loved to pieces

It's about time to get some new tennis balls. This little blue one has been loved nearly to pieces. As you see above, I keep it in the pocket of the swing and Katy is fully aware of this. But she will wait until I ask her, "where the ball Kate?" to dive headfirst in to retrieve it. She's quick. This blur is the best I can do.


Then she will proudly present this nasty thing to me, set it gingerly beside me, and wait with her nose about an inch from it until I pick it up to throw it for her (and Evan, sometimes) again and again.


This poor ball has been fetched so much, it no longer bounces, it's split open and manages to pick up all manner of grass in the split, and part of the "turf" of the ball is stubbornly hanging from the remains of the carcass. And still, it is their favorite ball to fetch.


Here's to those things in our lives so loved and worn that only the lovers still see their true beauty.