Friday, September 4, 2009

the end of summer

I don't know exactly how the entire summer got away from me, but I haven't posted a thing on my blog since May.

Our lovely daughter is installed in her dorm room at the University of Oklahoma. She was accepted into the school of drama and is delighted with her schedule. Unlike most majors, the dramaturgy program sprinkles drama courses through all four years. This semester, she is taking costume construction, intro to acting, logic, government, and make-up. Believe it or not, this is the recommended course of study for a first semester freshman. Needless to say, the girl is in tall cotton.

I am having a much easier time than expected with her departure. That might have something to do with the fact that, so far, she's slept at home at least one night of her weekends. It's hard to miss a kid who's here weekly. She calls every other day or so to tell me about her days. I find it quite amusing that she usually tells me more about what she's eaten that day than what's being discussed in classes. Last night she called me because she needed to do laundry, which required that I deposit money onto something called a "Sooner Card". She planned to do laundry and study for her first test, which is in logic. When I took logic, it was a philosophy course. In OU's dramaturgy program, logic satifies her math requirement. I would have killed to sub logic for college algebra!

Middle son is a sophomore in high school and the little guy is a fifth grader this year. The house is quieter with just the two of them here. Who knew an 18 year old girl could cause so much ruckus? The boys ask about their sister and are happy to talk to her on the phone but don't seem to miss her much. One of them made the comment that she wasn't here much more when she lived with us. I think that's an exaggeration. Maybe.

So, life goes on without much change. I admit to being surprised.

I'll leave you with photos of my front yard as it looks today with fall just around the corner. The shots of the roses are just for you, Laurie.





burgundy cotton crape myrtle and daylilies

yellow queen gallardia, barberry and grasses



another shot of the gallardia, with burning bush and blue boy roses

purple fountain grass, yellow lantana, tri-color sedum


lily, painted fern, and ginger caladium


spurred butterfly pea


mandevilla

blue butterfly pea with double blossoms

climbing rose

shrub rose

the blue boy rose again

10 comments:

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

So glad your lovely daughter is settling in well at college. And your garden is looking lovely. Mine is a wreck after the high winds and rain we've been having. I miss America so very, very much.

Jennifer said...

My friend Nancy is a Sooner! You Oklahoma fans make Alabama fans look tame. I drove through Oklahoma this summer, past a giant billboard with a working countdown to Sooner football. Now THAT'S devotion!! Glad to hear it's not too painful to let them fly. I am dreading that part of child rearing....the actual letting go!

elizabethm said...

Hi stranger! Lovely to hear from you. Glad your daughter is having a good time and that you are settling to the next stage of parenting so well. x

Babaloo said...

Good to hear that your daughter is settling in so well. And her classes sound very interesting indeed!

And you've got some lovely flowers in your garden! I'm quite jealous. Ours has drowned in all the rain we've had this 'summer'. Ah well, here's to a nice and sunny autumn!

willowtree said...

Do I know you? ;)

Beth said...

Wow, make-up is a course? I lovë the expression "in tall cotton" and this is the first time I've ever heard it! Good to know you're all settling into your changed lives, and the roses are beautiful!

Faye said...

Is your climber a Peace rose, Kim? My only experiment with climbers many years ago and it was smashing--huge blooms tumbling over the fence. I can only imagine how much time you've spent watering this summer to keep the landscaping in that good a condition.

Glad daughter is happy in school--is Project Runway required watching for the costume construction class? It probably should be. BTW, Sophie is very cute. Do her siblings like her?

Kim said...

Come see me, Coffee. Seems I have an empty bedroom these days. Sorry you're missing America.

Oh, yeah, Sooner fans are a little rabid, Jennifer. But it's all in fun. Mostly.

I'm happy she's doing so well, Elizabeth. I wonder if I'd be taking it as easily if it were the little guy.

They do sound interesting, Babaloo. She loves them. Hubby thinks she should have to take real classes like math and science!

I don't know, WT. Who are you?

Beth, that's a rural Southern expression that I inherited courtesy of my father and his father. There's no telling how many things come out of my mouth that you've never heard before!

It's not a peace rose, Faye, although it does get a little pink blush around the edges as it ages. I don't remember the name anymore, but it has yellow in it. Sophie is much loved, especially by Jack. I think Maddy could take her or leave her sometimes.

Jen said...

I love the pictures of the roses, even if they were for Laurie :) YOur garden is lovely. You still post more than I do...somewhere my life took a left turn away from the blog.

laurie said...

i love the roses! and i am also glad to have names put to some of the other flowers, which i recognize from my neighbors (certainly not from my own yard, where i kill everything).

i would flunk makeup.

i did take logic, and, like you, it was a philosophy class, not a math class. i stlll remember some of it, but it did not make me very logical.