So much happens from year to year when it comes to the group of people who play wiffle with us, and even those who once did. [I should qualify that statement by saying that not a single official wiffle event occurred in the summer of 2004.] I surely hope that it will be back for 2005 in one form or another, but the whole "league" was never more than a league of friends. Sure, statistics were shoddily prepared by yours truly, but more from what I could remember from game to game than any kind of documentation (anyone who's ever participated in one of our tournaments knows there is no scorecard other than a tournament bracket with a linescore and maybe a home run notation scribbled next to one of the games). There were no true standings, for there were never an equal number of games played by any member nor was there any kind of balanced schedule prepared. Instead the FVWBL was about a group of friends getting together -- sometimes frequently, other times not so much -- just to be together and to enjoy a little friendly competition.
Thanksgiving is now upon us and from year to year I think about this group of people as one of the things I am most thankful for in my life. I don't necessarily think about them in terms of the "FVWBL," but it is a special group who has gotten together play wiffle ball over the years.
If you were to come up with a theme for the last year and the year upcoming it seems that marriage would be the obvious one. Nick and Angela were finally married this summer, delayed due to Nick's deployment to Iraq. They are looking to start their family early; Angela is due to deliver on June 6th of 2005.
Dan and Becki also wed this summer, in September, and our out living on their own, busy as they ever have been. Katie and Greg will state their vows in January while Jackie and Eric will say "I do" in July. I'm also very happy to say that on October 27th, shortly after thebeginning our nine-day election Novena consisting of a short period of prayer in adoration of the Eucharist each day, Shelly answered one of the most important questions I've ever had by saying "yes." [Fortunately for me I was fairly confident, if not sure of what her answer would be.] We will likely be married on November 5th in the year of two-thousand and five.
Each of us have a multitude of things to be thankful for. As far as I know we are all in good health, we are all strong in our faith, and we all have things of which to look forward to. And so I present this newly re-designed site for this league of friends that will hopefully never shrink, but only grow larger, so that we have a place to remember the best of our wiffle ball tournaments regardless of whether they have happened in the past or will happen in the future. But most of all so that we can all stay in touch; so that we can keep this league of friends together for years to come.
Happy Thanksgiving to each of you, and to everyone who stumbles across our humble abode on the internet. May the holiday season be a happy and safe season for each one of you, but most importantly be a spiritual one.
