It's been 20 years

I took this picture on the campus of Newman University this past May looking west at sunset (obviously). This grotto area is where I remember my college career getting started. The weekend I moved into the dorm as a freshman, there was an outdoor barbeque for the students and their parents in the grotto. It was just after this meal that my parents walked me back to the dorm and left me for good. I was homesick. But that's not what I remember most about that moment. We were walking in front of the big steps on the east side of Sacred Heart Hall and we were talking about whether or not there was anything else I'd need before they left town.

Mom and I had been the grocery store the day before and bought some things for me to keep in my room (getting up early for breakfast has never been my thing) and I had gotten some bagels. They were not pre-cut. I said that the only thing I needed was a knife to cut the bagels. Mom stopped, then so did dad and I, and we watched while she rummaged around in her purse for a minute and then produced a steak knife. My dad and I looked at each other with confused faces. Why did she have a steak knife in her purse? Her story is that she'd taken an apple to work earlier that week, along with the knife to cut it up, and just hadn't removed it yet. Right. It remains one of my favorite "going to college" memories.

This May was the 20th anniversary of my graduation from Newman. I spent a good part of May 2011 remembering my college years. I spent a good bit of time on campus this May as president of the alumni association. I even got to welcome the new graduates to the association at commencement. It was such a good decision for me to go to school at what was then Kansas Newman College in the fall of 1987. I feel blessed and eternally grateful.

This just makes me FEEL cooler

With the amount of days we've had this summer in triple digits, I like to look at this picture taken in February at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. It just makes me feel cooler looking at it.

I know I'm the minority, but I'd much rather be bundled up in a coat year-round than sweating my face off in the summer. Hands down. Now I must go outside and water my flowers so they don't die.

Harvest

For the first time in many, many years I was in Ellinwood during harvest. I took Zachary (and Katie and Victoria took Caden) and we headed to the field. I didn't ride in the combine, but the boys did and they had a great time. Here's a picture of them in air-conditioned comfort riding with Ryan while the rest of us sweated it out in the sunshine.

What's a trip to the field without a trip to the Dairy Queen? Well, if you're in Ellinwood, you'd have to drive a bit to find one these days. So we did the next best thing and went for the Heavenly Sno. Are these two crazy or what?

If you're not having any fun while hanging out with Zachary and Caden, you're not trying very hard!