For years I kept journals -- in composition, spiral bound, and French graph paper books. This blog is an attempt to get back to writing and documenting the world around me using photos, newspaper headlines, and other articles.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

25th Reunion

This weekend was my 25th Mt. Holyoke class reunion.  Part of my brain can't quite grasp the reality that I graduated 25 years ago.  But, there is another part of me that recognizes that much has happened since I left campus in 1989.

Weeks leading up to the event, I couldn't decide how much I wanted to participate.  Would Selim want to come, or would I be flying solo?  It wasn't until mid week that Selim told me he did not want to go.  Then there was a death close to Nedim late in the week that made me certain that I could not take the whole weekend away.  I would make the most of Saturday.

In that spirit, I hit the road at 5:15am on Saturday.  I drove through heavy rain from Methuen, MA to the I-90 / I-84 split.  But then the clouds lifted and the sun came out in full force.  I arrived on campus in plenty of time to find a parking space and eat my fruit and yogurt.  Walking down the hill from MacGregor, past the greenhouse and around the corner to the stairs by the art building -- memories flooded in.  How many time did I walk up those stairs to go to class?

Reflections



I felt nervous as I approached the parade gathering in front of Blanchard.  In school, often I was on the periphery.  I had a few close friends, but I wasn't part of a big social circle.  I kept myself more at the edges of things and wasn't a big joiner.  So it was with a bit of trepidation that I walked towards our class meeting place.  But the nervous feelings melted away with the first hug.  And there we were, wearing our white outfits with the green pashminas, and so happy to see each other.

Sarah, Michelle, KQ, Lisa, Ann, Yanti, Pam, and Stacie

Margo and Sue

Jake and I

Sophie and PJ holding up our banner


The Laurel Parade began at 9:00.  I'd never really gotten the parade before.  I mean, what is up with everybody wearing white?  But this time, the whole thing gave me chills.  Everybody looked beautiful wearing white, accented with the class color.  The center of campus was lined with friends and family and everybody was cheering and clapping as we walked by.


Who knew we had a mascot?




When we got to Mary Lyon's grave, we parted and lined the route so that we flanked the class of 2014 as they walked by with the laurel chains.  Bagpipes played as the seniors moved around the grave and passed the laurel chains.  There were brief remarks (including the background for us wearing white, to honor the suffragettes) and then they sang "Bread and Roses."

As we go marching, marching, in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing: Bread and Roses! Bread and Roses!

As we go marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women's children, and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses.

As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient call for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too.

As we go marching, marching, we bring the greater days,
The rising of the women means the rising of the race.
No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes,
But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses, bread and roses.

Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
hearts starve as well as bodies; bread and roses, bread and roses.

Looking at the seniors in their white garb, and then all the alums in white and feeling the solidarity of educated women was powerful, humbling, and inspiring all at the same time.  I was really moved.

After the parade, Jake and I with Sophie and PJ in tow, went to Blanchard for refreshments.  I asked Sophie if I could take a picture of our feet.  She had on sparkling pink sneakers and I had painted my toes green for the occasion.  She agreed.



Then we went out and sat on the edge of the fire pit and caught up.  Sophie was content to pick dandelions and PJ went back and forth between the adults and his sister.





Soon it was time for our class picture and lunch.  I opted not to have the regular picnic fare.  Instead, I visited for a while and then left the group and went to take pictures.  The library had just gotten a Chihuly sculpture that is amazing.  It reminded me of seaweed.  It is beautiful and gives such light to the entryway.







The architecture of the reading room drew me in as well.





I took selfies in front of the main gate.







Then I went to Dwight to see the exhibit of parade dresses.




I looked at my watch and realized that I needed to pick up the pace if I was going to catch any of the Alum vs student rugby game.  There were four class of 89 women in the game.  I sat on the sidelines and had learned that a classmate lives in Ashville, NC and knew some of the Sant Bani group that has moved down to that area.  What a small world.

After the game I walked back to MacGregor and rested in the coolness of the common room.  Then classmates started coming in before the 5:00 class meeting.  I knew I needed to leave, but it was hard to find the motivation to get up and out to my car.  I ended up staying for the meeting, but left before the drinking in earnest began.




All in all it was the sweetest day.  These are lasting friendships.  And even though I might have been on the periphery while in school, I feel better connected now, 25 years out.



Monday, May 12, 2014

Beach picnic

What a marvelous day.  When I heard that it would be 80 today, I decided not to go in and work any OT.  Low humidity and warm days are few and far between.  Instead, I went for a 2 mile run, washed laundry and got it on the line to dry, grocery shopped, and made food for an evening picnic at the beach.

I noticed after my run that my Mother's Day flowering quince burst open this weekend, right on cue.  I love taking pictures of the blossoms.  They are the most pretty salmon color.






After Selim got home from school, we packed his wet suit, towels, picnic fare, and this boogie board and set out for the beach.  There is only two more weeks before they start charging for parking, so we decided to take advantage of the free day and go.

I shouldn't be too surprised that my guy jumped right in the water.  If the lake was cold yesterday, this must have been much colder.  I went in up to my ankles, borrowing an expression from my sister.  My excuse for staying dry, I was taking pictures.  Nedim was braver, didn't have my excuse, and went in to his knees.








Before we packed up to leave, I insisted that we take some pictures.  For some reason, we had trouble getting just the right angle and shot.  We ended up in a heap in the sand, laughing.









It felt like a perfect cap to my extended Mother's Day weekend.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

First "swim" of the year

This afternoon I picked up Selim at the lake house.  It was a gorgeous afternoon.  While Amy and I sat on the deck catching up, Jero took the boys out in the boat.  When they came back, each boy had wet hair and Selim had his shirt off.  They ran back to the house and put on wet suits.  And in the water they jumped.  The water can't get much over 50 degrees.  They didn't last too long.




Easing in

Moving sand around


Going in reverse order of my day here, this morning, I ate my oatmeal and watched the birds at the feeder.  I saw three types of woodpeckers, yellow and purple goldfinch, red breasted grosbeak, Baltimore oriole, and some type of sparrow.  Of course, I had trouble getting good pictures.  The woodpeckers were especially easy to scare off.





I tried going outside to take pictures of the feeder from the other direction, but didn't have much success.




Instead of taking bird pictures, I turned to the garden.







And speaking of the garden, we enjoyed a lunch of  just picked asparagus on toast and a huge salad.



Back to bird for a moment.  When I got out of work yesterday, there were these guys walking around.  Because I was headed straight to the Ashram, I happened to have my camera with the zoom in my car.



All in all, it was a great Mother's Day.  I got to spend part of the day with my mom, and then with Selim, the reason that I can fully enjoy the day in the first place.