Sneaky fun

The next door neighbors have a darling girl who is about 4 years old. She is the light of her father's life. When he comes home from work, they spend hours playing ball out in the back yard.

A lot of balls come over the fence. I usually toss them back, but one day a couple months ago Goldie popped this soft plastic one before I could sent it back. I looked around for a new one but couldn't find a matching ball, until today, at the swap meet, I found the exact replica - soft, purple, with tiny bumps all over. I spent a dollar for it.

I came home and tossed it over the fence. A few hours later, I heard squeals of joy. "Mi pelota! Mi pelota!" Apparently after a long absence, the purple ball had magically reappeared.

I got to hear happy little girl laughter for about an hour as she played with the ball with her mom. Hands down the best dollar I ever spent.