Monday, July 19, 2021

Three Beautiful Things 07/18/2021: A Traditional Golfer Triumphs, Go Read Christy's Blog!, Transitioning Luna and Copper Continues

 1. One trend in the world of professional golf these days goes something like this: players are working out, developing physical strength, swinging their clubs (especially the driver) as hard as they can, and putting a premium on distance over accuracy. The general idea is that even if it's not on the fairway, a drive that is struck a long ways will be closer to the green, even if in the rough, and players are willing to gouge shots from a shorter distance in the rough than play longer shots from the fairway (or the rough).

One young player making a name for himself in professional golf, however, doesn't play this way. No, Collin Morikawa plays golf in a more traditional way. He aims to keep his drives on the fairway and hits irons with exquisite accuracy. Watching some of the bomb and gouge players can be pretty wild. Watching Morikawa play is not wild. He's efficient. He's calm. He's composed. I loved watching him negotiate Royal St. George's today, hitting green after green in regulation, and, when he didn't, making medium range putts for par, putts that are some of the most nerve racking in the game of golf.

As the 2021 Open champion, Morikawa won his second major tournament and he's only played in eight of them. It's a remarkable feat. I don't dare predict what his future might look like. Golf is a cruel game and just in the last several years we've seen two players, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, experience prolonged slumps on the heels of stunning successes. Morikawa may never win another major, but the one he won today was so masterful, so gutsy, so artistic, that it will live in my mind for a long time as a gem. 

2. I don't know how many of you who read my blog also read my sister Christy's blog, Gathering Around the Table. She took some time away from writing over the last year or so, but she is back to writing regularly again and is succeeding not only at finding beauty in everyday life, but in bringing pleasure and inspiration to those who comment on her posts. 

I thought I'd bring her blog to the attention of readers of my blog. If you'd like to read about recipes, photography, songs, silver linings, and other positive sources of beauty in Christy's life and think about what gives you pleasure in yours, here's a link to Gathering Around the Table: https://bit.ly/3rmUZUI

3. Copper, whom I thought was the less flexible of my two cats, has been more amenable to eating in the basement than Luna has. I hope this changes soon, but, currently, to remind Luna that the food dishes and the dry food feeder are now in the basement, I am carrying her down to her food. 

Before long, I'll be moving the second litter pan to the basement. I don't think either Luna or Copper has used the one currently in the basement. I'm a little anxious about taking the second one downstairs. 

A reminder: I'm making these changes because it will work better to have food and litter pans in the basement when Gibbs returns with Debbie in about two months. 

I'm trying to engineer this transition way ahead of time. 


No comments: