A Son’s Special Visit

Corky and Mack

My son is here visiting after the great graduation celebration.  It is always wonderful to see him because he lives so far away in California.

This visit is extra special  though –  1) because of the graduation, and 2) because we saw all three grandgirls, 3) because Corky extended his stay and we can catch up on his life, and 4) because he is so darned helpful.

All in the space of a few days:

• He moved umbrellas  and heavy pots to get us ready for summer.
• He added a music app to our computers and phones.
• He helped his Dad with technical things in the car.
• He found us a highly recommended Handy Man.
• He solved the problem of stink bugs in the tractor gas tank. (How did they get in there anyway?)
• He installed dark blinds in the guest bedroom so guests can sleep longer now.
• And more.

He is our pride and joy anyway, but this visit has to be marked down as special and this is our way of saying “Thank you son.  We love you.”

 

 

 

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Grand Grad

Congratulations Mackenzie!

We are so proud of you.

Our youngest grand is graduating from college!

She is a beauty and as smart, sweet and kind as she is beautiful.

 

 

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Mustard or Mayonaise?

I used to make up 12 or more sandwiches for when “the kids” (our grandgirls) came for a visit.

Ham and cheese, Ham and no cheese, roast beef with mustard or without, turkey plain, turkey with mayo and mustard, turkey with lettuce, or without….. ad infinitum.

And those sans would somehow evaporate in one afternoon!

Lately our grandgirls are beginning to evaporate too.

Two are out of college and beginning adult lives in different states.  One remains in a college close by.  We just attended the middle girl’s graduation and celebrated her degree in Business/Marketing, but couldn’t make the older girl’s because it was the same day, only in Michigan.

Wonder who the graduate is?  Both Kendall and Grammy are wearing school colors May 5, 2017.

We had a surprise visit this week from Jessica and what a joy she is!  And how happy we were to see her since she will not only be embarking on a career in Human Resource Management and a new life in another state, but first she going on a trip to Tibet!

The big smile in front is Jess.

These days, it is folly to make up huge platters of sandwiches for the onslaught of “the kids” who used to all descend at once.  What fun we all had making memories with trips to Safari Park, the Dollar Store, the lake and the pool, games of jacks and scrabble, and just all “vegging out” watching SpongeBob Square Pants on television.

It is a little sad, but I no longer ask the question, “Mustard or Mayo?”

One of the last times they were all three here together, they made a stir fry dinner and wouldn’t even let me in the kitchen!

Perhaps soon it will be the reverse and when I come to visit them they will ask ME –

“Mustard or Mayonaise?”

 

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Hitting the Road Again

This week Bill and I drove to Leesburg, Virginia – more specifically, Purcellville, Virginia.  The morning we left was crisp, clear and lovely and although the drive was a bit harrowing with trucks, trucks and more trucks, we arrived at our destination intact and ready for action.

Our objective was to attend another graduation, this time for youngest grandgirl, Mackenzie (affectionately called  “Mack or Macky May”).  And it was her high school graduation.

Graduation Day came in with periods of rain and drizzle so we were relegated to the auditorium.  Horrors!  It was complete with air conditioning, plush seating, and close up views of the speakers and of the ceremony, all on a big screen!  Everybody clapped and screamed at the right moments even though the graduates were physically in the gymnasium down the hall and couldn’t hear us at all.

Although our grandgirls are all exceedingly beautiful (having accumulated my genes of course), I thought Macky looked especially stunning, not only in her gorgeous white dress and platform heels, but in her happiness and obvious joy at the whole event.

The Graduate

So it is off to college in the Fall for Macky May and we all know she will do well.

Macky and Boyfriend, Noah

 

With Proud Papa

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Viewing the Future from Dizzying Heights

It was an auspicious ending to four years of dedicated study/parties/friendships/and fun.  Bill and I, our son, and our three grandgirls celebrated the night before with dinner at the Sheridan Livery Inn in downtown Lexington, Virginia.

Then yesterday Jess graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VA Tech)!

We all staggered awake at 6:00AM to get Jess to the stadium field on time (by 9:00 AM).  As it turned out, 6:00 wasn’t early enough.  It was stop and go traffic backed up for miles, all inching toward the same parking lot.  At 9:05 Jess jumped ship and walked ran the rest of the way.

Would we miss the ceremony?  Talk about stress!

Safely parked, we then attacked the bleachers of Mt. Everest (I mean Lane Stadium).   In a high altitude breathing vacuum, we managed to find seats high above “the madding crowd” where, surprisingly, natural breathing eventually returned.

We actually spotted Jess and her cap in the thousands of graduates below.

Can you see her in this crowd too?  She’s the one in the white cap – front row right across from the boy/or maybe a girl in jeans.

Anyway – Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, gave the commencement address.  I thought he was truly inspiring as he urged graduates to positively change the world with open minded interpretation of technology and  innovative thinking.

Miraculously, after all was said and done, we were able to find each other again in an atmosphere of general chaos.

It was then I knew what Mr. Schmidt meant about changing the world.  Our family would never have connected without cell phone communication.   And Bill and I would never have found our way out of the parking lot without a GPS system in the car.

But Congratulations again Jess on all your accomplishments.  We wish you well as you head for the graduate school program in Human Resource Management at Michigan State University!  I have a feeling you will change the world.

We were a tired crew arriving back in Lexington yesterday afternoon.  Hungry too.  But it was a beautiful day filled with beautiful smiles and a whole lot of pride.

 

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