Friends and Family

Carrying on here, in what has been a whirlwind week of work and play. In between festivals and reunions and visiting guests, I made it through my first 5-day week of the school year, had a (disappointing) yard sale, and planned and decorated for 2 (small) parties for Jack's 8th birthday. Whew. 

Taking 35 seconds for myself here in my backyard.  The chickens are out, pecking about and peeping and chasing one another.  Corydon is sacked out on the patio.  I am drinking some iced coffee, and sorting through the last 7 days...

1. My 20-year High School reunion.

At first, I thought I might just boycott it altogether.  Then, I thought I ought to at least go to the family meet-up at the park. Ended up going to that and the dinner event and I am so grateful that I did.  I have so many mixed emotions about High School.  Looking back, I had plenty of good times.  Got my start in theater, sang some wonderful choral music with the world's best directors, went to so so many formal dances, had some pretty cute boyfriends.  Yet all of my memories have this overlay of unhappiness.  I spent, I think, the majority of my time in 6-10th grade being dissatisfied with my looks and my social status, pining away for the unattainable goal of preppy popularity, and being treated with low-grade disdain by those I longed to be friends with.  Its such a shame, for all that pettiness to have colored my memories for so long.   

I left High School definitively behind when I went off to Hiram, recreating myself and distancing myself from the shy and uncomfortable girl I used to be.  I was so busy being deliriously happy with my new life, I lost track of my old friends without even noticing.  

Enter last weekend.  Through Facebook, I have "reconnected" with most of the people I cared about back in the day.  Thought that was enough.  I hadn't counted on just how good it felt to really see, talk to, hug them all.  And those popular girls?  A lot of them were there, and a lot of them look like they are still all that.  But I was pleased to notice that I could look at them and wish them well, and move on. 

Shooters, where the dinner event was held, has one heck of a view.

Some of my besties from not just High School, but middle school.

 Turns out the people I spent the most time with, who I wished for more face time with, were in fact the ones I have known the longest.  Make new friends but keep the old... or, in this case, find them again and try harder not to let go this time. 


Here's a random picture of my girl water our tomatoes, as a little segue.

And a picture of a chicken.  This is Brahma, and she is our friendliest and bravest girl, who will take a mealworm from anyone's hand.  She is also a herder and a bit of a bully.  And pretty cute.

Also, my children in the Piccadilly photo booth. We had a spate of 65 degree weather this week which totally put us in the mood for frozen yogurt.

And then Thursday!   Time for the lake!

Corydon and I feel totally the same way about the lake.  Its our happy place, all the way.

 And not just the lake but cousins too!  Claire and the triplets came in town for Jack's birthday and it was a treat in every way.

Oh I just love these children! They splashed in the waves and wrote their names at a giant scale in the sand and were just so happy together.

Visit, day two.  Art museum.  I was at work so I am as grateful for these photos as you are.

We are so blessed to be a part of this wonderful extended family.  People who go out their way to be together.  Who not only love each other but like each other, too.  A mother-in-law I love and admire.  Cousins who are also role models.

Cherishing them all right now...

Well, party number two is nearly a go.  Soon I will have 6 boys ready to run amok with swords and video games.  Time to be on duty!  Birthday / Party post to follow!