A September to Remember

Maybe it’s because I’m still living in a college town or maybe everyone experiences this, but I always feel like I’m starting over when school resumes each fall. Even though I’ve been out of school for a couple of years, September still feels like a new beginning. I want to run out and buy markers and rulers and scissors and shiny new saddle shoes. I’m a big believer in new beginnings…clean slates…second chances.

This month has been a travelin’ month for me. I went to Chicago last weekend for the game against NIU. I had a wonderful time. I’d never seen Jenna and Kenny’s house before and I got to stay there. All the prego ladies and I sat around and talked about cravings. I think that’s one of the things about pregnancy I understand the most since I often have cravings for odd foods at odd times. The game was fun, our seats were marvelous and the company was good. I don’t think the people in charge of staffing concessions quite understood what a following the Hawkeyes have. They ran out of food and beer before the game was over, and the lines were painfully long since there weren’t very many people working at the concession counters. Ah well. I still managed to buy some $7.00 beers…

This past weekend I took a few days off and went home to visit good ole Bob and Kathy. The drive was gorgeous and i was so surprised to see dozens of windmills outside my hometown. It’s the Clay County Fair this week (known as “the greatest county fair in the WORLD”). Mom and I went out on Saturday and wandered around the livestock barns and checked out the commercial building. I dutifully ate some Tom Thumb donuts and bought a bag of saltwater taffy. The weekend was very low key and full of visiting friends and family I haven’t seen for awhile. It’s always nice to go home and recharge my batteries. You know…clear my head.

There’s a comfort about going back to your childhood home. Very little changes. You still trip over that same jutting edge of the driveway. Your sheets are fresh and smell like nothing you can achieve when doing your own laundry. Without trying, you remember the special trick to turning the knobs of the shower so you don’t scald yourself when you get in. The milk is still on the right hand side of the top shelf of the refrigerator and your ass groove is still embedded in the sofa in the basement. You can sleep until 11 a.m. one morning and then have your mom pull you out of bed to do chores the next.

But there are things that change. You find more and more of your classmates are married and have children. You come home to learn another of your childhood teachers or neighbors or mentors has moved away or even worse, passed away. You realize that where your nephew once stood as tall as your hip, he now reaches your waist. The one thing I always notice is how big trees have grown. But these things are a comfort as well. They remind me that growth and change can happen gradually and naturally. I like this idea. I like that important things change, but the little things don’t.

I stopped in Des Moines to see Paul and Rachel and Nick on my way back to Iowa City. We had dinner and Nick gave me a tour of the fine puppy house he had built out of couch cushions. Paul and I watched some Monday night football and then read Nick a story before bed. I hit the road and got home around midnight. It was a good weekend. I'm glad I decided to mosey on out of Iowa City for a while.