Viva Las Vegas.....as ole Elvis would say! A bit windy yesterday, but Natalie had good practice and is ready to start the qualifying draw of this 50K Party Rock Open tourney. She will play fourth on today after ten....which of course is code for.....4ish. Nat's opponent is from Finland, Pia Soumalainen. Last time they faced off was at the Rock Hill tourney, with Natalie the victor.
Double close is tomorrow at noon. After which, we will see where Natalie and Jackie are placed in the draw. Our team is really looking forward to dubs here after last year's snubbing of a wild card request. Hopefully they will get a good draw and play well and have another great tournament. It is so much fun to watch doubles at this level, definitely some amazing dubs players.
Been so long since I've seen Nat hit the lil yellow bouncing ball, I'm kinda excited. Crazy eh?? Until it begins my friends......Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
My project of the month
As promised, below are some pics of my project of the month. The knobs on the large drawer, are glass door knobs from my parents house. My memories of "home" come to me when I see them. A great repurposing project.....LOVE IT!
 |
| Freebie old dresser......BEFORE |
 |
| Add pop of color to sides of drawers |
 |
| Opted for the distressed look |
 |
| Our new entertainment center.....LOVE IT! |
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Vegas and friends
Good Evening, again I have to say God Bless America. Prayers to the many family members and friends of those lost in DC yesterday.
After some last minute changes in housing in Vegas, getting bumped as they say....I think I have it all figured out. And if you believe that, I have a bridge in NY for sale. Anyway, Natalie will be comfy and cozy in hopes of getting good rest.
We are really getting excited about seeing the many friends that live in Vegas, will be in Vegas or will come visit us in Vegas. One of Natalie's former team mates Blakely, lives there and will be back in town before we will leave.
Then there is Rob, who we met two years ago when UT played UN. He is a bundle of energy and his story inspires many. Then there is the Craig family, who moved to Vegas in the last year. We met Richard Craig (and parents) when I was lucky enough to coach him on my baseball team for several seasons.
Then there is Laura Hornkohl, who travels the states on a medical van providing care. Or so she says, I only see hiking pictures from the many national and state parks. She is going to drive over from Cali sooooo yes....you guessed it.....we can go hiking. My other friends from Cali, Alice, Robert and Tony will be making an appearance as well.....more hiking.
Then one of my childhood friends. I'm hoping to see Ted and relive our dance school years. His mom ran it, Ted, his brother Paul, me and my brother Mark all danced together. He and my sister went to school in Poland for a semester. With both my brother and sister being in heaven, the "old stories" will be even more special. I haven't seen Ted in 29-30 years since he played music at my wedding. Wow I'm old!
Soooo as you can see the business is tennis in Vegas. But part of the journey will be catching up with new and old friends. I'm very excited about this trip and all these great people in my life!!!
Natalie will fly out Friday and I will early Saturday morning. She will begin play in the qualifier on Sunday. Nat and Jac will unite to play doubles, so that exciting. Might have to buy Jac a drink for her recent birthday, I hear there is a bar or two in Vegas.
Well, gotta get packing....literally....until that lil yellow ball begins to bounce out west.....Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
After some last minute changes in housing in Vegas, getting bumped as they say....I think I have it all figured out. And if you believe that, I have a bridge in NY for sale. Anyway, Natalie will be comfy and cozy in hopes of getting good rest.
We are really getting excited about seeing the many friends that live in Vegas, will be in Vegas or will come visit us in Vegas. One of Natalie's former team mates Blakely, lives there and will be back in town before we will leave.
Then there is Rob, who we met two years ago when UT played UN. He is a bundle of energy and his story inspires many. Then there is the Craig family, who moved to Vegas in the last year. We met Richard Craig (and parents) when I was lucky enough to coach him on my baseball team for several seasons.
Then there is Laura Hornkohl, who travels the states on a medical van providing care. Or so she says, I only see hiking pictures from the many national and state parks. She is going to drive over from Cali sooooo yes....you guessed it.....we can go hiking. My other friends from Cali, Alice, Robert and Tony will be making an appearance as well.....more hiking.
Then one of my childhood friends. I'm hoping to see Ted and relive our dance school years. His mom ran it, Ted, his brother Paul, me and my brother Mark all danced together. He and my sister went to school in Poland for a semester. With both my brother and sister being in heaven, the "old stories" will be even more special. I haven't seen Ted in 29-30 years since he played music at my wedding. Wow I'm old!
Soooo as you can see the business is tennis in Vegas. But part of the journey will be catching up with new and old friends. I'm very excited about this trip and all these great people in my life!!!
Natalie will fly out Friday and I will early Saturday morning. She will begin play in the qualifier on Sunday. Nat and Jac will unite to play doubles, so that exciting. Might have to buy Jac a drink for her recent birthday, I hear there is a bar or two in Vegas.
Well, gotta get packing....literally....until that lil yellow ball begins to bounce out west.....Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Canadian Update, Redfoo
First, our thoughts and prayers are for those families who lost someone on that horrible day twelve years ago. May they find peace in our Lord! God Bless America!
Our team started the first set on serve until it was 2-3, then fell behind to 2-5. Then 3-5, and eventually losing the set in a game they were up 30-15. They had plenty of chances in the first, according to Natalie.
Started the second set down 0-1, by losing serve. Then broke back to tie it to one all. Pushing forward our team went up 4-1. Then 4-2, 5-2 and we won the set in easy fashion. Playing a breaker in lieu of a third set, "we" went down 1-7 in record speed. Soon it was 3-9, 4-9, 5-9 before losing breaker and match 5-10.
Spoke to Natalie via Facebook minutes after the match ended. Needless to say she was not a happy camper. I'm sure I will get all the details upon her return tomorrow. She will be glad to be in Georgia and the warm weather and I'm sure hungry for her favorite foods.
Gearing up on the practice courts, so that she can get back to business on the ITF tourney court. Natalie will head to the 50K in Las Vegas on the 20th of the month. Redfoo is the sponsor and host of this tourney, so always a "part taaa" type of atmosphere. He loves the sport of tennis and great support of the ladies. This trip will also allow us to reconnect with one of Natalie's host moms Juliet. Juliet has a wonderful spirit and smile. We look forward to spending time with her!
Well, back to the projects here at home....must say I am getting much done on this down time. Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
Our team started the first set on serve until it was 2-3, then fell behind to 2-5. Then 3-5, and eventually losing the set in a game they were up 30-15. They had plenty of chances in the first, according to Natalie.
Started the second set down 0-1, by losing serve. Then broke back to tie it to one all. Pushing forward our team went up 4-1. Then 4-2, 5-2 and we won the set in easy fashion. Playing a breaker in lieu of a third set, "we" went down 1-7 in record speed. Soon it was 3-9, 4-9, 5-9 before losing breaker and match 5-10.
Spoke to Natalie via Facebook minutes after the match ended. Needless to say she was not a happy camper. I'm sure I will get all the details upon her return tomorrow. She will be glad to be in Georgia and the warm weather and I'm sure hungry for her favorite foods.
Gearing up on the practice courts, so that she can get back to business on the ITF tourney court. Natalie will head to the 50K in Las Vegas on the 20th of the month. Redfoo is the sponsor and host of this tourney, so always a "part taaa" type of atmosphere. He loves the sport of tennis and great support of the ladies. This trip will also allow us to reconnect with one of Natalie's host moms Juliet. Juliet has a wonderful spirit and smile. We look forward to spending time with her!
Well, back to the projects here at home....must say I am getting much done on this down time. Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
French Canadian food and doubles
Tomorrow, Natalie will be six days into this tourney and will finally play. Being in a holding pattern is not easy on a player mentally or physically. Our team will play doubles tomorrow Wednesday, at 11 o'clock. Please be reminded that there is live scoring, link is in one of my prior blogs.
Happy to say that lil Ed and I were able to Skype with Nat today. She said it is very hard to find "good" food for her to eat. Anyone that knows her, knows that she likes it simple.....a real meat, rice and potato kind of gal. So the complicated French cooking is a little too much for her. Hahahahahha don't you feel sorry for her......NOT!!
Updates to follow once that lil yellow ball begins to bounce.....until then.....you got it.....Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
No dubs today....will be tomorrow
Well, we thought Natalie was playing doubles today, but wrong.....she will play tomorrow (Wednesday). Sorry for the confusion but unfortunately they aren't posting the info in a timely manner for me to view. And with Natalie out of our country we don't have text messages, due to not having an international phone. So, she and I can only communicate via Facebook chatt. Which of course causes delays because she is not always in a hifi area and I'm not always on FB. Unless, something really crazy happens she will def play dubs tomorrow.
Again, sorry for any confusion!
Now back to cleaning my closet....yay me! Love and Blessings....Sherry!
Again, sorry for any confusion!
Now back to cleaning my closet....yay me! Love and Blessings....Sherry!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Schedule of play
Finally, after many checks of a few different sites for today's schedule of play in Quebec......Natalie messaged me the info. She will play her first round of dubs tomorrow. Won't know match time till later tonight, hopefully. Just a FYI.....the first round of dubs is always split into two days of a tourney. Half the draw plays on Tuesday, other half on Wednesday. From Thursday forward, a round of doubles will be played daily.
Hope everyone has a great Monday....as for me....trying to catch up here at home. Sooooo many projects soooooo little time. Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
Hope everyone has a great Monday....as for me....trying to catch up here at home. Sooooo many projects soooooo little time. Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
About the opponents
The our team of Pluskota/Dekmijerie will face the Canadian wild card team of Carol Zhoa and Francoise Abanda. For the first round of a Challenge Bell 235K WTA event. The opponents tourney dubs ranking is around 950. Our team's tourney ranking is around 245. Here is the link to the doubles draw:
http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/posting/2013/656/MDD.pdf
I don't have a match time....as soon as I get one, I will post it.
There will be live scoring via the WTA mobile application or the tourney webpage. Here is the link to the webpage:
http://challengebell.com/en
Bonjour......doubles IS on the horizon....
Bonjour from Canada via Georgia. She's there, I'm here! Let's talk doubles shall we?? Natalie went to Quebec with an agreed partnership already. Unfortunately, their combined rankings didn't get them into the draw as of late yesterday afternoon. She spent the last 18 hours trying to find a new partner with a high ranking. This is a very normal happening, last minute partner changing once players can look at pairings list to see the ranking cut off to make it in.
Not sure of all the details of how it went down, but she located a new partner who happens to be ranked 88th in the world in doubles. Just looked at her playing history, seems like she has only been playing doubles this year and just back out on the singles tour. Just guessing, I would think that she has been out on injury but I'll have to wait to hear the scoop from Natalie.
Anyway, her name is Liga Dekmijene and she is from Latvia. Her dad is a coach, sister is a hockey player. Liga has been on the pro tour for a while and has a great history on the court. I'm very happy that Natalie is networking with new people, very important to her continued success. However, her and Jackie will always have a place on the dubs court together. They will play with each other at the Macon tourney.
Which reminds me ....many have asked me to inform you when Natalie will be play near home. Well, you have your wish, she will be playing in Macon the first week of October. The tourney will begin on Sunday, October 6th with the singles qualifying draw. Doubles will begin on October 8th, but the first round of dubs is split between two days, so she will either play dubs on Oct. 8th or 9th. After that, dubs will be every day. The main draw of singles will begin on October 8th. We won't know until the week before the tourney if she will be in the qualifier or main for singles. Hope that is clear as mud.....soooo confusing I know, but that is the world of tennis. Minute to minute decisions and plans.
So mark your calendars....we would LOVE a big hometown crowd! But for now, we still have business in Canada to handle. Until that lil yellow ball begins to bounce in Quebec, I'll continue to catch up around the house and you my friends.......Be Blessed! Love and Blessings....Sherry!
Not sure of all the details of how it went down, but she located a new partner who happens to be ranked 88th in the world in doubles. Just looked at her playing history, seems like she has only been playing doubles this year and just back out on the singles tour. Just guessing, I would think that she has been out on injury but I'll have to wait to hear the scoop from Natalie.
Anyway, her name is Liga Dekmijene and she is from Latvia. Her dad is a coach, sister is a hockey player. Liga has been on the pro tour for a while and has a great history on the court. I'm very happy that Natalie is networking with new people, very important to her continued success. However, her and Jackie will always have a place on the dubs court together. They will play with each other at the Macon tourney.
Which reminds me ....many have asked me to inform you when Natalie will be play near home. Well, you have your wish, she will be playing in Macon the first week of October. The tourney will begin on Sunday, October 6th with the singles qualifying draw. Doubles will begin on October 8th, but the first round of dubs is split between two days, so she will either play dubs on Oct. 8th or 9th. After that, dubs will be every day. The main draw of singles will begin on October 8th. We won't know until the week before the tourney if she will be in the qualifier or main for singles. Hope that is clear as mud.....soooo confusing I know, but that is the world of tennis. Minute to minute decisions and plans.
So mark your calendars....we would LOVE a big hometown crowd! But for now, we still have business in Canada to handle. Until that lil yellow ball begins to bounce in Quebec, I'll continue to catch up around the house and you my friends.......Be Blessed! Love and Blessings....Sherry!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Does hard work and dedication pay off??
Just heard from Natalie, she and her partner we just bumped out by another team. She will continue to look for another partner with a higher ranking then her current partner or even her own ranking. She has till noon tomorrow to switch up or no dubs for her. She said there are two Canadian doubles team below "our team" in ranking, so you know who will get the wild cards. Have to say.....feeling a little deflated! Does hard work and dedication pay off?
......Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
......Love and Blessings.....Sherry!
Friday, September 6, 2013
Quebec City Tourney
After calling me from the Atlanta airport to let me know that Canada might not let her in due to not having a return flight booked. And.....after disembarking in Philly prior to take off, to repair a flat tire. Natalie made it safe and sound to Quebec City yesterday. Where she practiced and checked into what I hear is an awesome hotel.
Today was tourney check in day. VERY disappointed to say that she is not in the singles qualifier. Some how her online registration didn't take place, which we both remember doing together in a hotel room in Cincy. Can't explain it if I tried! Therefore, she is not being treated like the others at check in. As a matter of fact if the registration held....she would be in the tourney. Now she is at the bottom of the list of alternates.....third to ladies who are ranked lower then her. DISAPPOINTING INDEED!
She spoke to the tourney director about a wild card, but he decided to give it to someone ranked below Natalie.....who in fact.....Natalie has beaten the two times they have played. DISAPPOINTING INDEED!
So Nat will go to the site in the morning and check in and see what happens. Which of course, we all know will be nothing. She will sit there for hours in hopes of an opening. And then wait until Sunday afternoon to see if she gets into the doubles draw.
I can not express how important it is that we find Natalie a sponsor or sponsors. So that we can avoid situations like this and the US Open fiasco. The politics involved can only be beat with a higher ranking. And a higher ranking can only be achieved by chasing points overseas like everyone else as well as having Natalie's coach with her as much as possible. Since the USTA doesn't support Natalie or many like her......I ask you to please spread the word to anyone you may know that can help Natalie achieve her goals on the pro tennis circuit. Thank you!
......Love and Blessings.....Sherry
Today was tourney check in day. VERY disappointed to say that she is not in the singles qualifier. Some how her online registration didn't take place, which we both remember doing together in a hotel room in Cincy. Can't explain it if I tried! Therefore, she is not being treated like the others at check in. As a matter of fact if the registration held....she would be in the tourney. Now she is at the bottom of the list of alternates.....third to ladies who are ranked lower then her. DISAPPOINTING INDEED!
She spoke to the tourney director about a wild card, but he decided to give it to someone ranked below Natalie.....who in fact.....Natalie has beaten the two times they have played. DISAPPOINTING INDEED!
So Nat will go to the site in the morning and check in and see what happens. Which of course, we all know will be nothing. She will sit there for hours in hopes of an opening. And then wait until Sunday afternoon to see if she gets into the doubles draw.
I can not express how important it is that we find Natalie a sponsor or sponsors. So that we can avoid situations like this and the US Open fiasco. The politics involved can only be beat with a higher ranking. And a higher ranking can only be achieved by chasing points overseas like everyone else as well as having Natalie's coach with her as much as possible. Since the USTA doesn't support Natalie or many like her......I ask you to please spread the word to anyone you may know that can help Natalie achieve her goals on the pro tennis circuit. Thank you!
......Love and Blessings.....Sherry
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
US Open Pic Video.......Canada Tomorrow
Howdy from the HOT and sunny south! Guess summer has finally decided to show her face here in Georgia. Will be interesting to see how our fall and winter weather will be, since soooo much rain this summer.
Natalie is on her way home from her last court and fitness workouts prior to leaving for Canada. She will fly to Quebec, Canada in the morning. Hoping to make her way into the qualifying singles draw and main doubles draw. Nat will "sign in" on Friday for singles, and will know by early evening if she will make it into the draw. Singles play will begin on Saturday. She will need to signed up for doubles by noon on Sunday. Fingers crossed!
Here is a very short video I made from pictures from the US Open, please enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foo0xTlYJrg&feature=youtu.be
Natalie is on her way home from her last court and fitness workouts prior to leaving for Canada. She will fly to Quebec, Canada in the morning. Hoping to make her way into the qualifying singles draw and main doubles draw. Nat will "sign in" on Friday for singles, and will know by early evening if she will make it into the draw. Singles play will begin on Saturday. She will need to signed up for doubles by noon on Sunday. Fingers crossed!
Here is a very short video I made from pictures from the US Open, please enjoy:
Monday, September 2, 2013
Three beauties....
These three beauties are from left to right.....Ellie, Natalie and Lulu! We were able to spend time with them in CT......just wish we had some down time to spend with them....not that time around. They and their family are a delight. Many thanks to them and Kennedy (mom) and John (dad) for their continued support of Natalie's dream!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)