Pate's "Mimi" and the Dustin Pedroia baseball

Tuesday night Ranger Pate brought his mom “Mimi” over to meet us. I’m embarrassed to admit, that now that I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I never got her name… only “Mimi”. She was really excited to hear that I am a Mimi too. My mimikid - Taylor happened to call me while we were cooking dinner, she was looking for her first school fundraiser pledge from me (she's in kindergarten). As the evening went on it made me smile to hear Pate's mom refer to him as “Pat”. We only know him as Pate so it's odd to hear him called Pat. I remember that my mother never accepted my changing the spelling of the name she had given me…

Pate's Mimi flew up to Oregon from Winters, CA to spend the week visiting with Pate and his brother Tim. It was a delight to finally meet her. She is a charming eclectic city gal doing remarkably well at 80 and still living and traveling on her own.

We had a very enjoyable evening with bbq’d steaks and an avocado salad. Pate brought a yummy cherry cobbler for dessert. Paul joined us also. Who took the picture you ask??? I have a time delay button on my camera. This is one of like 6 pictures. They were all good sports to keep smiling.

My #15 Dustin Pedroia surprise

Those of you who know me well, know that I'm a huge Boston Red Sox fan. Being raised on Cape Cod, it was in my genes... I remember my mother going to bed every game night with a transistor radio under her pillow. When I was in school cable wasn't an option, and there weren't many baseball games that were televised on TV. But the few that were, I can still hear my mother yelling at the TV and the Sox coaching staff.

The last couple of years I have been especially excited about Jacoby Ellsbury, from podunk Madras Oregon who went through the Red Sox farm system. Last year Jacoby was called up and I started listening to the Sox games on the internet. Pate stopped by one time while I was either watching a game on TV or listening, and in my excitement a conversation came up about Jacoby... and he told me that he was interested to watch Red Sox rookie #15, Dustin Pedroia, since he knew Dustin's family in CA. Pedroia had a really rough start in April 2007, but got the bugs out and began shining in May and never slowed down... as the season progressed, when ever Dustin had great game, I'd let Pate know about it... and soon enough I was a Pedroia fan too. It was amazing watching these two rookies make such a difference in this historic team. Then they were in the Playoffs and the World Series, with both Ellsbury and Pedroia as integral players in each game. With these young fire crackers astounding us each game, the Sox won the 2007 World Series and Dustin Pedroia was named Rookie of the Year.

So it turns out that Pate's mom knows Dustin's grandmother real well... they are neighbors in Winters, CA. I think I also remember Pate saying that he went to school with Debbie, Dustin's mom. Anyway, Pate cooked up a surprise for me and had his mom shop for and find an official MBL baseball (made in the USA, she said this wasn't an easy feat, as most of them she found were made in China), she gave it to Dustin's grandmother, who to carried it back to Boston a few weeks ago to have Dustin sign it just for me at the Red Sox home opener at Fenway Park. How cool is this !!! I am so honored to have the momento. I smiled and thought of Velma, (my mother) when I saw that he signed it "to Cindy" and his autograph and #15.

Thanks Pate and Mimi !!!! I love it and will treasure it !!!!

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