The May Family  
The May Family; Garland, Texas

 

21 May 2005

2005 DPL Soccer Tournament

Collin seems to have found his niche with soccer participation. Following on the heals of the spring YMCA season, he decided to participate in the annual DPL soccer tournament.

Due to limitations resulting from organizational interest and field logistics, the schools of the Diocese of Dallas do not offer formal soccer teams for grades eight and under. Some circumvention of this limitation exist when parents organize teams through other leagues — e.g. Saint Paul fielded a team through the YMCA. Nevertheless, the athletic arm of the diocese, the Dallas Parochial League, hosts an annual soccer tournament. Collin competed with the Saint Paul team in this year's offering.

The games took place this past week with the elimination rounds occurring yesterday and today. The SPS team held its own, but did not advance past the quarter final round. Nevertheless, Collin had a great time, got in some productive play and was able to further hone his skils.

08 May 2005

A Star is born

Rebecca has been selected to become a member of the Naaman Forest High School Sterling Stars! Notice came shortly after 2100 yesterday evening via a post to the web.

After the announcement, Rebecca was whisked to campus for preliminary instruction and directions to the home at which indoctrination...er, initiation would begin. Wasting no time, the first order of business was an overnight organizational meeting to introduce the new "babies" to the team rules and expectations.

Though representing the success of eighteen months preparation by Rebecca, the achievement was bittersweet. She was engaged in a conference call with a few of her closest friends and fellow Starlettes when the results were posted. Of those with whom she was waiting with breathless anticipation, Rebecca was the only selection.

We congratulate Rebecca on this achievement! She has worked very hard for this honor and we know she will make the best of it.

07 May 2005

Crammed schedule

Today has been a busy day in our household. Ordinarily, such would be the norm and unworthy of public comment. However, several factors make today's calendar of particular interest to family and friends.

Our day began at 0700, when Elizabeth and Herman departed the house to deposit Rebecca at NFHS for drill team tryouts. This is a district wide event, which rotates through the various campuses. For 2005 it is being held at Naaman Forest. Emotions are running high for this event and we await the results with baited breath.

Elizabeth and Herman then headed to the polls to do their civic duty. Chief on this general ballot is a Proposition to allow off-site beer and wine sales. The balance of the choices are for municipal council seats — the mayor is unopposed as is our district seat. Did we not vote to do away with uncontested elections!?! }:-(

Conflict ruled the next several hours. Collin had soccer practice from 1100 to 1245. However, he needed to be at Saint Pius X by 1300 to set-up for a Music Learning concert at 1400. So, he left practice at 1230 to shower and dress before heading halfway across town.

Meanwhile, Rebecca had a piano recital from 1300 to 1400. This created more conflict for their parents than anything else as one handled logistics and transport for one while the other did likewise. Elizabeth coordinated Rebecca, while Herman dealt with Collin. The fallout was mutual exclusion of attendance. Thank goodness for video cameras — both events were captured on film.

Elizabeth then led an entourage to a 10th Anniversary celebration of her employer, FlexJet. Food, entertainment and walkthroughs were on tap for the event.

All parties then rendez-vous'ed at Spring Creek Barbecue to celebrate Mother's Day. Rebecca and Collin enjoyed the presence of their grandmothers and surviving great grandmother at both events. Elizabeth and Herman treated all three — as well as Theodore and Sarah — to barbecue dinner.

Some additional information about the performances.

Rebecca marked the end of her second year of piano instruction with a recital. As with last year's student showcase, this event was held at Central Christian Church of Richardson. Whereas previously the instructor selected the pieces to be played, Rebecca chose her own this year. Not one to feign from a challenge, she opted to play Fur Elise (Beethoven) and Canon in D (Pachelbel). Rebecca performed both with skill.

Collin participated in his second public concertshowcasing th4e progress of the Music Learning students. The beginner group, of which he is a member, performed three pieces and then participated in an ensemble performance of the Hey Song. Sassy and Nana drove from east Richardson to east Dallas in order to catch Collin's performance.

We are now in a holding pattern. All of our guests (save one) have departed and we await the results of the selection of new Sterling Stars members. The decision will be made via the web at 2100 this evening.

05 May 2005

Absence

...it is mentioned as making the heart grow fonder. Another effect is to stimulate anxiety and fear. Unfortunately, it is the latter which has come to pass at our household.

A little over four years ago, we began to be visited by a semi-feral cat whom we came to identify as "grey kitty" — stemming from the fact that he is a grey tabby. His appearance came on the heals of the death of one of our feline wards, Miss Kitty (17 January 2001). He is quite gregarious and has always allowed us the opportunity to stroke and play with him. Age-wise he seemed to be relatively young — perhaps one to two years of age — when he first started hanging around. Over the years he has grown into a hardened street cat with the scars to prove it. Many have been the times he has appeared bearing fresh, open wounds. Though he does not spend a great deal of time at our home, he is a frequent visitor. Almost from the beginning we have encouraged his patronage by providing feed or him.

Just under one year ago, he started bringing a female cat and, apparently, her young kitten. We say brought, perhaps the better term is to say he tolerated her presence where, previously, he had jealously guarded his backyard domain at our home. It was simply an assumption that he had taken up with her and that, maybe, the kiten was his progeny.

We have come to refer to the female felid as "bitch kitty". This moniker stems from the fact that she is extremely feral and will commence with a non-violent hiss and spit fest if one pays her even a sideways glance. She is not particularly attractive as far as cats go. Her coloring is predominately a deep grey on top and sides, with white underneath her belly. Marbled within it all is an undertone of orange. She was allowed to stay in deference to grey kitty's apparent affection and the endearing qualities of her kitten.

The smallest member of this cohort came to be known as &quoot;orange kitty" due to her being, well, an orange tabby. She has always shown a love-hate disposition. Almost without exception she has spent the vast majority of her days in our back yard — on the porch, on the storage shed, in the garden, on the bar, etc. Yet, she has never let anyone get close enough to her to allow a touch. A hand placed on the kitchen window screen will elicit a rub against it, but never can flesh touch fur directly with no intervening barrier. She has adopted us and we her.

Orange kitty was last seen on Tuesday evening. A brief cooling trend had prompted us to leave the back door open to allow for circulation and she waltzed into the den for a quick exploratory foray and to solicit some food. Yesterday, she was not seen at all. This was some sort out of the ordinary. It is true that she is sometimes absent for long stretches of time, but this is usually during fair weather. It rained all day, though, and she, of late at least, has taken to spending such periods sheltered on the porch. Thus her absence was very much noticed and it raised some concern.

It was with some degree of despair that, while on his morning constitutional with the hounds, Herman discovered the lifeless carcass of orange kitty in the roadway on High Plateau. Her head smashed and her boddy rigid, it was obvious that she had been dead for the better part of a day; perhaps more. One cannot shed too many tears for her. She was a feral feline after all. However, she had become a familiar denizen of our household and we are sad to discover her death.

 

continue to the April 2005 archive

 

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last edited: 2005.06.07