Let me start with the baseball and get it out of my head.  I love baseball.  Youth ball, local ball, regional ball, farm league ball, minor league ball, major league ball.  I love baseball.  October means baseball, baby!  I follow a few major league clubs with great interest during regular season.  Sometimes we're fortunate enough to see them play in person.  Early on in the Spring training season I had a hunch this year was going to be a terrific year for the Mets.  I was not disappointed.  They dominated.  I was excited and hopeful they'd make it to post season.  I was shattered when they lost to the Cards in the final game, in the 9th inning of the NLCS.  So shattered that this baseball lover is not watching the WS.  I can't muster two hoots for either the Cards or the Tigers.  In truth, I was hoping for a Subway Series but the Yankees fell apart earlier on.  Ah well, I'll be over it in a minute and besides... there's always next year!

Other October stuff:  fishing, school, fishing, fishing, school, karate, fishing, a grand jury summons, fishing, school, fishing, and, uh, fishing.  Did I mention fishing?  My dear son has perfected his casting with a new rod and reel, learned the fine art of grabbing his catch and removing the hook himself, catching his own bait, etc.  He's like a madman about fishing.  His father has had some vacation time this month (use it or lose it) so when they weren't sleeping or eating they were fishing.  I'd tag along because it always turned into late night before the excursions were over.  Out at the bay I could stargaze and hopefully catch Comet Swan (which I so far haven't).  On some of these vacation days my husband had a bike rally on SPI he took part in so what did my son and I do while he was gone?  Fishing, of course.  Of course.  We've eaten a bit of fish this October. 

Father and son are now enjoying Tae Kwan do together.  Son is a belt (almost two belts) ahead of father.  Son takes a wee bit of pleasure in this fact.  It's good for them.  It's very good for them.  Both of them are soon to "belt up" - son to orange and father to yellow.  I'm fairly certain son will be orange before father is yellow.  They are also working hard at demo team drills... bo staff, nunchakas, board breaking (a feat all boys and men seem to relish accomplishing), and forms.  I smell a tournament coming up.  Speaking of tournaments...  My husband also has a final shooting tournament coming up.  Being in LE he takes his ability to shoot quite seriously, and well he should.  All LEOs should.  He came out of his academy over a decade ago as a "distinguished expert" marksman, with awards and accolades.  He rather impressed us all.  I'm proud of him.  He's attained a great deal in his career regarding these extra efforts kinds of things.  Being a firearms instructor is only one of them but I think it's the one he's most proud of himself.  Next month I expect to add a silver buckle to the 30 or so plaques and trophies lining the shelves.  I am proud of him but he needs a cabinet to display these things... the dusting is tiresome.  Meantime, our son is excited to add some tae kwan do trophies to sit beside his baseball trophies and plaques.  I hope he gets some, too!  You know, I've never gotten a trophy or plaque for a thing in my life but it sure seems to make them happy.. maybe I've missed out on something!

I'll tell you something I haven't missed out on though.  Summons'.  Jury summons'.  I've been requested to appear more times than I can really remember.  Many of those times I was either no longer in that state or happened to be out of the state on an extended trip so there was no way I could appear as requested.  (They loved it when I said "I can't be there.  I won't be home for a few months."  I don't think they believed me but it was true.)  When my son was still in diapers and shortly after we had moved from one state to another, and practically immediately after having the old state request my presence, the new state requested to see me too.  Diaper-clad baby in arms I presented myself.  They didn't need me that badly.  Skip to a few Sunday nights ago, 9 p.m., there's a knock at the door.  Who would be at the door at this hour, it's already dark, and it's a Sunday night?!  Why the local sherrif's deputy... serving me a summons for grand jury service.  How uniquely interesting... on a Sunday night.  Sigh, at least this time it was more interesting... it was for grand jury duty.  When the day came to present myself - what's a homeschool mom to do - I pack my homeschooler in the truck and downtown we go for a learning adventure!  (At least this time he was not in a diaper!)  I give him a dollar for a soda while he waits in the hall and I seat myself with about 50 or so other people.

They were all clamoring and happy to be there for the most part.  Guess this is the big difference between regular and grand in jury service! LOL  (The daily pay is also higher, lol.)  The judge enters and is very friendly, humorous at times even.  He explains the whats, whys and wherefores and gets to the weeding out process.  One man is excused because he spoke no english, one woman is excused because her cousin is also present in the potentials and relatives may not serve on the same jury - he agrees to stay and she gladly goes.  Eventually, the judge says something that I was not prepared for at all.  He said, "Is there anyone here that has children (these children must be your own, you may not borrow your neighbor's children for this... he really was friendly and funny) and you feel you should be at home with them instead of being here?"  Knowing that if selected you're called to convene regularly for a period of 6 months and having children is an equation that could lead to some hecticness... but I wasn't prepared for the judge to say what he said how he said it.  It was in his tone... the part about being at home with your children instead of being there.  I looked around quickly to see if others raised their hands... plenty of mom/dad age folks... no one had their hands up.  I felt convicted to raise my hand.  I almost felt I had to, if only to defend the position that at least one parent should be at home with their children instead of being anywhere else.  Before I fully realized what I had done, it was done.  The judge called me up to him and asked for my paperwork, asked if I had children at home - to which I said yes.  He looked at my paper quickly and probably spotted that in the "occupation" area I had written:  "mother, homeschool teacher, homemaker".  He looked up at me, looked me in the eye, smiled and said "thank you for your time, you are excused"... I said "thank you" and left the room. 

Upon meeting my son in the hall it dawned on me I had been complimented.  All mothers in that room had been, really, but I think only I took the compliment.  That judge appreciated the fact that a parent should be home raising and nurturing their children... so hopefully they never have to stand before him being tried for a crime.  

Grand Jury duty sounded awfully intriguing... way better than pronouncing someone guilty or innocent... I honestly do not feel it's my place to do that - not even in the capacity of a citizen serving the community.  But Grand Jury duty is different - you basically convene to decide if there is enough evidence to bring a potential case to trial.  Having worked for a time in a law firm and having a federal agent in the house... legal stuff is interesting to me.  Maybe when my son is older and I have more free time on my hands but right now my time is quite taken with nurturing my son, seeing to his education, baseball, fishing, tae kwan do and taking care of my own LE guy.

Oh, and school-wise... heavenly... just heavenly.  I'm blessed!