Showing posts with label Grandchildren. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandchildren. Show all posts

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Stepping Over Epiphanies

 Stepping Over Epiphanies

By Michael Peter Garofalo



Affecting all the molecules in me
the pull of the moon and sea
feeling the call to walk the shore
Smiled, opened the door

Tides and time sent signals to me
to step nimbly over epiphanies
seen flipped over in the turning sands
Surprised, opened my hands

Waiting for nobody but me
a fleck of cold fire
flung out on this fleck of space
Sang out, loved this place

Shore pines paint a background scene
short stubby crooked trees
swaying gently in the salty breeze
Unruffled, I found tranquility

Stunned by the crisp clean colors
savoring the scents of the sea
enchanted by the incessant singing surf
Awakened, calming reveries

Pointing to the ineffable realization of
insights known to me alone
erupted up from our sensory realities
Profound, not foreknown

Such awakenings come and go
sometimes fast or sometimes slow
unpredictable visions playing peekaboo
Pausing, not thinking too

Slogging up and down the dunes
breathing hard on Que
one step up, a half-step back
Stopping, quite a view

A romantic couple passes me
by on the thin path through sea grass;
we nod, mumble "hello", step aside,
Thinking, will love last

What I see is painted by me
created for free in a brain for me
sucked from the breasts of reality
Pondering, reality or illusory

I practiced outside today
the Practice of the Outside Way
I figured a a few things out
Understanding, what Place's say

Tip toeing over bull kelp strands
stepping on broken shells
avoiding the driftwood piles ever moving
Listening, a virtual foghorn knells

A friendly dog off-leash comes to me
seeking a gentle pat and pet
desiring a kind human face to see
Laughing, she was wet

My grand daughter and I once walked
beside an Oregon dune
not very long ago it seemed to us
Remembering, gone too soon

 

 

25 Steps and Beyond: Collected Works
By Mike Garofalo

Highway 101 and 1
At the Edges of the West

Bundled Up: Quintains and Tanka Poetry


Saturday, November 02, 2024

Girls Varsity Soccer Champions - Skyview High School



On Saturday, 11/2, the Skyview High School Girls Soccer Team played the Tahoma Bears in a Sectional State Playoff Game. The Bears brought a record of 5-5-2.

It was a cold and overcast day at the Skyview soccer field. The crowd was small.  

Unfortunately, as usual, the Skyview sound system was very poor.  No banners for each of our players like we saw at Richfield, Union, and Camas. No cheerleaders. No student section of rooters. On the positive side, the bleachers were clean, outdoor toilets nearby, having a Make a Wish fundraising table, modest attendance fees, an orderly and even tempered audience, good referees, and a security and administrative presence. Everyone felt safe.  Younger children were everywhere and smiling. 

The usual group of Skyview soccer parents and their children were in attendance. Our group of Skyview fans and rooters included Alicia and Sean (Makenna Flinn's (#16, Center Defender) parents, Hanna and Matt Flinn, Hanna's visiting sister and her husband, Ryan, Joey, April Garofalo, Grandma Beryl, Grandma Karen, and Grandpa Michael. Everyone had fun!!



Skyview High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team in 2024


A tense and intense game. A stingy defense on both teams. 

The game was tied 0-0 at the end of regulation and 2 overtimes.  A final shootout took place.  Each team was tied after 6 shots. The Tahoma kicker hit the side pole and missed. Then, Cannonball Quinn Lundy, kicked the winning goal in the shootout (penalty kick, one on one, one kicker and one goalie ... high tension).


Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer Team
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Skyview 1 and Tahoma 0


Current Skyview High School Girls Varsity Soccer: Overall Record of  12 - 0 - 3  Conference  5 - 0 - 1

The Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer Team is now ranked 8th in the State of Washington. Information.

Another local high school, Ridgefield, is ranked 10th in the State of Washington. It has a
record of 15-1-1.  Ridgefield and Skyview played to a 2-2 tie early in the season.

The local Columbia newspaper reporter said the standouts for Skyview in the game were: Brynlee Williams, Quinn Lundy, Scottie Crooks, and Makenna Flinn.



NEXT??    Summer High School vs Skyview High School, Girls Varsity Soccer, 7 pm, 11/5/2024, Tuesday, Federal Way Memorial Field. 

Federal Way is City in Kings County and part of the Seattle Metapolitician Area.

Summer High School is ranked 6th in the State of Washington for 4A Division sized large schools.
It has a record of 11-2-3.  Skyview High School is ranked 4th in the Statewide 4A Division.
Information.


_________________________________________________


Skyview (HS) High School is located in the area north of Vancouver, Washington.  It is located in the northwest unincorporated suburbs of Vancouver, called Salmon Creek.

Our grand daughter, Makenna Flinn, plays center defender (#16) on the Skyview HS Girls Varsity Soccer Team.  She plays the entire game, every game. She is a Junior. She is an A grade student.

The Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer team went undefeated in 2024.
Overall Record of  11 - 0 - 3  Conference  5 - 0 - 1
The Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer Team won the District Championship of the 4A Greater St. Helens Athletic District in the State of Washington.
The last time Skyview HS  won the GSHAD Championship was in 2014.

The Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer Team fielded a very stingy defense - the best in the league.
The defense recorded eight shoutouts, and gave up only 8 goals all season.
The defense never gave up more than 2 goals in a game.
All players pitched in on defense!
The three main defensive players, who played the entire game every game were:
Brynnlee Williams    Goalie                  Junior
Makenna Flinn          Center Defender  Junior   # 16
Quinn Lundy            Wing Defender     Junior   # 19

The Skyview offense was quite powerful at times, and tallied 57 goals in the season. Only six of the games were close. Some of their wins were by wide margins, e.g., 8-0.  Rotations of mid-fielders and striker forwards were frequent, keeping players fresh, strong, and fast. Standouts on offense included Dea Covarrubias, Mya Ellertson, Bella Town, and Cameron Watson.

This team 2024 team had four seniors on the entire roster.
Many of the team members have played together since elementary school at Chinook Elementary in Salmon Creek on the local league team called "The Nemesis."  Karen and I have attended scores of Nemesis soccer games in the last 7 years.

First year Head Coach was Matt Houghton, and his Assistants were Nello Picinich, Mackenzie Ellertson, and Samantha Schoene.

Overall 2024 Record of  11 - 0 - 3  Conference  5 - 0 - 1
57 Goals Scored by Skyview. Only 8 Goals Scored Against Skyview.

Karen and I attended eight of these Girls Varsity Soccer Games.  We went out to dinner with Makenna's parents (Alicia and Sean) and her other grandmother (Beryl) before three of the games. We got to meet many parents of the girls.  

We visited some of the big stadiums in the area, e.g., Battleground, Richfield, Union, Camas, and the local Kiggins/Boggs Vancouver Field.

They The Skyview HS Girls Varsity Soccer Team will play their first State Tournament Soccer Game on November 2, 2024, at Skyview.



Makenna Flinn and Quinn Lundy
Key Skyview Soccer Defenders



Final Game Photo of Skyview Team
We defeated Union High School, 4-1
October 24, 2024, 9:20 p.m.



Makenna Flinn, Center Defender, #16




4A Greater St. Helens
#TeamW-LGBOVR
1SkyviewSkyview8-0-12-0-2
2Mountain ViewMountain View6-4-13.010-6-1
3CamasCamas6-22.08-5
4KelsoKelso5-33.012-4-1
5UnionUnion4-3-13.57-6-2
6PrairiePrairie3-76.05-10
7Battle GroundBattle Ground2-87.04-11
8EvergreenEvergreen0-77.55-8
See

Friday, October 25, 2024

Girls Varsity Soccer Champions - Skyview High School

Skyview (HS) High School is located in the area north of Vancouver, Washington.  It is located in the northwest unincorporated suburbs of Vancouver, called Salmon Creek.

Our grand daughter, Makenna Flinn, plays center defender (#16) on the Skyview HS Girls Varsity Soccer Team.  She plays the entire game, every game. She is a Junior. She is an A grade student.

The Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer team went undefeated in 2024.
Overall Record of  11 - 0 - 3  Conference  5 - 0 - 1
The Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer Team won the District Championship of the 4A Greater St. Helens Athletic District in the State of Washington.
The last time Skyview HS  won the GSHAD Championship was in 2014.

The Skyview Girls Varsity Soccer Team fielded a very stingy defense - the best in the league.
The defense recorded eight shoutouts, and gave up only 8 goals all season.
The defense never gave up more than 2 goals in a game.
All players pitched in on defense!
The three main defensive players, who played the entire game every game were:
Brynnlee Williams    Goalie                  Junior
Makenna Flinn          Center Defender  Junior   # 16
Quinn Lundy            Wing Defender     Junior   # 19

The Skyview offense was quite powerful at times, and tallied 57 goals in the season. Only six of the games were close. Some of their wins were by wide margins, e.g., 8-0.  Rotations of mid-fielders and striker forwards were frequent, keeping players fresh, strong, and fast. Standouts on offense included Dea Covarrubias, Mya Ellertson, Bella Town, and Cameron Watson.

This team 2024 team had four seniors on the entire roster.
Many of the team members have played together since elementary school at Chinook Elementary in Salmon Creek on the local league team called "The Nemesis."  Karen and I have attended scores of Nemesis soccer games in the last 7 years.

First year Head Coach was Matt Houghton, and his Assistants were Nello Picinich, Mackenzie Ellertson, and Samantha Schoene.

Overall 2024 Record of  11 - 0 - 3  Conference  5 - 0 - 1
57 Goals Scored by Skyview. Only 8 Goals Scored Against Skyview.

Karen and I attended eight of these Girls Varsity Soccer Games.  We went out to dinner with Makenna's parents (Alicia and Sean) and her other grandmother (Beryl) before three of the games. We got to meet many parents of the girls.  

We visited some of the big stadiums in the area, e.g., Battleground, Richfield, Union, Camas, and the local Kiggins/Boggs Vancouver Field.

They The Skyview HS Girls Varsity Soccer Team will play their first State Tournament Soccer Game on November 2, 2024, at Skyview.



Makenna Flinn and Quinn Lundy
Key Skyview Soccer Defenders



Final Game Photo of Skyview Team
We defeated Union High School, 4-1
October 24, 2024, 9:20 p.m.



Makenna Flinn, Center Defender, #16