A very distinct memory from childhood has always stuck with me.
I remember trudging to school in the low light of winter, walking past the warm glow of cozy homes where silhouettes of stay at home mothers, retirees and the odd lucky kid with a cold moved about inside.
I'll never forget how badly I wanted to be inside one of those cozy homes.
Instead I was heading into an institution with fluorescent lights and linoleum floors.
School.
I had to sit, be quiet, fold my hands on my desk.
It was ridiculous.
Did I gain social skills by this forced incarceration? Yeah, sure, maybe, whatever. I would have been happier walking into one of those glowing homes and playing Icebreaker with the mom. I would have learned the art of conversation and depending on the house, maybe even been offered a Flintstones vitamin.
The kids are back to school and the streets will be quieter. Winter will soon creep in and I'll be here holding a hot coffee, looking out from my cozy home feeling bad for those kids walking past on their way to school.
Just kidding. I don't even wake up until they're halfway through home room.
Have a good final long weekend of the summer! Grill it up, read your books, take your walks.
The 15 piece puzzle
(1:00 minute for me to do and I tried REALLY hard. I'm just bad at puzzles.)
You can now make the puzzle with as many or as few pieces as you want.
WANT MORE PUZZLE PIECES?
CLICK THE 3 DOTS ON THE UPPER RIGHT OF THE PUZZLE. Then click "CHANGE NUMBER OF PUZZLE PIECES". You'll be able to select however many pieces you want up to over 200 pieces.
To make the puzzle as reliable as possible:
- Sign up for a Jigidi account and sign in before you do the puzzle. This will automatically save your puzzle for you so you don't lose it if you walk away from it for too long.
- Hold your phone or tablet horizontally, not vertically.
Parkside high school as painted by my sister Pink Tool Belt.
Pink Tool Belt is talented indeed! My family moved many times when I was in school so I was always the new kid. No fun at all.
I hated school too! I pretended to be sick at least once a week. I always had my period so i didnt have to do gym.
Beautiful architecture!
In my hometown the “city” elementary schools didn’t have cafeterias so everyone walked home for lunch. Our house was on one side of a hill and the school on the other side so I had to walk up a hill both to and from school twice a day in rain, shine, snow, sleet, or whatever the weather. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.
A wonderful rendition of impressive architecture! The creative blood is strong in your family.
Omg, Karen! You and me both!!!! You described that feeling so well. No wonder I’m such a homebody now. 😘
"trudging ... in the low light of winter, walking past the warm glow of cozy homes..." Such a great description! I had a similar experience. But I rode the bus. And every day we passed a brick, ranch style home with a bay window, cafe curtains and a couple setting at a round table ... and I always thought, this is the height of sophistication! A cozy breakfast nook and time relax in the morning. Now that's living. I still think it's wrong that they make kids get up so early in the dead of winter. But I'm strange, I think we should all work and attend school in the summer months and hygge it up in the winter. But that's just me.
🧣☕️❄️🍂
Ah, memories. I once tried to hide my shoes ( I had 3 pairs, school shoes, Sunday shoes and play shoes) in the hopes of staying home from school. No luck! Had to wear the Sunday Mary Janes.
Your sister is VERY talented in her painting. WOW she must have a pink tool belt for art supplies, also! Our kids started back the 2nd week of August and teachers the 1st week - insane!
This brings back memories. In grammar school (Kindergarten through 6th grade) in Connecticut in the 1960s I walked three blocks home for lunch every day, where Mom would make me a grilled cheese and tomato soup or some such. (Only the few kids who lived far enough away to take the bus brown bagged it.) Having to drag myself away from my cozy home to school, not once, but twice each day, was tough!
Pink Tool Belt has some talent.
Hated school.
Sit still.
Be quiet.
Pay attention.
No running in the hall.
Go to the Principals's office!
Seriously, forcing kids to sit all day long is abusive. So should be terrorizing and boring them all day long.
I hated it also. So so much. Every minute. Wished I was in a cozy house with tea and digestive biscuits. Feel bad for those poor little bastards every year. Can’t imagine the horror and hell during Covid and now with all the crap that goes on. Rural kids have to endure hour plus bus rides on top of that. Tragedy 😖
Pink tool belt is awesome! And so are you Karen!
That's a really cool looking piece of architecture.
It was! They consolidated schools in the area and tore it down in 2017 - to make room for a cemetery. ~ karen!
Lisa is quite the artist. Obviously talent runs in the family. Oh, not that it matters, but it took me 50 sec.