WHY IS THE STEM SO IMPORTANT ON TOP OF A PUMPKIN?

But it is. No pumpkin that I ever bought had a bad stem. One of the kids or grandkids may have altered it once it got home, but it started out with a great stem.

I almost planted some pumpkins once. But a knowledgeable brother-in-law advised me against it. I didn't know. My zucchini squash was pretty good. What could a few pumpkins hurt? But evidently they grow like crazy and would have consumed my garden, wrapped themselves around my pines, and even taken over the concrete flooring of the dog pen. He convinced me, so no pumpkins.

But my pumpkins would have been harvested with stems. Twisty, sturdy stems that accentuated the round firmness of the orange orb.

But why? I never cared what the stems of my tomatoes looked like. Of course, they never lasted long around me. Strawberry stems were not important, though a friend once showed me how to eat around the stem. The leftover part she made looked like a star. So maybe to Deb, those stems were vital.

If a twisty pumpkin stem wasn't available, I went for length. If none were very noticeable then I grabbed the short stubby ones that were fat and sliced off at an angle. If no angle cut, then straight across. And if there were any in the patch that didn't meet my criteria, then no pumpkin from there.

I really like Halloween so there may be more blog entries coming. Not so much Halloween maybe as the harvest. We'll see if we can't come to some conclusions before the big day. I may even figure out why the stem is so obligatory.

HARVEST MOON

This morning at 5:15, I walked outside to get the morning paper. I was a little disappointed because it was a little warmer than normal. When the AC kicked on last night about 8:00, I should have known that warmer temps were back.

Funny that I should want cooler weather, but after this Summer, I'm ready. Two nights ago, CQ covered up with a throw and reminded me that it won't be long until we have a fire in the fireplace. Sometimes I even light one when the temperature is in the low 60's, but it's hard to rationalize it when it's still in the 80's.

But the moon this morning! I had to walk a little closer to the street to see it, it hiding between three of my neighbor's palm trees. They look better than in the picture, but the moon looked just about the same. Illuminating an early morning sky while stars fell into their right slots forming all the constellations that God made. I thanked Him before I went back in the house. For allowing me to view and feel His wonderful creation.

I confess I had a thought pass through my head, "How can He create such beauty and then allow Satan dominion over this world?" It was followed by another thought, perhaps implanted there by the Holy Spirit, "How much better is Heaven going to be that this!"

Amen.

GAME ONE ANYHOW

So they played a World Series game. One team showed up. The other, the Rocktobers, swung the bat like rusty gates, like old washerwomen. They pitched pretty stupidly, too. And we had to listen to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

Other than that, it was a pretty good ballgame. If you like to see the American Leaguers walk into second base with a double. C'mon, it is American League baseball afterall, but a little hustle wouldn't hurt. I saw the big Papi run hard to third once last night. It wasn't a pretty sight.

What I didn't see, and maybe it was my fault, was the keg of beer at Fenway in between second and third for those guys to refresh themselves while trying to score from first on a triple. But it could have been the network's fault, too. They could have blotted it out. Kinda a reverse of adding advertisements on the wall just to the left of home plate.

Oh, well. I guess, I'll tune in tonight again. It probably won't take long. That's ok, I have a small group Bible study at 6:30, but I figure by that time the Roctober pitcher, some cat named Ubaldo (that's his first name, I think) will have thrown J.D. Drew a fastball. Nobody throws Drew a fastball, because it's the only pitch he can hit. And he can hit the heat. But the Rocktobers were too busy lounging in their 8 day layoff to notice. Since he's been doing that for about 7 years, maybe they just don't care. It was good enough for them just to make it to the Series. Joaquin Andujar had it right back in the '80's when he summed up the World Series, baseball, and life in general with one word: "youneverknow".

THE ANSWER MAN, BUT NOT THE SCHWABBIE

As my Cardinal looks menacingly at the two teams vying for the World Championship this year, knocking the reigning champs off their perch, he doesn't like the Rocks or Sox. He has more reason to dislike the Sox of 2004. Because they beat a superior Cardinal team. But they evened the score in last year's classic when the Cardinals won over a superior Tiger team. So who's going to win this year's classic?

The Rockies (I love the mountains, but is that a crazy team name or what?) have the impressive hot streak going for them, a powerhouse lineup and awesome defense. Their bullpen is quite good, too, as well as a starter or two.

The Sox have one of the best teams money can buy. They hit, they have awesome pitching and a very good pen. Their defense is mundane, typically American League. They atypically have a little speed with Lugo and the Jacoby kid, but where they shine is starting pitching. So I'd have to say that pitching will cool off even the streakiest of teams.

Don't overlook the umpiring in this series. I've umped a lot of baseball games and believe me it's not that tough. If you're in position, it's hard to miss the calls, not like in basketball or football. But I've seen lousy officiating this season in all levels of sports. Remember the Holliday slide against the Padres? He was not near the plate after a great defensive block by the catcher. If that one call is made, who knows? Maybe the Rocks are done. So I'm saying the umpires could affect the outcome. And if you think I'm paranoid or highly critical, then check out the plate and where the ball was in the tv insert. There were more times than not, that the ball was off the plate and called a strike than when the umps got it right.

My NL heart is rooting for the Rocks. My Cardinal heart, too. (Gosh, how many does he have, you ask?) But my head says the Sox in 5.

The answer to yesterday's quiz. St. Louis and Boston. They've split in World Series, St. Louis won in the NBA finals, lost in the Super Bowl and Stanley Cup finals.

TO THOSE WHO LOVE TRIVIA

There's a tv show on one of the sports packages I get to perserve my sanity called The Schwab or something to that effect. A sports nut tries to challenge all takers-on in a trivia contest. He rarely loses. I know I can't touch him.

Dave Farley from MTV would hold court in Bill's Sports Card shop and take on just about any challenge. He specialized in baseball and MTV sports. He was also quite good.

Pat Fahey from SBC challenged me Sunday with this one. It may be old, but it forced me to think. I'll have the answer for you tomorrow. In the history of sports, only two cities have played each other in the NBA finals, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup finals, and the World Series. Name the two cities and the results of each of the 4 series.

SWEETEN MY COFFEE WITH A MORNING KISS

Remember that lyric from an old 60's song? I think it was from a song entitled "Then You Can Tell Me Good-bye". It was one of those that couples would say, "Hey, baby they're playing our song." Which was the name of another song that couples shared. You know, for validation. For security. For all those reasons that high school couples are couples anyway(s). Like sharing of one name, like Bennifer for Ben and Jennifer. Actually, I never knew anyone that did that back then. But when you were a couple, the two names always were attached with each other.

When I was back in MTV recently, we picked up our middle grandchild from school and took him to lunch at Mc Donalds. He and his G-Ma went to pick out a seat while I was stuck in the food line with high school students also on lunch break. It was Friday which meant football. Once a basketball town, MTV is turning into a football town because of the success of the program. I noticed a player, qb probably wearing his game jersey #5. With him was his girlfriend wearing his road jersey #5. There were others there, too, proudly displaying their honey's jersey.

It made me want to play high school football again. Well, despite what my Az buddies think as a result of my adult body, I didn't play high school football. I simply wasn't big enough. Nor motivated enough. Nor talented enough. After breaking my nose (possibly) in a neighborhood game when the guy I tackled kicked me there on this way down, I never played with the same intensity again.

But had they let your girlfriend wear your jersey, proudly displaying her loyalty and your possession (at least during football season), I think I might have had a little more motivation. Now, if they just put your name on the back as in the pros, well, I know I would have played.

SUNDAYS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

Well, at least Sunday afternoons. For years I followed the St. Louis (football) Cardinals. Sometimes at the stadium, mostly at home. I'd get so pumped up for Mel Gray, Terry Metcalf, Jim Otis, Conrad Dobler, Jackie Smith, Jim Hart, Bob Young, Dan ...well, you get the idea. And season after season they'd disappoint.

The beautiful Fall Sunday afternoons I'd waste, glued to the tv in hopes of a Cardinal win. When they lost, it dampened my spirits for the week. The Redskins and Cowboys were evil empires who tortured me.

So in AZ last Sunday, I was pumped. Kurt Warner was getting the start against some guys form the other coast who wore teal uniforms. Now the DBax had some of that color before changing to Astro red, but hey, that's baseball. No teal should be allowed in football. What's next, pink? Anyway(s), beautiful Sunday in the West, game time 1 PM: perfect. And in the first quarter, Kurt, my man, gets hurt. In comes another good guy, but perhaps not a good qb. Did I leave the game and go for a walk or enjoy the elements? Not me. I watched the futile Cards go down to the Tealies.

I fully never expect to see a pro team of mine like the Greatest Show on Turf, St. Louis Rams of 1999-2001. I mean they were something special. How they dropped from that lofty perch to the 2nd worst team in pro football, I don't know. But they were awesome with Warner, Bruce, Holt, Pace, Proehl, and a guy name Marshall Faulk. They play the Cardinals in AZ in December. The one Az Card game I usually attend. Not this year. They won't have me to kick around this season. I'm done with pro ball. But I'll be back next season, cheering for the Rams and Warner and the Cardinals (somewhat). As for as the Tealies, well, I hope they whip Bill Beli-cheat's Patsies, but that's it.