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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Rise and Shout, Former Cougars are Out



35 years ago I rolled into this campus with a suitcase full of homemade clothes and no clue about what I wanted to study.  I spent two wonderful years, learning a lot, but left without a degree or a husband.  A few years later I acquired a husband, but the only degree I ever earned was my license to mother, and I awarded that to myself.


This week I'm back, attending BYU's annual Education Week.  I'm sleeping on a rock hard bed in a miniscule dorm room with a loud mini refrigerator, remembering why I like my mattress, even if it does have a ridge like the rocky mountains.




I brought along another BYU drop out, my Mom.  She came out here on the train from Michigan, 56 years ago.  She was only 17 and when she met my good looking cowboy Dad, she left without a degree too, marrying him and moving to Arizona.   He graduated from the University of Arizona and she began her Mom career.  She kept after it, eventually earning an advanced Mothering degree after producing eleven children. 



We have attended two days worth of classes so far, learning along with 20,000 other people who have to choose from 1030 different classes.  Today I took a classes about humor, genealogy, psychology, angels, Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt and another one I fell asleep in.  My brain isn't used to exercise.


Tonight I'm sitting on my bed of granite eating dinner... Doritos, a brownie and a diet Dr. Pepper that I smuggled on to BYU's caffeine free campus.  

Forgive me, learning is hard work.



15 comments:

Pondside said...

That's your mother??? She is gorgeous!

Pondside said...

....of course, that didn't read quite as I meant it...I mean, why shouldn't your mother be gorgeous?.....it's the fact that she is a great grandmother and looks like that!

jen said...

Scoundrel. Caffeine? They have dogs that sniff that out up there. Leave them a bone, and they'll go home, wagging their tails behind them.
One day I'll have old enough kids that I can go. Attend and learn something for me.

Karli said...

ok, so I totally saw you today coming out of the Wilkinson Center crossing the street to the parking-lot by the Law building! I waved, but you were looking at something, and I was on the phone so I couldn't get your attention.

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

Eleven kids? And she looks like that? Maybe that's my problem---I stopped at 3. She's beautiful!

Our life histories are similar. No degree here either, something I've always regretted. I met my hubby in college and I stayed in school after we married, but when I got pregnant a year later that was that. Baby came first (baby is 29 now).

Holly said...

What a trooper you are! My brain hurts just thinking about it. Don't you dare get any smarter while you are there or the lunch thing is totally off!

just call me jo said...

Well look at you all educated. Yeah, college is challenging. Your mother is gorgeous like you. That dinner is not going to serve you well in those final exams. (I'd never make it at BYU if you can't have caffeine. No wonder I went to USU. Go Aggies!!)

Unknown said...

I thought I smelled something different in the wind up here. ;)

Susan Anderson said...

Education week is so much fun. But you're right; it's thirsty work.

;)

PS. Can't believe you took a class in humor. You oughta be teaching one!

Grammy Goodwill said...

Thanks for this post. I really enjoyed it. I'm still laughing about you smuggling in caffeine. I can't believe your mom had 11 children. WOW!

karen said...

I've never been to Education Week, but you make it look fun! I hope you have a wonderful time. Sneak a Diet Coke for me.

Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...

Cougar on! It can't be all bad, you have each done well, lived well and loved well! Hope you also have a great time, and love the whole smuggle of caffeine.......what a rebel.

MTeacress said...

HaHa! Maybe they have caffeine free Dr. Pepper in Utah. They seem to have caffeine free everything else. But it probably wouldn't be the same, huh? ;)

Ann in the UP said...

I'm sure those family pictures of you and your siblings must have some real lookers in them. I agree, your mom is lovely.

Your day sounds pretty challenging to me. I would surely have fallen asleep during one of them, because it would have landed during my nap time. Habit die hard.

Rebecca said...

This is BIG stuff! I had no idea you were going to start college and, aren't you married? How the heck do you leave the hubby and go to sleep on a hard plastic mattress opposed to the mountain of a hill one next to your hubby? So curious of your draw there....if it IS the Lord, I pray you meet Him ;) Seriously-like some good one on one time-Him and Him alone-freed from man's 'wisdom' and religion. May the Lord bless your endeavors towards His heart-have a fantastic week, SUCKING up the freedom's His blood bought and paid for, including that caffinated Dr. Pepper! ;D