March Madness...and why I'm mad for MSU basketball

March Madness. They call it that for a reason.

There's nothing quite like it. (And the games this year in particular have been nothing short of spectacular. My hands were shaking for minutes after MSU's win over Duke on Sunday night.)

I love watching it, no matter who is playing, as long as it's a good game. Auburn and UK on Sunday? Holy cow! And Purdue vs Virginia - even via FaceTime with my dad (since I don't have cable), it caused my heart to pound. But when Michigan State's in it? That's a whole different ball game.

I originally reflected on my love of Spartan basketball via this post in 2011 (2 days after my grandpa passed away). And for me, this truth never gets old, and I probably can't put it in any better words. I still love sharing it, especially as year after year my students ask, "Why MSU? Did you go there?" (I like to think I did...in fact, for awhile I tried to think up what degree or certification I could get from there.) I think it's important for the students to recognize the importance of connecting with their grandparents, no matter by what means that connection happens.

And nowadays, MSU basketball is a connection with my parents too. We get on a group text, commenting on the games, how grandpa would have hated any missed free throws, and wondering if they'd pull through. At 3:21 left in any given game, if MSU's ahead (which they were on Sunday at that point), my dad still says, "321 call Chuck" (our street address in Michigan and my grandpa's name) - more often than not, if the Spartans were ahead at that point in the game they would win. (I guess you could call it a superstition.) "Do it for Grandpa" is still our rallying cry.

As I sit here typing this post, I am staring at a small poster announcing MSU as the 2000 NCAA Division I Basketball Champs - a stunning win over the University of Florida, 89-76. It's one of the only things I ended up asking for when my grandpa died. (I also took a Spartan sweatshirt that belonged to my grandma.) I am hoping that this season - 19 years later - I can add another poster of my own for 2019. I hope these boys have it in them - I personally have faith they can go all the way.

College basketball? It's madness, yes. But for me, it's memories and keeping those memories alive in a special way. I'm not sure I would have wanted to be in the same room as my grandpa if he were alive to watch Sunday night's game against Duke - the stress would have been too much. (I'm sure my roommates were about to throw things at me for the screaming and jumping up and down I did that day as it was.) I will be a Spartan basketball fan for life, even over the schools I actually graduated from. (Call me crazy - that's fine by me.) There's something about the way that team always plays, how Izzo coaches them, and how I know my grandpa is still watching with me.

Go Green! Go White! Do it for Grandpa!!


P.S. - If you're feeling sentimental (or want a good laugh), check out these two posts from the archives: "Words, Don't Fail Me Now" and "Grandpa-isms: Sayings, Songs, Jokes, and More..."

Brrrrrr...illiant!

Notre Dame, Michigan State, and University of South Florida football wins all on the same day - INCREDIBLE!

While it was a chilly day in the Bend, we had a good time...

Fight on for victory!

Summer's Slipping Away

 Nothing says the end of summer like a beautiful wedding... (and an MSU one at that!)

In terms of how I know the bride, I'm luckily guilty by association - Marisa worked with Allison for 4 years at her current school (before Allison went back to State for graduate school), so when Marisa and her co-workers would all hang out, I would tag along too. Not a bad gig - her friends soon became my friends too. And that's just lovely.

Another summer highlight includes the birthday of my goddaughter - the picture below is of her wearing an ACE shirt I sent. (I was unable to make the birthday party, but I got this cute picture via text, and I get to see her and her parents soon.)

 Marisa and I also found this gem of a book at Hallmark - we proceeded to buy copies for the professors we helped this summer. It is absolutely terrific - check out a small sampling of pages below:

#winner #shouldbeoneveryhouseholdbookshelf #becauseJesus (Ok, enough with the hashtags - I mean, gosh, I don't use that many when I'm posting on Twitter.)

There is one last image I will leave you with today - it is from the garden at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower. (Yeah, say that 5 times fast.) St. Therese reminds us that we do not need to do great deeds; instead, we should strive for doing little things with great love and doing simple acts of kindness and generosity toward others.

Please pardon this post's randomness...and have a happy Tuesday!

MSU...4 Ever

Student: Miss Foyle, you didn't even go to Michigan State.
Me: I know.
Student: Why do you love MSU basketball so much?
Me: Well...

It's actually a pretty simple answer that dates back to 6th grade. This blog post from awhile back pretty much sums it up, so no need to reiterate it.

Final Four 2015, here come the Spartans! (Way to be the bracket busters, MSU...)

MSU BBall Weekend 2014

More to come later...but guess who went to East Lansing this weekend for their first Michigan State men's basketball game?...

These girls! (We were thinking of you, Grandpa!)

What a great weekend, brought to completion by an MSU victory (though it was done via OT) and an opportunity to grab dinner and drinks with some of our ACE friends who are currently residing near MSU for various schooling reasons. (Lovely!)

It really was a dream come true - one that was first dreamed as middle school students a long time ago.

And we're back...

A three day work week? It sounds like a dream come true.

And it has been...almost...

Can we just subtract all the chattiness?

Honestly, it's great to be back with the kiddos - I was even beginning to miss them. (Yes, I even missed 8th grade.) But my goodness, I think some of them are just go-go-go...and I don't know if they even realize they are talking.

And coming back from a break, where I am pretty sure they talked to their parents, aunts/uncles, and other adults more like they were peers than adults, it's taken a few reminders to get them back in the whole respect  for teachers (and each other) mode...but we're getting there. Today was definitely better than yesterday in that regard, so I have high hopes for tomorrow...even though it is a Friday...

I know I've said this before, but those snow days were clutch (for mental & emotional sanity). There's nothing like curling up on a Monday (and Tuesday) with some coffee, a quilt, and a good book (or whatever your chosen activity may be) when you would normally be at school. It was very refreshing.

But it's also refreshing to be back on a schedule. I was asleep by 9 p.m. last night, so even 5:20 a.m. didn't seem so bad this morning - in fact, I felt refreshed. (Yes, I have decided sleep is good, so I will try not to sacrifice it this year...as much as I am able.) And, hey, even 25 degrees felt warm - I managed my drive from school to home without even wearing a hat or gloves. (I'm not recommending that to anyone - I'm just lazy sometimes...and it wasn't that far.)

Well, in looking ahead, this weekend promises to be a memorable one - and for now, that's where I am keeping my eyes. Love me some Michigan State basketball! Let's go Spartans!

Moments of "Friendship"

Saturday was a day spent completely school work-free! I had the opportunity to head to the MSU/ND game in South Bend - what a gorgeous day and cheers for an ND victory (even though it wasn't pretty)!

Marisa and I made it to 3 tailgates and saw quite a few friends. The weather was mostly cloudy with only hints of sunlight during the day, but the temperature was perfect. Hello Fall!

While at the ACE tailgate, we got to talking with Doc Doyle (one of our favorite ACE professors/directors), and he really helped me find a renewed sense of purpose at the school where I am currently teaching: I was explaining how I teach a very privileged population and that sometimes I feel that I should be working for children and families who have more of a monetary need. However, Doc pointed out that the students whom I am teaching are very much in need of that spiritual direction away from the stuff & things they usually find happiness in. In other words, my calling right now is to help move these kids away from stuff of this world to faith in the next. It's not an easy task, but when put in this light, Doc really helped me find peace with where I am. (I really needed that!)

After the ACE tailgate, Marisa and I took a quick stop for prayer at the Grotto, and we then took a walk around one of the lakes. Just lovely...

A view of the dome across the lake - check out those clouds!

Our seats were amazing - great for seeing the game at both ends of the field and great for the band's halftime show too!

Our seats were right about on the 40 yard line in the bottom section - sweet!

The ND Band

Yes, all of these elements added up to make the day just "perfect." However, my favorite part of the day actually occurred in the bathroom...

A small girl (probably about 7 years old) was having a very hard time washing her hands at the sink. So, I leaned over and pushed down on the faucet so she could clean her hands, saying, "Let me help you." Afterwards, she thanked me, got some paper towels, and went back outside. Upon leaving the bathroom, she smiled and waved at me, so, of course, I smiled and waved back. I turned to Marisa and said, "I think I made a new friend."

In reflecting on that moment, I realized what a small action and what little effort it took to make a "friend" yesterday. And it got me to thinking, how many times during each day do we have opportunities to do such simple actions for others? How many "friends" are we taking the small moments to make? How many "friends" are we passing by?

What will you do today to make a "friend?"