Tag: Celebrate!

My #1 grandie, Emma, graduated from Trevor Day School in NYC on Thursday, June 13, 2024. All the feels were felt, intermingling and filling my heart until they overflowed my eyes. It was not a commencement like our local public school presents, no valedictorian or special honors, no keynote speaker, instead giving each student a chance to speak if they wanted to commit to preparation for six weeks prior to the ceremony. I think there were about ten or more speakers and I was prepared to settle in and snooze until Emma’s #6 oration. I did not snooze. These kids were so inspiring that by the time Emma spoke I was worried that she might not do as well!!! She showed up and was brilliant, truly the best, but put together with the others bolstered my confidence that these kids can change the world.

My NYC girls do soooo much Irish Dance that it seems sometimes that’s all they do. Emma took advantage of every opportunity that was afforded her at Trevor, (more stuff than I can possibly tell you because her mother (ahem) hasn’t send me the list) and was President of her Senior Class. She plans to study environmental something at Colgate University beginning this fall, perhaps becoming an environmental lawyer. She is awesome.

We are officially under the Dome of Heat. We have so enjoyed having the windows open, waking up to the swelling of the Dawn Chorus of birds, but have to give in and turn on the a/c. We’ll celebrate the Solstice this week, but somehow a bonfire doesn’t sound so fun.

Stay cool out there!

Peace

My grandma and grandpa raised nine kids in Grayville, IL, six girls and three boys, my mom being number seven. When they died in 1967-1969, they had 19 grandchildren, but four have passed now, leaving me with 14 cousins. Of those, I’m active friends with four, and those four are pretty darn important to me.

My cousin Jason, who had been in Hospice for about a year, died in his sleep sometime Tuesday morning. I picked up his sister, Kim, whose flight from Florida arrived Tuesday night at 10pm. and took her over to Grayville to her brother, Jeff’s house. That was the first of three roundtrip runs to my ancestral home over the next four days. The rain that had lingered over the last week finally cleared out on Friday, just in time for a private graveside service. The celebration at Jeff’s house spilled out into the yard, as friends gathered to remember Jason Scott Compton. His two sons and his grandbaby were also there, which choked me up a little, but mostly I enjoyed – and exhausted – myself. Funny how funerals bring people together.

My grandies have been being their gorgeous, entertaining selves. Emma went to her school’s Prom Saturday night. I literally gasped when Melissa posted these pictures! My mom always said, “pretty is as pretty does’ and this young lady both is and does.

This year’s Shannon’s School of Dance Recital was Saturday evening and Samantha did great! Nova took the pictures with my Nikon… I particularly like Samantha’s Queen-esque wave as they came out for curtain call!

I’m so ready to just sit out and watch my garden grow, getting up occasionally to weed or water. Having lost track of what day it was for a bit, I was shocked to see that next week-end is Memorial Day. I think we’re going to hit our usual graves, possibly add a new old cemetery up in Lancaster…sounds like another trip to Southern Illinois.

Hug all your People and let them know you Love them.

Peace