Smoke Signals and other news

Coming home on Wednesday night after a day helping with renovations at Byhalia Nutrition Shack (the easy jobs I could do mostly sitting down but still things that had to be done), I opened the front door at home to a rush of warm air – not what I wanted to feel. I know many a/c units fail when the outside temperatures are what we have experienced recently. I called my a/c repairman who assured me he could be there on Thursday. I turned up the ceiling fans, set up other fans that I was fortunate to have and opened a window or two making it bearable for the night and until mid-afternoon Thursday. Though several friends offered their homes as refuge, I needed to be close by to meet the technician when he could be there. I went back to Byhalia Nutrition and did what I could to help until the repairman arrived. As expected (and hoped), it was the capacitor, but it had also caused some electrical issues with the outside box. I was grateful to feel the cool air coming from the vents as the house was a balmy 86 degrees by then. It took a few hours to bring it back to a comfortable temperature. Yes, I grew up without this comfort and many summers my own home did not have this luxury, but now that I can flip a switch and be cool, I rather like it.

When Olivia was about four, I took her to a “softball clinic.” She was very shy but did her best. On the way home she announced, “That was fun, but I don’t want to play the game.” We were disappointed but accepted that it just wasn’t going to be for her. Fast forward to about two years ago when she agreed to play in the rec league where they now live. She fell in love with it and was upset when the season ended. She then played “fall ball” and this past summer she was back on the diamond. While she visited me this summer, she played with a local team. While she was here, she got word that she had made the “transitional team” at home. This is a level they have between rec ball and travel ball. In the interim this child with high anxiety levels decided to watch You Tube videos and teach herself to pitch. Back home she enrolled in pitching lessons. Saturday, she had her first chance on the mound. First pitch ever in a game was a strike and the first batter up was a strikeout. She came away with the game ball and a big confidence boost. She goes to two-hour practices with her team, comes home and practices two hours and goes to pitching lessons on Sunday afternoon. She is almost eleven and

I think she has changed her mind and just maybe does want to play the game. Her parents are getting a taste of what we did for her mom. Not to be outdone, Landon plays football and was one of the few ninth graders chosen to travel with and play in the game for his high school team in their first game of the season. He is also on the wrestling team.

Go by and visit the newly remodeled Byhalia Nutrition Shack. They have moved but only to the other side of the building. There is more room and it’s brighter. They have new additions to their menu you don’t want to miss.

I would love to report your news. Call or text me at 901-246-8843, message me on Facebook at Clair Wagg, or email me at jchwagg@gmail.com.