SUMMER OLYMPICS OVERLOAD

Is it just me, or are the Olympics going to last forever?  I did look forward to them and to seeing a few scenes of London, but seventeen days may just be too long.  For example, I've always enjoyed Olympic swimming and made a point to watch it.  But, goodness, how many hundreds of swimming events can there actually be?  Really?  No wonder my skin is as wrinkled as a prune at the end of the evening.  That's a lot.

And, I did watch a little of the Womens Water Polo which is another sport that requires muscles and an inordinate amount of stamina.  That's a lot of treading water and swimming all while having to stay alert, dodge and throw.  I have a friend  whose granddaughter took advantage of a full-ride scholarship to Stanford to play water polo.  Stanford!  Water Polo!   Actually, after the granddaughter graduated and was offered a job, she chose instead to go to Australia and play water polo with a team there.  Grandma was in shock.  However, Australian water polo experience does seem to be a fairly direct route to the Olympics.  Just not in her case.

Nobody could not like Gabby Douglas.  She is so cute--her smile goes on forever and lights up the stadium.  Her muscles also.  Wow!  I thought she seemed much less cranky than the rest of the team.  They looked mean, angry and snippy most of the time.  I don't want to be around them. By contrast, when Gabby is pulling herself into the moment she just seems worried.  On finals night she definitely seemed worried, but she performed well and walked away with the shiny gold medal.

Speaking of performing...I'm missing the grace and easy flow the gymnasts of yesterday possessed.  Well, the ice skaters too, back in the day.  Remember Peggy Fleming?  Today, athleticism rules, and it's all Triple Sowchows for the skaters, and ever increasing twists, turns and flips for the gymnasts.  I think they have a much harder time performing a perfect program because today's requirements are just too difficult.  The floor exercise, which used to resemble ballet, has become an endurance event that involves running hell bent toward the opposite corner, flipping an impossible number of times in the process, pausing to pant, and doing it again. They seem to take four runs at it, interspersed with a brief period of writhing on the floor but, fortunately, they hold that to a minimum.  Their effortless ascent from the floor, however, is phenomenal.  I had forgotten the human body could do that.

I just looked it up.  The Olympics will run until August 12th.  They are going on forever.  In this house, depending on the time of day, one can find Olympics on Channels 12, 60, 62, 63, and 69.  There aren't enough TVs in the neighborhood to avoid them.  BC, though, is loving it.  Track and Field is a favorite of his.

ONLY THE SHADOWS KNOW

 We were thrilled recently when Granddaughter Molly texted with news she had a week long workshop in Scottsdale, and could she come early and stay with us?  "Of Course!", we texted back.  "We'd love it!"  Personally, I take it as a great compliment that a grown-up granddaughter would want to spend time with her grandparents!  Next text introduced us to Tyler, Molly's friend, whom we immediately welcomed as well.

Unfortunately, the kids walked off the plane into 118 degree heat which, obviously, limited activities during their visit.  We headed for the hills the next day with Sedona as our destination.  

On our itinerary, we stop first at Chapel of the Holy Cross, built into one of Sedona's mountains/hills.  It's a small (tiny) Catholic Chapel, designed with a glass wall behind the altar that opens to the gorgeous Sedona landscape.  Being a Catholic Church, the two walls nearest the altar are lined with votive candle stands, and we never fail to light a candle for my Mom.  We've lit candles for her coast to coast and in every foreign church we've visited.  She was a staunch Catholic who, herself, was an frequent candle-lighter for all causes large and small.  I have a great deal of respect for those who pause to pray for a moment or two, then walk forward with some amount of reverence to light a candle.  It's that kind of place.  During this visit, I continued my quest to capture an adequate photo or two of the chapel interior, and very carefully did that tippy-toes and no flash.  I knew I might have captured the moment when I looked up to see a couple, candles lit and heads bowed, silhoueted against the window.     

 But, as I lightened my photo, post-processing, I gasped.  Well, not gasp exactly, more like fell off my chair.  I have a pile of Chapel of the Holy Cross pictures, all of which are dark as the Ace of Spades.  Who knows what secrets lurk in them?  It could be a fun hunt!

On, as usual, to Tlaquepaque where Molly discovered my favorite porcine.  I had posed with him a couple of years ago.  He's great!  Molly and Tyler--Come back soon.  We have places to go, things to see, and people to meet.  Thank You for perking up our lives!

OF SPRING AND GRADUATIONS, II

We've had two graduations this year.  Collin graduated from Kindergarten (See July 16, 2012 Post) while Caleb just received his Masters.  Whereas, graduations are pretty much graduations, there are some important differences in these two. 

When Collin graduated, the room was carefully decorated to symbolize graduation.  Tables nicely set, kids dressed up, and the stage decorated by an LA Balloon Designer who does a variety of Red Carpet events.  (He's also the daddy of one of Collin's classmates.)  Caleb, by contrast, graduated in Bramlage Coliseum at K-State.  It lacks just a lot in atmosphere but, to its credit, the big screen helps with the small details!  

Collin and his friends were already in the room and simply lined up for their graduation ceremony.  Caleb and the few hundred grad students walking with him, were piped in by a very official looking piper.  I have absolutely no idea how that tradition began, or even if it is a tradition.  I don't remember it from other K-State graduations, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.  Actually, a lot of things anymore are like that...

Collin's two teachers were the speakers at his graduation, but Caleb got Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense, who gave a really great speech.  It's wasn't exactly an "upper" but it was well-done and very thoughtful.  I was impressed.  One would think Robert Gates graduated from K-State and had been invited back to speak, but he's a William & Mary guy.  He's from Kansas, though, and in this part of the country...that's close enough.

Collin, you might remember, received both a little graduation certificate as well as an award for kindness.  Caleb received an empty K-State padded folder.  The actual degree "is in the mail."

Caleb is the definite family star today.  He's surrounded by his Mom, sister and brother-in-law, and his super-accountant dad who, even as he poses, is running figures through his head related to the raise he just received as Caleb officially graduated and, even better, goes to work on Monday!  It's a good day for Dad.. 

Collin got to pose and smile with his little sister.  This is NOT Caleb's little sister.

And, per new family tradition, got to wear really silly graduation antennae for the rest of the afternoon.

Congratulations, Caleb.  A job really well done!

Grandma and Dr. C.