Teri Parris Ford's Blog

Summer Solstice 2022

I'm spending the longest day of the year in Virginia, enjoying the beach and sunshine. I was fully prepared to stay at Jessi's house for a full 2 weeks or leave after a couple of days if I was in the way. Well, I'm not in the way! I created a Google photo album for Jessi of my time. Jessi's house mate, Megan, works with the weather people in the Navy and can track Jessi's movements on the USS Kearsarge, so I know she's over in the Danish Straits currently making her way to France. She told me about a Facebook Group for the ship, where you can see lots of photos (so far none of Jessi). I downloaded a few pics (see left)-- one of the helicopter Jessi flies (she is NOT in the photo). She is not one of those big aircraft carriers, but on an amphibious assault ship that is made for helicopters (not jets) and who's primary mission is to land and support ground forces on enemy territory.  She's been doing exercises with our NATO partners in the Baltic Sea. I have really enjoyed being as close to Jessi as I can get, via her housemate and husband. 

 

...and it's June.

Yesterday was the last day of regular classes. Instead of finals, we now have bridge week for kids who are behind. I had planned to go to the pool during my lunch for laps and the girls joined me but stayed the afternoon while I had to go back to work. I have a week and half left but the rest of the time is pretty low key and low stress. Monika had to go back to Michigan to finish her summer there and won't be back home until she moves back in the fall. I am sure we will get at least one visit to her this summer. Erika is enjoying a lot of freedom working part time. Jessi just got a promotion as a Navy Lieutenant and we are hoping to visit next month to celebrate and build her a patio with a BBQ. This summer is all about fun and sun with the hope of losing pandemic weight! I'm a little bit at a loss at how little I "HAVE" to do this summer-- with little to no responsiblities hanging over but there is always a lot I CAN do! Still it feels strange. 

<<Note: Jessi is the only woman in her unit getting promoted. She explained that in the room were a lot wives with their babies! Jim and I are SO PROUD of her!

Winging Ceremonies

Jim and I got up early and enjoyed coffee on Jessi's porch. It was 60 and sunny. So this is why people retire in Florida. It was quite enjoyable. We needed to leave by 10am to get on base early so that Jessi could get a rack for her formal uniform. Linda met us on base but then had to leave, so she didn't stay for the ceremony. There were about 20 who earned their wings with Jessi, some from the Naval Academy, most from officer candidate school. Each pilot got to bring his/her family on stage and pick someone to pin on the wings while an admiral watched. Jessi picked Jim to do the pinning which was very special. Cody joined us on stage as her fiance and official photos were taken by the Navy. Hopefully I get some copies of those. After the ceremony there was a very nice late luncheon with toasts. We all came back to Jessi's place full and ready for some relaxation. There is a big party tonight with lots of drinking that Jim and I will pass on. 

Promotion

Jessi got a promotion today. She said it was automatic which is nice! I love that I don't have to do a lot of paperwork for a promotion. Jim had to do a ton of work last summer and he's still waiting. I am so proud of Jessi's accomplishments!

As for my Friday, it was the unofficial Senior skip day so there were lots of kids gone. I had 4 kids in my yearbook classes. During lunch I ran errands, to the bank, the pharmacist, etc. After school I went to the pool for laps and some time enjoying the evening sun. It was the perfect way to end the week.

Halloween's Eve

Jessi had her first solo flight on a T6 Texan! She posted this photo on social media. I am, of course, pretty darn proud of her! Other than her huge accomplishment, it was pretty uneventful for me-- just a work day. After school I went to a hot yoga class and then after that I went to Anytime Fitness for a consultation. I'm thinking of joining since Jim is out of town for the year, Monika is leaving and I don't want to spend the winter moping around at home. I got home just in time for This Is Us!

Graduation day at last!!

I got up early to make sure Jessi had a cup of coffee and some toast before she left at 6:45 am. I had to make sure Erika and Monika were up and out on time. The morning was tough, I had a few hiccups to deal with (getting in the wrong line, having my nalgene bottle confiscated as a projectile) but my luck turned around when I found some amazing seats up front close enough to see Jessi.  Monika took over taking photos w my zoom lens and I did video and pics on my point and shoot.  I did not bring a computer so I'll have to wait to download everything. I did take some pics on my phone to send to mom right away.  Having my brother's family here to help celebrate really made it special. Jessi's dad came in his full formal Army uniform so that he could salute her. The whole ceremony, although long, was pretty darn amazing.  

I picked up Chipotle catering on the way back to the house and we spent the the afternoon as a family just enjoying each other's company. Jessi's sponsor family joined us which made it so much more festive! The kids went kayaking and just hung out. I brought a couple of scrapbooks for Jessi to look through and share. My brother and I spent a lot of time talking. My mom finally texted that my dad is showing some sign of life and may need to be moved to another hospital. As hard as my parents situation is, having each other makes it easier. We are still in wait and see mode with my dad. It was a perfect day I would have loved to share w my parents in real life rather than via text messages but I'm glad technology can help keep us connected. 

 

Parade Day

It poured rain this morning.  Jessi was hoping the parade would get canceled but I was thrilled that it was not. It was almost miraculous. The sun came out just in time!  This would be Jessi's very last parade at the Naval Academy after eight or nine per year, she is quite happy to be finished with parades.  My brother met us on campus With his family and we walked around a bit, sent pictures to my mom and enjoyed family time. After a bit of shopping we went to see Jessi's new apartment and then back to our house while his family grabbed lunch. Monika and Erika went kayaking while Jessi got a short nap in. It ended up being a great day!! We went out to dinner together and walked around afterwards. It was a really great day!

The Military Ball

Balt and I were up by 5am. As much as I'd like to go back to bed, I don't want to change up my sleep cycles since I'll be back at work sooner than I'd like. I made a big fruit salad for the girls breakfast and went for a good walk. All of us went to an early yoga class together, which I love. Monika went out to eat with friends, while Jessi cleaned house. I ran some errands and got the truck washed. We left at 3pm for Milwaukee to pick up Cody, Jessi's boyfriend, from the airport and then went straight to the Pfister Hotel for the 2016 All Academies Military Ball. This event brings together midshipmen and cadets who attend the five service academies from the State of Wisconsin to recognize and celebrate their commitment to our nation. This was Jessi's last year to get in and she got to bring her boyfriend which made it way more fun. Monika and I had fun too. There were free drinks and dancing after the dinner. We left early since we had to drive home. Cody will be staying with us for about a week. 

Oh, it's only going to get colder!

Today was one of those crazy Monday's with tons to do and not enough time to get it all in. Classes zoomed by, add an extra Advisory time,  a lunch meeting AND an after school department meeting, and I'm exhausted upon leaving work... only I still had so much more to do! I'm up late tonight working on the newspaper, after working on a power point for an art class tomorrow. I realized that about 1/2 of my 3rd hour class was finished with the printing project I had expected to take another week, so I had to come up with a presentation pronto.

While poking around Facebook I found the photo posted below of Jessi's company (15) marching on the Army Navy Game. I know she was very upset that Navy lost her senior year, losing a 14 year streak of wins. When I saw this picture I was so excited because she's right in front now as part of the leadership of her company.

 

Proud Parent

Today was Parent Teacher Conferences, so I had short classes, but a very long day. As a department we decided to make pancakes for our students all morning. It certainly made it fun. I got a text from Jessi during my last class that I didn't catch until lunch-- she had service selection at noon today and she was selected to become a Navy Pilot! It means 2 more years of school and a move to Florida which is pretty darn exciting. I can't wait to get to go to Florida to visit her next year. 

As for the rest of my day, it was spent talking with parents mostly. We had a warm day in Madison, so I had the door wide open and Joe had the garage door open in photo, which made it nice during short breaks. I had a few long breaks in between that allowed me to work on the yearbook and go get Balt from daycare. I had one parent tell me I had beautiful hair and several others tell me that their kids loved me, so it was a pretty good night. All the parents that come are the parents of my best students, so the conversations are pretty short and usually very pleasant. By the time I left school around 7:30pm, I was exhausted. I got home and went straight to bed.

Boxes, Lunch and Hair

I got up early with Balt this morning, sipped on coffee and watched the 6AM news on CBS. I made muffins (see previous post). We went for a 3 mile walk and then I got ready to go. I popped over to Sam's Club to get a case of snickers to add to the boxes that the Wisconsin Naval Academy parents association were making for the Wisconsin kids at the academy. It's a club I've paid membership to for 4 years and I'm just now finally getting around to getting involved since it's Jessi's last year. It was nice to meet up with other academy parents and hear about what their kids are doing, especially the ones that have graduated. After the lunch meeting, I went out to get my cut and highlighted. I came home and made myself an omelette for dinner and watched a bit of Netflix. I'd like to stay up to watch a movie but I think sleep would be better for me.

Special Saturday

Although I had gone to bed well after midnight last night, Balt had me up by 5am, eager for a wonderful day and a wonderful day it was! After a leisure morning time with coffee and the news, I got a good walk in and then went grocery shopping. I came home and made guacamole and homemade yogurt for smoothies this week. At noon Monika and I went to a special Slow Flow and Yoga Nidra class. We met Erika there... Yoga nidra is a deep form of meditation, that is supposed to help relieve stress and tension. I spent most of my meditation time, wavering between consciousness and unconsciousness in a deep relaxed state that was not sleep but very restful. All three of us had an amazing time together and then went out for a late lunch for gluten free pizza. Monika and I did some travel shopping this evening, looking for shoes.

I got a slew of pictures from Jessi from her Ring Dance. The Ring Dance is a Naval Academy tradition for the second-class mids (juniors) who have just received their class rings. It is as much a rite-of-passage as Herndon is for the fourth-class mids at the end of their freshman year and then can say "plebes no more!" Second-class mids receive their class rings but can not wear them until they have them blessed by dipping them into the "waters of the seven seas," at the dance-- a bowl of water collected from all seven seas. This tradition started in 1925. The girls all wear gowns for dinner and then have to change into their formal uniforms (see picture above) for the official dance, so the girls get the best of both worlds. I can tell she had a blast at the dance! Jessi is officially a senior now and will serve this summer (in August), commanding incoming freshman during their plebe summer. Her senior year will be full of traditions, training, and tough classes and I know she can't wait until graduation. Neither can I, I'm already making plans!!

 

Go Navy!!

Jessi and I slept in a bit and enjoyed a very leisure morning at Beth's. Beth made an amazing breakfast and we ate together. Jessi had a uniform inspection at 1:30, so we left by noon to have enough time to stop for lunch on the way. I dropped her off with 10 minutes to spare and then I went and sat in a shady spot to wait for the parade march on. The football game started at 3:30pm and I arraigned to meet up with an old friend at 3pm so that I'd have someone to sit with during the game. The game was pretty exciting but we spent much of the time chit chatting in the sun. It really is wonderful having friends all over the US! After the game Jessi and I went to her sponsor family's home for dinner. It was a wonderful time for me to connect the people who take care of Jessi in Annapolis when I can't . They store her stuff over the summer, pick her up from the airport and let her hang out over free weekends. They are wonderful people. It sounds like they may be helping her buy a car this year. They love her dearly and I am so blessed to have them in our lives. After dinner we went back to Beth's for another evening off.

Parent's Weekend

I was on the road by 6AM this morning to get to Annapolis early enough to pick up breakfast and meet Jessi before her 8AM class. I made great time, picked up a bagel sandwich for her and a coffee for me with plenty of time to get on the yard and have time to chat before her Cyber Security class started. Her two hour class was rather dull but I plugged in my headphones and listened to my book while her professor talked about stacks and argument functions. We rushed over to her Leadership class across the yard and then back to the other side for Naval History, both were very entertaining. I got a grand tour of the dining hall at lunch and got to experience King Hall. After lunch I went to her dorm room and was amazed by her beautiful room and a beautiful made bed-- I'm not sure I ever saw her bed made like that in Madison. Her desk was full of stacks of books and has a bunch of coffee cups her grandma gave her. We went to the mid-store and shopped for souvenirs, t-shirts and snacks. She left to get ready for a parade while I rested in a cool lobby, charging my phone, listening to my book. After the parade we got ready to meet up with a bunch of families from her company that her room mate's family organized. It was great fun to meet her friends and her friend's families. After a 15 hour day, we left together for Beth's for the night. We still get a couple more days of Navy family fun!

East Coast & West Coast Happenings

This morning Jessi signed her "2 for 7" with her company. In other words, she will get the next two years of school in exchange for 7 years total (5 years of service after graduating). For her first two years of college, as a plebe and youngster, she had the option to walk away from the academy, she could have transferred to another institution with no commitment to the military and no tuition to pay back.  In a manner of speaking, those first two years were totally “on the house.”   It has not been a decision made lightly. She's been thinking about today since last year. By signing the commitment papers, she is promising she will remain at the Naval Academy for her junior and senior years, and accept a commission into the Navy  upon graduation. She will either owe service or money no matter what-- the consequences are much greater now if she leaves. She'll attend  a nice dinner on Tuesday to celebrate her commitment. I'm very proud of her.

  Meanwhile in California, Monika and I enjoyed our last leisure breakfast with my parents. We finished up our last minute packing and then set out for Claremont, about an hour south from where my parents live. She was able to check in without any problems, get her dorm key activated and grab a dolly to start carting her stuff to her dorm while I watched Balt and the cars, both parked illegally. Once all of her stuff was in her room, we spent the afternoon organizing her dorm. I was disappointed that I could not take part in her moving into her room last year, so I was glad to be a part of the process this year. She is very particular about how her clothing hangs on her hangers in the closet. We went out to a very nice Italian restaurant for dinner and then to Target to get supplies. I spent about $50 on poison ivy remedies alone, including an expensive scrub a good friend told me about and after Monika used it, said it felt amazing because it was so scratchy.

I leave in the morning feeling like both girls are pretty settled for the school year. Monika has some financial aid issues that need to be resolved, but there's nothing I can do to assist on that front.  She spends this next week working in the mailroom and trying to get as much exercise in as possible. I told her to swim, hoping it may help with the healing of her rash. Both girls have books to buy books and they use my Amazon account for that, so there's still money to be spent! Having just driven away with my dad's truck, I know it never ends. As parents we give and give, I guess until we die. It was hard to leave my mom. It has always been hard for her when I leave. For 27 years I've been leaving her and every time she cries, which in turn makes me cry. I'm coming back for Thanksgiving, only 3 months away. She has strict instructions to drink lots of water and to keep her feet up.

 

It's Only Monday

There were a few thunderstorms that rolled in last night and early this morning. It helped cool things down a bit but it's hot out. Not unbearable enough to turn on the air conditioning. According to Monika it's still too nice out to shut the windows. I agree. After summer school Monika had her annual physical exam and some blood tests. She rushed to tennis after and I went grocery shopping. I came home and made a green bean casserole for dinner with organic CSA green beans there were a whole lot crunchier than mushy ones in a can but it still made for a very nice dinner. We had corn on the cob with it and iced ginger ale. I met up with a JMM alumn to look at my car for some repairs. I would rather pay someone I know than the Nissan dealership. I am hoping it saves me some money and is a nice bonus for my friend. Right after he left the rain rolled in again and things cooled off just a tiny bit. 

My mom called after her busy day. Her tumor is need of draining again and I could tell just by talking to her over the weekend. Her speech is slower and she sounds a bit blue. She claims not to be in pain, but the pressure is built up enough for her to lose her vision and feel confused. It is concerning at best. I want her to go to the emergency room but she'll have none of that. Instead she had my dad call to make an appointment. Luckily the nurse got them to go to the emergency room and my mom spent the day getting a brain scan. It is, of course, in need of drainage again. She has an appointment on Wednesday. The chemo scheduled for Thursday may not go as planned depending on how things go. She also has an infection so she is on medication for that. My dad is also aching from pain in his side and foot, so the two of them are heavy on my mind. I am glad to have my brother to call and converse with. Monika was eager for a full report as well. How many times can they keep draining a brain tumor? 

I chatted with Jessi on line as she is gearing up for being home soon. It's aviation week for her in San Diego and she sent me some great photos as I requested! It is always exciting to see what she is up to. She wants to come home and do a triathlon, so I have some research to do.  It took me a year to train for me to do one. I suppose when you are in the Navy, there isn't much extra training needed? We'll see. 

Two Stripes!

Jessi posted pictures from graduation today at the Naval Academy. She may have finished her 2nd year more than a week ago, but today she got her 2nd class stripes!! She will start her "junior" year signing on what is called a "2-4-7" securing her position in the Navy for seven more years and then there will be no turning back. From what I've seen of her first two years, it is clear she's in for the long haul. I know it's not all fun and games, but boy, she looks so darn happy in all those photos!! I can't explain how very proud I am of her and all that has accomplished. We are in for some great fun this summer! She leaves for Alaska on Wednesday and I am hoping to see some photos, but I have a feeling I will have to wait until her adventure is over to see them.

As for my day, it was another beautiful May day and a really nice Friday. I have two classes with projects to present that I just threw off until Tuesday. Who wants to start a new project the day before a 3-day weekend? Not me. Monika took the car today to have lunch with Erika. She picked me up after school and together we took Balt for a walk around Stricker's Pond. It was a wonderful dogwalk. We came home and made asparagus fajitas for dinner and watched Guardians of the Galaxy, which I thoroughly enjoyed and had never really heard of before the movie came out. The girls were quite eager to see it in the theater, so Monika had already seen it. It was the perfect way to finish up my week. 

Bitterly Cold

Luckily I had signed Balt up for daycare today. He hasn't had a walk since Sunday. He runs out to do his business and skips back in quickly. I ordered some boots for him today on Amazon so that once this bitter cold is over we can get out asap. I spent my morning prep time grading. I brought in my lunch of berries, yogurt and gluten free granola and a student thought it was so pretty, "like something on pintrest!" It's the first time I heard that!

After school I went to mail a couple of boxes for Jessika full of snacks and Christmas gifts. She's back at the Naval Academy finally after fun in the sun. Her coach post photos (see below) on Facebook and I enjoyed downloading ones with Jessi in them. They will be perfect for next year's scrapbook. Last year's book is in the mail! It'll be the 4th digital one to add to my mix. I came home and made a big stir fry for Monika and me then watched LOTR Return of the King. If I knew for sure I did not have school tomorrow, I'd stay up to watch it all but at this point, I'm pretty sure I'll be at work tomorrow.

Tradition

This is the time of year when we think and follow lots of traditions. I personally love tradition. I love all the holiday traditions especially. As the years pass, traditions change because life changes. As the girls get older I have to make adjustments in my traditions. A brand new tradition that hit last year was the whole Army vs Navy stuff. This year I asked Jessi to find a JMM alumn who had been the junior class president back in 2011. He and his vice president gave me a crown for the prom that year, so of course he was one of my favorite presidents! Anyway, he went to West Point so I was so excited when Jessi texted me the picture above. Of course it's my #100happydays photo for day 88. It makes me so happy to see Jessi in uniform connecting with other students of mine in uniform. I am so proud of all of the JMM alumni who serve our country.

The art department had an open studio this morning at 10am, so I got up at 5am to feed Balt and luckily talked him into going back to bed for a while since I hadn't gone to bed last night unitl almost 2pm. I took Balt for a good walk before running into school to meet up with my senior editors to finish up a few more pages. I would have liked to have had time to work on artwork but I know there will be time for that later. Josh and I had lunch together-- left over nachos! I watched the Army Navy football game for a while. I mailed off my parents' Christmas gift and came back home to walk Balt again. I built a fire and started working on some yearbook stuff. I definately need to go to bed early tonight. 

No Longer a Teen

20 years ago this afternoon, I gave birth to big baby girl with a full head of black hair and dark eyes. She had a fussy disposition and refused to nap unless she was in my arms or on the go (oh, how she loved to go on walks!). As much as she cried, she also laughed. Luckily for her, I was a full-time home-maker and Erika went to Kindergarten as a 4 year old. Jessi had my full attention for nearly the first full 15 months of her life. Monika was born and life changed. Her strong will means she keeps me on my toes-- still.

When she first considered going to one of the military academies (she was invited to West Point first), I thought she was crazy. Now that she is into her second year as a third-class Midshipman at the Naval Academy, I could not be more proud of her. Her fussy disposition has matured and turned into an easy-going demeanor. And naps!? Boy, she would love to nap under any conditions now that she doesn't have the opportunities to!

Seeing Jessi this weekend was a blessing for me. My quiet weekends home alone are nice occasionally but I need to shake things up and keep traveling. My drive was made quite enjoyable as I listened to Wicked-- the whole book-- 20 hours of narration. I don't ever think I can do a road trip without an audio book again. I finished the book just as I was getting into the thick of Chicago traffic. I finished my ride listening to the radio-- mixing up my genre's from classic to hard rock, hip hop and pop. 

I got home with plenty of time to do laundry and a bit of clean up. Erika had a party but I only know from the left over cake, pizza boxes and bags of beer bottles in the recycle bin. Erika picked up my organic vegetables for me yesterday. I cup up a bunch of roots and baked a root salad for dinner with purple potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, beets and coconut oil-- yum!! I made a fire, watched some news and will finish up some prep for my school week. I downloaded all of my photos from my Canon and posted pics on Facebook. My #100happydays photo for today is one I took with Jessi in front of her bus. It's my profile pic too. It makes me very happy!!

Swim Meet at Bucknell

The Navy swimming and diving teams swept  their Patriot League foes American, Bucknell and Lafayette this afternoon at Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania at Bucknell.  I got up at 4:30am from Youngstown to make sure to meet up with Jessi for breakfast. I got there early so she had time to play with Balt after her team morning stretch time. I followed her bus from the hotel to the university and while she warmed up, I took Balt for a wonderful walk around the beautiful Bucknell campus. Their mascot is the bison and Balt did not think it was very friendly! He growled and barked at the bison, which I thought was hilarious! He loved seeing Jessi both before and after the swim meet. I brought her birthday gifts and cupcakes for the whole team to enjoy on their bus ride home. 

All of my photos of the meet are on my big camera in the car. During the last relay I thought I saw Jessi on the C relay and took photos only to realize after that she was on the A relay and my battery died! I have to start wearing my glasses again and make sure I bring an extra battery. In my defense, the girls all look very much the same in their swimsuits and caps. Also, her complaints of swimming too slow are obviously exaggerated. I have lots of #100happydays photos (from my phone) to chose from today, but my favorites are with Balt. Seeing Balt and Jessi together makes me very happy and watching Balt bark at the Bucknell Bison make me laugh out-loud!!

I knew I would not make it all the way to Madison this evening. I planned to stay in Toledo and it was a good thing. I got pulled over outside of Cleveland on the Ohio Turnpike. I was not speeding, so I wasn't sure why. A very nice trooper came to my window and asked for my license and asked if I'd been drinking. He pulled me over because he thought I was drunk! I informed him I needed to use the restroom and was trying to hold it in until I got to Toledo. He asked me to get to the next service station instead and did not give me a ticket. He asked a lot of questions about when I left Madison, where I went and why. I'm not sure if he was trying to smell my breath or if he just needed to listen to my speech. Either way, I must have passed his sobriety check since I did not have to get out of the car to walk the line or take a breathalyzer. I did admit to being tired and promised to stop before Toledo to get a break, so no ticket for me!

Balt and I are relaxing at a Red Roof Inn right off the highway with big plans to sleep in tomorrow and leisure ride back home. I wasn't sure a 12 hour ride to see a 5 hour swim meet was going to be worth it but it was. I loved seeing Jessi and Balt play! We also got some bonding time over breakfast. I may do it again when the team returns to Bucknell in February for championships!

The Day With Jessi

After a leisure morning with our hosts, Jessi and I made our way out to get our toes painted for a bit of luxury. Whe shopped at a local mall and then went to downtow Baltimore's Inner Harbor for some sight seeing. Little did we know there would be a Columbus Day parade. I collected Tootsie Rolls that were thrown at me from the Knights of Columbus and waved to old folks in Fiats. I enjoyed several high school marching bands as well. I was unaware anyone actually celebrated Columbus Day still-- other than bankers and postal workers. There must be a large Italians community in Baltimore that still have Columbus pride. There were three large trucks from an Italian sausage company that tossed Laffy Taffys-- not sausages, much to my chagrin.

Jessi and I went to the Cheese Cake Factory on the harbor for lunch. We had a beautiful view and a wonderful lunch. On the way into Annapolis, we stopped at Jessi's sponsor's home so she could change and to make sure to get a photo since we forgot to get one last night so that I could post it as my #100happydays photo! It is so nice having a home so close to the Naval Academy for Jessi to hang out at during her free weekends. It is a comfort for me as a mom knowing she has a mom and dad there in Annapolis eager to take care of her. As difficult as Jessi's schedule is with a full load of 6 very difficult classes and 3 workouts a day, she lives in an enchanted city, on an amazing college campus with wonderful friends. She is truly blessed. 

After dropping Jessi off at 6pm, I made my way back past Baltimore to Beth's for dinner. Kevin built a big fire in his study and we were able to sit and enjoy each other's company. I have an early flight tomorrow that will get me back to Wisconsin in time to teach tomorrow!

Swim Meet

The Navy swimming and diving teams openned their 2014-15 season today vs. Georgia Tech. The meet started at noon in Lejeune Hall. My #100happyday photo today is of Jessi diving in! I love watching her swim. The team didn't win and Jessi didn't swim great, as she had been sick for the past week and missed a couple of practices. But I didn't travel all this way to watch her win, I'm here to get great photos and spend time with her. 

I started the morning sleeping in. East coast time meant I needed an extra hour of sleep. I enjoyed a very leisure breakfast with my hosts, Kevin and Beth, and then made my way to the Naval Academy. I had a great seat with fantastic views of Jessi swimming. I took lots of photos and a few videos (instagram and vine). I may make a video of my trip.

Jessi and I had an amazing afternoon and evening together. We went shopping with her best buddy and out to dinner with her sponsor family. We got back to Beth's by 9pm for dessert and hot tea and plan to sleep in tomorrow and enjoy some more down time together. 

Birthday Prep

I'm not sure when I started but it was definitely in my teens. I started making my birthday a big deal. I organized parties, ordered my own cake, and made sure it was a big deal. I did it because I didn't want to be disappointed on my birthday. Once I got to Memorial as a teacher, I started bringing in treats for all my classes on my birthday. The only years I've been off the hook were when my birthday landed on the weekend. I thought this was the year to stop. I just wasn't in the mood to celebrate and then Josh insisted; he wanted cake. I realized he was right. This was not the year to stop celebrating me, so I made my way to Sam's Club this morning to get loaded up on the goods. I got cupcakes for my backyard tomorrow, then on Tuesday, for my birthday, my first hour will get muffins (it's just too early for cake), my fourth hour will get chocolate cake and my metals classes, 5th, 6th and 7th hours will get white cake. I have hot dogs to BBQ at lunch! Yes, it was quite the load.

This afternoon, I met with my two best friends, the writer's club, for nachos at my place. Not a one of us had any writing to share, but we all made promises for October. I need to get back to my original project, my novel. I could use the distraction. I finished my watercolor portrait and will begin a linoleum print next. I have a third project idea as well thought out, but it will have to wait. There is something magical about meeting with Melissa and Josh that get the creative juices flowing and the conversations are always quite rich. My #100happydays photo for today was snapped at Starbucks with the three of us enjoying dessert together. Melissa and I went for a movie together after. We saw This is Where I Leave You with Jason Bateman and Tiny Fey. According to Melissa, only women who went to high school in the 80's are in love with Jason Bateman. Okay, so that's me. I fell in love with him when he was on Little House in the Prairie.  

After the movie Melissa and I sat in the theater chatting about the complications of life and finding happiness. I've been watching a lot of romantic comedies about complicated family lives. I came home to find Erika back from her camping trip. I organized some stuff for my week. It's birthday week AND homecoming week! I'm in for a fun one.

I found a bunch of photos of Jessi from the NAVY vs. Rutgers game yesterday, posted by others on social media this evening. I love finding gems like these!!

Saturday Catch Up

Now that Summer vacation is over, Saturdays are back to being the day when I get time to catch up on things. Balt and I got up early and enjoyed breakfast together. We lounged about for a bit and then went for a walk. We went to the studio and found Geof and his wife working on the shelving between the metals and ceramics studio. Balt is always so excited to see Geof, so he was thrilled about the visit. We made our way home. I dropped Balt off and went on a bunch errands. I got another box in the mail for Monika's half birthday since she won't get a birthday this next year. I finally made it to Kohls to look for sheets but I was very frustrated. It seems you can purchase a pillow for less than $5 but it cost $50 for a sham to cover it. Why in the world do sheets cost so much? I am tempted to purchase fabric instead and make my my own pillow cases.

Once I got home, I tried to get the Navy football game on to catch the time between 1st and 2nd quarter, but I wasn't able to get it live. I was able to find the photo above on Facebook. The Navy swim team was honored. Jessi texted me that she was late and barely made it on the field-- she's the last one in the end zone, on the white at the end of the line. 

I made my way to the art studio a bit after noon. Grace met me there and we tackled the metals studio together. We did a pretty thorough cleaning and it went twice as fast because we did it together. It left me plenty of time to make my way to the pool. There are only 2 more days to visit the pool and the weather has been spotty --it rained all night and this morning. Tomorrow should be glorious, but Monday will be rainy again. I came home, made a nice dinner of tomatoes and zucchini. I took Balt for a short post dinner walk and started watching a movie on Netflix. My mom is with Monika finishing up her move in, making sure she has everything she needs. Although I am home alone these days, I love hearing from all three girls throughout my day and updates from my mom. Erika posted a video of herself hooping on Venice Beach today. She's certainly enjoying the last of her summer vacation. I'll be very happy to see her home again.

Time by the water...

I went to a Wisconsin Retirement System benefits seminar this morning and learned a bit about retiring. I can't do it until I'm 55 (I'm 48 now) but I'm starting to think about the process. 6 years will go by quickly if I can wait that long. I often think about starting a new career and moving, but have no idea what that new career would be or where exactly I would go, so I'm stuck. It's not a terrible place to be stuck. 

After the seminar, I picked up Monika and Balt and made my way to Oconomowac to see Melissa. She lives next to a lake, so we spent a nice afternoon by the water. Balt chased her small dog around, he swam with her toddlers and generally had a grand time. On our way home, Monika and I enjoyed some shopping at Johnson Creek and had dinner at Culvers. It was a wonderful mid week summer day.

Jessi posted a couple of photos and I found one someone else posted but tagged her in. It looks like she's enjoying her summer training on the east coast. 

Plebes No More!

I got to the Herndon Monument an hour early only to find all the good seats taken. But after an hour into the event, folks got tired and moved around so it was easy to move in and get some great photos. I have lots of video as well but it will take a while to edit. It took a while for the class of 2017 to fully grasp the need for the majority of kids to get around the monument to serve as a base in order for those able to climb to stay up. Jessi was one of the hundreds at the base pushing in, holding the group together. The final time was well over two hours (2 hrs, 19 min) and as soon as it was over, I had to leave to catch my flight home. 

The whole experience was great to watch, but I have to admit it was exhausting and I wasn't even out there. The weather was amazing and wished so much I could have stayed longer. I left some food for Jessi and then rushed to the airport. I will get to see Jessi in a month. It was so hard to say goodbye this time around, but I know she has good friends, and has survived the hardest year of her life. She is no longer a plebe!

We barely go in to our gate in time. Lauren and I were the last two on the plane. I came home to stormy Wisconsin weather, but the promise of 80 degrees tomorrow.

Capital Gazzette

CBS Baltimore

 

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Sea Trials 2014

This morning at 2:30am, Jessi had to get up for a 3am tradition at the Naval Academy. For 14-hours she endured an exercise modeled after the Marine Corps’ Crucible and the Navy’s Battle Stations recruit programs. It is a capstone event for plebes that is organized by upper classman. Sea Trials provided for Jessi her final physical and mental challenge, designed to test teamwork and to reinforce the bonds in her company and class. I got a text from her at 5:07 saying "Finished! It was tough but fun" -- if you look at the photos the media turned out today, it is amazing to me she can claim it was fun! I am so amazed and so proud!  Here are a bunch of photos for you to look through. I could not find Jessi in any of them: USNA Facebook, More USNA Facebook, The Baltimore Sun, AP photos, The Capitol Gazette, and USA Today,  

Monika stayed home sick today. Her art teacher, my collegue Josh, hung up her art work today and I could not help but snap a photo. Her creativity is stunning. It's hard not to gush with pride for all three of my girls. Erika has one last final on Friday and then she graduates. All three girls have had a very tough couple of days. They have been so great at being supportive for each other and for me. I don't know what I'd do without them.

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Who's Next

It was a very cold and rainy Monday. I did not take Balt for a morning walk but I did get a treadmill walk in. It was a Backyard/PCT Monday that flew by. My student teacher put on great presentation for my photo class. During PCT we quickly worked out our schedule for next year. I must say it was fastest we've done it ever. It's not the perfect schedule but it will work (because I'll be at work getting paid).

I came home after work and took Balt for his afternoon walk. It was cold but at least it wasn't raining. I came home and took a short nap waiting for Monika to get home from soccer practice. I noticed a post on Facebook with Jessi's company (the 15th) all dressed up in their plebe summer uniforms (well, just the freshmen). The caption was "the last blue and gold" which I have no idea what that means, but I know coming to the end of her first year at the Naval Academy is huge. I am sure they are all celebrating tons.

Monika and I went out to dinner with the senior editors to decide on next year's leadership. I've learned to trust the seniors. They seemed very united on some decisions, like next year's editor-in-chief, while others were more difficult and needed time to mull over. In the end, I have a list of kids that I'll get to know next year and I'm very excited about that. Each year the dynamic changes with new personalities running the paper.  

Out of Commission

Last night while working on my computer, iTunes popped up and asked to be updated. I am not sure what all happened but when I went to restart the machine, it stopped working-- refusing to restart. Not having my personal laptop to work on meant needing to use the family machine downstairs to post my blog last night and this evening. I've already sent a plea to the tech as school to look at it first thing in the morning. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't use my laptop except for days like today, when I don't have a choice. 

It was a sleepy Sunday with not a lot to do except more housework and laundry. Balt and I went for an early moring walk and purchased bagels for the family. I made chili for dinner. I gathered some items Jessi asked me send to her and packed them up to send tomorrow. Monika had a soccer game and then had me out shopping for soccer supplies-- next week the season begins. I can't wait to watch a soccer game in the sunshine. Although my husband is home for spring break, he leaves first thing in the morning for army duties and a week of training. Erika seems to have the same agenda Jessi had for her spring break-- rest, relax and hang out with friends. My spring break promises to be a bit more exciting.