If you didn't watch the Osaka/Gauff match at the U.S. Open last night you missed the best part - the post match interviews. Naomi Osaka is ranked #1 in the world and is only 21. Coco Gauff is 15 and a total phenom competing in her first major and the darling of NY, the tourney, and pretty much all of America that has had any contact with this event.
Coco got a beat-down from Osaka. We later learned that when they met at the net for the post-match exchange Naomi asked Coco to participate in the on-court interview that's normally done only with the match winner. Coco, through her tears said no, but Naomi persisted and Coco finally agreed.
What followed was a tearjerker for everyone, including both players. Naomi Osaka showed more class than the rest of the women's field has altogether. Graciousness defined. She wanted to give Coco a moment in the spotlight with the fans. Coco mostly cried but was remarkably articulate for a teen who just got spanked. Then it was Naomi's turn to be interviewed and she...cried. She addressed Coco's parents in the stands and, through tears said they'd done a great job, had a wonderful daughter, and they should expect a great future. Total class!
If you know the backstory - Naomi's experience at last year's event when Serena Williams went ballistic - you appreciate that graciousness even more.
You don't pull that kindness out of your hip pocket when it suits the occasion. It's who you are. Just as Serena was (and is) who she is. I'm now rooting for a Japanese player to win the tourney.
I'm doing the detail work on Sally so that when the parts arrive installing them will be the only thing remaining. Yesterday I cleaned off the exterior and got 90% of the interior cleaned (sanding covered things with a fine red dust, inside and out), installed the mirrors, some exterior trim pieces, and polished all the brightwork with 0000 steel wool.
She is indeed going to be a looker.
Portuguese has a few variants of their basic word for good, bom. I haven't yet figured out when it should be bom, or bem, or boa. It's bom dia (good morning) but boa noite (good night). So I usually go with the first one and figure they'll get my meaning. I suspect it has to do with the noun or verb it modifies. Oddly, there is a masculine and feminine form for bad, mau and ma' respectively. Is there any significance to that? Hmmm.
We have 12 hens and one rooster, El Heffe. We're getting 10-12 eggs a day. These are a cross between White Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds, so we're getting big brown eggs, and a lot of them. It quickly became clear we were going to have to find buyers for these eggs or we'd be overrun with ova. Pam sold two dozen to a gal I work with and is selling another three dozen to gals at church this morning. We still have plenty!
Wanna buy some eggs?
I remembered something this afternoon that happened when I was in Brazil. At one of the session breaks most of us were out on the patio enjoying our snacks and drink. Bella, the pastor's 16-year old daughter who speaks near-perfect English, called me over to the group of ladies she was talking with.
Bella: "What's that English word for the day on which your boss pays you?"
Me: "Payday."
Group of ladies: Assorted laughs and snorts.
It turns out payday is the Portuguese word for fart.
Brett is preaching through Mark and this morning tackled the section in chapter 10 on divorce. His understanding of that and related texts is only slightly more conservative than mine and I thought he handled a difficult topic with clarity and grace.
In a church of 800+ people there will be a significant number of people who have been divorced and remarried. Taking anything other than an "It's all good, don't sweat it" view of what the Bible says is sure to offend some. So props for preaching a tough sermon well.
What did surprise me was when he identified one of his criteria for performing a marriage and then said all of the pastors on staff held the same position. I do, so that isn't a problem, but I have never discussed this with him and wondered if I missed a memo.
I asked our college pastor Brad after the service and his response was that no, he's not had any conversation with Brett on the topic either, and thinks "We should have that conversation."
That will probably be on this week's agenda somewhere.
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