How many good byes?

This week has been a lot of getting ready for Dani to leave for school again. This will be her last semester at school, and I wonder whether or not her leaving this time will be permanent. She is renting a house this time, with another girl, no more dorm-life. Here at home she is 5 hours away from her boyfriend, at school - only an hour and a half.

SHE IS TAKING HER BED THIS TIME PEOPLE!

Besides filling the house with boxes and littering the floor with odds and ends - we shopped for cleaning supplies and some kitchen utensils, a few tools, the things she will need in a house as opposed to a dorm room.

But um .. her house is almost as big as mine, and she has no furniture. Her bed, a side table, things like that do not fill a house. Her roommate will be bringing a few things but more is needed. So we did what any good mother/daughter team with no resources does - we went shopping at the curb, giggling and enjoying the heck out of it.

I know I've done it myself, had a piece of furniture that has seen better days but was still usable that I didn't know what to do with when I was ready to replace it. So I have put things out at the curb hoping someone would come by and snatch it up before the garbage collectors did. And it was usually gone before those trucks came rumbling by the next morning.

We managed to find a kitchen table with 4 chairs, an end table and a recliner. The table and chairs need some cleaning but are definitely in college student shape and the recliner is in surprisingly good repair and has no suspicious odors which was a big prerequisite for even making it into the car.

She leaves tomorrow.

I told her that when she graduates from school it would be a really good idea to move home for a few years to save money. That way she won't get stuck renting and can get some money saved, etc. Don't think she's buying it.

I am very proud of her growing up and being so independent. She's smart, has a good head on her shoulders and I'm sure she'll do fine.

But Mom just might miss her. Some.

I know what you're thinking ..

Oh man she's posting pictures of flowers from her wonderful boyfriend again. *yawn* Um, no. I'm not. These are not my flowers.


My daughter is in down-state Illinois tonight, insistent as she was to drive down there even though the Mississippi River is flooding and levees are breaking, she had to go. Oh - and even though her Mom was worried. But - Dani assures me there is no danger where she is going, calling me when she got there to tell me "Mom I didn't even see a drop of water all the way down here. There isn't any flooding where I am."

So these flowers are not mine, they are hers. These were sent to Dani from Dan, a couple (few?) days ago. He is the reason she is in down-state Illinois right now, she is with him. She drove over 5 hours to get there, they are going to a wedding down there.


Dan sent these flowers to my daughter, it's seems fairly certain he cares for her a great deal. And it is doubly certain that I am counting on him to take good care of her down there, even though she would say she doesn't need taking care of.


The flooding isn't over and I won't be convinced she is safe until it is. And I don't really care if she doesn't want me to put the onus on Dan to watch over her while she is there but let's face it. He is the reason she is there so it is his responsibility to make sure she gets home safely to me. Because I said so. That's all the reason I need.


Beautiful flowers, by the way. Beautiful girl.