Sportsmanship (Or My Lack Of It)

As someone who has enjoyed sports & games her entire life, sportsmanship was something that my parents worked very hard to instill into my attitude at a very young age (That and how to be humble, but I'm still working the humble part!). Of course, it was easy being a good winner, what was hard was taking a loss and having a good attitude, and not dwelling on it to the point of never getting over it (again, I'm still working on that part).

I have to be honest, I'm got the good sportsmanship down. It's been a long time since I've played a sport, but the last time I lost I do remember making a point of going over and congratulating the winner. When I'm in a show ring with my goats and someone else ends up first I do my best to at least tell them well done. (Sometimes there's not a chance due to either one of us rushing to get the next goat in the ring.) And as a coach for little league you have to have good sportsmanship. You have to line up and congratulate the other players, no matter the age, the team, the winner, even if you don't feel like it.

But the one place where I have the hardest time for good sportsmanship is bound to get a laugh from everyone....The time when I have the hardest time showing a "Conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants in sports, especially fair play, courtesy, striving spirit, and grace in losing." is when it comes to the Houston Astros.

Ask me what happened in the 2005 NLCS and I can tell you the plays that led up to Pujols' home run, that caused us to lose. Then there's that home run that was hit by the Astros in 2001 that the ump called a ground rule double because he saw it land in front of one fence, and missed the second fence in the bull pen.

And I can't forget today when he could call a strike to save his life and threw Roy Oswalt out in the third inning. In what could very well be Roy O's last game here as an Astros.

Yeah, I know the number one rule in baseball is not to argue with the ump, but then the ump has rules he should follow as well, and this one didn't seem like he could. But then it could just be my unsportsmanlike conduct showing, and it showed again a few minutes later when an Astros hit a pop up and I muttered, "Oh good!! Hit the ump in the head...Get on base AND take out this ump!!" Yes, I know it was both an unchristian and unsportsmanlike attitude, but at that point all I cared about is that we were down by four runs, the ump had just thrown out my favorite pitcher and it just might well be the last time I would see him in an Astros' jersey.

Yes, I know as the eldest child & a coach to many impressionable young children it's not an attitude I should have. It's one of the MANY areas in my life I am working on. And at this rate I think it will be one of those areas that will take many prayers and years to accomplish.

So, there's your warning. If ever you go to a Major League Baseball game be well prepared for me to not only cheer my team on, but to also yell at the other players (nothing bad I promise!) and to argue with the ump.

"Trust and Obey"

"Trust and Obey"

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain

"Katie Weirdness"

For years now when ever black eyes were mentioned or one of my siblings got a black eye there was bound to be one person who would light up and want to see it, while there would would be at least one other person who would shake their head and mumble something along the lines of...."Crazy girl wants a black eye, well I can help her with that!!".

Who was that crazy person who would light up and want to see the black eye? Why me of course! And who would the person be who would do the muttering? Any of the older girls, from Emma to Christin or one of my parents. Why?

Ever since I was a little tyke, I thought black eyes were the coolest thing. Don't ask me why I don't know , but I did. My mom thought I was weird and my dad thought it might have had something to do with my love of baseball. My sisters? Well, truthfully sometimes are all to happy to help me with my wish for a black eye.

I spent many hours walking into doors or running towards a mirror every time a toddler socked me good and hard while rough housing. It took months of walking into doors, years of rough housing, and one episode of being dragged by a 150 pound dog into a lamp post. To realize I do not bruise easily.

How did I figure that out? Well, when the dog dragged me into the lamp post I only bruised slight, never got a black eye, & was in an amazing amount of pain for the lack of bruising I had. Dad who watched it was surprised that it wasn't bruised more then it showed.

I have to laugh.....even with flipping a 4-wheeler, wrestling with 150+ pound goats, and being in more then my fair share of wrestling matches pitting me vs. three boys has yet to get me a black eye. I've even been elbowed in the eye once and only ended up with a headache!!

There have many many times where my big sister, know it all attitude, or bossiness has gotten so under their skin that my siblings offered to help my "dream come true".

Please don't ask what the fascinate with a black eye is about, as I wouldn't be able to give you answer other then "Well, it looked neat!". I don't know what I started wanting a black eye, I think it might have been when I was eight and two sisters had a nice shiner as well as two friends having one as well.

My mom chalked it up to being a "fad" and thought I would out grow it. She's still hoping that one day I will grow up and stop wishing for a black eye. Until then, if your ever around my family and here someone ask me "You want help with that black eye dream?" or "I can help with that goal Katie!" you know what their talking about and you can add one more thing to the every growing list of "Katie Weirdness".

O.K. so I lacked something better to write. (as if you couldn't guess) I'm having a combination of writers block and VERY busy week! Enjoy your Memorial day!

"Christ, The Lord, is Risen Today"

"Christ, The Lord, is Risen Today"

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Have You Ever....

Heard about a famous person that died and you thought, "Oh, I'm sorry for his family!", remembered something that he did and then moved on with your life? You knew about this person, but you didn't know them, only a few things that they had done in their life. Yes, I'm sure you have, we all have. I know I have esp. with watching baseball & politics I hear about people dying, but I never really think more beyond the first thought of I'm really sorry for their family.

Now, have you ever heard of a famous person (or not so famous person) and you were really saddened by their death? Not because you knew that person. But from what you knew or saw of that person? You remember the things they did how that person acted in the news, etc. and the fact that you would never see then in the news or on the field again saddened you?

Well, that's how I feel right now. Sunday morning Jose Lime died at the age of 37. As if the fact that he died wasn't enough it's his age that gets to me. Shoot, that's in 16 years for me, by the time Dixie is driving!

Jose Lima was a pitcher for the Astros from 1997-2001. I started my years of baseball watching watching Lima pitch. He was in my top three for favorite players--Yes, right there with Bagwell & Biggio--in 1999 when I went to 21 games, my dad made a point when buying tickets to get those games in which Jose Lima was pitching, of those 21 games I went to I believe that Lima pitched 10 of them.

No, he wasn't famous, unless you were watching the team that he was playing for. No, he did nothing great. In fact if you look at his career stats you would wonder what did he do. He had more loses then wins and in a sport where ERA means the lower the better....Well, he failed in that as well.

But he made the game enjoyable to watch even when your team was losing or he was in a slump. He was the type of person that you watched and knew he was playing for the love of the game and not for the money he would get. (A point proven in the past few years where he played for $2,000 a month.)

He was the one man I wanted to get an autograph from--All most more so then Bags or Biggio--and the one man who would sit for hours on end giving autographs, if he had the time to do so, he was always signing before and after games--even when the Astros lost--and always made a point to get the kids first.

I remember the day that the Astros traded him (I still have the newspaper clippings) I walked out to get my coffee before church (yes, I was drinking coffee at the age of 13!) and dad called me over, sits me in his lap and says "Katie, I have some bad baseball news for you." And lets it hang for a few seconds while he takes a sip of his coffee, leaving me to think that the ballpark had blown up, the Astros were out of the play-offs for good, or someone had died, "The Astros traded Jose Lima." O.K. I think, not as bad as I thought, but it ranks pretty high up there!

My dad sent me an e-mail telling me that he had died (I was milking for someone else and he knows I like to read obituaries). As I'm reading the title mom says "Oh, yeah Katie Lima died." and not two minutes later dad comes in to tell me "I'm sorry Katie, but Lima died.". To my sisters they had no idea, to me he was the guy that I remember when I think about those men who are in it just for the money.

After the Astros traded him, I continued to watch him, he might be the only person who I have ever done that for. I'm more a team type of person. I am a person who watches the game to enjoy it and see how the team works together, even if I can tell you each person's stats, weakness, and advantages on the field. Unless it was Jose Lime, well then those days I watched the game to watch him and it was tons of fun watching "Lima Time"!

I'm sure that there are very few people (if any) who are reading this who have any idea what I am talking about. But again, this goes back to being my blog and talking about what's on my mind. :D

Lima will be missed, there aren't all that many people now a days who play like he did and who show that they enjoyed the game like he did. But I still watch the game and enjoy it.

Just Wondering....

When your at a restaurant and you order iced tea how does it come to you?
Sweetened or unsweetened?
And those who live in Texas this does not count for you to answer. :D

Today Was.....

Was Dixie's first Major League game, Astros vs. Rays. No it wasn't her first baseball game as she has been to both Noah & Timothy's games.

The Tampa Bay Rays for reasons that partly make sense and partly don't are my mom's team. While the Astros for all the obvious reasons--I've only lived in the greater Houston area for 21 years & watched the Astros for 12 years--are my team. :D

Of course I had to sit through the entire game listening to my sisters back mom up & my dad crack jokes about how horrid the Astros are. After all "the team that is going to win the World Series is playing the worst team in baseball."

To top it all of the Astros had to lose a lead and let the Rays win. I'm not sure how much Dixie enjoyed the game (and no she doesn't win the medal for being the youngest Carlson to go to a game), as she slept through most of the game, but I do know that the boys enjoyed it.

I'm sure that there are very few people reading this who care about baseball, but it's one thing that I love and enjoy talking about it, plus I've waited 6 months to watch the Rays & Carl Crawford steal bases like Biggio used to, and to top it all off I couldn't think of anything else to talk about.

Y'all enjoy your week, while we on the farm work at getting ready for some major farm tours, summer, more birthdays, along with normal life. :D