WSU Graduation 2008

It's quite a feeling. On the one hand, I couldn't be any prouder to know that I have two sons who have graduated from college. But on the other hand, I couldn't be sadder. My job is done.

I always felt that my job was to contribute to the world and my contribution is two men who will do just that in varying degrees all their lives. One already has impacted the lives of young people living on a little island in Alaska and whether he knows it or not, some of them will carry a little bit of what he has done for them for the rest of their lives. The other has this to look forward to.

It is no easy task to complete college. I have to admit I really never gave either son a choice. It was simply expected and they both have met that expectation and exceeded it. But now that the task is done, I am going to miss the experience. Visiting my sons at WSU kept me young, at least at heart. The college environment is non-discriminatory. It didn't matter that I was from another generation, especially when I was with my son.

So, WSU Winter Graduation 2008 is done. It snowed a foot that day and made it that much more special. Hal walked with his three friends all graduating at the same time, Karin, Hal, Mark and Steve. To do so they walked with Karin's degree group, Chemical Engineering.

Anyone who knows me knows how emotional something like this can be for me. I was uptight. I was not very nice to the woman who stood up right in front of me when I was trying to take a photo of my son, the last son to graduate from college, as he walked into the coliseum. I missed the photo but amazingly, my husband with the other camera didn't miss it. My son walked into the seating area to Pomp and Circumstance and he was all I wanted him to be. We watched as he took his seat and he looked up at us and smiled. That smile of his that can heal all wounds and brighten up the world for whomever is lucky enough to lay eyes on it.

After all the graduates were seated there was the usual, presentation of the colors, Star Spangled Banner (sung in opera form!). President Elson Floyd is very personable and did his thing. Then it was time for the Commencement Address. It was, most certainly, the worst commencement address I have ever had the displeasure of witnessing. This was not just my opinion. It was a universal opinion by anyone who was within earshot. The owner of the Seattle Times, bemoaning his plight as a newspaper publisher, an industry that is apparently at odds with the internet world. If I'm not mistaken, he was actually urging this internet generation of graduates not to use sites like Google and Craigs List because these sites have taken revenue away from the written publications. Oh please! The moment he gave any indication of wrapping up his speech the place erupted in applause, not at the content but at the hope that the misery would be ending shortly. And it did.

It was time to present the degrees to the undergraduates. The venue is set up with two big screens so as the students prepared to receive their degrees, their bright young faces were flashed on the screens so friends and family could see them shine in their special moment. Prior to going forward, my son had sent me a text message not to be upset but he was going to streak. Yeah right! Instead, he did what I am certain he intended, started my tears flowing. While the camera was on him, he held up a sign that read " Thank you Mom and Dad". He was the only one who did that. He the proceeded to get his blank diploma holder (diploma to be inserted later) and shake hands with the president, faculty, and enjoy the moment. All the while, I'm crying. How stupid is that! After that it was all smiles, even from me.

Along with the excitement of the accomplishment that graduation from college represents I remember from my own time graduating that it also represents, to some degree, an end of life as the student knows it. Friends have never been so important as they are during a college career. Friends are there for all the trials and tribulations as well as all the fun and joys that are all part of the college experience. My son was lucky enough to have a very special group of friends with whom, I am certain, he will always remain in touch.Matt who was his friend in high school as well. Kurt who was a roommate for a time and a friend forever and Steve, headed into the Peace Corps somewhere, assignment still to come.

After graduation, as cold as it was, we took time to stand in line for photos by the new, huge and beautiful Cougar statue in front of the entrance to Martin Stadium. What a majestic piece of work. Thank you 5% of funding for building having to go to art work. We took lots of photos in the snow and will always remember the special day our son graduated.

Hal is now on to England to do his student teaching. He leaves WSU with a a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Fitness Teaching and a minor in Spanish, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He has worked so hard to get to this point in his life but I think he has been able to have some fun too. I know this is not the first time, and probably won't be the last but I am so amazed by him. He does everything completely. He loves completely, he devotes himself to family and friends completely and I know that whatever he does in life, he will do it completely to the best of his ability. He is honest which makes him beautiful inside and out. Yes, my job is done and done well, I might add. Congratulations Hal!

Kale's Birthday

I can't believe I have a son who is 26! I don't feel old enough to have a child that age. In my quest to find the most embarrassing photos to post here for his birthday, I, of necessity, took a walk down memory lane. What a journey!

There is a reason Kale is the way he is. He was born when we lived in a 535 square foot cabin at the foot of Mineral Hill in Conconully, Washington. We only had a woodstove for heat and the day he was born, he has heard this story many times, I was in labor but we had to stoke the stove before we left for the hospital so I was out chopping wood for the stove just 6 hours before he was born. It was a Sunday, it had snowed a foot overnight and they don't plow roads on Sundays because no school buses run. We made it to the hospital though without incident and after a very short period of time he was born. Keep in mind, he was at this point 3 weeks late, therefore, certain bodily functions had begun in the womb causing a few concerns, along with the umbilical chord being wrapped around his neck three times! I am proud to say, however, that I accomplished the birth of this 7lb 9 oz baby boy with not so much as a tylenol for pain. That is why less than 24 hours later I was able to take him home to that 535 square foot cabin where he spent the first 4 years of his life. We were pretty much granola crunching, first time parents, thus, Kale.

Of the 187 People living in Conconully at the time, about 180 of them were elderly folks so imagine the impact this little baby made at the Christmas potluck a week later. I didn't hold him once as he was passed from grandma types all around the room. While we lived in Conconully, to my knowledge, only three children were born, my two sons and a daughter to my friend Susie. We make choices in life and one of ours was to move from Conconully when both children were young because we thought they needed more than Conconully could offer. I'm not sure about that decision. It was a beautiful place.

As he grew, Kale was immediately known as being very intelligent. At 18 months he could tell you the name of every conceivable dinosaur (I read him lots of dinosaur books) and as shameless parents we would show this talent off to anyone who would listen at any time. One of my favorite stories was one his Grandpa Wicks would tell of walks they took and he would make statements like "that is an interesting area down there" when talking about Shellrock Point and ask questions that could stump us all.

Kale had three years and two months with me as my only son and I worried so about bringing another baby into the family and how that would affect him. Little did I know I was bringing him his lifelong best friend. God knows I made plenty of mistakes in the raising of my children but the single most important thing I did right was helping them understand the importance of the other one in their lives and to never let anything or anyone come between that. But the time I had alone with my son before his brother was born is some of the most precious time of my life. It sounds corny, I know, but he was the most special of children and he has carried that into his adult life.

Kale had a few special things as a baby and child. He loved his Bucky the Wonder Horse he got for his first birthday and for the first 4 years of his life he was hardly ever without his Superman Cap. But probably the most special thing was his bear, "Taco". I don't really know how the bear got that name. But I think his dad suggested "Paco" and Kale repeated it as Taco and so it was. Kale carried Taco everywhere with him for several years.

Kale was born into our family when we had a beautiful yellow lab named Beau. Beau lived with us for 12 years and unfortunately passed away when Kale was 7 years old. It was actually on his brother's birthday. We were in the process of buying a house, our first one. It snowed 1 1/2 feet that day so we put Beau on a sled and walked to our new house and buried him there.

After a couple of years of mourning, Kale decided he wanted a puppy for Christmas. He decided, with our help, that he wanted a female yellow lab puppy. He even wrote Santa a letter. Of course, in spite of the fact that he was sure his brother had ruined his chances of getting a puppy, he got his puppy, Murphy, and she was with us for 16 years.

I could go on and on about Kale as he grew into a great athlete, a great friend and the best of sons and brothers but this post is already much too long. Suffice it to say that Kale has touched many lives with his love, intelligence and true caring for those around him. He really does Radiate Warmth every day. I will end this post with random embarrassing photos just because. I love you Kale!

A new style

So, anyone who knows me knows that I have worn pretty much the same hairstyle for 20 years, with only one brief period of time with an experiment with a permanent hairstyle most would just as soon forget. I know I would. Well, this was Dad's weekend in Pullman. Dad was visiting son and I was home alone. So, besides the usual weekend activities, I decided to get my hair cut. I know, seems a bit random but it really wasn't. I had been thinking about it for a long time and all of a sudden, it was time. Maybe it was because I saw the transformation in my oldest son's haircut. The reason for his was a much more noble cause than mine, but nevertheless, it was time for me too.

I searched out a salon and found just the right one. This woman was so excited to do this basic makeover, sort of. I really didn't know what I wanted but the funniest thing happened. Before I was going to go to the 10:00 appointment, I happened on the movie "Father of the Bride" on TV. I saw the kind of haircut I wanted on Diane Keaton, Nina, in the movie. So I went online, found some pictures and took them with me.

At the salon I met Angie. She is one of the owners of Salon 52 which she opened two years ago. We talked and decided on what to do and she went to work. I got highlights, color, and a cut. She even threw in an eyebrow color and waxing which I had never heard of. The end result was really just the cut I wanted. While the style is cut with bangs, I can either sweep them to the side or wear them down and it is easy to care for.

Of course, the true test is after you wash and dry your hair yourself, to see if you can get just what you got at the salon and guess what, I can!

Maybe haircuts are a normal part of life for most people, but this was a big deal to me. I realy like it!

Hope

Well, you knew it had to come. I have to comment on this monumental day! I am now almost 54 years old and for the first time in my life, I am engrossed in the election process. I have been following this contest from primary to tonight. I am in one of two counties in the state of Washington that still has in person polls for voting. My husband and I arrived to vote after work and much to our dismay, the line was out the door and when I asked someone who was leaving how long it had taken them, they said 1 1/2 hours! But, as luck would have it, the line for last names beginning with "I" was empty! It took us less than 15 minutes to get our ballot and vote!

What struck me though, was the line of people waiting to vote. A mother with a sleeping child in her arms and two more at her side, restless and wanting to get out of there, had been in line for an hour. She wanted her children to experience the unique and wondrous right of voting. I am sure she must have been an Obama supporter. There was a 19 year old, first time voter. He could barely contain himself and an hours wait was nothing for him to exercise this right for the first time in his life. I am sure he was an Obama supporter. There was an older gentleman doing nothing but grumbling about the wait, the process, the unfairness of it all. I am sure he was a McCain supporter.

When I finally got my ballot, I sat down to vote. Okay, as corny as it sounds, I actually got choked up being able to draw that black line to vote for Obama/Biden. I am incredibly proud to have been able to be a minute part of history in that regard. As I write this, no conclusion has been drawn. It is still anybody's race (although with Pennsylvania and Ohia in Obama's court, I doubt that Mc Cain can pull it out). What I do know is that this election has brought a nation together. They may not be voting for the same person, candidate, SNL impersonation, but they are all voting. I doubt this nation has seen a turnout such as this. The voters who are out there for the first time voting are now hooked. They will forever take this process seriously for what it is worth. It truly is unique in the world.

I believe that when my sons travel Europe this summer, they will no longer have to be ashamed to be from the US. The healing in the world will now begin. The healing OF the world will now begin because one of the most important things about this election is that I truly believe Barack Obama will protect our environment for generations to come.

I am so proud at this moment in time.