Tonight It's Do or Die for my Bruins

     As I write this, the Boston Bruins are playing game 7 of their first round of the playoffs. There isn't much time left (about seven minutes) and the game is tied 1-1.  We just killed a power play, the only one the Caps have had all game, and Tim Thomas just made some amazing saves..Whoo, we almost had one, how did we miss?  It's all too nerve-wracking,  understandably, because it's do or die. 

     I have to watch the Red Sox or turn down the sound for stress relief--I don't know how I made it through this last year, when we actually won the Stanley Cup. I'm still pinching myself over that one. In all honesty, I will be very disappointed if they don't win, but they can't take last year away from us, and that alone would soften the blow for me.  I guess I'll have to put this down for a few minutes until the game is over. Now there's only three minutes left. I so want to get a goal soon. I am not looking forward to another sudden death overtime, even though it is very exciting.  Be back soon- we just got a power play, if we blow this.......

      I'm back, and the news isn't good. The Bruins LOST! I think I'm in a state of shock. They had won three game sevens en route to the Stanley Cup last year, so I guess we were due to lose one. This was a "historic" series because it was the first series ever where each game was decided by only one goal. The first few games were pretty ugly, with lots of chippy and dirty play. The refs were great tonight, but were questionable in many of their calls and non calls. We lost tonight because we could not capitalize on our opportunities. Overall, we had real trouble scoring, and the Caps had a pretty good rookie goalie. Give them credit.

     Competition is a theme I tend to analyze every year. Sometimes there is so much BS involved in trying to win a playoff series that I wonder if it's worth all the aggravation. It's only a game, after all, but for a so-called leisure pursuit, it brings with it stress, and for some people, anger or depression. And for the people that bet on games, financial gain or loss.  

     I am dealing with this very well. I have a lot of experience with losing, you see.  In recent years, the Boston sports teams have been winning a lot. But for the first 30 years I was a sports fan, the Celtics were the only team that were consistently winners. My Bruins were dear to my heart, even though they broke it every spring. 

     I guess because I was young and spirited, losing was really hard for me. I wanted to win soooo bad, that I was completely crushed when the Bruins tried so hard and always came up short. Usually there was some unfair call by the refs, or an unfortunate injury, or both. Or a goalie who liked to come way out the net.  1990 was really tough. We made it to the Finals, and I wanted the Championship so bad I could taste it. We played the Oilers, and we came up short. I was depressed for weeks. There was so many mixed emotions, being angry, sad, and proud of the team simultaneously. With all the soul-searching, I always remember saying that there was something to be said for non-competitive hobbies like music. It's just there, and it doesn't hurt you. It just gives you joy. The same with reading .  

     Anyway, I am still very proud of my Bruins. I will cherish the Stanley Cup they won last year, and will remember and re-live the way I felt being a champion for years to come. The reign is over, but that's OK. I can live with that.  It's only a game, and life goes on.........

Spring is in the Air-If Only I Could Bottle the Smell!

     Take a deep breath. Can you smell spring? It's the best smell there is, and it's intoxicating. I wish I could preserve it, get it in a bottle somehow. And when I need a lift in the dead of winter, I'd be able to open the bottle and unleash a gust of spring air into the room, bringing with it the promise of something better. 

     Isn't that what Spring is supposed to signify? A new beginning? New Life? A fresh start? I guess the reason spring is so special to me is because it comes when we really need it, after months of looking at leafless trees, cloudy dreary skies, and usually, cold weather. A sprig of grass or even a dandelion is enough to bring a whisper of hope that the season will change, and warm weather and the sound of singing birds will soon fill the air.

     I didn't mean to sound so dramatic about it, but it is surprising how a change like this can improve one's mood or even their whole outlook on life. In plain English, spring makes me happy, and I embrace it!

   To elaborate more on the smell of spring, I have been extremely lucky. I have lived in the same house for just about my entire life. In almost all those years, we've had cherry, pear and an ornamental flower tree in the yard. They all blossom in the spring, and the scent is just heavenly! If you sit in the yard, or if you're upstairs in the house and the windows are open, the aroma of these blossoms wafts by often, and it's so pretty, so sweet, and lovely. I should add that the trees themselves are also pretty to look at.

    Time marches on, and the cherry trees have died, and in the past two summers we have been forced to cut them down. It took us a long time to cut them down, because it was like losing a friend, or putting a pet to sleep, almost. It had to be done, kind of like a mercy killing. The yard is still fragrant with the flower tree. Unfortunately, it grew up so much and we pruned the branches to where we can no longer reach them. I would always pull a branch down to nose level and inhale. I'd also bring cuttings to my grandmother. She always appreciated it. 

     I almost forgot to mention my lilac bushes. Lilacs seem to transcend time, the smell of lilacs transports me to every other spring since I was very young. It's one of the best fragrances ever, in my opinion.  Our lilac is strategically placed adjacent to where we sit in the front walk. So we can look at and smell the blossoms. I wish I had more!

     Another nice thing about flower blossoms is what happens when the petals fall off. I hate to see them go, but what a pretty way to do it! They fly through the air as if they were a snow flurry. And they land on the ground, drifting into piles much like snow would. Except did you ever see pink snow?

This "pink snow" is from where I work, the grounds at Avery Manor. This shot was taken last spring.

This was an interesting shot I got last spring from our faltering pear tree. It  is dying, but we haven't cut it yet. The birds use this tree a lot.  Anyway, it bloomed very well last year, even though it didn't produce any fruit-it didn't have a chance, the squirrels eat the little pears before they could grow up.  This is the very top of the tree.

This is the ornamental flower tree, before it went into full bloom. I have to scan older pictures to show you of what it used to look like.

I was thrilled when I saw how this picture came out- it's my lilac blossoms before they opened up.  Don't they remind  you of tiny little grapes?! I took this picture in 2006. I have tried unsuccessfully to get similar shots, but haven't had anything near as pretty as this one.

The cherry trees are gone (except for the stumps, of course) but they will live forever in this shot.

     There is much more that I could say about spring, but I'll save it for a future post. I'll leave you now with a reminder to stop and smell not only the roses, but any other flowers you happen to pass by! Even with spring allergies that I never encountered until recently, it's worth it.

Sincerely,

Karin