get your glow on

downtown

for the lighting of the christmas tree.

no, no, no

the lighting of Janet Echelman's sculpture!

Where We Met

but, first,
can't get enough of this....

peek-a-boo, i see you!

i will confess

that my preferred senses

(though i am fond of all of them)

are tactile and visual.

so i LOVE

the marbles in this blue disk

(they move!)

 as those close to me will tell you,

i have to touch EVERYTHING.

even when i'm buying sliced ham at the deli.

~ ~ ~

and i like to look at things

REALLY CLOSELY

(however, that could be attributed

to my presbyopia, i suppose)

as seen here

 he's such a good interviewer;

i'm such an awkward interviewee.

i love how the sky

matches the sculpture

who's who?  well, that's Janet Echelman second from left, for one thing.

 the sculpture was funded by a regional non-profit,

the Armfield Foundation

Adair Armfield, with three grandsons near her on the steps

 the sculpture changes as the sky changes

Echelman speaks...

watching as we count down for the lighting

 countdown

10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1

(with slightly stressful delay

due to the mundane properties of electricity)

everyone was bathed in fuschia

(and, upon further reflection -hahahaha-

i'm interested in WHY this color choice)

including me and Janet Echelman

 gorgeous NIGHT views

why, hello

photo credit: Joseph

i'm sure i've invited you before ~

but come visit!

arrival & departure

move-in 'day' quickly preceded freshman orientation

since Samuel was in China earlier in the summer.

he was one of the first

in his dorm

and still has one more night alone

before his roommate arrives.

there's certainly been plenty to do!

at his dorm, day one

fingers crossed

nothing essential was forgotten

items to address eating, sleeping, and student-ing

oh, and a jamaican banana

no room but this room

~ A Mother's Eye ~

the door he will enter

the stairs he will climb

the floor on which he will stop

the hall he will walk

the door he will open

~ A Mother's Sigh ~

but, i digress.

there was a bed to make.

 & curtains to hang

putting up the curtain :)

pulling down the curtain :(

trying one last time

then, it was time for lunch!

and, oh, aren't we fortunate...

my parents live nearby!

a cake to celebrate!

then, the guy going to State

and his parents

returned for freshman orientation

aaah-wooooooo! (or something like that)

 at the end of day one (!)

Samuel was further occupied

(and slept in his dorm),

so we parents went downtown

to find dinner.

We found Mr. Wolf, too.

did not know that wolves like ice-cream

the oh-so-cute little girl who took our order (and her dad who cooked it)

Mrs. Wolf, me, and a humongous horchata drink

 downtown Raleigh

is FULL of places to eat

with two-hour waits.

we happened upon a street festival

and went for the $2 tacos!

City of Raleigh museum and an old Boylan-Pearce building!

 i remember going here

(when it was the art museum)

 we think

(don't tell him)

that the NCSU doughnut run

has THIS as a destination

and the next day....

 back for more!

 they served the parents Howling Cow

(i want mooooooore)

 we took our own tour afterwards

and found plant sciences

rather fascinating

 and the bulldozing of Harrelson Hall

a little sad

(my dad had his office there for many years)

 we walked back through

a blank slate

(wait until they get the paints out!)

to more orientation!

i think those poor drummers

(do you hear them?)

played for twelve hours straight!

but, finally, we were oriented enough.

so we grabbed the gang

and headed to dinner.

the brothers 2

last supplies before the credit card departs

 ideas for shelving or storage or something.

 we did one last curtain fix

(i like the two-tone look, personally)

to completely block out all natural light

(and the nice oak tree right outside the window -

a window which happens to OPEN

so that REAL AIR can be breathed

in large gasping quantities....

you know, if you're into that kind of thing)

but for now -

enjoy the ride

and the occasional fireworks

we love you, Samuel