albert? Why did he have all these photos?

“Albert Goodwill Spalding (1850-1915) was a major figure in the early history of baseball. A star player for the Boston franchise in the National Association, he left in 1876 to join the Chicago White-Stockings, later known as the Cubs, in the newly formed National League. He was the team’s leading pitcher, team captain, and manager. After his career on the field ended, he later became team president.”

What did Albert and his teammates think of the pitcher in the photo?
(the following is my opinion!)

They liked him because he was so focused. He’s dressed for success, right down to his pulled-up stockings and laced shoes. He looks mature (isn’t that a mustache under his nose?) with serious eyes. They called him Bud and in 1914, he had the record for strike outs.

He soon got noticed for a ritual he performed which always resulted in a strike. Whenever the count was 2-2 (2 balls and 2 strikes), he would grabs the rim of his hat, lifts it off his head, runs the back of his hand across his brow and then pulls his hat back on again. With a deep breath, he’d throw the next pitch and the ump always shouted “strike!” Soon that hat-off, rub-of-brow and hat-on-again, strike became his signature. As the years go on, everyone instead started calling him Lucky.

 

 

 

 

March 7 – baseball

Sunday my mom came over to my house and we sat at my dining room table in front of my laptop for 3 hours. Her grandson, my brother’s youngest boy, is a freshman at the University of Tennessee and is a pitcher for their college baseball team. Sunday his game was streaming live on the SEC website.

During the 5th inning began, Garrett was called in to pitch! He looked so focused, so serious as he threw 90+mph baseballs from the mound to home plate. Being the pitcher, he was constantly on our computer screen. We watched as he eyed the signals from his catcher, nodding no and then yes. He threw the ball, his whole body in motion behind it to send it lightning speed across the plate. He got strikes. He watched his pitches get hit – some foul balls and only 3 base hits. Once the ball was bunted back at him and he calmly caught it and delivered it to first base for the out.

A summary on the UTenn website states, “Sophomore Will Neely got the start for the Vols, giving up three earned runs and striking out four batters in 5.1 innings work. Freshman Garrett Stallings provided strong relief again for Tennessee, only allowing three hits in 3.2 scoreless innings. However, Jon Lipinski (2-0) got the win, shutting out the Spartans in extra innings.”

I predict that I may spend more hours in front of my computer watching more college baseball this year and I’m counting the days until Spring Break. My mom and I are taking a road trip to sit in the stands at the University of Tennessee to watch Garrett and his team play.

Batter up. With Garrett, be ready to strike out! Go VOLS!