Good morning! It’s Sunday morning and there is a bit of snow on the ground that will need to be shoveled. Thankfully, just a little – less than one inch – though we might have a bit more tonight. It’s a gray day, at least so far. I have several projects in the works and the challenge of the day will be deciding just where I should concentrate my energies.
I don’t care about the Super Bowl.
There, I’ve said it. Do not care. I’m not even sure who’s playing. And, frankly, I think football needs to be re-assessed. Our increasing knowledge of chronic head injuries and the dire toll they can take on players should be a wake up call. Junior Seau was the quarterback when I was living in San Diego. This man who was normally happy and full of good cheer took his life recently. And the examination of his brain confirmed that he suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that is linked to chronic head injuries. When the NIH autopsied the brains of 34 former players, they discovered that 33 of them suffered from CTE.
Food for thought.
On to something cheerier.
My friend Linda who blogs at A La Carte, knows that I have started a collection of miniature pottery. She sent me a lovely present that arrived in yesterday’s mail:
Oh. My. Goodness. Three beautiful pieces of pottery! Aren’t they lovely? And a heart!
Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! (as Gilbert and Sullivan would say.)
I am entranced.
I’ve added them to my shadow box shelf. I love the pop of color that the yellow and peach pieces bring to my display.
How can I not smile when I sit here in my blogging chair, pause in my typing, look up and see this?
I can’t. I’m smiling.
Thank you, Linda, from the bottom of my heart.
In other news, the earrings are flying out the door! I have a lot of wrapping and packaging to do in the next 2 days. Thank you so much! If you are interested in a pair, I would suggest you think about buying a pair sooner rather than later. Some colors are almost gone. Meredith is thrilled, by the way.
Happy Sunday.
Oh! We are related Claudia! I’ve never cared for or understood football – grown men colliding and knocking each other around, too violent. I’m hoping there is finally understanding of the damage done.
The puppy bowl is on today – scampering cuteness!
Oh! What a lovely gift and wonderful friend you have. So charming!
I just knew those earrings had wings hahaha, they’re do darling!
Happy Sunday to you xo
I hope so, too, Sally. I know injuries occur in any sport, including baseball, my favorite. But the toll CTEs take can be pretty dire.
Happy Sunday to you! I for one can’t wait to watch the Super Bowl. Am a huge sports fan and have been all my life. I will agree with you that playing football causes head injuries – but so do so many other things. Junior Seau was and will always be one of my very favorite players, he was awesome. Football is a choice. Sometimes for these kids in high school or college, football and other sports are where they soar. And it provides an opportunity for them with their lives that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
I believe there’s ALWAYS room for improvement in anything in this life. But I also believe the the NFL, MLB, NCAA, NBA, NASCAR and all the other sports orgninzations are taking safety seriously and are going above and beyond to make the game safer for the players. Will it fix everything? Will it prevent every injury? Absolutely not. But again, it’s a choice that each player makes for their life. And there’s always risk. Risk go along with everything in life – even stepping outside your front door each morning. These individuals also have the very best that money can buy for their health care. And they have to be willing to following the advice and care of these doctos – and we all know they don’t always do this. Again, a choice.
I am thankful for these players and that they are so very talented and put theirselves out there for the game and for my enjoyment in watching them play the game. I realize everyon doesn’t feel the same and that’s perfectly fine too. I just wanted to present another side to this. I know how good you are about being open minded and to a good discussion. One of the reasons I love your blog so!
I hope you have a beautiful Sunday! And I will enjoy my Super Bowl Sunday. Blessings and peace Claudia.
Hi Belinda,
I totally understand your point. But I do have to say that if we are talking about a choice, it is a choice that many, in fact, the majority of these players made before they knew about this research. We are only discovering these things now. So, while it will be a choice in the future – as future professional football players make a choice, knowing what we do now – the choices made by Junior Seau and so many others were made by players who knew that injuries could occur but had no idea of what CTE was or what it could do to their brains. Or that it could send them into a terrifying downward journey into depression and suicide. Junior Seau is not the only football player who had CTE and ended his life. Several football players have requested that their brains be autopsied after their deaths so that more research can be done. One, in particular, left a note making that request right before he took his own life.
Thank goodness future players have more information about this. If they make a choice, it will be with full awareness of the risks.
Enjoy your Super Bowl, Belinda. I always appreciate and respect what you have to say! Thank you for taking the time to share it with us.xoxo
So true and I agree. But life evolves…sports, politics, medicine…it’s the way things go. And thank goodness that it always is moving forward. Medicine has evolved for the better today versus what it was the day that Junior Seau made his choice to sign to play football.
I too LOVE LOVE LOVE baseball such as yourself, it is my favorite sport of all. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched my beloved Yankees and your beloved Red Sox purposely throw pitches to hit players in the head and they have little to NO protection on their heads. And yes we both know they’ve ALL done it. Terrifying.
Thank you for your comments as well and the open forum. Blessings.
Blessings to you, too, Belinda!
I detest football…..but, even more, I so dislike the terrible injuries this ‘game’ (wrong name I do believe) causes in players from an early age. We did not allow our son to play football or hockey (such ‘terrible parents’ according to some). He enjoyed track, basketball and softball as a youngster and has been a runner and cyclist for most of his life. Of course injuries are possible in all sports, even in just getting out of bed, or climbing a glacier in Antarctica (had to pop that one in!!!) can be dangerous……….. but why encourage them.
Yes dear, I’m back and have amazing things to share once I get organized here at the cottage.
Have missed being able to blog from ‘the end of the world’, or keep up with you, but hope all is well there – I’ll work on reading your recent missed posts.
Warm hugs – Mary
Welcome back, Mary! I would say you were good parents! I’m glad my nephew is a swimmer. Much safer.
That Linda is the Queen of thrifting! Your new pieces look charming in your toile lined shadow box.
*The felted earring are sweet and the photos (with your new camera?) are fabulous, too! I’ll be the other person not watching the game. :)
I’m going to watch a movie and quilt!
What darling little pieces of treasure!! Linda is such a sweetheart. She’s always thinking of others. I love all of your little pottery pieces in your shadowbox. So cute.
Have a GREAT day!!
Judy
You too, my friend!
Lovely little gifts, they have a rather McCoy feeling about them. I don’t know if I spelled that correctly or not, since I was brought up Medalta….LOL.
Congrats on all of the earring sales, great news.
Jen
I think a couple of them might be McCoy and the swan is definitely Shawnee.
I enjoy college football so much more than pro but all my men love it. I love sitting in the other end of the house and hearing them yell and laugh and, yes, cuss at the refs. I keep hearing about the new helmet the military is working on for the NFL. I hope better safety measures can be developed because pro football is not going to go away.
Now, on to the stuff I can be enthusiastic about–your beautiful collection of small pottery in the shadow box. There’s just something about small things that delight us but they usually do need to be in something like your shadow box. I am a sucker for swans so that one on the top shelf tugs at my heart.
I love small things, as you well know. That swan is lovely, isn’t it?
I hope that new helmet is put into use soon!
I have never been a football fan. Needless to say, I won’t be watching the super bowl and can’t wait until it’s over.
Me either, If I see that KFC commerical one more time that says “Game Day Bucket Go Boom” I just might scream.
Claudia, you are not alone. I also don’t care about the Super Bowl.
What are you going to do when it’s on, Debra?
Hmmm. I work until 5:00 at the library. Probably just play on my computer and cuddle with my dogs! Oh, and I have two quilt kits that I’m trying to decide between for my next sewing project, so I’ll take a look at those.
Well, I guess I am in the minority…I will be watching the Super Bowl. I don’t care who wins, since the Packers aren’t playing! I will enjoy the commercials…hope they are good! Football is not as safe as it could be, I’m sure, but then again we have such a long way to go for so many sports, don’t we!
I’m curious to know the approximate height of those miniature vases…so pretty! Enjoy your Sunday…hope you find a project to do! ;)
I know you love football, Donnamae – I remember those scarves in the Packer colors.
The vases are between 2 and 3 inches tall. xo
about the Superbowl: did you know that the sponsors have been showing “Trailers” of the upcoming commercials! I think this is absurd, and taking commercialism to a whole new ridiculous level.
Love, love, love your miniature pottery. How special!
Yes, I heard that! And that you could find the commercials online well before the game so why even bother?
Good Afternoon Claudia,
Linda is such an amazing lady!! Your pieces are lovely — these are minatures?? Correct?? Maybe, put a ruler next to the shelf so we can see how minature your pieces are???
About the Super Bowl —- We record it and then FF through the game so we can watch the commercials and half time show! This is the only time we ever watch commercials and I love them!!
Yes, they are miniatures. They are between 2 and 3 inches tall. I love them.
Oh I love your new pottery and heart! Such a wonderful gift. I’m not surprised the earrings are flying away, they are so darling.
I’m with you on the football thing. I don’t even know who’s playing, although I did hear somewhere that the two coaches are brothers and their mom would love a tie if that was even possible. I look at the exorbitant money these athletes make for playing a “game” and then I look at my neighbor down the street who works 70 hours a weeks to barely make ends meet. To my way of thinking there is something terribly wrong with that picture.
Have a wonderful day! I plan to spend it knitting since I’m still down with the flu.
Blessings,
Betsy
http://www.betsy-thesimplelifeofaqueen.blogspot.com
I agree – the salaries are really off the charts.
Feel better, Betsy!
Claudia I am so glad you love the miniatures! I knew they needed to come live with you. Someone remarked that they look like McCoy and my understanding is that they are McCoy. Anyway they looks wonderful on your shelf!
I am not much of a football fan for many reasons and the injuries are one of them. I don’t watch the super bowl either…Downton Abby for me and a movie, I love the earrings and can’t believe the pink one’s are gone already…or yes I can believe it! I did see a strawberry swirl, I’ll go look again.
hugs, Linda
Linda – I have more pink earrings. I just haven’t listed them yet. Give me an hour or so.
xo
I asked my husband as we were drifting off to sleep last night.. who’s playing in the Super Bowl, I said, I know one is San Francisco, who’s the other.. and he didn’t know either.. so there you go, that’s how into it we are. :-) Love your tiny pottery! I’m so happy that I will be receiving a pair of Meredith’s adorable earrings! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
You know, I had a vague feeling that SF was one of the teams and I’d heard that the coaches are brothers, but that’s all I knew.
Earrings should be going out on Tuesday. Tomorrow is sorting and packaging day. xo
I love the little pieces of pottery…they look precious in your shadow box. So very nice of Linda! Enjoy.
I don’t watch football, never have, I find it to be a boring game and I really don’t like the violence either. My next door neighbor played football in high school and had to have a knee replacement about 10 years ago. Yet, he encouraged and coached his three sons in football and they went to college on football scholarships. One just has a knee replacement as well. I think all of this is insane.
I’m happy to hear the earrings are such a hit…your sister must be thrilled. Good for her!
XO,
Jane
Insane for sure, Jane. My brother-in-law player pro football for a short time. I’m glad he didn’t play for long! I’m sure he saw his share of injuries.
What a thoughtful gesture from a blog friend. I, too, collect small pieces, especially pitchers, and am running out of room to put them. That doesn’t keep me from adding to the collection though. I’ll probably be watching the game but finishing a necklace as it happens.
The reason I started collecting these was because I was running out of room for my normal-sized pieces of pottery!
I’m not a big football fan, either. Baseball is my game. I think I am going to go see the film, Amour, today. It’s nominated for an Academy Award, and I try to see at the very least, all the “Bests.” It has gotten harder with 10 nominees, but I saw all of them last year, and I am on my quest to do so again this year. I do usually enjoy the Super Bowl half-time performances, so I hope to make it back in time to see Beyonce.
Baseball is my game, too!
I totally agree with you. Wholeheartedly. I don’t give a rat’s ass who’s playing either. And I remember he killed himself. As some of them often do. These brain injuries do not seem to get the attention of Americans. All they can do is rah-rah as these young men tackle each other and pound one another. I think it’s tragic. And I’m glad that game is no longer on my TV since I divorced. One of the best things about being alone is not hearing sports all the time. How can people cheer when so many of those playing will end up like that? I don’t get it.
Brenda
Hi Claudia!! I’m with you on not watching football – too much of a contact sport for me, and I dont really understand the game.. I’ll be watching Downton Abbey instead!! (I love it – do you watch it?). Your miniatures are adorable and such a lovely gift!! Have a peaceful rest of Sunday!! Francine
I don’t like football either. Borrring. If the Chicago Bears were in the Superbowl, I’d be watching only because that’s my home team. Yep, a fair weather fan, lol. My husband’s not big into football either, but I’m sure he’ll have the game on anyway. I’ll pop in once in awhile to see some commercials and the half-time show. I made a big pot of chili and it’s been simmering on the stove all day, but not sure if either of us will even be in the mood to eat some. We’re both sick. Brian has a sinus infection and I just came down with a bad cold.
Glad to hear the earrings are flying out the door. Can’t wait to get mine! They look so pretty in the pictures.
Love the miniature pottery pieces. I have a couple of pieces; would love to find more.
Frederic is here! Oh, joy, oh rapture! I suspect you were probably talking about the HMS Pinafore, but we did Pirates of Penzance in high school and I can’t hear that phrase without starting to sing that song! Love G&S.
Of course, in this, maybe it should be, “Miniatures are here! Oh joy, oh rapture!” Hee hee hee. They are SO CUTE. I really want to get started building my dollhouse, but I haven’t found the time or a place to put it yet. My husband found a kit for one at the Goodwill for me, and I love it, but it’s quite large AND is missing a couple of pieces so I have been stalling thus far. Maybe this summer I’ll get up the gumption to go for it.
Have a great sport-free Sunday! (We don’t follow sports in our house, so I am blissfully unaware of it all!)
~Angela~
Those are sweet little miniature pottery pieces. Linda is a lovely lady, isn’t she.
The print with the Collie is gorgeous. I have a few I have picked up in antique shops but that one really is nice. Love that the dog is doing it’s ‘work’ helping find the lamb. Just beautiful. Deb
Such lovely treasures, Claudia! love the photo with the earrings, and that mini pottery is beautiful in it’s shadow box.
oh my gosh, Claudia, I adore the felted heart earrings, I’d love you to come over and link them up to The Marketplace, Hope you’re having a good start to the week!!
Debra, just now getting your comment. I’ll come over and link up. Thanks!
We didn’t watch the football game either. My favorite part of it is when the whistle blows at the end. That means the end of f’ball season and on to baseball. I’m eagerly awaiting the start of spring training. Got that John Fogerty song “Centerfield” playing in my head already!
What beautiful pottery pieces for the dollhouse, Claudia! How perfect they look. No wonder they make you smile. And I’m so glad the earrings are selling well, although I’m not in the least surprised… they’re so lovely and sweet. I am completely addicted to football and hockey (and tennis and baseball to a lesser degree) but agree there should be better systems in place to protect football and hockey players, especially as regards their equipment and the game regulations. We didn’t get any snow on Sunday but it’s snowing here now!