Dean Paskoff, Thank You

When Mac applied to LSU, I know we had a discussion about his going to school so far from home, and that chances were I wouldn't get down there to visit or attend his graduation. This past January, talk of his graduation came up again, and both he and Brad couldn't remember my ever saying that.  Both of them wanted me to be there for the ceremony.

Hm.

So when April rolled around, and once Mac knew he was graduating, I planned a trip to get us to Mac's campus for May 18th.

I am so glad I did.

This diploma ceremony, a commencement celebration for the School of Library and Information Science, was held in the LSU School of Music building.  It was small and intimate with only about 30 graduates.  The speeches were brief and on point.  The grin on my son's face was to be treasured.  Like I would have at a school chorus show or band concert when he was younger, I focused solely on him.

I wish I had taken another photo with Mac and his dean.  She is an important person in his life story.  Right after Mac was accepted, he received word from the university that the MLIS program was ending.  He was told to forget about coming to LSU because he wouldn't be able to finish his degree there and to hurry and apply elsewhere.  He was crushed, and he started formulating a different plan, one that would have delayed him leaving for school for six months.

After a quick lunchtime google session just about two years ago, I learned that this dean and others were fighting for the program, so I picked up my phone and did something I hadn't really done much in Mac's school career, I called her.  I left a message, and she returned my call at the end of my school day.  At first, she was somewhat reticent to talk.  I think the 630 area code convinced her that I was not a reporter, that I was being truthful. I didn't tell her Mac's name, he was after all an adult, but I did tell her I needed her guidance to counsel him.  I don't think I'll ever forget standing outside my classroom door on the stoop while holding my cell phone to my ear with my shoulder, and taking notes against the brick wall.

She told me how much the program served the state, told me their national ranking, told me it was essential it stayed a part of LSU.  And then I asked her the $40,000 question, "If your son had his heart set on leaving Chicagoland and going to Baton Rouge to earn his master's degree, what would you tell him?"

She said, "Go."

I chose to believe her.

I called Mac, told him all of the conversation, and he opted to stick with his first choice.  He wound up having Dean Beth Paskoff as an instructor and as a customer at the drug store where he worked; he liked her in both settings.  I met her last summer, and I thanked her personally for her care.  As one might expect, with all the calls she received at that time she didn't remember mine.  That's okay.  She fought hard, he worked hard, he graduated, and I am so thankful to her.

Teachers, at all levels, make such a difference in our lives.

Baton Rouge Pretties

Today is the first official day of school for the staff.  I will be in meetings all day.  So to start off my day, I'm going to remember Louisiana and share some photos of the plants I saw while walking the campus just last week.  I'm going to remember my change of scenery and hold onto it fast as I sit for the entire day...

Yes, if you're my facebook friend, chances are you've seen all these.  So thanks for humoring me. If you're not my facebook friend, get over there and request me!

Baton Rouge Bound

 

By the time this posts, I'll be on the road in morning rush hour traffic feeling homesick* and heading to Midway airport for a non-stop flight to New Orleans.  From there, it's a rental car for 70 miles to Baton Rouge.  Mac turns 25 on Thursday, and we thought it would be a fun time for me to get myself down Louisiana way!

Perhaps I'll get my hands on this game and see what I can find on campus using this for a checklist.

I have a list already of course--starting with the ice cream that's made on campus AND seeing the real tiger. Eep!

Mac wants me to meet his boss, "So she can tell you good things about me," and so one day we're all having lunch together.

I never went to college bars while in college, so I'm going to be the old mom who makes her son take me to one for just one drink.

A birthday dinner on Thursday night.

Hanging out in New Orleans on Friday.

I'm ready to jet to and then sweat in LSUland!

(And one day in the Big Easy.) 

I'll be borrowing Mac's laptop from time to time to check in, feel free to say hey! 

*And yep, I'm a wussy traveler, I love to see new places but always, always miss home, and in this case Bradford.  Sigh.

Definitely Done Do's and Go's

     In the last few days I've planted more flowers (a do), gone on another nice bike ride along the Fox (a go) with Brad, completed sewing my tote (a finally do), made some ridiculously bright sugar cookies for Brad to bring his grandkids (a very tasty do), and booked my flight for my August trip to see Mackers in Baton Rouge (a big going to go)!

     This tote is a major big deal to me.
     Simple as it was, I ran into lots of problems and solved each one with patience.  That isn't a quality I usually find in myself. Little Lizard King said I have "tenacity," and boy did I love reading that!  I have many people in my family who are artistic and creative, and I'm only just now beginning to tap into any creativity God may have blessed me with. (It is buried deep, let me tell you.)
     Three things that worked for me:  going to JoAnn's on a Saturday evening with my husband for supplies (the store was empty of customers, full of helpful employees, and Brad helped me make swift decisions), my seam ripper (enough said), and Little Lizard King and "likers" on facebook!  (Particularly Ms. Johnson and Ms.Labasan, your encouragement and advice touched my heart and helped so much.)
     I could make another list of things that didn't work for me, but I don't want to be too self-deprecating.  One post was enough!
     I can't wait to see what's next...my knitting needles are back out, but I also have a party to plan. Mac comes home tomorrow night!
     Thank you God for this simply good month and summer!

Thankful Thursday

     Last Thursday, my cell phone rang while I was teaching science.  I teach the "sound" unit, and my kids thought it was funny to hear the sound of my cell phone through the doors of the cabinet in which I toss my purse.  I wondered who called, everyone knows I can't answer my phone while teaching, usually it's off, so I checked at plan time.  It was Mac.
     He was calling me to tell me he had gotten a job with the LSU libraries as a graduate assistant.  He was delighted, and the joy in voice was apparent as I listened to the recorded message he'd left me (much better than finding out via facebook).  This job pays a salary, it pays his tuition, AND it's in his desired field--he's going to be learning more about archiving.

     I remain so thankful for this call, for this opportunity for him. The struggles that brought him to this place have passed, and my prayers have been answered with a YES!  Thank you God.
     I wonder if Hill library is on this game...

     If not, it should be!

Other things to be thankful for:

• Reasonable parents (my students' not my own)
• A repaired classroom mic system (avoiding vocal damage)
• Science going well and almost wrapped up for the year
• A prayer request from a friend, the chance to pray
• I cannot lie, blog followers
• Dinner plans to look forward to
• Girlfriend afternoon on Saturday
• Days shy of celebrating four years of a great marriage
• A new denim jacket--promised
• The husband who works hard to fix up our home
• Books, always books
• Days touched by breaths of spring
• Good health!
• God with us 

What are you thankful for?

Unexpected and First Ever Guest Blogger

I opened this Email at lunch yesterday.  It was from my husband.  I'm just so blessed to have him and for the relationship he and Mac have.  He said it was okay to share it here.  

Ellie,

I think we all were trying to be brave for each other this morning as we all left to go our different and separate directions. I don’t believe it was easy on any one of us. We all express trying to be brave differently. You show tears and express the sadness. I try to comfort and express words of advice. Mac tries to pretend he is ready to go and face the world while dragging himself out of the truck and into the airport. All of us have a sense of the goodness of his being here and the change that occurs each time he moves to become independent and launch himself. I think this is the way it is supposed to be. It gives us small glimpses of what it will be like when change becomes more permanent. The child first goes off for an overnight sleep-over and returns. Then of to camps, then college and still returns. He goes off to England and returns.  He will go off into life and plans are already made for us to stay connected. It is in the intentional cycle of staying connected that peace resides.

I’m glad both of you are in my life,

Brad

Mac

     A few minutes after this post publishes, I'm going to go downstairs to eat breakfast and pack my lunch.  Then I'm going to come back upstairs and get all ready for work--shower, dress, make-up (sans mascara which I may forgo today).  After that, I'm going to crawl into bed with my son and wake him just like I would have for school when he was a little kid.  Because I am waking him for school; he's flying back to Baton Rouge today.
     When he left in August, I thought we'd see him for Thanksgiving.  But we decided we didn't have the cash for that trip, and he was here three weeks later for this break. Today I'm going to drive off for school, and I won't know when I'll see him again.  Money is tight, and we can't plan a thing.  I'm working to put this in God's hands, but I haven't said good-bye and I miss him already.  So I'm struggling with handing it over, you know?
     We didn't do anything super fabulous over break.  The one outing we planned found me sick, so I had to stay home, but that was okay.  Just having him around made my heart soar. 
     I'm sad.  I just need to put that out there.  It's weird to know that I don't know when I'll see him next.  But I know I will see him again, and that in itself is a bigger blessing than I can count. 

Friday Follow Ups to Random Mentions

• Mac has moved (from one side of his Baton Rouge apartment complex to the other), and all is well.  Two of the four robbers have been arrested, but not the guy who held the gun.  By the way, if I ever mistakenly type Baton Rogue, just pretend it's a play on words...
• I decided to bring my "lunch box" to school to use for a writer's toolbox.  We have a great new writing program that uses trade books to model writing, and so we're storing the books we've shared so far in the box.  The kids think it's so cool!   

• "Trespassers Will" is from the original Winnie-the-Pooh.  Piglet lives in a tree that's next to a sign "Trespassers W," which is short for "Trespasser Will," which is then short for Trespassers William--whom he assumes is a relation of his.  I can't remember the names of people I encounter daily, but a random Pooh reference, no problem.

• So many of you have written about some of the comments I have made over the past few days.  Really, I'm okay.  I will always take your prayers, but I'm fine.  We're just waiting for Brad's business to kick in. It was hard to decide to not travel at T-giving.  I am battling being tired, but the fatigue is a just because I work a lot.  Like you do.  No worries. Okay?

•  I go so many hits for this silly ol' wreath post yesterday.  Your compliments made me feel like a Real Live Martha Stewart!  You should know this, true confession time...I was going to make a candy corn wreath, but I keep eating the candy, so paper corn it had to be.
• Could it be I'm so tired from the ridiculous sugar highs then lows I subject myself to?  Vitamin taking going well, five days straight now.  That's quite the run for me.  A wuss of a record, but still a personal best.
• Weekend plans?  Baking all day Saturday--working on my evil plan to take over the world by bringing back the bundt!  Birthday party on Sunday!  Whoo hoo, mine!

Little Bit of a Freak Out Friday

Mac is going to grad school at LSU.

He lives in a rented townhouse with a roommate and his dog.

Last month, the neighbors went away and left a puppy in their bathroom.

The stench was how Mac and his roomie figured out something in the adjacent unit was not right.

Lovely.

The neighbors came home, and things have been quiet and less stinky for a while.

Yesterday, Mac called and said, "Don't freak out." 
Not a good way to start a call home to Mom, right?

I'm not that into freaking out, and you know I'm pretty tired and freaking out takes energy. 

Plus,I was sitting with a student--tutoring.

So as I was giving her her spelling test, Mac told me the newest.

This week, his roommate was held up at gunpoint in the parking lot.

He was walking his obviously-not-a-watch-dog.

The robbers got $4.

Super.

He and Mac are moving to a different unit since the roomie thinks the robber, who has yet to be caught, saw where they lives.

Yep.

I really don't have anything pithy to say here.

Inhale.

Exhale.

He's 900 miles away, you know?

A side note, the LSU football season has been highly enjoyable for my son.
Woowhee SEC!

A little LSU in IL

     Brad and I went to Office Depot today where my eye was caught--from across the lot--by the word on this plate.  "Geaux" is how LSU fans cheer on their Tigers.  (BTW, who knew Illinois had a "Support Youth Golf" license plate?)

     I walked closer and realized the fleur de lis sticker was LSU colors with a tiger stripe and eye.  Very cool!  I wanted to go into Office Depot and shout out to find the owner of this sweetened Audi.  He made my day!

     I hope to find something with a fleur de lis on it (not necessarily in purple and yellow) when I get down there to see Mac in November, but until then, wouldn't it be sweet if he sent me this sticker for my classroom?  Start shopping, Son.

Party...

     This past Sunday, Brad and I hosted a graduation party for Mac.  You'll remember, he graduated from Northern Illinois University in May and is headed to Louisiana State University in about one month.  We opted to wait until July 11th to hold the party because we thought most other grad parties would have passed and people would have fewer conflicts.  About fifty people came, stayed and went throughout the day.
     Some reflections about the party...

• We had plenty of food and now have plenty of delicious leftovers.
• We bought way too much soda pop!
• Brad was a party workhorse!  I can't believe what a great help he was. From visiting the party store with me, to cutting fruit for over an hour the night before, to setting up the drinks the day of, to cleaning  up...and he still had fun!
• Mac's friends were so polite and pleasant, it was a joy to have them here.
• I started at least 100 conversations I never got to finish.
• I didn't have the opportunity to take enough pictures.
• The World Cup is like the Superbowl to some people. It was a delight to watch them watch.
• I spilled a lot.  I don't know why, but my inner klutz showed herself mightily that day!
• Mac received many generous gifts.  We were blown away by the thoughtfulness expressed by our loved ones.
• It was pretty funny when "the cops" showed up.  Actually, it was my cousin, yes a cop, on a break.  In other words, an invited guest in uniform.
• Rain can dampen a game of bags, but hanging out in the garage is still fun (for those under 30)!
• Purple and yellow are lovely for such a party, but I don't think I'm ever going to use up all the purple and yellow cocktail napkins...
• I was so touched by all the people who chose to spend their Sunday with us.
• My blog friend, you know her as "PureJoy," came all the way from TN (via a family visit to WI) to meet us.  My first blogger face-to-face friend meeting.  Can I have a, "Yee ha!"
• It must have been a good party 'cause both Mac's dad and my brother sent me Emails thanking me for including them (as if I would ever exclude them!)
• My treadmill is now screaming my name--listen, do you hear it?--due to all the fudge, watermelon, lemon bars, pralines, sandwiches, pesto pasta salad, soda pop, potato salad, and guac I've ingested in the past 48 hours.
• When he earns his master's, we'll celebrate with a simple dinner out.
•  The next party is on Mac's (yet to be determined) future in-laws!  (Say Yes to the Tux, grooms rock!)  And there's no rush... 
 

(Photo notes:  did you know balloons pop when they rub against stone?, bag playing with Mac and friends, flowers a gift from Kimberly, Brad with "Art" and Jon, candies were in a vase for a purple and yellow centerpiece...)