Sunday Morning Escape

Here is what I saw this morning on my Sunday morning drive-&-park. Drive-&-parks are my recharging time every week. I leave the house before everyone wakes up, and I head out for, first of all, coffee. Then I drive, usually to a favorite park, cemetary, or just around the local area. I park, listen to the radio, journal, sew, people watch, and just get myself centered for about an hour every weekend.
After that, sometimes I get out of the car for a walk-&-photoshoot, sometimes I go in to work overtime at the lab, sometimes I do the shopping or the laundry, and sometimes I just go back home where everyone is still asleep.
I'm not sure why if it recharges me, or makes me sane. All I know is when I don't "sneak" out of the house in the early mornings on the weekend, I'm a little nutty during the week. I cope better, and I am more creative.

Here are some of the cornflowers (chicory) that bloom all alongside the roads this time of year here in Ohio. I took these pictures this morning in a field near my house where I sat and read through the newest issue of Art & Life from Teesha Moore. That blue/purple is one of my all-time favorite colors.




I still miss my Haley. Very much.

Gosh Darn it!

Patrick here is very sad because his Haley is off at college. We all miss her, and it's only been since Thursday that she's been gone. I took many, many pictures of her moving-in day, but, somehow, the camera crashed, and they all got lost or deleted or something. Luckily, I had already printed most of them using the docking printer before the crash. I at least have those prints for my journal.

It was a very organized freshman orientation at Thiel College. I was impressed with how fast we got through all the business of getting Haley her computer, hed ID, and getting her settled in. The college even had volunteers organized to haul all the kids' boxes upstairs to their dorm rooms.

Thiel conducted a formal matriculation ceremony where they had the incoming freshmen assemble and walk up Brother Martin's walk to Passavant center. All the while there was a bell being rung at the center once for each new matriculating student.

After the ceremony there was a beautiful reception on the lawn outside the student center building. There were white awnings/tents with aisle-runner poufs and drapes attached to the top of each pole around the outside. They had much fancy food. There were even servers walking among the throngs passing out finger foods: bacaon wrapped water chestnuts and brioche. There was a dessert tent too. The chocolate mousse was fabulous.

We got Haley all moved in, and left her to home-ify her small double room. She needed a few things which we brought back from the Wal-Mart in time for her to say, "It's almost 6:30 - see ya!"

Now the house is a little bit empty, but I am so proud of my baby for going to college. I haven't gotten misty yet, but I expect it to hit me in an unguarded moment sometime soon.