Welcome to the latest Joy Crazy™ Newsletter!
In this edition:
- BIG NEWS! Join us for Portland Timbers Pickleball Night! ⚽️
- Rent outdoor pickleball nets from Joy Crazy™ ☀️
- What do we think of compostable pickleballs? 🎾
- Share your pickleball story, you may change a life! 🏓
- Window or Aisle? What our poll says about travel habits. ✈️
- Pet Pals: Meet Benny 🐾
Here's wishing you a Joy Crazy™ day!
Shannon Diffenderffer, M.Ed.
Founder & Chief Daisy 🌼
Joy Crazy, LLC
⚽️+🌼=🎉 Joy Crazy visits the Portland Timbers!
I am super excited to announce that Joy Crazy™ is headed to the Portland Timbers "Pickleball Night" home match against Real Salt Lake!
I have arranged for an amazing group ticket deal explained below:
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 16 at 7:30pm
Location: Providence Park in Portland, Oregon
Opponent: Real Salt Lake
Cost: $75 per ticket
Each Ticket includes:
- One Providence Park ticket (seats will have a view but are not 100 level)
- Portland Timbers Pickleball Paddle (Pro 1 "Volair" Paddle - a $69 value)
- Timbers Jersey (unknown value, but priceless to some!)
To Purchase Portland Timbers Group Tickets:
- Watch your in-box! I will have an update soon with a "live" link to purchase tickets via Joy Crazy™.
- Thank for your patience! The July 4th holiday created a "hiccup" with operations, but all should be finalized shortly.
- This ticket deal is only available through Joy Crazy™.
- As of this writing I have not been given a limit as to how many tickets each person can buy. Nor have I been given a purchase deadline, so again... watch your in-box for more details coming soon!
🥅 Rent an Outdoor Pickleball Net!
You've got company coming -- from teens to grandparents -- what should you do? Play pickleball of course!
You see others playing pickleball at the local outdoor courts but you're not sure if you want to invest in a pickleball net. Try mine!
Each pickleball net rental comes with FREE pickleball paddle rental... and it's only $30/week. What a terrific deal!
Equipment is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Here's a link to a 60-second video on how to assemble a portable pickleball net (like the "Rally" net above - all photo rights belong to PickleballCentral.com). It's easy, honest!
Click the link below for all of the details and to complete the Joy Crazy™ Pickleball Net Rental Request form.
Get started playing outside today and be sure to forward this to your playing partners!
▶️ Rent a Pickleball Net from Joy Crazy™ today!
🎾 What do we think of Compost-a-Balls?
I love that some folks decided to think beyond plastic pickleballs and create a biodegradable pickleball from wheat straw and rice husk. How cools is that?
Compost-a-Balls come in both a recreational version (pictured - all photo rights belong to Compost-a-Ball) and a competitive version. According to their website "...the sport of pickleball produces 77 million pounds of plastic every year." Yikes!
When we tried out these Compost-a-Balls at Joy Crazy™ Daisy Doubles on the indoor gym floors, however, the overall player impression was that they were quite bouncy (not a bad thing), but they did not sound or feel the same when they hit the paddle (not a good thing).
After one game playing with the Compost-a-Balls, everyone preferred going back to indoor pickleballs. I have a couple of them in my locker at Friendly House if you would like to give them a try -- just ask the next time you're at the court. These might be terrific for outdoor play -- if you can get used to how they hit your paddle.
By the way, I have not found a good solution for getting rid of used plastic pickleballs. If you, dear reader, are aware of a way to better dispose of them, please get in touch with me ([email protected]) and I will happily update my newsletter readers. This is an important issue and cause!
🏓 Share your story - you may change a life!
If pickleball has impacted your life — helped you heal, get fit, connect, or laugh again — please take a moment in the next few days to let me know.
I’ve been invited to be the guest Sunday speaker at Wy’east Unitarian Universalist Church here in Portland on August 3 to talk about Joy and Pickleball — and I’d love to include a few stories from our Joy Crazy™ community!
If possible, submit your story by July 13 so I have time to read and include a few in the talk. As a former Toastmaster, who has heard many moving speeches, I know your words might help someone feel seen, hopeful, or inspired.
A heartfelt "Thank you!" goes out to the four folks who have already sent in their submissions via the link below. I am super grateful for this amazing community! 🌻🌻🌻
▶️ Click to complete the "Share Your Pickleball Story" form
✈️ When You Travel, Where Do You Sit?
The photo below, of Mount Hood in summer, is exactly why I enjoy sitting in a window seat -- the views can sometimes be amazing.
The other reason I enjoy a window seat? To put my "deaf" ear next to the window so my "hearing" ear is towards the cabin and passengers or stewards.
I always thought everyone enjoy window seats, but I was wrong!
The twenty-two players in our Joy Crazy Daisy Doubles classes -- by a whopping 2 to 1 margin -- prefer to sit in an aisle seat rather than by the window when traveling. Mostly because they don't want to disturb the other passengers if they have to get up during the flight -- how kind!
Don't forget to tell your friends and family that they don't have to pack anything but themselves when they travel to the Friendly House for our next Intro to Pickleball class on July 19. As a reminder, all supplies are included along with their first Daisy Doubles class, what a deal!
🐾 Pet Pals: Meet Benny - The Frequent Flyer
Benny is Bichon Poodle owned by Marc and Elaine (photo inset). Marc shares that Benny is a very social animal.
"He likes almost anybody and he is a leg hugger and a kisser. He has a bunch of squeak toys and when we come home he will grab one and run back and forth all over the place. His favorite treats are alligator chew treats and 6” chicken chew logs. He gets grilled or baked chicken at dinner and [for a] bedtime snack."
Marc and Elaine's Benny (photo above) is "so very smart he is hypoallergenic."
Plus, Marc states, "He is a registered service dog so he flies cross country with us and has his own junior wings."
Benny sounds like a terrific canine companion. I'll will happily sit next to him next time I fly - even if it's not a window seat!
▶️ Click to Submit Your Pet's Photo & Story
📣 In the Next Edition:
- My favorite poem -- about summer -- turns 140! ☀️
- What's in a name? My two-year legal odyssey ⚖️
- Pet Pals: Meet Dezi 🐾
The Joy Crazy™ Newsletter is written by Shannon Diffenderffer, M.Ed.,
founder of Joy Crazy™, LLC.
Through Joy Crazy™ Pickleball classes and her online community, Joy Crazy™ Connect,
Shannon helps adults—especially those entering a new chapter of life
or living with chronic conditions—become their own "Joy Advocates,"
and create lasting community—on and off the court.
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