Graduation! Through the party...This is a long one, folks, grab a snack and a drink...

GRADUATION

GIRL!

Eldest is no longer a high school student; she is a Graduate!
We have had a exciting week here at Cowfeathers Farm. Huz' parents arrived from Florida last week, in time to get back in the car (& truck) and go to the Dog Obedience practice with Youngest and the jumping lesson with Middlest and myself and our respective horses. I think the airplane was the last time they got a chance to relax. The next morning was the Honors and Scholarship Awards program for the soon-to-be graduates at the high school. It is a lengthy ceremony with a great amount of money bestowed on the lucky ones.

Eldest received the Hosler Foundation Scholarship, which assists through university and medical school.

Receiving the Pickaway County 4-H Scholarship



In all, Eldest received the Morrill Scholarship from Ohio State University, the National Council on Youth Leadership Scholarship, the Hosler Foundation Scholarship and the 4-H Scholarship. Whoa.

 

 

 

 

The next day was the "Top Ten Senior Dinner", hosted by a local country club, the graduates with the top ten GPA's are invited to a banquet. (Because I know you're wondering, Eldest was 3rd in her class, .08 points behind the top two tied for first.) They are to invite a teacher to accompany them, choosing an educator who has influenced their success. Eldest chose to bring "Smith" the director of the band, and the high school music program. Smith has indeed had a large amount of influence on Eldest's success and confidence. Each student writes and letter to the teacher they selected, and then reads the letter aloud to them, and the rest of the guests. It was a touching ceremony, and a great way to say "Thank you" to a few of those who have shaped these high achieving graduates.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, the rest of us were madly preparing for a graduation party. A break in the labor was due, so the next evening, we all went to the "Thea-ta" for a traveling Broadway production of Les Miserables. This was the theme for the Band Show in the season past, and the entire band, with many parents also came to TBC to see the show. Huz and I have season tickets to the Broadway shows, and I have been amused to see someone I know in the audience in the past- still feel like newcomers to Ohio in some ways- but at the Les Miserables show, I knew A LOT of faces. The show was wonderful, and the music even more familiar after watching the band perform it every week through the fall.

Now, it was time for a party. Huz kept me updated on the predicted rain (ugh) and we prepared for an outdoor party disregarding all dire predictions.
The Graduation Party in central Ohio has a formula. Despite having graduated from a few schools before moving to Ohio, I was wholly unfamiliar with the process of High School Graduation, Ohio Style.
I have found that the formula is not a requirement, but mostly followed. Here are the elements as I have found them:

• A sign printed with the Graduate's name, picture, high school, year, maybe an encouragement. This is large,  professionally done on some type of vinyl- looking material, and staked out on t-posts in the graduate's front yard.
• A tent is placed in the yard. It can be white, but bonus for high school colors.
• In the tent are tables and chairs borrowed from your church. These have plastic cloths in the high school colors, and graduation confetti on the top.
• There will be food! Lots! Usually barbeque or some type of smoked meat, often served on a bun, with beans either green or baked, and then a salad- pasta, potato, macaroni...etc.
• There will not be a keg ( the sole fixture of high school graduation parties of Connecticut in the 80's)
• There will be an area devoted to display of the accomplishments of the graduate. This can include, but is not limited to, awards, trophies, plaques, pictures, and may or may not include a photographic montage of the lifespan of graduate put to music on a computer screen.
• Dessert is vital. Most commonly there will be a sheet cake with a wish for the Graduate on top with flowers and decoration in the colors of the high school. Cupcakes are optional, but often included.
• Guests bring gifts. Often it is a thoughtful item wrapped for the graduate, but cards are de riguer, frequently with money in the fold.

I have attended parties for some years now, and observed the rituals with interest. Like an anthropologic investigation.  It seems that most of the people here have grown up in the area, at least in Ohio, or the central Midwest. The Graduation Party is a long developed tradition. Like weddings having a band, or DJ, throwing the bouquet, the father of the bride escorting his daughter down the aisle.....if you had grown up where weddings had none of these things, the first time you observed them, you would not realize the depth of the tradition. So, I have been trying to learn The Graduation Party. This year was my first chance to try it out for ourselves at Cowfeathers.

• I forgot the sign, completely, until I saw others go up around the countryside and Paige- an Ohio HS graduate that assists me at work asked if I had a sign ordered.  Oops. (Zero points)
• No tent. Really, with our winds, I'm not sure a tent is possible to even raise up- let alone retain for the length of a party. I did remember the church tables, about a day in advance, and Eldest was lucky to find a keeper of church keys willing to meet her to share tables on The Graduation Party morning. (Zero for the tent, maybe a point for the church tables, but didn't have the plastic cloths, or the confetti, so....)
• Total fail on high school colors. When it came to it, I just couldn't do blue and gold when bunches of bright colors were tempting me. (Zipster again.)
• Food! I planned for food, and my invaluable Mother in law, Eldest and Huz delivered. How do you feed between 20 and 120 people and not waste food? This was a concern for me, so we decided on pasta, as the uneaten baking dishes would freeze and reheat easily. And baby salad greens with feta, toasted walnuts and strawberries. Eldest chose three cheese Mac, Pasta with Pesto and Parm, Thai Peanut noodles and Gluten free Penne with walnuts, lemon, cilantro and ricotta. No smoked meat in sight. (Um, no meat, no beans, but we did have a macaroni and cheese...so some credit)
• No keg! (Dingdingding! Score one point for me!!!)
• The shrine to Eldest's accomplishments- I was failing completely on getting that on the list, so I suggested to Eldest, that if she wanted one, she could do one. She did. She also inquired about the slide-show photo devotion to her first 18. Again, I gave her a wrinkly-forehead look. Youngest volunteered to do this part. Awesome.  (Do I still  get points if I didn't do either?)
• Dessert is vital to me too. So, I put up a Candy Bar. Cupcakes and candy galore, with baggies for take home treats. (Totally not part of the formula, but it was CANDY, so I think I earned bonus points here.)
• Not being a guest, I didn't worry about the gift part, but I did inform Eldest I gave her a party for her Graduation Party. (Good gift! Point!)

The Bloggess and Mamarazzi.

6 ft of sweet!

Middlest was the lemonade and iced tea maker.

The Shrine.

We had chocolate, lemon, white, carrot and red velvet cupcakes-100 of them.

Our gorgeous girls!

Pupil Power!

Youngest peeking out next to his Tribute Slide Show. I think we convinced him that the pictures should actually be of Eldest, and not to choose all the most unflattering ones. I also got him to choose music that was inoffensive- no Lady Gaga, and I axed "I Bust the Windows Out Ya Car".  In all, it was so well done!!! And, kept inside because of the predicted rain.

Waiting. In a bow.

Kids and Candy- ever a match!

 

Smith, walking from the front pasture, which was parking. Eldest said many of her contemporaries were dismayed by the length of our driveway.

 

Huz and his indispensably helpful parents!!! Amazing to have you here, Nana and Opa!

Girls and Candy- ever a match!

Sweet Ava on a swing.

The teens claimed a corner.

And a picnic blanket.

Friends. A few years ago, one of my high school pals posted a picture from our high school days on Facebook. I wonder if Eldest will be as fascinated by this photo in 25 years!
 

Party ended, I get to snuggle with my baby.