March 29, 2018 AT THE HOP

SO--when's it okay to give up the CHARADE?? If I have to be THE EASTER BUNNY one more time??? Seriously--Can't I just yell--THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY--GET OVER IT!!!!!! This is my LAST year--I'm hanging up the bunny suit--I'VE BEEN HIPPIN' AND A HOPPIN' FOR 24 YEARS!!   My youngest is in FIFTH grade. You can't tell me the kids at school don't talk about it.  HOW CAN THERE BE A GIANT BUNNY  HOPPING ALL OVER THE WORLD??? It's not logical. MAYBE--JUST MAYBE--These kids are smarter than we are. Could they  JUST BE PLAYING ALONG to get more candy?? I guess I'm not smarter than a fifth grader!!!! Or is it more significant? If they give up on the EASTER BUNNY--then they have to give up on the BIG GUY TOO.  Growing up is hard to do. Who wants to give up on the magic?? Okay--I'll wear the bunny suit--but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Wasn't sure if I'd like Lydia Reeder's Dust Bowl Girls but  thought I'd give it a try and I'm glad I did. Dust Bowl Girls is the true story of a women's basketball team who were trailblazers for women's sports during the Depression. Sam Babb was a Midwestern basketball coach who traveled around Oklahoma recruiting talented girls to play basketball for Oklahoma Presbyterian College. It was the opportunity of a lifetime for these talented young women--go to college on scholarship and play basketball. Reeder's research is impeccable as this book is part social history, sports history, and the excitement of the game as these pioneers played their way into the national championship. The players--Doll Harris, Lucille Thurman, Coral Worley to name few--are clearly brought to life by Reeder.  I couldn't help but root for the Cardinals because I felt like I knew the players well. There are also great illustrations throughout the book so you can really see what the players looked like and appreciate the uniforms of the day. There is even an epilogue to see what happened to this extraordinary group of women later in their lives. If you like sports and are interested in learning about women's basketball--this is the book for you. It's about 260 pages--or a 5 mile run--worth a few three pointers.