You could be a kid for as long as you want when you play baseball. ~Cal Ripken, Jr.
Well, I finally did it again. Got a mystery picture that flummoxed you all, and I really thought this one wasn’t that mysterious. Just shows what a difference it makes when you know what the photo is before you make the bit of picture a mystery to everybody else. 🙂
I wanted to pull something off one of my book covers and had in mind using a Hidden Springs mystery book cover. But then I pulled up Freak of the Week, my book for middle readers or those young at heart. When I snipped a little bit out of the picture – that bit of the baseball glove right below the “k” in Week in the title – the picture just seemed to work as a mystery photo.
That leather tie made that clove Melissa and Paula saw. Most of you guessed some sort of pastry until you had me wishing for cinnamon rolls with that good frosting on them. But instead it’s just the lacing and seams on a baseball glove. Others saw a cake or pies and Emily got specific with her lobster tail pastry with cookies & cream filling. I’m just wondering if you all headed for the pantry after you guessed to get a doughnut or honey bun. Robin changed it up a little by saying burrito and Ola said she was stumped. So she just said food.
Susan and Linda came in late with gourd guesses. I guess that was as good a guess as pastries. Susan D saw a quilt or blanket with a string. Amy saw a caterpillar on a basket. Phyllis saw an acorn. Karen and Loretta saw a baby getting a diaper change, but Marji’s guess had me smiling the most. She said a duck bill between the toes of a pig’s foot. What made me smile the most was that I could see that.
But no, it wasn’t any of those things. I stumped you all, every one. I’ve only done that once before several mystery photo games ago with the funky middle part of the bloom of a peace plant. The reason I stumped you with this one could be that none of you are baseball fans. Did you ever play baseball or softball? Maybe play catch with your kids? I used to do that some. I was never much of a player, but it could snag the kids’ throws sometimes.
I do like baseball. Used to listen to the Cincinnati Reds games back when everybody called them the Big Red Machine. My grandmother loved listening to baseball games too and so did my father-in-law. It’s just relaxing. Something about the game makes me think summer and fun. That’s why I let my young hero in Freak of the Week love baseball and be an aspiring pitcher. But as the following quote says, it can be a lonely game with the out or hit that wins or loses a game on you. That happens to Clay in the story, but of course he learns from it all.
Baseball is a team game but, at the same time, it’s a very lonely game: unlike in soccer or basketball, where players roam around, in baseball everyone has their little plot of the field to tend. When the action comes to you, the spotlight is on you but no one can help you. ~Chad Harbach
Besides without baseball, we wouldn’t all know about Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and all those other great players who became household names. Plus, Yogi Berra gave us a lot of smiles with all the fun sayings attributed to him.
Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical. ~Yogi Berra
Comments 12
As my sweet Mother used to say: “Well, I’ll be jiggerd!” (whatever that means). Looks like I would have guessed that since my dear husband played softball into his fifties, coached Little League and our three sons played.
Author
When I read your comment, Fran, that awoke a memory about that I’ll be jiggered. Don’t know who I’ve heard say it, but I have heard it said. And now I’m going to have to figure out a way to get those words in a character’s mouth. LOL. Love it. And you really should have got that baseball glove with all those ballplayers in your family.
LOL…you can tell where our minds went…it’s all about the food….never would have guess baseball glove….so fun!!!!
Author
Once that first pastry guess went us, we were all ready for some sweet rolls, Virginia. I may make cinnamon rolls yet. 🙂 Then I should take a picture and save it for the next mystery photo game.
Thank you, Ann. Your “photo stumps” are so much fun. Happy readers to your stories!! Congratulations. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
Author
Glad you had fun playing the mystery photo game, Kathleen. It’s always fun for me too, but strains my brain sometimes to figure out a good enough mystery. But now my grandkids are in on it and they are always telling me that I could make a good mystery picture out of this or that picture I take. 🙂 So I’ll be stocked and ready when time for the next game rolls around. 🙂
I’m sorry, I still don’t see it. (any part of a baseball glove) even with the book cover right in front of me. It’s amazing what you can do with a snippet of a picture! 😊😊😊
Author
I promise I snagged that bit off that baseball glove, Karen. I like how you all came up with such great guesses. Fun times for me and I hope for you all too.
Lots of fun but sometimes frustrating! 😊 By the way, congratulations to the winners!!!
Author
Glad you had fun, Lisa. And I’ll do it again in a few months, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to top this collection of mystery photos. I found some real stumpers. I don’t think you guessed on this last one, did you? Maybe because you knew what it was and didn’t want to spoil my fun. You and your husband came up with some good guesses.
Paula, that picture stumped you all way better than I thought it would. And thanks for the kind words about my books. Always fun to hear from you here.
This was a fun game , Ann.Thank you. for letting us all play and congratulations to the winners!!!
Wow Ann ! You really stumped us good! Congrats to the winners- you will really love Ann’s books!