Alive and Kickin'

Once upon a time, Chesapeake Bay Daughter graduated high school and delivered the best Valedictorian speech her mother had ever heard.

One of these days Chesapeake Bay Woman will post the video of that speech, which was funny and relaxed and awesome and perfectly delivered--even if she, the mother, does say so herself.

Then, one day, forty thousand and ten other things happened, including sporadic internet and laptop functionality, and Chesapeake Bay Woman let her blog die slide.

In spite of all outward appearances, this blogger blog isn't dead.  Not yet.

There is too much to report and not enough time to do so. At least not until this blogger is Empty Nesting (effective mid-August).  So much has happened here in Mathews since I last checked in.

I promise to return to regular blogging updates as soon as time permits.

I hope all is well in your world!

Rainbow

Last evening, although there wasn't really any rain in the forecast, we had a little shower on top of the 4,869 other rain showers we've had practically every single day and night since January May 1, 2016.

The difference this time is the rain left behind the gift of a rainbow.

From a distance, the pot of gold appeared to be right on the sandy beach of Cow Point, at the mouth of Queens Creek.

Zooming in, however, the pot of gold appeared to be several feet underwater.

There was not just one but two rainbows visible.

A rare treat indeed.

As usual I have nothing but the excuse of being busy for not blogging lately, but with the school year coming to a close, Daughter's graduation nigh, and work being busier than ever, etc., I've had to pick and choose my priorities.

Daughter is unofficially Valedictorian, and is already starting to receive notification of scholarships--which is welcome news indeed.  We're all very excited for and proud of her.  Graduation is Saturday, June 18, orientation to UVA's School of Architecture is July 11-12, and she's off for good mid-August.

I'll try to post more often once we survive these next major milestones.

Graduation 2014

Saturday, after what seemed like only a year from first dropping him off at preschool, my son Sam graduated from Mathews High School.

When the first of only two grandchildren in the Vogel family graduates, we make sure to celebrate appropriately.  Middle Sis flew in from Georgia, and Baby Sis came from Richmond.

Middle Sis

My mother is the only one of our immediate family who did not graduate from
Mathews High School; she went to Gloucester High.
 Mathews was originally part of Gloucester.
  So that's close enough.

My mother was there in the hospital room when Sam was born.  As a toddler, he'd happily go from our Northern Virginia house to Mathews with her when she'd come to pick him up for a weekend.
There was no such thing as separation anxiety for him, particularly where Nanny was concerned. 

There might be one person in this bunch who is starting to feel some separation anxiety.
But she's also very happy.

L to R, representing MHS classes of 1984, 2014, 1982 and 1988.

Emily Brown, who I want to adopt as my own, was co-valedictorian.
Her father informed me they weren't ready to give her up for adoption just yet.
But I still keep asking.  

When Sam was born, there were complications involving oxygen deprivation that caused the nurses to whisk him away immediately.  When the pediatrician finally stopped by to give me an update, which didn't sound particularly great, I asked, "Will there be any long-term effects?"
"We can't know for sure," was her very somber response.
This is Reason 4,562 that I am grateful he successfully made it to this day.

Two Mr. Sandersons:  The one on the left coached my mother and me when we played on the Cobbs Creek softball team in the summer league back in the 1980s.  The Mr. Sanderson on the right, his son, was one of Sam's Governor's School teachers.  They are both great men.

The Mathews High School Class of 1982 was well represented.  Here are my classmates Catherine Miller Owens, whose niece Amanda Miller graduated, and Lucy Ellen Smith, who was there to support a graduate whose parents couldn't be there.  I love these girls.
(Middle and Baby Sis hover in the background, pondering the meaning of life.)

My Two Sams
Sam Vogel graduated from Mathews High in 1958.

If only her parents would let me adopt her, I could call this a family photo.
Emily has a very bright future ahead and will attend University of California, Berkeley.

After graduation came the celebratory dinner that included grilled tuna, marinated flank steak,
 a CB Mother-made salad, kale, baked potatoes and, of course, champagne.
Middle Sis also made her world-famous macaroni and cheese.
(If the American Legion Hall can claim to have world-famous breakfasts, I'm sure I can use that descriptor for her macaroni and cheese. Regardless, if it isn't world-famous yet, it should be.)

The ingredients list for the recipe of my emotions, now that graduation is over, is complex.

I am grateful, honored, proud, relieved, humbled, privileged, happy, sad, scared, exhausted--lots of things.

  

Most of all, I am grateful.

I don't take anything for granted and am extremely grateful we all made it to this point.

Next stop, college.

Graduation

Sunday afternoon I headed to Sandpiper Reef in Hallieford to participate in a very special celebration.

This beautiful young lady, Maggie, graduated from Mathews High School Saturday.

I've known Maggie since she was knee high to a giraffe.
(She's tall as well as gorgeous.)

The celebration included crabs.

And also some crabs.

After that, there were more crabs.

Followed by crabs.

Beautiful, succulent crabs.

Remember Blue Collar Joe's, home of the World's Most Heavenly Doughnut?

 (Click here for that post.)

Well, Blue Collar Joe's doughnuts made an appearance at this Crab Feast Fest.

Mr. Blue Collar Joe is Maggie's uncle.

(Pardon me.  Can't type right now.  Wiping drool off the keyboard. I do not eat doughnuts.  But I live for these doughnuts.  Amen.)

Then, of course, in case it hasn't been mentioned before except that it has, there were still. more. gorgeous. crabs.

A good time was had by all.

The End.


Congratulations to Anonymous Hallieford Resident's Daughter Maggie and the MHS class of 2011.


Maggie, you have so many gifts and so much to offer.


The world is your perfectly seasoned steamed crab oyster.