Back/ Off to School.

 It is "Back to School". The ads are on the radio all day long,
currently one for "Waterbeds and Stuff"...the "Stuff" being rolling papers and hookahs. Don't forget the folder, pencils, the tissues and the Back to School Bong. Ugh.
Today is my first day on my own. Middlest and Youngest started school in the latter half of last week.

Middlest in the tenth grade, Youngest in the seventh.
I'm grasping here. You can't catch time.

But, Eldest was still home with me last week.

No longer. She moved into the dorms this weekend. Ohio State University...BIG U.
We had a move in arrival time between 10 and 11 am. We got the minivan packed and set off. Now, due to work schedules and proximity, Huz has been the one doing all the orientations etc. with Eldest. Plus, he works for BIG U. I was void of expectations, save those foggy memories of my move in at Lora Robbins Dorm at University of Richmond 30million years ago. As I recall, we were in my father's SAAB, pulled up to the curb, unloaded stuff, collected a key in the lobby, went to the second story carrying stuff, met ReRe- my roomie. Parents took off. I called them after a few weeks of school, found out the had bugged out for Europe after my curbside delivery.  History.
So, I thought, well, we will drive up to the dorm, unload, carry up. Done.
I was so very wrong. As we departed the highway, we could see people lined up around the Schottenstein Center. LOTS of people. Thousands. By my estimation, 30,000-45,000people.  We drove and drove and drove, guided by legions in green tie-dye announcing "MOVE IN 2013" on their chests. Eventually we parked and began walking to the "Schott", found the end of the line (courtesy of green tie-dye) and began walking. The line moved in a steady amble, and still it was 50 minutes of line ambling before we entered the building. The move in line started before 9 am, and went until 3 pm...Jeez! Inside?  More lines. Eldest got her essentials-her football tickets and what not. Then, a hike back to the parking lot with our "Blue Tag"- there were seven or so color options. These tags, hung on the rear view, helped the tie-dyes guide each car to their area of campus, and then dorm destination. We wove through campus and then through cones in the line for the "Lincoln House". This is one of the high-rise dorms on campus, and the assigned residence of my baby country girl-20+stories in the air. We were shuffled into a chute lined with huge wooden boxes on wheels and students- this time in red tees emblazoned with "OWLs" or, Ohio Welcome Leadership, or somesuch. These kids guided us to stop at station 2 (of 12?) Where we were decended upon by a team of 6 OWLs who unloaded the car into the wooden carts in about 4 minutes. Then sent us off; Huz to park, Eldest and company to collect keys at the front of the building and get in a line for the elevator. There are three elevators, but only one was for pedestrians, as the other two were devoted to taking  red boxes and OWLs to the 24 floors. You could do the 24 floors by stairs. We did not.
We found her room which is a suite for 8-16 students. She has 8 in her suite, two per room, 4 rooms, a large commons with couches and tele, a bathroom with 4 stalls, 4 sinks and 2 showers. She shares her room with one other student. They have a study room with desks, fridge and microwave and then a bedroom which is shaped like the point of an arrow, with each student having an arm of the arrow.

This is what we started with. across from the beds are two alcoves for closets.

 The family went to work, assembling and organizing. This is the study room.

 The bathroom. Devoid of personality. We'll see if the girls add any over the year.

 Eldest's desk area in the study, we are ready to leave!

 And, her room. Lots of cushy bedding, the beautiful chest my dad made for her and pictures. We put square mirrors up in lieu of a headboard, but I'm thinking the beautiful headboards my friend LeeLee made for her daughter would be a nice addition. The grass wall behind the bed is rough! In my melancholy, I did not take pictures of departure from my Doobug. I do better with denial.

Eldest begins her next chapter. I'm really living within the word "bittersweet".
In times of stress, I tend to start "doing". So, the garden produce is getting processed, my kitchen sink is getting bleached, the laundry is running, and momma gets out power tools.

 Youngest and I got our building on.

Powering our way through making some jumps. Because the sure cure for bittersweet is found on a horse.

 Plus, it is useful to know how to build things, and Youngest is a sponge. With this project he learned how to center holes for pins and how to notch. And with six jump standards in the field, last night we rode the ponies, and used the jumps!

 Chaser is just learning to jump, but he is forward and brave thus far.

 

Nellie is an experienced jumper, and she and Middlest are becoming a pair!

 

 

 

 And Youngest, on Practically Perfect Pearl, is learning how to balance and post and steer. I always forget how much there is to learn when you first begin. I have much to learn still after close to 40 years in the saddle, but it is more subtle stuff. Youngest is still working on the large motor skills it takes to be a competent rider. He is improving daily!!

Eldest was a competent rider, but her heart wasn't in it. She is off to find out where her heart lies in the world. Love.

Short story about 100 years of marriage.

This story takes place at a lake. Well, kind of. The story starts in Pennsylvania, then travels around a whole lot, and then, 50 years later finds itself at a lake. But this is a short story, at a lake. The characters are a family of 16.....

 

Made up of smaller families like this one....

That grew out of a family of 5....

That all came from two people (back in Pennsylvania) who fell in love and got married (or, got married and fell in love- depending on who you ask) 50 years ago.

 

The characters had great fun.

 

The End

Of the short story!

Fortunately, it is also a beginning of year 51 of marriage for my incredible parents and year number 220 for my family's marriages.....or 440...?

 

 

I'm not being facetious about the "got married and fell in love" bit. That is wisdom. And, when you have parents who have been married, and chuffed about it for 50 years, sit back and bask in the wisdom! After nearly 20 years of marriage with my own Huz, I see this point. It isn't about the love in the beginning of a marriage, it is the love you build as it goes. And, I realize, Huz and I have more than most in the way of opportunity for wisdom from married parents. As regular readers of this blog may recall, Huz' parents celebrated their first 50 years of marriage last year. And the examples and the wisdom seem to be working....
I'm perhaps not wholly accurate, but these two marriages begat 7 children, all married to their original spouses, creating 14 grandchildren and 212 years of marriage. (I'm not up to the math to calculate the back log of marriage years, as my grandparents and great grandparents also celebrated more than 50 years together... also, if you use my Mother's math, each one of we "marrieds" has been married, individually, so the years really number 424 years of marriage.
See?
So, Thank You. And, Congratulations. To my parents, married these past 50 years (or, 100 years of marriage.) Thank you for the wisdom and the love, and a most excellent excuse to enjoy a lakeside vacation.