Warmer weather is coming

I'm ready for Spring and then Summer. The weather here has been nice lately and I'm so ready for winter to surrender to spring flowers, budding trees and days without wearing a coat. Here are some old pictures of me enjoying the warm weather of the Oregon summer when I was about 2 or 3. I'm not exactly sure where this carousel is. Maybe my mom can chime in and give some additional info. I don't remember loving this outfit, but I'm sure I did. I do now, that's for certain.

I remember the great summer family gatherings at my grandparents house. Grandma and Grandpa Stahr were excellent hosts and their patio was the perfect place to get together. Now that my parents live in their house, the patio is still a great place to host a party. Here are my parents, nearest to the fence, aunt Patty, her son Brad, and me.Uncle Ted and aunt Eleanor used to come visit from some far away state. Maybe Colorado, Arizona or California. Anyone in the family want to fill in this little detail? I always liked them and was amused that uncle Ted looked so much like my grandpa. And man, I had cute clothes when I was little. Where are those dresses now?

Navy Boxing

On Friday night I went with some friends to the US Naval Academy where we watched the annual Brigade Boxing Championships. There were 10 fights in weight classes from 125 to heavyweight. I had never been to a boxing match so it was exciting to be a part of the excitement. The event is the Navy's school championship and the gym was packed with midshipmen and Navy alumni. Since I took a boxing class for a couple of years, I felt I knew a little about the punches and techniques and I was excited to see my first fight. It wasn't long and brutal like Rocky, which I think is what I was expecting. It was very athletic and all the fighters hugged each other after each fight. Not a very "Mike Tyson" thing to do. The fighting wasn't violent at all, although the last two fights did produce some blood. I guess that's why people watch, right?