It's one thing to be splashed by people playing in a pool, but by a skier? And we don't mean a water skier …
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: For Red, summers and swimming pools conjures up images of fun and cooling off from the heat, a time of leisure, and screams of delight from all ages; but Black's not into relaxing, and all the pool "noise" makes it difficult to concentrate while reading, yet we did agree that we never expected a pool to be used for this ...
Now, to be fair (pun intended), Red prefers to avoid the sun, but that doesn't mean she hasn't seen plenty of sports taking place in a pool, especially since her younger daughter played competitive (indoor) school and club volleyball in high school, and would take those athletic skills (and others) into the pool. Although Sawyer would sometimes keep that "secret" to herself,
It didn't surprise me to see Sawyer jump into the pool and head straight to the impromptu water volleyball game in progress. And, although she was a versatile volleyball player who played various positions, I watched with curiosity as she let the older kids and adults show her how to handle the ball as if this was her first time playing. She went to serve (usually her strong suit) and … nothing. She barely made contact with the ball. Encouraged by the others to try again, she glanced my way, gave me a smile, and then … well, the Sawyer serve from competitive volleyball was now on display. To continue for many hours.
But pools and "surprises" are dots Black wouldn't typically connect. Although, over the years, she has seen some incredible pools in various travel magazines, and "swimming with sharks" or finding yourself in a glass-bottom pool that's suspended 29 floors high might be considered surprising. Or even shocking.
But our most recent pool "surprise" arrived via an Axios sports newsletter (Black is addicted to Axios), and coming off the Summer Olympics, Red thought Black's email might be another "feel good" story. Which, in a way, it was, although it had nothing to do with sportsmanship and everything to do with a new training facility for Australian winter athletes that can operate year-round. And when Black saw the image of the 121-foot-high water ramp,
I often wondered how aerial skiers and snowboarders practiced their maneuvers without risking their necks – and lives. Obviously, it requires skill, determination, courage, and a healthy respect for the risk involved. But, I never realized it also requires the ability to swim.
When the news is challenging or life’s stressful, there’s something comforting about Girl Scout cookies. Always has been, which is why we’re rerunning this post from several years ago.
Girl Scouts, though, are about so much more than cookies, as year-round girls learn important life skills, gain confidence, and discover leadership skills. But buying cookies is such a sweet way (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to support the organization. Red’s favorite is the classic shortbread (now known as Trefoils), and Black buys a large assortment and gives them all away.
But hurry! Cookie season ends on March 23.
P.S. - If S’mores and Toast-Yay! are your favorites … make sure you stock up as this is the last year they’ll be available.
Let's play word association. If we say, "Girl Scouts," what's the first word that comes to mind? Ok, what's the second word?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: When Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting – hoping to create an organization that redefined what was possible for girls everywhere – there was no way for her to know the difference it would make in the lives of millions of girls and their communities.
Many people's first (and sometimes only) image of Girl Scouts is as cookie salespeople – either selling door-to-door or at a make-shift table at a grocery or other store (or having their parents hand you an order form). But if you've been a Girl Scout (both of us have) or know someone who has, you know that Girl Scouts are about so much more.
So, as we celebrate the Girls Scouts being around for over 100 years, we should celebrate the years of fun and friendships, and for helping girls learn important qualities such as responsibility, courage, strength, and independence. Qualities that are as important in 2021 as they were in 1912.
And what better way to celebrate than to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Guilt-free as you're helping a good cause.
Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.
If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."