Another One Gone

Len, the girls, and I drove Daniel to the Josephinum last week.  The house is emptying little by little.  Sigh.

Some images of the latest departure:

Daniel decluttered and organized his room, resulting in so much spread out STUFF that he slept on the couch for several nights.  :-)

On his second to last morning at home, Marianna and Rebecca were inspired to make him a special breakfast.  Fortunately he's such a solid sleeper they were able to putter around the kitchen without disturbing him.

Highlights:  The mini vase of crape myrtle and mint, the home-sewn napkin, and the drop scones.  I coached the girls to use a bag of scone mix (homemade), increasing the milk just a little bit (to 3/4 cup) so that the dough was too sticky to knead and cut.  They dropped it with a scoop, sprinkled with coarse sugar and baked.  That small variation saved a lot of time!

Dan had no special dinner request, but included pumpkin cheesecake in his list of possible goodbye desserts.

Pontifical College Josephinum:  a view from the entrance

 Moving In

 Dan's room is small but private.  He shares a half bath with an adjoining room; showers are down the hall.

 The view from his window

After three college drop offs, this is now an official tradition:  shopping for items left at home or that we didn't know were needed.  This has included door organizers and hardware (Lauren), pillows (David), and goggles (Daniel).  It's always something!

 

In the past Len and I have kept the college send-off to ourselves, but this time Marianna and Rebecca joined us.  We stayed overnight because the Josephinum shared morning mass and brunch with families on Sunday.  Here we are the night before at a local Italian restaurant.

 Pizza with pesto, shrimp, goat cheese, and roasted tomatoes--everyone wanted a taste!

As always, leaving a child at college is bittersweet.  We're grateful when the school is a good fit (so far we're three times fortunate), and glad to watch each one growing and maturing.  But we've missed them all.

Even though we know as parents that our children are never truly ours, it's easy to forget while they're under our roof.  We can't help but remember now . . .

The Math Major

Wow, this summer is zooming along!  A vacation, a wedding, and the new school year are right around the corner . . .

We haven't seen much of David lately.  He was home for just a week in mid-May and then drove back to school for an eight week internship/research project/I never get it right.  He's receiving free room and board on campus plus a generous stipend.

Saint Mary's offers a limited number of summer grants to students so they can perform research.  David worked up a plan, submitted the application, and was selected!  It's a math thing, something about finding a formula or equation that creates a particular shape.  Here is a link to the sort of work he's doing, although David's project involves weighted curvature instead of curvature.

I'm glad he's found such a satisfying way to spend his days, but it will be great to have him back at last.  I think I've spent more time with his girlfriend, Colette, than with my boy these past few months (which has been great fun, though)!

The Graduate

Although her wedding is the big news of the summer (58 days to go!), May 11 was also an important day for Lauren.  Nine of us drove to Richmond to celebrate her graduation from VCU.

Art Honors

Magna Cum Laude

University Deans Scholarship

University Honors

Just sayin' . . .

At first I had no idea how rigorous this photography major would be--honors classes; learning and applying the details of both darkroom and digital printing; and the sheer number of hours required for the artistry (concept, vision, what have you) as well as craft.  Being a fast reader or writer can save time for many students, but there is no way to create what Lauren did without hours and hours and hours of effort.  She is an amazing woman.

 We couldn't be prouder!

Home!

Aegean Dreams

A stormy evening during our December visit.



Lauren is on her way to Paros by way of Spain.  She's studying at the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts again this spring, but right now is visiting Annette, her roommate from VCU.

Before flying to Europe in the fall, Lauren created a blog which she never wrote in.  Now she has a new one called Aegean Dreams with three posts on it already! 

It should be a handy place to find out what's going on.  Skype is great, but with internet access only available at school, plus the time difference, it hasn't been the best method of keeping in touch.  I'm hoping to enjoy many bloggy visits this semester . . .

The student lounge!

Road Trippers

SMCM offered two "reading days" over Columbus Day, creating a four day weekend.  David and three friends visited all their families; we enjoyed their company over parts of Monday and Tuesday. 

They really are a great bunch--intelligent but not pretentious, tolerant of the attention of little girls ;-), and willing to hang out (instead of going out).  I was happy to catch a glimpse of David within his chosen crowd, although some more focused time with just our family would have been welcome, too.  I guess that's what Christmas break is for!

So this past weekend the group traveled to Winchenster to attend a friend's play.  Since we are on the way back to school, David et al stopped by for lunch on Sunday.  He alerted me to that possibility the night before, so I was able to prepare a bit, just in case.  We were all glad to host the group, and David enjoyed surprising his siblings.

Hey you guys, come back any time!

Travel Tip

(from Lauren)

Art museums in Italy are generally expensive and crowded.

The churches are mostly free, sparsely populated, and filled with art as good (or better!) than what's in the museums.  The churches showcase architecture, paintings, sculptures, and frescoes, all in one beautiful package.

Bonus points if your travel companion is an art teacher with 40 years of experience, knowledge, and stories!  (Lauren said that whenever Jeff starts talking, English speakers begin following their group around.)  ;-)

News from Italy

Lauren and her group have been touring all over: Siena, Florence, Venice, Lucca, Pistoia, Pisa, etc. She's been exposed to gorgeous cathedrals, magnificent statues, glorious paintings, and more. Some of the churches were covered (floor, ceilings, walls) with mosaics, one glittering gold.

She painted this postcard for us in Burano, an island near Venice, with many colorful houses and canals of its own.
Lauren has stayed up late and risen early to take photos. "I am extremely tired and my feet feel like they’re going to fall off but I’ve never been happier." One night a former Aegean Center student surprised everyone (even the AC's director!) by shutting down his restaurant in Rome and traveling to the villa to prepare a special dinner. "We had champagne, wild boar, and the most delicious onions I have ever had. There was also hand made ravioli (pasta made from scratch) filled with spinach and sage. We also had fish and chickpeas, and for dessert, tiramisu! SO DELICIOUS. What a wonderful night."

I'm so glad and grateful that Lauren's enjoying such a fabulous experience. A little bit jealous, maybe, but mostly glad!

She's Arrived!

We skyped Lauren around dinner time, midnight or so in Rome. It was fantastic to see her and her tiny room, watch her twirl her hair, etc. :-)

She made it through one of the most worrisome (for Mom) parts of her journey, getting from the train station to the hotel alone in the dark in a neighborhood that her guide book did not recommend. Whew!

Along the way, Lauren has had several travel adventures already, including repacking her bags AT THE CHECK-IN COUNTER, carrying on a 3rd item (her photo paper had to be re-explained multiple times), and exchanging her money (no, it shouldn't have been an adventure, but there you go...).

In the morning Lauren will take another train, then a taxi, then her feet (up the mile and a half driveway) to the villa that will be the base of operations for about a month. Thanks for your prayers and good wishes. We appreciate both--keep them coming!

Launched

My second baby is off to college . . .

The waterfront at Saint Mary's College of Maryland.

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Loading the car wasn't tough. David has a room (not a suite), and shares a hall bathroom, so he needed fewer furnishings than Lauren started school with.Shopping with David is a pleasure. He has strong opinions about electronics, instruments, bikes, and tea, but is relatively easy to please about everything else. And QUICK!

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We look at shower caddies: "Sure, that's fine. Does it come in black?" I call from the store, listing prices and qualities of fans: "I'll take the small one. The black one." We peruse the desk lamps: "That looks okay. Does it come in black?" Etc.

We're off!

The dorm is no-frills cinderblock.

The room is small, basic, and cinderblock,

with a view of the courtyard.Unpacking continues . . .Some essentials:Cookies from Grammy

Tea kettle from Mimi and Granddad (no microwaves allowed!)

Technology (mostly black)

Eclectic book selection (Descartes, Plato, Dante, Sherlock Holmes, Calculus, Ophelia Joined the Group "Maidens Who Don't Float": Classic Lit Signs on to Facebook)

I'd say I handled the day and departure well.

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Today is when I'm feeling it--choking up when I gave Lauren's birthdate to the dentist's office, wistfully considering stopping the woman with the tiny baby in the Costco parking lot to tell her, "It goes by so fast," (I DIDN'T!), feeling emotionally drained and wishing for a nap (Oh, wait--that happens every day!).

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Launching our children, first to college, then into the wider world (not yet . . .) is both beautiful and terrifying.

Sursies

My mom instituted our family's tradition of "sursies." I think the name is based on "surprise", but that's not the full definition. A sursie is a little, "just because" sort of treat given to someone who needs a lift or that you're thinking of or who would appreciate this little something you've just found. A cherry pitter, holy card, sticker book, or bit of chocolate could be a sursie.

Inspired by a friend, I collected treats for Lauren when she went away to school. I wrapped and labelled them so she could open something from me every other day for a month.

Tomrrow we're driving David to SMCM, so I just finished wrapping his sursies.When he saw the dates he wondered what would stop him from opening them all at once. Yes, I'm relying on the self control of an 18 year old away from my supervision...

And that's why I won't yet tell you what exciting gifts are in those appealingly wrapped parcels. David reads this blog, and I can't spoil his surprise now, can I?

A Dream Come True

We interrupt our current Lauren coverage to bring you news about . . . Lauren!

She called this morning to let us know she's been accepted into the fall 2010 program at the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts. Applications were due May 1, and the odds were about 8 to 1 against her, but Lauren received her good news this morning. So soon!

This 14 week classical arts program is held in Italy and on the Greek island of Paros. If I wasn't so happy for her, I'd be extremely jealous.

Lauren's Spring Break

Constantly forgetting its official title, we call one of Lauren's courses "The Guatemala Class." She wanted to participate in a mission trip, and this class included a week teaching art to children in a Mayan village in the highlands of Guatemala.

Lauren and her fellow students (only about 15--they had to apply) spent the beginning of the semester learning about the highlands culture and creating lessons that would be meaningful to the children. One consideration was materials--they wanted the villagers to be able to repeat the crafting with supplies available in their area. Over spring break, the class traveled and taught. The rest of the semester is being spent creating art in response to the trip; those projects will be auctioned off next month, with the proceeds benefitting the Guatemalan art education program.

Lauren had a wonderful time, and shared some photos with us.She brought two cameras along, and took zillions of photos. Really: 17 rolls of black and white film (>600 shots) and about 1,000 digital pictures (not counting the deleted ones)!Before reaching the village, the group spent time in Guatemala City, Panajachel, and Chichicastenango.The market places were full of colorful people and their wares.The bright, hand-dyed, hand-woven textiles are gorgeous. I wish you could fill your screen with a larger version of this photo!The view from a bus. Interestingly, Lauren said the air was bad everywhere in Guatemala, with smog and pollution in the cities and wind-blown dust in the mountains along with smoke from burning sugar cane.Lauren worked with some of the youngest children. These life-size dolls were traced, cut, and sewn together with some kind of fabric/insulation cloth from a hardware store. The children decorated both sides--one in traditional dress, the other in the garb of their future selves/careers. I think. I'm a little hazy on the details.

All the VCU students had a great time working with and getting to know the local children.

It wasn't all teaching. The college students also attended demonstrations by local crafters.Lauren managed to bring home a vase made of recycled glass.Most fascinating was the textile work by the women of a cooperative. Thread is knotted then hand-dyed

and woven.

A true art exchange.