Play Ball!

Well it's that time of year again - Baseball Season! - I don't recall every going  to a game so cold as it was Saturday night.  We got to the game around

5:30 PM.  I wanted to walk around once to see what was new at the park before sitting down.

My favorites- the Philly Pretzel Company and "Aw Shucks" Roasted Corn return in two locations.  Most of the times we eat at home before going to the game because it is so expensive to eat there, but occasionally we splurge and have dinner.

Two new places, both of which I look forward to trying are the "Sooeey'te Spot" Frozen Yogurt Bar and the "Boar-rito" Mexican stand.  Other brand-new offerings include the Dietz & Watson "Brew & Brats Platz" Grill featuring regular and jalapeno bratwurst served on a pretzel bun, a one-of-a-kind bacon-wrapped hot dog along with a smoothie stand providing healthy fresh fruit drinks in a variety of unique flavors.

But, I can tell you that on Saturday night I was not eating at the frozen yogurt bar, nor having my favorite, dipping dots, it was just too darn cold.  I wore - cuddle duds, jeans, socks, boots with fur inside, a thermal top under my Iron Pigs sweatshirt, a scarf, hat with ear flaps, jacket, and a pair of gloves, with a pair of mittens on top.    Parke and I covered with a blanket and were the last people left in our section at the top of the 10th inning.  This is when we left.  Parke wasn't dressed in as many layers as I and was getting cold. 

The Pigs won in the 11th inning;  bummer, that we didn't get to see it, but I got 17 more games to go.  Maybe more.  My next game is Wednesday, temps are suppose to be in the 80's in the afternoon and down to 59 at night, a little better than the 49 degrees we experienced Saturday night. 

I can't tell you anything about the new urinal game for men, but the ladies room had - what I thought was a media board that showed upcoming events, until I walked over to it and it turned into a mirror, thanks to the motion sensor, which I of course,  had to keep moving back and forth watching.

Also new is PorkCenter - Minor League Baseball's first and only fan-interactive social media command center, affording fans the unique opportunity to supplement their game day experience at Coca-Cola Park and beyond. Download the IronPigs brand-new app, available for iPhone and Android on Monday, April 1, for a chance to enter PorkCenter during each IronPigs home game.

I can't tell you anything about this yet, since currently I own a dumbphone.

Anyway - so it begins - spring, baseball and soon time to start planting the garden, another year......another day in Catasauqua.

Blue Light Special in Catasauqua

Tonight some houses are blue in Catasauqua, and I don't mean sad.  Brubaker's Funeral Home, Mr. Brubaker's house and Ben Ferenchak's house are shining blue with blue lights to raise awareness for Autism.  Today is the sixth annual World Autism Awareness Day. Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising.

The Empire State Building in New York

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe.

Iconic landmarks around the globe – including the Empire State Building in New York City will change there lights to blue in an effort to raise awareness.  What I find amazing is that it trickled down to our community - yes the Empire State Building is lit up in blue - but so is Brubaker's - Yes the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt are shining blue - and so is 5th and Pine Street. Blue lights shine at the Sydney Opera House is Australia, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Warsaw Stock Exchange in Warsaw, Poland and a house on Howertown Road in Catasauqua.

It gives me goose pimples to realize that our small town is part of a bigger, global movement. 

You can check out - www.lightitupblue.org for more information and ways to donate.  

In the meantime check out the blue lights in Catty and that's another day in Catasauqua







 

St. Patrick's Day part 2

One of my most popular blogs since I started "Another Day in Catasauqua" is  St. Patrick's Day Trivia that I posted last year, it has almost 6000 hits - you can find it here:

 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3960544181181866141#editor/target=post;postID=7197431007522557707

So while the corned beef brisket cooks on the stove and before I add my potatoes and cabbage I thought I share some Irish one-liners with you.  I had come across them when I was getting ready for my Friendship Circle earlier this month.

my favorite part of St. Patty's Day - The Shamrock Shake

Q: What is out on the lawn all summer and is Irish?
A: Paddy O'Furniture 

 

Q: What do you call a fake stone in Ireland?
A: A sham rock. 

 

Q: Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day?
A: Regular rocks are too heavy. 

 

Q: Why can't you borrow money from a leprechaun?
A: Because they're always a little short. 

 

Q: How did the Irish Jig get started?
A: Too much to drink and not enough restrooms! 

 

Q: Why do leprechauns have pots o'gold?
A: They like to "go" first class! 

 

Q: How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time?
A: He's Dublin over with laughter! 

 

Q: What would you get if you crossed Quasimodo with an Irish football player?
A: The Halfback of Notre Dame! 

 

Q: What would you get if you crossed Christmas with St. Patrick's Day?
A: St. O'Claus!

 

Q: Do leprechauns make good secretaries?
A: Sure, they're great at shorthand! 

 

Q: What do leprechauns love to barbetrcue?
A: Short ribs! 

 

Q: How did the leprechaun beat the Irishman to the pot of gold?
A: He took a shortcut! 

 

Q: When is an Irish Potato not an Irish Potato?
A: When it's a FRENCH fry! 

 

Well that's enough blarney for now,  Happy St. Patrick's Day and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Batter Batter Swing in the Snow

Parke, with snow on his hood at Coca-cola Park

Woo Hoo it was time to pick up our 18 game plan tickets for the Iron Pigs with only 19 Days until the first game and IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!

Yup, snowing, now my grandfather would call this onion snow, because it is time to plant the onions which he always did around St. Patrick's Day, which is tomorrow.

However, did you know the term is basically only used in Pennsylvania.   I didn't know that; and it is defined as a light snow in late spring, after onions have been planted.  So I guess this isn't onion snow after all.

Well, there's only 3 days to spring so I guess - let it snow - for it shall melt quickly.  Spring is just a hop around the corner in Catty and so is baseball at the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.  I can't wait!

So batter, batter swing and this is .....another day in Catasauqua

The New Year's Resolution

If you thought you were going to find out what my New Year's resolution is, sorry - I didn't make any this year.  I resolve occasionally  to try to do things better.  Sometimes after a great sermon, like the one Pastor Mike of Salem UCC, in Catasauqua did a few weeks back on Attitudes;  I resolved to have a better attitude at work.  However, like many resolutions, it is difficult to keep.  The pressure of deadlines, and attitudes of others, clients included can affect my way of thinking.  That's why resolutions are so hard.  We set high goals once a year and expect ourselves to meet them.  I rather work my way gradually to a goal, like eating better.  From years at Weight Watchers I really know how to eat better (I just don't always do it).  However, we eat less fried food and more vegetables and whole grains, but at Christmas some of that eating flies out the door.  I had also quit Weight Watchers in the beginning of November so I could have more money for Christmas Shopping; but, I will rejoin this Thursday, mainly because I am noisy and want to know what the new plan is all about.(I have to brace myself though, lots of people will be joining, just like lots of people go back to the gyms)   It will also help me and my family get back on a healthier eating track.

So where did New Year's Resolutions start?  Well, the ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.




The Romans began each year by making promises to the god  Janus, for whom the month of January is named.


In the Medieval era,  the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

 At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Year's resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did.

So how successful are New Year's Resolutions?   A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the beginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.

So, if you really want to make a New Year's Resolution, go ahead, share your goals and find the right support, and you are more likely to succeed.

In the meantime I have some Christmas candy and cookies to finish off before Thursday .......and that's another day in Catasauqua.

One of the best presents ever

Sometimes the smallest present can become one of the best presents ever.  Such as, the dough scraper.  Yes the handy and might dough scraper was given to me as a gift from my cousin Sandy.  She was working at Ace Hardware when they got them in and she immediately bought me one and one for herself. 

On Saturday I made one roll out recipe that I have from an Aunt of Annette's.  It's a good cookie, but sometimes it can be challenging to roll out.  This is where the dough scraper comes in handy.  From scooping up the cookie to putting it on the tray to cleaning off the board when dough gets stuck-- it is a super gadget.

In the picture you see both my grandmother's rolling pin and her bread board, as she called it, which I roll out my dough on.  It's funny, when I was small I thought both objects where huge. Time has made them smaller.

Making cookies is a long family tradition.  One that my cousin Sandy and I kept going.  I remember the one time, she brought tons of cookie sheets and we rolled and stacked and roll and stacked and then baked, we practically looked professional. Ah the good times.  This year we almost lost her, and as I rolled out the cookies and scraped the dough I thought constantly of her.  It is funny how something so small can hold so many memories.

Here is wishing you many merry memories this holiday season. 

and that's another day in Catasauqua.

The Stare Down in Catty

I started telling this story to Parke and he said "Why don't you blog this story, you haven't been blogging?"  What a good idea, that's why I keep him around.

Anyway, the story starts this morning early AM.  I was  going to breakfast with a bunch of bff's from church and I wanted to quickly walk the dog.  We were doing good until Petey started a staring match with a certain large gentleman across the street.

I have learned a lot about dog behavior from Petey's Obedience Classes at Chaar.  Dogs will stare especially at each other.  The first dog that moves determines the type of behavior.  Example, the dog on the one side of where I live came forward with a low growl, she was showing aggression and they started a barking match.  On the other hand last weekend a new dog was visiting on the other side of where I live.  His name was Harley and he was a large 7 month old.  They did the stare down, but Harley went bouncing up the yard which showed playful behavior.  Harley really tired out Petey last week, he ended up napping all night.

But this morning's stare down wasn't friendly, the man didn't move, he just keep staring, and Petey started with a low growl, warning the man to look away, but the man didn't, so Petey started barking, which started me laughing, because you see, the man was blow up Santa.  Yes, Petey was barking at blow up Santa and I couldn't get him to stop.  I had to tell him "leave it"  which is the command to walk away but he was sure that this man meant trouble.  I had my hand over it mouth the one time, but he kept trying to bark. It was muffled by my glove and he cheeks would puff out in effort to make a sound.  I had to pull him for about a half a block until we were away from the Jolly Elf.

Oh poor Santa, I better make sure I have Petey is in his cage Christmas Eve.  I shudder to think what might happen if Santa bent over him to say Merry Christmas.

Oh my, and that's another day in Catasauqua.