Friday Five: Back to School

Courtesy of Mother Laura at the RevGals, it's time for a Back-To-School Friday Five!

1. Is anyone going back to school, as a student or teacher, at your house? How's it going so far?

WH is back in front of the classroom this fall, teaching two sections of Music History to first year students. There are 120 students in one of his classes, and 13 in the other. It's going well, and it's a syllabus that he loves to teach, but his voice is tired! We have both been hit by the first colds of the year.

2. Were you glad or sad when back-to-school time came as a kid?

Usually glad... I always liked having new school supplies; it always felt like POTENTIAL.

3. Did your family of origin have any rituals to mark this time of year? How about now?

We used to go to Prairie City's Folk Festival every year in early August as a kind of last hurray before the wind-up for school began. WH are always trying to cram in as much BBQ-ing as we can in the last weeks of August. Sigh.

4. Favorite memories of back-to-school outfits, lunchboxes, etc?

My only memory of lunchboxes is how many of them I lost, or left in my desk for disgustingly long periods of time. I think that it was much less stressful for us all when I started getting lunches in brown paper bags.

5. What was your best year of school?

First year university. I knew that the world had to be bigger and more interesting than high school had been, and first year of university proved me right. I liked being able to choose my own social group, I liked being able to come and go at my own speed, and I liked being so much more in control of my own learning.

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I am so distracted this morning by the forecasters reports of Ike, and the ominous warning of "certain death" for people who remain in the hurricane's path. What a horrible and frightening thing to be facing...

Almighty and merciful God, throught the intercession of the holy Mother of God, Mary, and of the holy angels, patriarchs, propets, apostles, martyrs, confessiors, virgins, widows, and all saints, extend to us we implore you your continual protection; make the storm to cease and the angry elements to give forth a blessing from heaven upon us unworthy; preserve from all the dangers with which their destroying power threatens us, our dwellings, and the fruits of the earth; Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.