Day 187, "Every picture has a story"
This picture was taken in Grand Forks North Dakota in August of 1976. After 5 years of extension classes, summer schools and MANY hours on my masters thesis I had finished. Mom and Dad actually drove up to Grand Forks for my graduation. I had gone to school 4 summers (one summer we spent camping for 2 months while I took a class), spent a summer in Lincoln Nebraska for school and had taken several extensions classes at Devils Lake Community in order to graduate. My goal was to have my masters by the time John entered 1st grade and I made it. My major was learning disabilities and my minor was administration.
Mom and Dad gave me a gun case for a graduation present! I just got rid of it last summer as it had pretty much fallen apart but I used it a lot.
Actually the story is really about me, Mom and Dad. I loved them perhaps beyond reason and sometimes to the detriment to my own family but that is not important at this point in my life. What is interesting to me is where one fits into a family of 6 kids. I have NO hard feelings or anything of the sort but as I sit back and think I do believe I was not one of their favorite ones! That is what makes this picture so interesting and maybe puts a hole in my theory. At the time of this picture they were both 65. Now Dad traveled like a crazy man well into his 70s but Mom, not so much. They must have stayed in a hotel as Grand Forks is not a day trip from Geneseo. Anyway part of it may be that fact that Dad showed very little emotion at any time and actually if you were to look at Gail and my wedding pictures you may see how Dad did not approve! In fact there was a stretch of time, maybe 4 or 5 years that he did not talk to Gail BUT then presto that changed. As I think about it, of their six children FIVE married out of the Lutheran Church. BUT I think their idea of a Catholic was pretty ingrained in some misconceptions. Regardless of what was then, now is now and I do not think I am any worse for whatever!!! I actually think they may have had less expectations for me than for my siblings--don't know but they may have been correct! Anyway I do remember them coming on that day and I know I certainly appreciated it. We had a picnic afterward. That actually was a BIG day for me. Much work, much sacrifice away from home and money we did not have to spend went into the MA degree. Maybe they came up because, at that time, I was the first to get a graduate degree. Dave later got his from Moorhead State. Ronald was well on his way to a masters when he died. The girls, well they put their smarts to use in other ways and did a fantastic job.
The picture brings back memories of days when I would eat, for an entire week, food from home that was in the cooler in the trunk of my car. Towards the end of summer school the cooler was often filled with garden produce. Back then no $$ for McDonalds etc.
Another quiet day here in Naples. My tennis days are getting less frequent as so many couples are now gone for the season. I think I have 3 days this week where pretty much ALL winter I played 5 days a week. One of the guys I have been playing with since 2011 for some reason decided he does not want to play with me any more. Strange for sure. As I sit here at 9:35 AM and type it is 85 outside. Need I say another hot day!
Terry and I are doing something a bit different now so NO Irish Cream in my coffee this morning. The heavy whipping cream did the trick in terms of making the FP GREAT. All done.
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