Dean College

I had to be in Franklin yesterday and was right down the street from my old college. It was a beautiful day so I thought I would check out my old stomping grounds. So glad I did!  So many memories came flooding back. 

This was my old dorm...37 years ago!!! Oh my Lord I feel so old. My last year I lived in the room with the three windows at the top left of the center brick section...  

Right there...

Good old Wallace Hall...

And this was my room my first year at Dean.  It was also in Wallace Hall. The three windows on the left on the second floor....

No air-conditioning!  We had to rough it back in my day.  Not like the way our kids are spending their days in their college dorms. Julia had the view of the ocean her freshman year at college : |  and Nicholas has his own room and bathroom in his HOUSE. 

My view out my dorm window was the courtyard and Ewen Hall. Lots of our friends lived in there...

These are the stairs behind my dorm that go to Jones Hall. My boyfriend at the time lived there my first year...many trips were made down those stairs...

Another view of Ewen Hall. The grounds are so well taken care of. Such a beautiful campus...

Back in my day, this sign said "Dean JUNIOR College". Oh how we all wished it was a 4-year college back then. Lucky kids get to go there for four years now....

It's a small (only 1200 full time students) but mighty campus...

Look how beautiful...

So much time was spent on that quad going to classes, sitting in the sunshine, hanging with friends and cutting through to go to the dining hall.  Speaking of the dining hall...the end of my very last semester there, the college was building a brand new student center. It's really nice. Too bad we didn't get to take advantage of it back in our day...

And this is out in the back of the student center. So nice...

Another look at Dean Hall on the walk back to my car...

And the corner bank with the ATM machine. I know...but many memories there too...

If you're looking for a smaller campus in a really nice New England town...Dean College may be for you!!  I loved it there and would definitely choose it again!!  Oh...and they have a really great dance program and dance team! : ) 

And I bought a T-shirt!! 

Happy Father's Day

A father is the roof

the umbrella for the team

shoulders strong as mountains

and laughing eyes that gleam

a love like this is gifted

not everyone is blessed

so hug your father tight

each more tighter than the rest

and if you cannot hold

your father anymore

look deep inside your soul 

he's there within your core

so here's to a day for you, Dad

let us shower you with love

to each and every father

on this earth and up above 

Delicious dinner of steak, smashed potatoes, roasted carrots and corn on the cob with smores and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Having all the kids home and sitting around the table at the same time was the best. Happy Father's Day Daniel! 

It's all going to be OK

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finish every day and be done with it.

You have done what you could. 

Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; 

forget them as soon as you can. 

Tomorrow is a new day;

begin it well and serenely

and with too high a spirit

to be cumbered with 

your old nonsense. 

This day is all that is good and fair.

It is too dear, 

with its hopes and invitations,

to waste a moment on yesterdays. 

My Guardian Angel

Before I left the house today, I asked my Dad to be with me. It was the type of day when I really needed him. Just a daughter needing her Dad type of day. So I just knew he would be with me. 

While I was driving to my destination, I looked to see what my arrival time would be. And I saw this...

The time on my car clock: 1:01

My GPS arrival time: 1:11, 11 minutes, 11 miles

I tried to take a screenshot but I didn't get it in time. But I saw it. Call me crazy but I know what I know.

I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day in Heaven. 

Last recital EVER

Thank goodness! It's official! I don't ever have to deal with recital day ever again!! Yay!! Now having said that...don't get me wrong. I absolutely love watching my girls dance up on that stage. I have always been beyond proud of my girls. But recital day is just such an incredibly long and exhausting day...for everyone. When there were two recitals in one day, I wasn't a fan. Then the studio started doing three recitals in one day. Yesterday we left the house at 8:30 a.m. and I got home at 10:00 p.m.  Anyway, Gianna was amazing!! I just love all her dances this year. 

With Miss Jill who has been her teacher since she was just five years old...

I love watching the kids dance from back stage...

The best thing about senior year is you get front row seats for the night recital...

Supportive friends...

Such a sweet friendship between Ava and Gianna...

Big congratulations to our Gianna Mae who has performed in FOURTEEN recitals!! That is amazing dedication and a tremendous accomplishment...

Orientation

We had Gianna's orientation at SHU yesterday. What a looooong day it was...but so good! It was very well done. I think Gianna has picked her roommates. We got to meet one of them yesterday. You just never know how it's going to work out but they seem like nice girls. Hoping for the best!  

It was a "sunny" day yesterday but due to the wildfires in Canada, this is what it looked like...

The air was so smokey. It's been like that here in MA too but it was definitely worse in CT. It's just crazy that the fires are so far away and that it can travel all the way down here. It would have been a great day for an outdoor barbeque dinner celebration but it had to be held inside at the dining hall due to the terrible air quality. I miss the blue sky!!! 

We took a ride over to the West Campus (which is just down the street) to see the dance studios. They are really nice with floor to ceiling windows and Marley floors. I don't know how many dance classes she'll be taking first semester but it will be so nice to continue doing what she loves in a beautiful space.

Studio One...

Studio Two...

We also got to see the brand new hockey rink over there too. It is amazing...

I'm just so excited for her!  Such an amazing campus with so many wonderful opportunities for her!  

Zach's Graduation

Yesterday was my nephew Zach's graduation. We had a party afterwards for both Gianna and Zach. 

Zach is a smarty pants for sure. Just look at this!

His achievements include: Honors of Distinction, Latin Honors, Magna Cum Laude, National Honor Society, Presidential Award, Global Citizenship Award and Tri-M Music Honor Society!!

Zach has made such wonderful friendships in high school. It's very sad that he's leaving for USC and will be living on the west coast now.  I know he'll make a new community of friends there and will be just fine. 

The young man next to Zach is going to Harvard in the fall!! Amazing!!

Such a great group of kids...

His future is so bright!! 

Graduation Day

Our baby has graduated High School...

Graduation was delayed from yesterday because of thunderstorms. Today was actually worse. It was cold, windy and rainy but they still held it outdoors...

We were so cold but I'm sure Gianna was way colder than us. We at least had jackets, hoods and blankets...

Well Kimmy didn't have a hood so she made one from a trash bag...haha...

Crazy how Julia's was brutally hot and Gianna's was freezing cold. Nicholas actually had it the best with his Covid drive by graduation...

Lily, Kate & Gianna...

We got home to warm up and had yummy pizza and salad...and gifts...

We got her a MacBook and AirPod pros...

She's happy about that...

Me and my boy...

Kimmy and Zach...

The Cousins...

CeCe and Carolyn watched the graduation from our couch...very smart!! 

We are so proud of our girl!! Can't wait to see what the future holds for her!