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Sunday, December 3, 2017

Whirlwind for a week or two


It’s Sunday night, I understand. We just had supper, and are grateful. Both had mighty slim pickin’s for lunch. Last week a whirlwind. The upcoming week spinning faster.  Today we were dropped into the interviews for Laura’s year abroad.

Saturday generally is peaceful, collected. Some shopping. Some cleaning. Some interesting other stuff. But yesterday I decided, time to bite the bullet, go to the phone store and pay a bazillion dollars to replace Laura’s broken phone.

She dropped it and shattered the top, which she kept together for months with clear packing tape. However, the phone loses charge quickly. Actually, that works well, since the phone lives in my room twelve hours a day, because with absolutely no other diversion, Laura sinks into the phone.

Social media is a siren song, and I bet the worst problem parents deal with. After my last scare, early this summer, when I couldn’t think my way through either of our problems, I simply confiscated her phone twelve hours a day. She gets it from six a.m. to six p.m. I’ve been told it was brilliant. I know it saved both our sanities.



The phone needs replaced, and sooner rather than later. Saturday was the day. I had her research what she wanted. I relinquished my card first to buy out the remainder of her phone. That hurt. The young man came from the stock room with her heart’s desire. Oh, yes, and mine, too, as my old phone is out of contract, and I figured I might as well upgrade to a MotoZ. Oh, yes, and the Hasselblad, too.

Laura’s new phone is like hobnailed boots. Apparently three interlocking cases and a gorilla proof screen protector is the new teenage rage. That plus ten extra dollars a month will prevent future problems. The extra money doesn’t sit well with me, but will replace the phone.




We cleared that store with exactly enough time to drop Laura for her ride to an overnight of Outbounds and Inbounds, at the Rotary Camp. Who knew the Rotary had a camp! It’s on Turkeyfoot Lake in southern Summit County, and it’s lovely. When I was young, and we all know how long ago that was, my parents brought us there for all sorts of picnics.




The Outbounds are going next year. The Inbounds are regular students who spent a year abroad and were there to share their experience. There were some foreign exchange students on hand, too. 

Today was interview day. I’d told Laura she should be thinking of everything she might be asked and how she would answer it. The couple of times I checked in, she seemed quite prepared.

We compared notes on the way home, and found we answered identical questions, different points of view. Our answers were the same, but our chat in the car about homesickness potential put a little twist in my heart. Our answers, essentially, she’s never had a “home sweet home” home. Her answer included “grandma is my home.” Don’t be teary; that just means grandma will be there for her and take care of her.

Ever one to push a point, I asked if any place she’d lived was the place her mind always would come back to, and she said, “Oh, the grey house, now that we have Kay in it.”  That did suck the breath out of me, and I’ve told the universe a hundred and one times now, thank you for sending Kay to buy my house.

21 comments:

  1. She's a great kid and a new phone for her is an expense she's worth.

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  2. Laura looks beautifully happy with her new phone. “Grandma is my home”; it doesn’t get more poignant and touching than that. How wonderful that Kay has entered your’s and Laura’s life.

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  3. And, "thank you to the universe" for providing Laura with such a wonderful grandma! What kind of world would she have if she did not have you? I agree that Kay is a Godsend, too.

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  4. Of course my eyes leaked. Grandma will indeed be there for her - and she knows that.
    And hooray (again) for Kay.

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  5. Hari OM
    ... and I am thinking that Kay is getting a pretty good deal out of this connection too. All-in-all, home has happened; doesn't matter it's not "the norm". Let your heart sing, gran - let it sing. YAM xx

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  6. Laura is a great young woman who knows her good fortune!

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  7. I love that line "grandma is my home". Such sweet words. xx

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  8. Perhaps I should get braver and get a smart phone! You have been a great grandma for Laura and she knows it! Well done.

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  9. Phone insurance has saved us and son on quite a few phones over the years. Thankfully he finally got a phone that had a shatter proof screen. It was worth the price.

    Hope you and Laura enjoy your new phones :)

    betty

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  10. It must be gratifying to know what you have given to Laura. She has an anchor in the world that set her adrift for so long. It is a bittersweet time for both of you. At the same time I see the beauty.

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  11. She is so lucky to have you in her life.

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  12. The cost of phones is ridiculous given that they're obsolete so fast, but the rest of the post is a lovely read. "Grandma is my home" is such a sweet thing for Laura to say and feel. Having a home that always comes to mind is good too.

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  13. I am glad that you super-protected that dadgum thang.

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  14. the other two may never fully realize what you did for them but Laura knows you saved her life. as for phones they are ridiculously expensive but they aren't really phones so much as miniature computers and even that is a misnomer. I tend to refer to mine as my 'device'. and so glad you got the Hasselblad!

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  15. I know how important these phones are to young people. I'm a dinosaur and still have a land line, and no cell phone.

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  16. Wish Laura everything she'd wish for herself on her new venture. Love her words 'Grandma is my home.' Says it all.

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  17. Protection for the phone is a good investment. I'm glad Laura feels you have her back, and that she has a place, also, that she can think of as an anchor in her life.

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  18. She is getting to be a beautiful young woman.

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  19. So how did Laura feel it went? Good I hope. My lifetime phone case broke and the week after that, I dropped the phone and smashed the screen. It's a bummer. Laura looks very happy with the new one:-)

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  20. I like your idea of 12 hour periods of the phone being in your room. Harley has to give hers up at 10 p.m. And I often take it earlier if I feel the need. I pay for insurance on the kids phones too. But I have to pay $150 replacement cost. That is still better than the full price.

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