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This past weekend I/we celebrated a dear niece [in-law], Lyndsay’s, wedding event. What a welcome diversion from otherwise not-so-celebratory days. Jeff, Savanna, Diana and I are all over-the-moon with happiness for Lyndsay’s marriage to Eric! The weekend's cheerfulness began with a Friday night rehearsal dinner at Park Tavern on Piedmont (the same place where Sav and Joe’s wedding weekend launched). Coincidentally, Park Tavern is located yards from where I first met Lyndsay. Jeff lived on the park in the late ‘80s (he and his friends enjoyed the convenience of a vast field outside their front door for fun and games, i.e. aerobie-frisbee throwing). I’ve known Lyndsay since she was three-years-old and remember the first time I met her like it was yesterday. I’d barely known her five minutes before she walked over and hugged my leg. Her eyes were bright blue with thick, black eyelashes framing them. Her long, dark hair was sleek and silky. She embodied the little girl I always dreamed of having. Please Lord may I have one…or two…or three…just like her… After meeting Lyndsay at three-years-old, I watched her grow into a beautiful, smart young lady. Among many academic accolades, Lyndsay was cheerleading captain and homecoming queen in high school. Cheerleading captain and homecoming queen stood out for me as I remember how difficult it was to achieve those. [Note: I did not achieve them.] I’m disappointed that a photo of homecoming night where the whole family stood with Lyndsay on the football field can’t be located. In addition to looking gorgeous, I recall her being remarkably humble, void of arrogance. Students could be heard saying I voted for you. Many were staring at her in awe, like me. From a high school standout, Lyndsay went on to enter the “The Institute” (a/k/a Georgia Tech). She “got out” (as they say) with a degree in material science engineering. Flash forward a few years. Not long ago, at an anniversary party for Lyndsay’s parents we met Eric for the first time. I liked him from that first encounter. He was genuine, congenial, handsome, smart. But more importantly, there was an apparent aire that Eric was smitten with our Lyndsay. Could this be the one… Lyndsay, we are so very proud of you and so very happy for both you and Eric. Thank you for embodying strength, courage, intelligence and beauty over the years. You bring a lot of love and pride to the whole family! And thank you (and God!) for the perfect timing of joyful celebration. How nice it has been to cry for happiness vs. sadness. God Bless you and your future family! Thank you for reading. Love, Shelley “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son” ~ Matthew: 22:2

Promoted to heaven forever and ever.

Hi Friends, I hope you are all happy, healthy and pain-free. If you have a little pain here and there, I hope it’s not too dreadful. I hope it’s the kind of pain that you know deep down in your heart will turn into joy before long. Last Friday night, Jeff and I stopped by the Jewish Home to tuck mom in. Her dinner plate sat outside her room on the kitchen counter, 90% gone. Ninety percent! I was so happy. She had been eating well throughout the day but occasionally if she enjoyed a big breakfast (oatmeal, eggs), she’d likely not eat much lunch (which was the case on this day). Well, oh my, she was hungry when dinner arrived last Friday. **Warning** -- An abrupt, about face occurs -- Flash forward to Sunday afternoon, less than 48 hours later. Jeff and I enjoyed an afternoon at Ansley Golf Club. Pickleball, socializing, lunch, shower, the whole weekend drill. ---Suddenly, I received news that mom’s "medication would change, she’d stop receiving food and she’d cross in a day or two."-- Whoa? Hospice doesn’t help people live. They help people die. Some people get out of hospice. I hoped for that. Now I hope for mom to go home to eternal life, with Jesus. A couple days ago mom asked if I’d bring her something from the restaurant Jeff and I were going to. I’ve heard when people are dying they often ask for a favorite food. Restaurant food has been mom’s favorite for quite some time. Until her recent fall(s), she’d been making three meals a day, on her own, for five years. That’s a lot of cooking in your 30s…but late 80s - 90s!? I’m so unbelievably blessed to have these last days, weeks, hours with our Gam! The process is as incredible as giving birth. Some out of the ordinary things she has said lately are: I hope I fit in here I don’t know if I’ll be in the group I want to see my mother I miss Lesley, I feel badly I was asleep when she left, tell her that I want to watch you play pickleball Time spent together in October '22 surpasses all other. Mom's thin and frail but her fight is still fierce. She loves to hold hands. Another funny thing she said recently was, “I guess I can just sleep right here.” I’m sad because I don’t want to lose her. But at the same time I know how lucky Jeff, Savanna, Diana and I are to have had her near us for 20 years. The girls adore her and she adores them. But, for now, I look forward to giving her water, moisturizing her lips, wiping her feet with a cool cloth and putting lavender moisturizer on them, tomorrow. Tomorrow is a gift. Not a guarantee. I look forward to helping her ease her pain (mental, emotional and physical). And helping her hang on another day, before being promoted to eternal joy with Jesus. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Romans 8:18

I want to curl up in bed beside mom holding her warm, weak hand in mine, feeling her bones hanging on for dear life. She wouldn’t mind me doing that. She’s happy when I visit her twice, maybe three, and even four times a day. “I’m glad you’re here.” “What are you doing today?” “What have you been doing today?” she asks. Diane is doing well, relatively speaking. She has a 12-hour personal aide by her side, every day now. The addition of daily aides has made a world of difference in her comfort care. You may recall that over the last couple weeks she was repeatedly undressing, needing to be redressed by myself and aides? She was always redressed in the same ‘ol hospital gown. Well, her very first 12-hour aide suggested I get her clothes to wear every day. What? Providing clothes for her sounded simple yet bewildering. Mom had been undressing simply because she wanted to get dressed in the morning like everyone else. She wanted to get out of the flimsy, open-backed hospital gown that she’d been wearing for weeks. She wasn’t undressing because she was disoriented or “out of it”. Diane wanted to be comfortable, and to “fit in” (her words). She wanted a warm soft top covering her back, neck and arms. Well, she now has a spiffy wardrobe hanging in her closet: flannels, plaids, pretty pinks, creams, denim, anything she wants. Every evening mom is changed into a night garment and in the morning she is dressed in a nice top. Her wardrobe is cozy and enviable. She has not attempted to undress herself a single time since couture enhancements arrived. I felt kind of silly and neglectful not realizing she may have a desire to dress daily. I figured the staff needed her to be in a hospital gown for medical-care reasons. Nope. They don’t. They can work around every day, regular clothing (she mostly only wears tops). The first time mom felt a warm, pink, flannel, button-up shirt around her shoulders, back and arms she looked relieved, comforted and plain happy. Ugh, thank you Margaret from Eckstein Home Care for suggesting (earnestly) that I provide Diane with a proper wardrobe. Who knew a private aide could/would add so much to the quality of Diane’s comfort on the very first visit. In addition to a wardrobe re-entering her life, mom received a shower for the first time in a long time a couple days ago. Of course she’s kept very clean, but a shower! Epic. That shower got her out of the room for the first time in three weeks. Journeying from her room to the shower room was the mother of all field trips. Relief and happiness spread across her face when I visited that evening. I asked her if she felt better after the shower. She stared at me and nodded yes. There’s more! A proper wheelchair was located recently which means if she’s up to it she’ll be getting out of the room again. Or at least positioned in something other than the bed. Of course, there’s good and bad to everything. Diane’s wounds are still present. The wound on the back of her head didn’t heal properly and has re-emerged. A team of medical professionals are tending to that wound as well as another one on her back. Mom’s body is terribly frail and fading. Please pray for strength for her to help fight the wounds. Mom has always liked to put off washing her hair. Please pray I can convince her to get her scalp properly cleansed and massaged during her next shower. As we gradually decline our personalities stay intact. Diane continues to exude her humorous, engaging, people-loving self. The staff at The Jewish Home adore her and she adores all of them. Albeit nobody enjoys time with mom more than myself and my immediate family. We are blessed to the nth degree to have the great fortune of touching her, talking to her, kissing her, hugging her…caring for her… (Photo: Mom is blessed to have a caring, generous, trustful, loving son-in-law who has done so much for her over the past 20 years of living in Atlanta. She loves him and he also loves her. Unfortunately, this photo was taken right before her wardrobe arrival.) Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley

Hi Everyone, I can’t believe this photo was taken just over a month ago. Triangle Park had our dear Gam out on the town enjoying fine Italian cuisine at Carbonar Tratorria. Our queen is not doing well. Shortly after this dinner, mom struggled to fight an infection that had been brewing and thriving, unbeknownst to her. The infection and subsequent weakening of her body contributed to three falls which resulted in more complications that subsequently cascaded into reasons why she remains in the hospital today*. Savanna and Diana have been blessed to grow up by their beloved grandmother. Gam helped raise them. She’s always been an important part of their lives, providing companionship, humor, and stories of her past. Years ago, Savanna wrote a book, My Gramma, for a challenge class. Savanna interviewed Gam with specific categories: Childhood - “Diane Corkill was born on December 27, 1929, in Holland, Michigan. Her father, Donald Dickinson, was born in Fennville, Michigan. Her mother, Thelma Cullum, was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Gramma’s parents raised two boys and one girl in Fennville, Michigan. Gramma was named after Diane from the movie 7th Heaven.” Toys and games - “One of her favorites was her baby doll. It wore a pink dress and white booties. Another one of her toys was her roller skates. She loved to roller skate on the sidewalk. Gramma and her friends would always play a game called bounce out. They would play it with a small rubber ball.” Food and Meal Time - “Gramma always had a large group of people come to her house for dinner. They would eat different kinds of casseroles and vegetables. She would drink milk with her meals. Gramma loved to make cakes from scratch. Her favorite was white cake with coconut frosting. She also made delicious fudge. Sometimes she would make it into hearts.” Greatest Accomplishment & Treasured Memory - “Gramma’s greatest accomplishment was raising three children: Brad, Lesley and Shelley. Her most treasured memory was having her children. The dates of her children’s births were June 7, 1951, September 3, 1954 and March 14, 1962, which is my mom’s birthday. Gramma loves her children very much.” There’s more: Mom and Dad Taught Me School Experiences - Chores and Home Remedies Entertainment and Dating - “My Gramma loved to read magazines. Her favorite was Life Magazine. She also loved to listen to the radio. Every Friday night and Sunday afternoon Gramma and her friends went to the ten-cent movie theatre. On dates, she would go to school dances. She would wear a skirt and a sweater to the dances. To school, she would wear dresses, skirts and sweaters.” Holidays and Vacations Marriage - Greatest Influence Humorous Incident Old Fashion Things She Still Likes I don't want your attention span to wane so I left out some descriptions. But if you're a big Queen Diane fan (she has a lot), shoutout and I'll fill you in on the deets. Praying we have more memories to add to the many good times over the past 20+ years of her living in the ATL. Thank you to those who have enjoyed reading about our queen in this blog. Diane loves people and has always loved entertaining. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley Our earthly bodies become weary as we age, and you may also notice aches or pains. Take comfort in knowing the Lord shall renew your strength, according to Isaiah 40:31. "Then they'll soar on wings like eagles; they'll run and not grow weary; they'll walk and not grow tired *She was discharged from the hospital and is resting comfortably at the Bremen Jewish Home.

Hi Friends, Remember this pitiful guy, Finn: Finn was nursed back to health with love, compassion and medical care at Red Clay Ranch Equine Rescue and Sanctuary. He is now living his best life with his girlfriend, Meg: Maybe you remember the Mane Event in a blog a while back? The Mane Event is Red Clay Ranch’s primary fundraiser. If it wasn't for fellow horse lovers and those who appreciate what horses do on so many levels thousands of horses with a lot left to give humans would be disregarded, left for dead. The Mane Event 2022 took place last Friday, September 9 at Cherokee Town and Country Club. This year was extra special for Jeff and me because we had two tables which allowed us to invite friends. Like any event-planning we were hopeful and [a little anxious] for our invitees to be enthusiastic for the cause that we hold near and dear: saving horses. We also just wanted to see our long-time friends and introduce them to horse rescue -- while enjoying a swanky venue with yummy food and drink: Cherokee Town Club. The author of Joey, Jennifer Marshall Bleakley, was the guest speaker. Ms. Bleakley spoke of success stories about rescue horses helping children and adults with disabilities. The amount of disabilities that horses help with is mind-boggling: autism, substance abuse, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, amputation, developmental disorders, spinal cord injury, brain trauma and injury, visual and hearing impairment, emotional and learning disorders, anxiety…the list is vast. And all of that is before getting to how they help with muscle and physical therapy issues: balance, posture, motor coordination, self-confidence, self-esteem. And above all: unconditional LOVE! One of Ms. Bleakley’s stories was about a young Afghanistani girl who escaped human trafficking. While visiting a seemingly average, normal horse, the young girl said, “that horse is very tired.” Not long after, the horse laid down for no apparent reason and the girl laid down beside him. Spiritually connecting with a horse is profound and oftentimes inexplicable. This year, Red Clay Ranch had a large tractor on their wish list: KUBOTA MX5400DT #15: $50,000. More than enough was donated for one of these bad boys. Once the big tractor was secured the live auction took off with a bang. Three of the top items were: A week in beautiful Tuscany, Italy $3,000 Ascot Diamonds Gift Certificate Dinner for 12 - Proof of the Pudding FOUR trips to Tuscany were from our tables alone! Thank you! One of my friends is on her way to Ascot Diamonds, jealous, thank you! And Jeff and I will host 12 at Proof of the Pudding. And those were just the top items. Paddles were going up all over the place. The room pulsed with participation. We are so very humbled and thankful for all of our friends who came out to support Red Clay Ranch! There really aren’t words for how honored Jeff and I were to sit with you and how grateful we were/are for your generosity. The goal for the event was $150,000. That goal was “far exceeded.” Thank you! The horses thank you, most! --And thank you for reading!-- Love, Shelley More about Red Clay Ranch:

How was your Labor Day everyone? Catch any baseball? Who’s your favorite team? Fave players? GO BRAVES! Jeff and I have been Braves fans for years. Enthusiasm ramped up when they won the World Series in 1995 (Savanna was four years old): In 2021, when covid was peaking, the Braves added another world series to their record. The win put a major damper on covid blues. Check out Jorge Soler hit a homer way, way out of the park during that game: https://youtu.be/U5i4vE5kxXE If you watched the 2021 World Series you no doubt remember Soler's sky-rocketing home run. The link above is worth a watch even if you're not a baseball fan. Jeff and I received unexpected Truist Club tickets to the Braves vs. Marlins game over labor day weekend, September 2. Jeff and I don’t miss a Braves game on tv. When we found ourselves with last-minute second-row seats right behind home plate and access to the Truist Club, we were high as the sky. Food, drinks, lounging and private access to extra-comfy, large seats directly behind the batters was every sports fan’s dream. Even better, we had FOUR tickets. Savanna and Joey joined us! The Braves have won 86 games this season (losses = 51). They’re in second place in the National League east division, behind the New York Mets by ½ a game. My favorite player (at the moment) is Austin Riley. I snapped these pics of Austin preparing to bat -- couldn’t believe it was moments before he hit a homer. The Braves beat the Miami Marlins 8 - 1! The only downside to all the awesomeness of that particular game is that future games are likely to not measure up. Albet, wins are wins! Thank you for Reading! Love, Shelley Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over ~ Luke 6:38

Hi Friends, I hope you are happy and content no matter is going on in your lives. Stay thankful and humble, even if smelly things are wafting about. Have you ever wanted to do something that you weren’t formally trained for? Write code? Prosecute criminals? Remove a tumor? Design a house? Designing dream digs from an architectural perspective is an old dream that has re-emerged as a new hobby for me. Not "decorating!" Decorating a home doesn't get me going. I keep the decor in my house pretty simple (most of you know that). Because if it (me) gets flustered with texture, accents and color pops I end up changing it, soon. But when it comes to: arches angles heated flooring french doors castle towers with built-ins elevators a laundry shoot two-master suites radiator heat central vac dual kitchen with nook hidden rooms sun tunnels and skylights dog bath station smart wiring Now my engines are revved. I’m not saying we’re building a house. Albeit, I am designing one, poste haste. Ideas, input, experience, welcome. A brick wall needs no decor added. It's intriguing in and of itself and arched doorways are a must in my dream design. My dream kitchen is not big. This midway landing to an oval study would be welcome in my dream digs. Whether bay windows or a castle tower, both are welcome to land on my plan. Do you like the angled door entry on this home? Charming or distracting? Built-in benches along staircases, in mudrooms and around kitchen nooks are a favorite of mine. Windows that open "out" versus up and down, thumbs up. Using our current, narrow lot as a blueprint base, various aspects of the four homes below would be puzzle-pieced into my dream digs. Black and white checker board flooring is a positive! And quite possibly there will be more than one brick wall. I don't have many obsessions but black and white flooring is undeniably one. An elevator? ? We're not getting any younger. So yes, an elevator for sure. Admittedly, fear of getting stuck in it has crossed my mind but so has falling down stairs. Secret rooms are not-so-secret trends in custom built and new construction homes. A nice get-away? Ahhhhh! Radiator heat! My dream digs, heated-environment!!!! [emphasis added] Heated driveways are also a thing. Atlanta doesn't necessitate one but it sounds nice if you live in a snowy region. Ideas? Down the road, we'd love to hear them! Speaking of down the road. In my dream dig design there will a carriage/garage/work space to accommodate Jeff's multiple car babies. Speaking of car babies, did you hear that one of the babies was injured? Not to worry. She'll be out of the hospital soon. Actually, we can do things that we don't have formal training for...in our own way. Thanks for reading! Love, Shelley Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

Got routines? Morning routines? Daily routines? Weekly, annual routines? Some of us are more committed to routines than others? I know that’s true because I, Shelley Sweeney, change-up my so-called routine often. --The only routine I’m married to is morning coffee and cleaning a cat pan.-- Albeit, I'm obliged to enable various family member routines... Routinely, Jeff picks mom up after golf on Saturday afternoons. This is the one and only field trip that gets mom (92) out of her house and into a different environment. She relies solely on my [emphasis added] family's participation to switch up her scenery. This past weekend she moaned that the event was "out of her routine." That's funny because the routine never changes: Jeff picks her up She visits Buckhead for 3 hours Dinner at Carbonara Back to her house We combined the routine last weekend with Diana's annual, move-back-to-law school going away party. We fill Gam's house with our presence. Carbonara was hopping and popping, packed with humans. The world is abundant with bad news...why not eat, drink and be one big, happy, human family...? Along with our presence, we brought presents of laughter. And more laughter... And time-out calmness... At the end of the day...we took Gam on a field trip to cloud 9 heaven (what does Cloud 9 even mean?). As life always goes, we had to battle demons too. Limoncello cake for dessert was pure sin. Lord please forgive us... So-long Diana and thank you Elijah for helping her move back to the Champagne lair. Phew, that's a lot of routine pomp and circumstance, human stuff. I'm looking forward to sitting around the house with the pets. Thanks for reading! Love, Shelley Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. - Ephesians 6:1-3

Ever heard of Backroads? They're an "active" travel company based in Berkeley, California. Make that a premiere active tour company. Or, so they deem themselves (I wouldn't disagree). If you're among the active sort and you prefer to travel active as well, chances are you'll be a fan of Backroads. For a dismal three years, Covid brought our (and everyone else's) international travel hobby to a screaching halt. Jeff and I were thrilled that 2022 would be the year for international travel lovers to get back to flying over seas. Typically, we've always mapped out our preferred routes, activities and sites to see. Backroads entered our minds because we were at a loss for where to begin after being domesitcally contained for so long. Thus, we handed the reins of our first post-covid Europe trip over to Backroads Active Travel. Our route-mapping and activity-list making was in the hands of pros. And boy did they perform. We hiked, and hiked, and ate and ate all over Cotswold, England in active style. Our cup runneth over with charming villages, churches, castles, meadows, streams, and cozy eateries. A smorgasbord of English countryside! At times, I marvelled, never having dreamed that I would cover so much terriotory [on foot] around England. It was magical. All thanks to Backroads. There were meticulously groomed, extensive gardens: Fields of sheep grazing under blue sky: We hiked, and hiked over meadows, staying at homes originally build in 1697 (Barnsley House). We made friends with wonderful people, took selfies in our room that happened to have stupendous lighting. We hiked on, photographing homes and gardens galore. We hiked more, and more, and we continued hiking. The churches we passed by were spectacular. One had a robe in it that was hundreds of years old. We continued hiking. At times we followed a public footpath, and other times we hiked over private property. We kept going. And going. There was an evening where we learned all about how gin is distilled. I can't remember too much about it. Not because I drank too much. I barely sipped a taste. More because my brain isn't holding as much these days :) But I do know that all of the infused scents came from various items below (bay leaf, lavender, etc.). We tasted four different gins. I liked the one below best! We kept hiking. If it sounds arduous, it really wasn't. Except, one day I asked for ice in the hotel lobby after cutting a day short. No worries though, I was back at it the next day. We had lunch at a private home which was a special treat. The family lived on and ran a sheep farm. They were friendly, hospitable and made everyone feel welcome. We saw castles, and churches on the castle grounds. We had wonderful meal after wonderful meal. And then we kept going. We passed wildlife art structures and more castles. Onward again through lovely meadows, passing only one tree that had seen better days. The weather was absolutely incredible. We could not have asked for more picture-perfect days. Many churches in England have replaced the cross on the outside with a weather vane. I enjoyed seeing the occasional cross that still stood. We carried on again, Final evening reception where one of our guides, Ian, served Pims Cups, a Queen's favorite. Backroads isn't kidding when they say they're "active" travel. Being in shape is a good idea if you consider booking a tour with Backroads. However, any time you get tired, Backroads has it meticulously figured out on how to sweep you up and get you back to a premiere hotel. Their planning is truly spot on. Jeff and I are happy that we chose Backroads to get us back in the swing of European travel. Next time, we're looking forward to giving it a go on our own. And, hopefully, another Backroads jaunt will be in our future too. Maybe: Finland/Sweden... Thanks for reading! Love, Shelley Ephesians 5:18-20 Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In spite of the name: "Rules," there really aren't any unique rules at Rules. Just show up hungry, order a lot of food and drink and you're good to hang out for two hours (after two hours, cheerio until next time). Upon arrival at Rules the maitre d' sweeps away your coat, umbrella, and whatever you'll hand him. The ambience is traditional, upper-snuff comfort. Wildlife trophies and old English paintings and portraits hang like wallpaper. Carpet stretches wall-to-wall providing pleasant, oldster acoustics. Think: homey. I'm not much of an alcohol imbiber per se, but when dining at Rules I've made it a habit to order a Black Velvet. Guinness and champagne served in an ice cold silver tankard comprises a Black Velvet. Highly recommend -- Cheers! Rules Backstory: Rules is the oldest restaurant in London. Thomas Rules opened it in 1798. For years I assumed there were "rules" to follow in order to dine at Rules. At least back in the day there must have been? Arrive in spiffy attire, use your finest manners, project a perky attitude...things along those lines. But as the correct story goes, Rules has nothing to do with following rules at all. The restaurant is simply named after Mr. Thomas Rules, the man whose vision spurred him to open it. Mr. Rules' life didn't continue toward a trajectory of success as one might assume given the restaurant is still running 224 years later. Sadly, Mr. Rules killed his wife and daughter, Elsie. Following the crime, he was committed to a psychiatric institution. Needless to say, he didn't go on to enjoy the success of his business venture. But, in spite of Greek-tragedy-esque beginnings, Rules lives and thrives 224 years later. Delicious food, drink, and atmosphere are at patrons beck and call. Does knowing the tragic back story of Mr. Rules murdering his wife and daughter taint dining there? Not really. Being a relisher of "truth is stranger than fiction," who-dun-it-mysteries, and the fact that we are all sinners, Mr. Rules sad story adds a cryptic essence to the 224-year-old culinary experience. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

As I’m sure you all know by now, my parents have fallen in love with PickleBall. I’m talking “playing multiple times a week and entering tournaments” obsessed (and my mom even won a team tournament!). I had never played with them before, only watched, but I was always curious about what drew them to it. So when Elijah was visiting Atlanta last weekend, my parents, Sav, Joe, and I geared up to go play. And it was a lot of fun. Like I said, I hadn't played before, but I played tennis a bit in high school, which I soon discovered is very different from pickleball. We didn’t warm up or hit around before jumping right into a game so I was a bit shocked at first. The scoring is unintuitive and the feeling of hitting the pickleball with a small paddle is very different from tennis. But after some time getting used to it and learning the scoring, I decided I really liked it! Since there were six people, we played a rotating version of doubles so we could all be on the same court and get playing time. And the actual playing was a lot of fun. It has very similar attributes to tennis, and a lot of tennis skills translate well, but it’s different. The court is smaller and the ball bounces a lot less so there’s less running. Plus the ball goes a lot less further when you hit it. I think tennis can get a little intense, on a big court with a lot of running, so pickleball seems like the perfect happy-medium. That being said, I was QUITE sore the next day! It truly is a full-body workout that’ll surprise you with some aches and soreness. I really liked learning how to play and spending some time with the fam. Not sure if I’ll be as obsessed with it as my parents, but I sure hope to play more in the future and hopefully before going back to law school!