It's not every day someone turns a hundred. But today happens to be that day. My grandfather's cousin Dory is turning 100, and we helped her celebrate today at the nursing home where she is here in MD. It was an uber special occasion, and family and friends from all over were there. And last night, I thought, "man.. I'd love to live to 100!" It seems like that's the fullest life you could live...
But 100 hundred years on this earth doesn't mean a thing unless you've got people who love you, people you love, and the basic joys of life.
I admire Dory. Born in 1913, she lived through the Depression, WWI, WWII, Vietnam... She witnessed the leadership of many presidents-- from Woodrow Wilson to FDR, from Eisenhower to Reagan, and now Obama. As she celebrates her centennial, she's also witnessed all of the decades that have been so memorable to our country. She lived through the 20's. She lived through the 30's. She made things work in the hard times of the 40's. She breathed a sigh of relief in the 50's and watched in anticipation, as we raced for space into the 60's. She witnessed segregation, she witnessed the death of JFK. She lived through the bad hair and funk of the 70's... who knows-- maybe she was jamming on a dance floor in her late 50's. The 80's-- fall of the Berlin Wall and assassination of John Lennon... The 90's, with the creation of the World Wide Web and the cloning of Dolly the sheep... all leading up to a new millennium.
It was all so sweet-- we hadn't seen her for seven years. She lives kinda far away and we don't get to see her often... and after she was put in a nursing home, we didn't see her much at all. Last time I saw her I was nine. We sat on her couch at home and she gave us stuffed animals... we were in O.C. and we stopped by her place. Boo is five, so today was Dory's first time meeting her. It was so sweet. She's still going strong, too-- she was making jokes and she even sported an adorable pink glittery party hat. She was also showered with presents from her loved ones XD She also got two congratulatory plaques! One was signed by the governor/mayor of MD, and the other was signed by Barack and Michelle Obama.
It was a really special time, and I'm glad I got to be there for her special day. It's not every day one turns 100. (;
HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY, DORY! :)
...As for the other half of this blog's title...
It pertains to my dad and his interview as well as his attempt to get the job with the people in PA. Yesterday, he received an email. It was from the Penn State people, and they were taking steps to offer him the job. (This process is getting really dragged out...)
He was super excited-- we all were. But then we had a realization of "oh."
So much would have to change if he decided to take them up on their offer. I recall Mom saying something to the effect of "....we've tried so hard trying to relocate there.. and every plan or opportunity has been foiled... until now." So now that we've got a shot, we have to make some decisions. Dad wants to know how much he'll be making and compare it with the job he has now. If it's comparable or more, I feel like he'll jump on this job. If it's less than what he makes now, he may still jump on things, because stuff is cheaper there than it is here. The cost of living back in VA is definitely rather high. And college tuition for us kids? You can do the math-- it's definitely a lot of money. In PA, one of the benefits of working for the university is 75% off of the tuition for your Penn State-bound kids. So we'd only have to come up with 25% of the tuition! Which is a HUGE thing.
It'll be an interesting next couple of months as we try to sort things out and get real up close and personal with the pros and cons. I can only hope that things turn out alright, and that we do whatever is best for the family.
In other news, we're halfway through our second week here at the beach. It's been a lovely time, and part of me is kinda ready to go home. I also just found out that J gets back in VA approximately two days after I do... which is both a somewhat curse and a blessing. Sure, I wanted to hit the ground running and see him possibly the day after I got back... but.... With him not back, I won't have any distractions and I can finish my German stuff that is due the 26th. So I need to be UBER productive in those days following my return. OH and I also hear from my friend that the schedules came in the mail for upcoming sophomore year, telling you what classes you have when. I have never been so eager to be near my mailbox...
Hope all of you are having a fantastic summer!
xoxo
