Do You Remember Your High School Graduation?
Your parents do!
Here is this empty tab, in which I started a week ago to write something to you about a very important topic. Alas, I have no idea which topic or what I wanted to say. Maybe it was something about writing in general and how there’s never enough time…
This past weekend I hosted a day retreat at my house for the writing accountability group I’m in. We started meeting together in January 2021, during lockdown when most of us had more free time to devote to noble (and non-lucrative) pursuits like writing. Since those days, a year and a half ago now, we’ve met every workday morning for 90 minutes on a video call. Whenever I tell a friend about this practice and this group, they are incredulous.
“Every morning?”
“Yes.”
“Every day?”
“Yes.”
“But does everyone show up?”
“Not everyone every day, but someone shows up every day.”
Once the shock wears off, they become envious and impressed.
What can I say? We are an impressive bunch of writing ladies!
This Sunday we met in the morning, and proceeded --with the help of many delicious snacks-- to spend 2 hours writing in the morning, then 2 more in the afternoon. After the second session we read aloud things we’ve written (that day or recently, and not polished drafts. It’s scary!)
What would you do with 4 hours of dedicated time in a day to pursue a hobby?
I’m working on a revenge fantasy novel, sort of a murder mystery. So far I have over twenty short chapters! I numbered them last week and was as surprised as you are to find out there were so many. The only time I work on this project is during my writing group.
Monday, the very next day, was Darla’s graduation from high school! Her Aunt drove up from San Diego and we all managed to not cry in the bleachers. Attending the first high school graduation ceremony since our own made Jeff and I nostalgic. Among our memories of the end of high school:
Crashing a parent’s car and missing the senior honor program as a result
Attending prom with a sunburn from tanning all day
Drinking beer during the graduation ceremony
Ignoring our parents as much, and as rudely, as possible
Doing drugs in the school restroom
Skipping class to go to Taco Bell
Skipping class to go to the beach
Making the honor roll
Not getting into our dream school
Getting into our dream school
Receiving awards and scholarships
Our family falling apart after we left, not because of our absence but because that’s what was in the stars at the time
You can guess which items are from Jeff’s memory and which are from mine. (Hint, most are from both!) But I can neither confirm nor deny your speculation, because my parents are still alive and will probably read this list.
And hey! Thank goodness they are alive! My dad is doing very well in his recovery from quadruple bypass surgery. The silver lining being that he lost a lot of weight and is now taking the opportunity to spend the hot summer in Alabama shirtless, showing off his trim physique. He says wearing shirts irritates his recovering scar site. But he has never been shy about showing off his Spectacular Dad Bod, as the young people call them these days.
He also wears sun hats and sandals. So basically, all Dad needs is a beer cozy to complete his southern summer look. (This seems like a country song…)
During his recovery, the men and women from their local church have volunteered to help mow my parents’ lawn, pick up their prescriptions and other sundries, and have brought them desserts. Basically, small town values are winning down in rural Alabama! Sure the state has a lot of other issues to work out, but not as many as cable news networks might have you believe. The same goes for Portland and Los Angeles on the other end of the spectrum. There are good neighbors everywhere.
Last week I took my large children together to renew their passports. We sat in a little room with a map of the world and all the flags from each country. They were fully entertained by matching up each flag to its country. I took great pleasure in watching them be goofy and smart and getting along. Too bad for me the administrator was very efficient and our appointment ended after only 8 minutes. I would've liked to stay a while longer in that little room. It was the last time I’ll ever take them both to an appointment together.
I remember entertaining them individually on the sidelines of so many piano lessons, dentist appointments, and sports practices where the other sibling was doing their thing. I remember Zane singing to me in a little angelic voice with his adorable speech impediment. Now he has a deep, bass voice like the announcer from MoviePhone. I remember Darla climbing trees and doing brain puzzles in the car for hours while we waited for Zane together.
Sigh.
Did I already tell you Zane was voted by his tennis team to receive the Sportsmanship and Courtesy award for the season? #soproud
He’s currently still asleep on this, the first official day of summer. It’s 12:34pm. I guess it’s easy to be courteous when you are unconscious for most of the day?
Well, this is a short one. I hope it finds you well and willing to do a favor for your neighbors.
Love and summer looks,
Nonni
Another fancy performance for my man in honor of Julie Andrews. This time he’s in the back row on the left of your screen, playing clarinet. He’s sitting beside one of our besties, Laura Brenes on french horn. Perhaps you danced with her at my birthday party last year…
PS- I’m pitching an article about using a cleaning service, or cleaning ladies. If you have any thoughts about this topic please hit reply and tell me.
How did you choose your cleaning service?
Do you have a cleaning person? Why or why not?
What are the positives and negatives of the relationship?
Other thoughts?
you are so wonderfully adept at bringing me to tears with your writing. thank you!!!!!!!!
Ciao Nonnahs! I was lucky to enjoy the services of a cleaning lady when we lived in Italy. Such a god send when working full time. When we moved to California, I realized that I don’t like cleaning house and so I used a cleaning service briefly, but they were expensive and not really satisfactory. So I fractured something—wrist, knee, leg, who knows. Kelly hooked me up with Ofie and she’s been coming every two weeks ever since—except during COVID—which was a real bummer. She spends 3 hours every other Thursday and keeps the place in shape. I pay her $80 per session. Well worth it.