Around Here: July 2023

State Swim Championships happened this month, and Harper did A-OK for herself. I could give you stats, but honestly, I don’t understand anything about any of this. I adore her smile in these pictures. It is unstatable. Which is a word I just made up to say that it is immeasurable.

Please note also, that these are screenshots taken from her team’s Instagram page. Earlier this summer, a writer who is wise and lovely and thoughtful and every good thing reflected on her decision to give up IG. She doesn’t miss it. Her books still sell. She’s connected with the three dimension folk in her life. I’m sure she’s correct in what it is she’s alluding to, and also I stayed home from this competition because Hadley was coming home from camp after being away for two weeks, and what I think is there are an infinite amount of ways for children to step out into the world, spread their wings, and see about trying to fly. We get to watch some of those moments. For others, there are people in the world who do their best to capture some of those moments for us. In this case, long live the coaches and other swimmers and friends who do this for us, and long live the platforms that were created to share what is happening in the world when we can’t be there. Long live the moments that are not shared, too – the walk through the University of Michigan campus on a Saturday night with Hadley. Sharing lemonade with mint leaves, and fried chicken tacos at one of her favorite restaurants downtown that she can get us into with no wait because the hostess is one of her favorite people in the world. Long live statements like, “Camp is so fun, I cannot even explain it to you,” and she pulls out her phone and shows me pictures in an effort to try and tell me what she means: here I am being a part of this great, big world and I want you to know about it – I want you to see.

We visited Cornell, and I am ready to apply to college again. Do you think they take transfer credits, and it is OK that I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up?

We also went to Boston, and stayed in the most adorable Air Bnb. This sign and four donuts (one with rainbow sprinkles – HOW DID THEY KNOW DO YOU THINK THEY READ MY BLOG?!?!) greeted us when we walked in.

Here we are in front of a very important building. Hadley will be able to tell you which one it is because APUSH. All answers to your life’s questions can be found if you take APUSH. Me? I didn’t take the course, so every response to any question anyone had while we walked around this great city was, “Paul Revere.”

What I WAS able to point us all to were all the coffee shops and bookstores in this great city. Here is one at Harvard with a survey for the tip jar. I haven’t seen Oppenheimer, so I’m biased when I tell you I put my tip in the Barbie jar. It was Kenough as far as I’m concerned. Only one teensy tiny part bugged me, but that’s a story for another day.

At Harper’s request, we visited an art museum, and spent a bunch of time in the Greek and Roman worlds. It was a very nice (and quiet) pause after touring four colleges.

This one wanted to see about those flower lights in the background, so left the Trillium beer garden to go see about what’s sparkling, and if that isn’t a metaphor for what we’re trying to prepare her for these next two years, I’m not sure what is.

Seriously, Mom? Another bookstore? WHERE IS THE FOOTBALL STADIUM?

Here we are at the Penn State library, which is one of the first libraries that housed American Literature, which ruffled some red coattails because it had always been English Literature. I think all turned out well though, and we can chalk it all up to the importance of learning that we all have unique ways to write stories (and nobody can write our stories for us). I’m not sure, though. I’ll bet Hadley knows. I’ll ask her.

A friendly reminder that applications for my Heart to Page course are due August 10. Details about the course can be found here.