Last night, we had the storm of all storms in Hell. Literally. Around 11 p.m. it really let loose with strong winds, a torrential downpour and equally supported with thunder and lightning. It was a storm that only Michiganders can truly appreciate – like the kind we used to sit on the front porch and watch when we were kids. With two dozen strawberry muffins baking in the oven, I was a bit disappointed that my day ended with loss of power and ruined muffins. 

But it didn’t spoil the sweetest day ever. Our afternoon was filled with laughter and red stickie hands as we picked up where we left off with our June tradition. We went to Whittaker’s Berry Farm in Ida to pluck juicy ripe strawberries. We have been doing it for years with our kids and have continued this yearly favorite with our grandkids. Except for the last two years with a break in the action, 2020 proved to be as memorable as ever. The berries were small, but sweeter than candy.

It goes without saying that when things are going well you usually don’t hear about it. You guessed it. Things have been going pretty well for us. Dave’s counts have been solid, his maintenance intrathecal chemo went well this month, and he is still in remission. To top off our blessings, baseball is returning to brighten our days. There is nothing like the crack of a bat and the pop of a ball slamming into the glove. 

Beating the Tigers to it, both Easton and Emilee started their season this week. It was only a matter of time before Dave inched his nose into another dugout. He started last night with taking the end seat on a well-worn bench at Emilee’s doubleheader. He sat there encouraging the girls and talking ball. Around the bottom of the second inning, one of the girls sitting next to him looked up and asked, “Have you even played the game?” That goes down in history as one of the funniest quotes ever. “Yes, I did play,” Dave replied. 

And in Dave fashion, he was behind the plate into the second game of the doubleheader. The game was moving a little slow for him, so he was helping the catcher out. As you can imagine, I’m still grinning about that, too. Yep, I’d say it was a pretty sweet day. One of the best – EVER.