Outta the ZONE... comfort zone

Can I say that Senior year of high school has to be one of the most expensive years of school (other than university). Since I wasn't working, funds were at a critical level, so every expense was evaluated for priority. So the studio pictures for Senior year didn't happen. I was going to have a photographically talented friend take on this task, but alas, the family schedules never seemed to gel at the same time. I took on the task with some trepidation, as I seem to work best with objects & animals rather than people. But.. time was slipping away and quickly. Grabbed the point & shoot digital, kid & a couple of outfits & head to a local park & then I have always enjoyed the sitting on the train tracks pictures (I see it as a metaphor for the long track ahead in life...wherever it may lead) so I planned out a trip there as well.


The time of day was less than desirable for a couple of these shots, but we actually had sunshine of a good portion of the day & I had to work with what I had. Regardless, I am rather pleased with several of these. I see room for improvement for things I may do in the future.


When bringing these to a local photo kiosk, I had an employee tell me that making unauthorized copies of professional photos was against policy. With a big grin I told him that I took these photos & he then inquired if I was a professional photographer. Hmmmm?Made my day!

Control

I live in a house filled with control freaks! Each one of us has a particular way of completing a task. Heaven forbid if you leave something incomplete!

Example: the yard was in desperate, DESPERATE need of cutting today. We have had a previous week of rain & cool temperatures which did not aid in the drying out. I had cut around the property line & the driest sections & was going to return to do the "swampland" portion after a bit of a break, letting the mid morning sun dry stuff up a bit. Next thing I hear is the lawnmower running & my dad is out there finishing up the lawn. Seriously, can one not wait a mere 30 minutes?

My mother is just as bad about laundry. I have a pair of slacks I may have worn for 2 hours end up in the washing machine when she ends up doing a 3rd load (daily). Ridiculous!

I know that when women are pregnant there is a "nesting"instinct. I am curious if as you age, a similar pattern emerges, kind of like "finish all your chores before you no longer can do it independently" mentality.

I love my family dearly, but the aging thing is not going well for either of them. I consider my 98 year old grandmother who until a couple of years ago was still climbing ladders to prune trees in her backyard. This woman is beyond amazing. On her 98th birthday last week, she was re-potting plants as her method of celebration. I hope I have inherited some of that stamina!

Comeuppance

I have re-entered the work force on a part-time basis, yet I am acquiring additional opportunities for more hours. Quite a shift of pace for not only me but the family as well.

My son has entered the "blogosphere" after inspiration from some of his peers. 13 days in & he is blogging almost daily. Luckily I have been given clearance to read it! So, I must take heed that the student has surpassed the master in yet another facet. I am totally okay with this.

We are almost at the end of the tunnel of high school... a mere 12 days until the graduation ceremony. The frenzy of end of the year banquets & award ceremonies has ceased, leaving us with tranquility for a brief moment or two.

Watching him grow.....

My son's final high school prom was this weekend. How quickly the 4 years went! I gathered the 3 consecutive years of obligatory photos prior to the event by the "parent paparazzi"....

Orchids

One of my favorite events at the MO Botanical Gardens

The structure of these flowers are stunning...

Got Apathy?

(It has been quite a while since I last posted... not from apathy, just life)


Tonight I attended one of the last 3 board meetings of a parent group I support (and have for 4 years). Since my son is graduating, I will no longer be on the board, but will transition into a member role. The past 2 years, I have seen the same 8-10 faces attend these meetings yet I know that there are several other parents of students that could attend. Even when I was employed full time, I made an effort to attend meetings and get involved. It saddens me to see the group disintegrate into a group of 3 families supporting kids.

When starting in HS, you were overwhelmed with invitations to join the XYZ parent booster club of various activities & then there is the abyss of the school sponsored parent organization that was WAY too large of an umbrella to join. I opted to stick with the activities my son was involved in, a more direct route. In the past few years I have seen students become leaders in particular areas, yet I only see the parents pop up at performance time to bask in their child's skills. By no means do I expect to have near the involvement of elementary school, but sheesh! There are plenty of opportunities for parents to get involved in a way that is not too time-consuming. I am sure the kids notice the absence/presence of parents in the periphery of the activities.

I recall in middle school/high school when I played soccer. Dads & moms would be on the sidelines at home games shouting words of encouragement/frustration at their daughters. My parents never came to any games. I doubt my performance would have enhanced, but I just remember the emptiness when the game was over. My mother says that she would have been appalled if her parents attended one of her events as a teenager.."that was our time to do our thing". She attributes it to her generation.

Sure, society has changed with both parents working crazy hours (if they are lucky enough to still be gainfully employed) and there may be young children at home or other family matters to handle. Is 1 hour per month average too much too ask of parents? I can imagine they spend at LEAST that on self-indulgent activities.


For the last 9 weeks (hard to imagine) of my son's high school run, I am going to continue to show my support & hope that others take notice. Hope it sets a precedent!

Not what I expected...

Last night, my son & I attended a performance of "Dog Sees God" at the university he will be attending in the fall. Initially, I was surprised by the size of the theater. It has a capacity of 250 which is 1/2 the size of his high schools. I will say that the acoustics were fantastic and it does make for a more intimate performance.

Now, for the actually show. I knew the premise of DSG (the Peanuts characters created by Charles Schultz have grown into teenagers and a pivotal event starts the show), but I knew this was an "edgy" show that was not endorsed by the Schultz estate.

The characters certainly have "issues" that are contemporary to society.... didn't they always ?
Many instances of colorful, harsh language was off putting at first but finally the storyline developed into introspective exchanges between the characters. Not all the characters are lovable, although they make light of the adolescent rites of passage.

The conclusion of the story is quite moving. Laughter had subsided, replaced by a few smiles when honest observations were stated in a melancholy manner. As an adult, I look back through my life & see people in my life who played a role.

As the pen pal correspondence was read, I will admit I teared up, such sage observations & the final puzzle piece was set in place.

It is definitely one of my favorite live performance shows.