Mother Laura of RevGalBlogPals writes:

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?
The Harpist is starting her senior year of high school. She’s working on her SIP (Senior Independent Project), writing college essays and trying to be a teen. She’s hangingin there.

Reedy Girl is finishing middle school this year. Her biggest challenge will be Algebra. Everything else she seems to absorb and understand with ease.

Yours truly is in week 3 of the fall semester. Classes include: Church History I (through the Reformation), World Religions and Pastoral Care, Counseling and Conflicts. I’m tired, stressed and have a lot of reading and writing to do. More than usual.

2. Were you glad or sad when back-to-school time came as a kid?
Who are you kidding? Of course I was sad! I loved the free time of summer — playing outside, friends, swimming, summer camp… sigh

3. Did your family of origin have any rituals to mark this time of year? How about now?
We combine our back-to-school shopping with the purchase of school supplies for a “sister school” where the kids need help to get all of the supplies they need. When we can afford it, we buy everything from backpacks to lunch boxes. The kids do most of the selecting (who knew that there were good/bad brands of pencil cap erasers and crayons?) I try to have some kind of special breakfast foods that they like — a toss-up between chocolate chip frozen waffles and scones!

4. Favorite memories of back-to-school outfits, lunchboxes, etc?
My mom did not “do” school lunches. We were always given money to buy our lunches. I remember that the school lunches were awful, particularly in the South.

One year at my elementary school (Ebinport ES), we had a new principal who was going on at great length about waste, etc. It was put on your tray. You were to eat it. I simply could NOT bring myself to eat greens (I think they were collard greens, but it didn’t matter.) He took me to task and told me that my parents would be quite upset if I didn’t eat the greens. I said, “no, they wouldn’t. My dad says greens look and taste like grass clippings!” The greens were left on the plate in front of me. If I would only TRY them, I could go outside to recess. I was quiet adamant about it, would not even taste them, and missed recess that day as punishment. He was mad. I was mad. I went home mad.

I’m sure my parents had a great laugh about it, but I didn’t know it at the time. My mom just said, “you don’t have to eat greens, dear, just be polite about it.”

The next day, greens were served again. The principal looked at my untouched pile and walked on by. (Thanks, Mom and Dad….) To this day, I still do NOT like greens. Grass clippings. Dad had it pegged!

5. What was your best year of school?
Umm…. I had fun in high school. Had friends in elementary and middle school. Enjoyed my years at Ohio State and U Miami. And now, in seminary, it’s been challenging, but good. Dunno as I can pick a best year.

Deb
who is grateful to have the opportunity to get an education!!!