Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Field Hockey Cupcakes


Facebook is a funny and great thing especially when you are able to "friend" people from your past. Yesterday, my old freshman field hockey coach got in touch with me. (By "old" I really mean former since she is most likely only about 5 years older than me!)
When I saw Maura's name on my friend list, I immediately recalled the white frosted chocolate cupcakes decorated with crossed sticks and each of our jersey numbers which she made for our end of the season celebration. I can't remember any big games or a tie breaking goal in the last seconds of a critical game, just the cupcakes and all the fun we had. C'mon, if you know anything about me by now, it's that everything leads back to the food.
Maura came to us when we needed her much like a 1980's Mary Poppins with big hair and a bigger smile. The Falmouth High School athletic department didn't know what to do with all of the freshman girls who went out for the team in the fall of 1983. A few of my classmates went to the JV team and the rest of us were left to wonder what would become of our season. We were sceptical. I think Maura arrived late on her first day which added to our teenage attitude. One of the things that saved that first day was our desire to have fun and play the game, the other thing was Maura's enthusiasm. It won us over.
Some of the best times I had playing high school sports were spent with the girls on that team. We laughed a lot and became a tight knit group of ragtag players wearing cast off uniforms. We may not have had the skill to make the JV team but after that first day, we no longer cared. Our team was special: the first girls field hockey freshman team coached by Miss Maura Jepsen.

Friday, April 3, 2009

From March Madness to April Fever


Now that the insanity of the birthday month has passed, it's time to get down to the thank you notes which will include the many thanks for remembering me, Declan and Ava on our special days. For those of you who don't realize or know, there are far more than 3 people who celebrate during March. My aunt Nancy starts things off on March 5th and is followed by Declan on the 7th, Karyn's and my joint birthday on the11th, Val's on the 17th (also St. Patrick's day), Ethan calls his day the 21st, my nephew Ryson demands a cake on the 25th and Ava rounds out the month on the 27th. I have not even begun to mention all of the friends and extended family who claim their own days and double up on a few dates already mentioned. The whole thing is festive and makes the last lingering month of winter go by a little faster but it is exhausting. I hate to say it, but I'm glad its over!

I'm attempting to turn my attention to springtime activities and events but the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating. Coonamessett Farm opens today but if you are in Falmouth right now, you know its cold and rainy. In April on Cape Cod, this means you don't want to spend the day outside and neither do any of the resident farm animals. I checked out Spohr Garden (known for it's amazing display of daffodils as far as the eye can see) yesterday but only saw about a dozen daffodils in bloom. I don't know what I was expecting. I know that it's to early for the kind of weather that encourages flower gardens and bare feet. Maybe I've been cooped up in this house to long over the winter. Cabin fever has finally struck me down. I've fallen and I need spring time to help me up!