Wow, it has been 6 years since I have done a blog entry! 

A lot has happened. I fully retired, have been on many trips, including some overseas, have lost relatives and friends that I dearly loved, and have been taking it easy. 

Retirement has allowed me to fully explore my genealogy. I have found many secrets and surprises hidden in my family. My mother's family has roots among the Mayflower Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians. Amazing! I continue to explore. 

I have lost both of my parents. Both lived into their 90's, for which I am grateful. The family had them for such a long time. 

I have lost two very good friends, both from college, and with whom I communicated frequently. That was very hard. One passed from complications of prostate cancer and the other passed from complications of surgery and COPD. I recently also realized that a fellow microbiology student friend from college had passed when I tried to send him a message on LinkedIn. He apparently had some form of dementia and spent the last years of his life in managed care.  

I have been contemplating my own mortality and wondering if I am ready. I don't feel ready. I have so much more that I want to do!

I will try to continue my writing in describing my college years. Next time!

Three Months Until College!

The week before graduation was wonderful because all seniors had to do was show up for rehearsals. Then we went home to relax. No final exams. We were done. The rehearsals were annoying with endless singing of the school song to make sure everyone knew it. We had to learn how to line up like we did in elementary school to walk down the aisle through the chairs in the gym. We had to walk to Pomp and Circumstance, slowly, and fill the bleachers one by one. Girls were in white gowns, boys were in red. We sat precisely to make perfect columns of red and white in the bleachers.

Class Gift and Prophecy night was the night before graduation. Committee members gave out funny gifts to each classmate based on their personalities or idiosyncrasies. I was given a baseball hat, symbolizing my enjoyment of the sport. I cannot remember what my prophecy was. I really should try to find out....if I ever find my yearbook. Local scholarships were awarded. I received several small ones. They added up to be able to buy books for college.

Graduation was ceremonious and nerve-wracking because of the speech I had to give. I surprised myself though and was calmer than I ever expected. Mr. Walsh had thoroughly prepared us for the speech, lots of practice. Suddenly it was all over and we were graduates...lots of crying and laughter!

College-Searching

Compared to the great lengths I endured to make sure that my kids went to the college of their choice, my own college search was uneducated and haphazard. My parents hadn't gone to college, hadn't a clue where to start, and gave me no real guidance. Even my guidance counselor was no help, so I turned to friends and teachers.

My friend wanted to go to RPI and I tagged along on a college visit with her to RPI. We, or, rather, she, had an interview, and as I was with her, they gave me one too. She was determined to become a doctor. I guess the college was impressed with her enthusiasm and the fact that she was valedictorian of our class. I remember being very nervous and at the time, was undecided on a major. I am sure that I came across as unsure of myself even though I was in the top 3 in my class. I did not apply to RPI but my friend successfully was accepted.

Where did I apply? I applied to Union College in Schenectady, NY. The college was accepting women that year after previously being an all-male school. I though it would be very cool to be in that first class. I was accepted there with no scholarship money. So there was no choice, I could not attend. I also applied to Elms College, where my biology teacher went. My mom took me for a visit there, but it was a bit too strict Catholic for me. I was accepted and declined. I applied to UMass Amherst and was offered a nice scholarship to attend...a no-brainer. It was perfect for me...not too far from home, a big campus with lots to do, lots of science majors to choose from. I couldn't wait to start school!

High School Girls' Basketball

At the end of my junior year, everyone who wanted to be a cheerleader senior year had to try out all over again. There was a new cheerleading advisor and she wanted to shake things up. No longer would we automatically "fly up" to varsity cheerleader. So I tried out and wasn't chosen...it was rigged to churn out a couple of people and bring in some new. I was devastated.

However, for me, it turned out to be a good thing in the end. I tried out for the girls' basketball team and it wasn't hard to get picked for the team. The girls' basketball coach already knew I was a good player and I was a starter on the team. I got to play with one of my best friends and got to know some girls who were genuine and fun to be with.

We had so much fun on the bus traveling to away games and stopping at MacDonald's for burgers after the games. We weren't glamorous at all. It's kind of hard to be glamorous when you are running for an hour getting so sweaty that you have to peel off the uniform after the game.

We traveled all over Berkshire County and southern VT and played in the only girls' league in any sport at that time.

More High School Secrets

I haven't written here in months and I am feeling guilty. Work and life have taken me away from adding to the blog entries. I will have more free time in the future as I am stepping away from half of my work responsibilities. I am now semi-retired and working part-time.

So how do I really view my high school years? I guess I look back and remember them as being a confusing but structured time in my life. Like most busy students, I tried to balance school and some sort of social and extracurricular life. I spent some Saturday nights at "The Center", dancing the night away and meeting boys outside of my own high school. I skipped some CCD nights to head to the Crest and look at the local guys. I wasn't popular but I managed dates to a few dances. I spent more time in the gym playing sports with my friends and I studied more than I would like to admit. College was on my mind and I knew I needed to get there.

I was a member of "Pro Merito", a National Honor Society type of group. One had to have a B+ average to get in and my grades were better than that. Each year the Pro Merito group traveled to Washington, DC and further south to Richmond, VA and Williamsburg, VA to see the historical sights. We worked on fundraisers to earn money for the trip and it was quite a trip! The chaperones mostly left us alone when we were not on the bus traveling around. We had free time to take in "What Do You Say to a Naked Lady" at Loew's Theater in Richmond and to drink southern comfort sours in our rooms at the John Marshall Hotel. It was the first time I had a little too much to drink and I had a hangover the next day when we went to Williamsburg.

I made some boy friends on the trip, guys that I had known for years as classmates but never got to know further socially. We all got drunk together and slept it off on the bus. That trip did get me an invite to the prom; my friend Al became a little more than a friend and asked me to the prom.

Another Classmate Gone Too Soon

I am sitting here wondering: Why not me? I had a stroke in August. Why did I survive and another friend pass away?

A friend whom I had known all through high school and who had been in nearly all of my classes passed away while on vacation. He had suffered from prostate cancer, had chemo and radiation, then metastasis, more chemo and radiation, surgery, and all of the emotional repercussions. He was finally feeling well enough to get away for some vacation time. He posted photos on Facebook to chronicle his trip, friends, family, and then one day, there were no posts. He had been stopped by a massive heart attack. The shock reverberated throughout my classmates.

Mike was one of those people who was almost an apologetic leader. He never seemed that confident in himself, though he always had an opinion and people listened to him. He had a ready smile and a joke for everyone. Smart and athletic, he was very successful, lived life, and was liked by so many. He was honest, sincere, and a friend to all. His wife was one of the luckiest people alive to have married Mike. She got one of the all-time good guys. Our class will surely miss him.

I stole numerous photos, all funny, from his Facebook page. They will come in handy for the next reunion. We will all be reminiscing, knowing that he was gone too soon.

Lazy Hazy Days of Summer

Summers in my home town sometimes seemed endless. We walked or biked wherever we needed to go. One of my favorite places was the town library. I would walk there once per week and come home with about 5 novels at a time. I would finish them all in a week. What did I read? Mostly Gothic novels of romance. I could live vicariously because I never had a boyfriend of my own until I was in college. I would lose myself in those novels and imagine my own Prince Charming. I often sat on the front porch to read in my favorite chair. It was a great place to be by yourself and enjoy the quiet.

There were so many places to wander and cool off... Big Basin, Gray Rock, Indian Pond, Peck's Brook, Anthony's Pond. We swam in all of the frigid brook holes in the local streams. The water coming off the mountains was very cold. One could be warm in those streams only when it was 90 degrees for a few days.

Hiking was also a popular pastime...Mt Greylock, the Cobbles, local pastures. We would walk or bike to the trails and spend all day hiking and exploring. We would eat our lunches at the top and enjoy the views.

Playing softball was also a favorite of mine. The local playgrounds fielded teams and sometimes we played other towns' girls' teams. I was a first baseman but also played second base and short field. I had a pretty good swing and did not like to strike out. My nickname was "Harmon" for Harmon Killebrew.