Eddie Mathews Bat Card

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Some time back I won this card on ebay. I don't have the exact price, but it did fall under the $5 self imposed price limit. That includes shipping as well.

2008 Donruss Playoff Prime Cuts
Eddie Mathews (card #27, numbered 09/99)

Eddie Mathews played for 17 seasons. Most of them were with the Milwaukee Braves where he covered third base. On occasion he was known to play the outfield and sometimes first base.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978 on his fifth ballot. In nine seasons he was an All-Star, playing in 12 All-Star games. He led the National League in Home Runs in 1953 (47) and 1959 (46).

He didn't win any Gold Glove or Silver Slugger awards. Twice he came in second in the MVP voting. He did win a World Series rings with Milwaukee in 1957 and Detroit in 1968. His lifetime Batting Average was .271 with 512 Home Runs.

He was a three time Brave. The Boston Braves signed him as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season and played for them professionally in 1952. The he played for the Milwaukee Braves and followed the team to Atlanta.

Did Eddie Mathews have a Hall of Fame career? It might be hard to justify to some people, but he's in and I have one of his cards with a slice of his bat.

A card from Napkin Doon

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A few weeks back I sent Napkin Doon some pressed pennies that didn't fit in my collection. When I told him that I was sending them he begged me for my address. I stalled. I hemmed. I hawed. I didn't want him sending me cards. This wasn't a trade. I finally relented and to the post office he went.

 Here's what arrived.

2009 Topps Sterling
White Frame
Carl Erskine (card # 118)
numbered 01/50

Oisk!  Over the past few weeks I've been having mixed feelings about collecting.  Nothing seems to inspire me.  I didn't buy anything this last weekend even though were some good deals online.  Partly it was I didn't really know what I wanted.  I really need to get my checklists in order.  Partly it was that family was in town.  It is better to spend time with family than to sort cards.  Most times, it is.

This card is resparking my interest.  It looks good.  It is of a player I collect.  I like it.

Thanks, Napkin.

November Collect Auctions Catalog

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Time for another auction catalog post.  This showed up in my mailbox a few weeks back.


Yeah, I'm a little late.  I didn't read the cover very closely.  Bidding ended on the 29th.  I thought that the auction started on the 29th.  Let's see what caught my eyes.



Title: 1914 B18 Ty Cobb Blanket
Lot #: 36
Description: This 1914 B18 Blanket features Ty Cobb is the White Infield version. It has a small hole on the bases above Cobb's head and a light stain behind Cobb's legs, but is otherwise in very nice condition.
Minimum Bid: $75
Closing Bid: $132.21
My Thoughts: A blanket from 98 years ago?  With Ty Cobb?  Why wouldn't somebody want this?




Title: Arthur Conan Doyle Signed Letter with Amazing Content (1926) (PSA/DNA)
Lot #: 383
Description: This ALS is written and signed by "A. Conan Doyle" on Feb. 2, 1926. The one-page (5.25x7) note is written to F.M. Sands of Maryland and reads, "You are very wise to stick to any faith which makes you a better man. It is one the latter point that we are judged. When you enter the other world you will find that no one worries about what you believed. But what your character is decides your position there." There is a horizontal crease and a light vertical crease, which runs through his signature and one line of text and faint mirroring of a few words, but otherwise in fine condition. Accompanined by the original mailing envelope postmarked Feb. 2, 1926. The famed author was obsessed with spiritualism and attempted to find proof of existence beyond the grave, with this letter profoundly outlining some of his beliefs of "the other world." Great historical piece with significant content, with the signature authenticated by PSA/DNA with full LOA.
Minimum Bid: $600
Closing Bid: - (Reserve not met)
My Thoughts: A letter from the creator of the world's greatest detective.  Worth whatever the reserve was?  I don't know, but it would be cool to own.




Title: Tony Stewart Signed 1998 Small Solders Die-Cast Car (PSA/DNA)
Lot #: 764
Description: This Small Solders logo die-cast Tony Stewart 1:24 scale car has been signed by Stewart on the hood. The black felt tip pen signature has been authenticated by PSA/DNA with a basic LOA. The car is a 1998 Pontiac is from an edition of 10,992.
Minimum Bid: $50
Closing Bid: $0
My Thoughts: Although I like NASCAR, I'm not really into car models, signed or not.  My brother is a Tony Stewart fan.  I'd pick this up for him.  Looking back at the bidding, I should have.  Maybe it would have sold had the auction house labeled it with the correct sponsor, Small Soldiers.  Small Solders sounds like a transistor radio.

Thousands 'to miss out on university degree'

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I thought this was a strange BBC News headline:



First, there are two orders of magnitude between "thousands" (headline) and "hundreds of thousands" (body copy). A quick play with Firebug suggests that "Hundreds of thousands 'to miss out on university degree'" would fit - just - as a headline, although I grant you that it's not particularly catchy.

Second, the story isn't that people will miss out on degrees - it's that they will miss out on university places altogether (although one tends to follow the other). To me, the headline as stands suggests that thousands of people currently at university will miss out on a degree. And while that's probably true, it's not reflective of the story.

What do you call it when... someone's visual identity is unknown?

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This query has been emailed into The Engine Room:

Is there a word which means that a person's visual identity is unknown? For example, the West End Whingers are often referred to as "anonymous" as people don't know what they look like. However, they are not anonymous as they really are called Phil and Andrew [the names given on the WEW website]. Is there a word for use in these circumstances?

Well, 'anonymous' comes from the Greek for 'nameless', whereas Phil and Andrew, I suppose, are faceless rather than nameless. However the OED defines faceless as "remote and impersonal", which isn't really what we're driving at. And whether it's true of the West End Whingers I wouldn't like to say!

Lots of other 'in-' or 'un-' words also spring to mind, such as 'incognito' or 'undisclosed', but none of them seem quite right. I imagine we're looking for another 'a-' word.

Any suggestions?

The break is over, even if she isn't home yet

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We have a few days left, but already I am preparing for school to start, getting her room cleaned, and having anxiety attacks about how I will schedule my doctors' appointments around her school schedule and the absence of anyone to babysit or get her from school if my appointments run over. I have appointments with specialists, and those can be all day events. I am worrying about how I will keep up with her laundry, because our dryer is irreparably broken and we can't afford a new one (or even a good used one). I worry about how I will take care of her if my family doctor's predictions of my final diagnosis come true. I think I am worrying too far ahead, yet I feel like I have to. They say that God never gives us more than we can handle, but I think that being 50 and taking care of a Downs child, being dirt poor, and having a possible diagnosis of MS (and no health insurance) hanging over my head is a bit much.

Chelsea's Homecoming

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Well, on Tuesday evening, Chelsea came home without much fanfare. My son dropped her off at around 7:30 pm and she had school the next day. She sat in her room watching a favorite movie for about an hour, and then asked me what time her dad was coming back. When I explained to her that she was back with us now, that her time with dad had been just a little vacation, she smiled and jumped under the covers. She was asleep in five minutes. I had no idea that he had not explained anything to her. She had not had a bath, and he didn't bring her clothes until 10:30 that night, clean but thrown unfolded in a box. Not my idea of preparing for the first day of school. That's just not how I live. I have everything ready the night before, baths over with, clothing laid out, etc. I like a nice, calm, organized morning. To make matters worse, I overslept the next morning, so it turned into a mad dash to get ready and get out the door. Chelsea took it all in stride, I, on the other hand, was a very unhappy camper.

Thousands 'to miss out on university degree'

To contact us Click HERE
I thought this was a strange BBC News headline:



First, there are two orders of magnitude between "thousands" (headline) and "hundreds of thousands" (body copy). A quick play with Firebug suggests that "Hundreds of thousands 'to miss out on university degree'" would fit - just - as a headline, although I grant you that it's not particularly catchy.

Second, the story isn't that people will miss out on degrees - it's that they will miss out on university places altogether (although one tends to follow the other). To me, the headline as stands suggests that thousands of people currently at university will miss out on a degree. And while that's probably true, it's not reflective of the story.

What do you call it when... someone's visual identity is unknown?

To contact us Click HERE
This query has been emailed into The Engine Room:

Is there a word which means that a person's visual identity is unknown? For example, the West End Whingers are often referred to as "anonymous" as people don't know what they look like. However, they are not anonymous as they really are called Phil and Andrew [the names given on the WEW website]. Is there a word for use in these circumstances?

Well, 'anonymous' comes from the Greek for 'nameless', whereas Phil and Andrew, I suppose, are faceless rather than nameless. However the OED defines faceless as "remote and impersonal", which isn't really what we're driving at. And whether it's true of the West End Whingers I wouldn't like to say!

Lots of other 'in-' or 'un-' words also spring to mind, such as 'incognito' or 'undisclosed', but none of them seem quite right. I imagine we're looking for another 'a-' word.

Any suggestions?

A quick note

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Hello to everybody!Just a quick note.We have a wonderful news for you!Jesus is so good!!!But I will let you know as soon as I can...

Just would like to add that our current project Winter Coats to girls with special needs still continues.I will post a little later when I feel better because I got sick and to feel not well. :( If Lord Jesus gives you a desire become a part of this wonderful project and to help in needs of sweetest orphaned girls, please do through the PayPal account to thebibleorphanministry@gmail.com. Every your loving gift is a light of Jesus Christ and a wonderful blessing above and is very appreciating!

I would be so thankful for your prayers and very hope to be well again very fastly. :)
Love to all,Alla

For those who don't know

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I often get get comments pointing out how depressing my blog is at times. I am quite certain that many find it to be a "downer" when perhaps they were looking for something uplifting. I thought maybe this would be a good time to bring to light the reason we have Chelsea in the first place, for those who don't already know. Perhaps knowing how we came to be Chelsea's guardians will explain why our experience is so different from those who are parenting a Down's child by choice. It is a rather long story, but I will summarize it.

On July 13, 1999, Chelsea's baby sister was murdered by her mother and step-father. After much emotional trauma, dealings with Child Protective Services, and two murder trials, my son was given custody of Chelsea by the courts. He was a newlywed at the time, and the combination of the murder itself and having a disabled child placed in their lives with little warning caused their marriage to disintegrate and they divorced. My son tried valiantly to care for Chelsea on his own, but amidst his grief over his murdered child and his divorce, did not cope well. Chelsea was not thriving and learning as she had been before his wife left. In order to protect Chelsea and give her some kind of chance in the world, my husband and I agreed to take her until he could get his life in order. It has been years now, and he still cannot seem to cope with her. I understand this, because I can barely do so myself.

I had only been married about a year when Chelsea came, having been happy and enjoying my life for the first time in years. Being middle-aged and suddenly have a disabled child to care for does not lend itself to happiness. I had always looked forward to that time in life when my boys were on their own and I could once again get to know myself as something other than someones caregiver. One event, on July 13, has had such a ripple effect in all of our lives, but I cannot let go of the thought that Bethanie's murder not only ripped a part of my heart out forever, it also cost me my happiness. If you really take the time to think of the emotional dynamic that takes place every day as a result of these events, you may have a better understanding of why my blog is not all about the wonders and joys of a Down Syndrome child. I will love protect Chelsea until my last breath, but I can't help but mourn the lost years of my life, just when I had started to enjoy them. For more information about Bethanie and her murderers, see my blog "Never Another Child" http://neveranotherchild.blogspot.com/ Thanks for reading.

The break is over, even if she isn't home yet

To contact us Click HERE
We have a few days left, but already I am preparing for school to start, getting her room cleaned, and having anxiety attacks about how I will schedule my doctors' appointments around her school schedule and the absence of anyone to babysit or get her from school if my appointments run over. I have appointments with specialists, and those can be all day events. I am worrying about how I will keep up with her laundry, because our dryer is irreparably broken and we can't afford a new one (or even a good used one). I worry about how I will take care of her if my family doctor's predictions of my final diagnosis come true. I think I am worrying too far ahead, yet I feel like I have to. They say that God never gives us more than we can handle, but I think that being 50 and taking care of a Downs child, being dirt poor, and having a possible diagnosis of MS (and no health insurance) hanging over my head is a bit much.

Chelsea's Homecoming

To contact us Click HERE
Well, on Tuesday evening, Chelsea came home without much fanfare. My son dropped her off at around 7:30 pm and she had school the next day. She sat in her room watching a favorite movie for about an hour, and then asked me what time her dad was coming back. When I explained to her that she was back with us now, that her time with dad had been just a little vacation, she smiled and jumped under the covers. She was asleep in five minutes. I had no idea that he had not explained anything to her. She had not had a bath, and he didn't bring her clothes until 10:30 that night, clean but thrown unfolded in a box. Not my idea of preparing for the first day of school. That's just not how I live. I have everything ready the night before, baths over with, clothing laid out, etc. I like a nice, calm, organized morning. To make matters worse, I overslept the next morning, so it turned into a mad dash to get ready and get out the door. Chelsea took it all in stride, I, on the other hand, was a very unhappy camper.

Prayers still needed

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Thank you very much for all your prayers!!!So, sadly but I still feel sick.

Last week we went to one city that to get beautiful and amazing blessings for orphans. I will tell about it more in a next blog post. I hope tomorrow, if God allow.
We left at night, though there were two o'clock in the morning, but was warm. And in the afternoon very much became cold harshly. We sisters very much felt cold. I so awfully felt cold that already wanted nothing and couldn't wait, when we will come back home. As this trip took us day and night, on the road back, the fever already rose, all body awfully ached and I was ill.  So, there were several days. Because of the high fever, all body awfully hurt and I could make nothing. Now the temperature isn't present. But still have headaches and awful cough hurts.I think that I chilled bronchial tubes. When I cough it seems that everything inside is broken off on thousands pieces, seems as burns and very painfully inside. Also it seems that chilled any of nerves.I`m not sure yet. Several times something inside pressed and I was scant of breath.It was several times, was to pant very much that I already thought to cause ambulance. But thank God everything has gone.Please, keep pray for my health...
I don't want that there were any consequences in my organism. Because I suffer 18 years already because of this awful coughing in each cold climate.It brings troubles to me.But most of all I can not visit our all treasures.Our dear kiddies whom we love dearly.We would be so thankful if you pray for health of all our team always. Every day health, force and energy are necessary to us.Thanks a lot!
Because of it I couldn't visit orphans in orphanages with team. So sadly. :(
But here I would like to share with you video. As in one of orphanages children said hello to me.Are not they sweet? :)Children say "Privet" (hello)
So funny and so lovely.I miss them a lot!I do not know how many "hundreds" times I watched this video to see precious faces.

Thank you so very much for all your prayers, support and love!God bless you!!!

Winter coats for orphans-update

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First of all I would love to thank you all for prayers!God is so good!I feel much better.I need, probably several more days to recover completely but I`m rejoice that the worse is behind.But anyway I`m going to see a doctor in several days.I lost my voice and my health is not well lately.Thank you so very much for all your concern, comments, e-mails!It`s so sweet, lovely and is great encouragement in heavy days.Thank you, dear friends!
So, finally I am able to share with you about amazing and such wonderful blessing we have!We are so exciting and praise God for His goodness and mercy!
A month ago we began our new project Bless Orphans with the Winter coats. Our desire and a prayer consisted in that, that to help 60 girls with special needs with winter coats. Because their clothes were worn-out and became unfit for use. With God's help we raised $1280 it certainly much less than it was necessary. But we rejoiced also to these donations and the Lord gives us the peace in hearts concerning this question. There were no discouragement or disappointments. Certainly, for us as people, always would like to make everything quicker and during planned time. But not so in Lord Jesus. He knows the best time, a place etc. In all that we can only trust to Him.
As the cold season came already and it was necessary to hurry up. Therefore we decided not to wait and bless 20 orphans with what we had.When we called in a institution that to specify the sizes of coats. "Oh, it would be so great, if you could help us and with footwear also. We absolutely don't know in what to put shoes on children and where to take it!"  members of BOM heard it on other part of telephone conversation. So, on raised money we decided to buy 20 coats and 20 winter boots to the same children.
Last week we traveled to other city that to buy at wholesale price of coats and footwear, that to save money. That was this day when we very much froze. Thus we could buy 20 winter and warm coats and also warm and easy 20 boots. They are fine for children with special needs. As they aren't able to lace up laces and often break zippers on footwear. These boots just excellent choice for them! So we spent $1045 for everything, and $235 still remained that to bless other orphans. Praise the Lord!
I know!I know and I know that many of you wait for these pictures.So, here are several of them. :)

 I need to check, what is there? :)
 Before
 After


 Our treasures are in beautiful blessings
 You can only imagine their delight, joy, admiration and happiness. They all were so thrilled to get these new beautiful blessings!!!"Wow!Look at me!" "Wow!It is beautiful!" "I have new coat!" and you could hear many similar. :)

When we were going to go to the following group. One kid asked. "How about hats? will we have hats?" :)))

The next our loving souls.

 I love her smile!
 It is where they store crafts made with us, the tower of Babel. On walls there is nothing therefore that somehow to embellish white walls, children decided to attach crafts.





Before
 After


Dear our friends, we would love to thank you from bottom of our hearts to be part of this project, Bless Orphans with Winter coats.Without your gifts of love, without your donations, without your generosity, these precious children would not receive this amazing blessing and would be feel cold, feel uncared and unloved.Thank you very much for all your efforts, care and love of these dear souls.Thank you that you do not forget about them and pray and make a difference in lives of these orphans!We so rejoice and amazed how God provided!Thank you so very much for your involvement and to be such amazing blessing in life of these dear ones!
I would like to add that this project did not finish yet.It was our first part of this project.Our desire is to bless 40 more orphaned girls in other mental institution.The situation changed a little bit (for a good cause) and I will let you know everything about it, when we will be ready.God is doing something amazing. :)