Ode to Leona

In the spirit of minimalism, I've been looking for ways to downsize. I want clean lines and the basics. It is therefore convenient that my little sister is moving into her first apartment next week. I have been systematically trying to give her things that she secretly likes in my apartment.

Here is Jenna before work one morning.

The future of nursing! I am proud.

Jenna lived with me this summer so when she'd comment on something I use, I would easily be able to say, 'You can have it'. Then we'd go back and forth about it, and I'd convince her that she needed it. Today some of her things (and some of my things) left my apartment, down three flights of stairs and out the door. Unfortunately, that meant the end of summer and Jenna leaving too.  I feel truly forlorn.

Jenna is a fun sister. She's hilarious and silly, reflective and intentional, and we are very good friends. I call her Leona.  This summer we spent lots of time together. We drank coffee on my porch each morning, hung out with lots of my friends, went on long walks around Stillwater, babysat twins, went to Nelson's, looked at stars, went to Duluth, floated for countless hours on a lake, ate kettle corn for dinner, talked about nursing, talked about education, played Wahoo.  The list goes on.

The point is, Jenna is wonderful, and I have to make that transition to a season again without her here. It happened before. She lived with me a few years ago, and then moved out, and the room she lived in felt weird and impersonal, even with my own things, and I knew again how special it was to be friends with your sister. She goes back to college for one more year, and I go back to school again. The floaties get deflated, her birthday is suddenly next week again, and we can't drink pina coladas together whenever we want to anymore or walk to Pioneer Park to see the view.

It's my mom's birthday today!  Most of my family celebrated in Stillwater, and it was really fun.  When they left, I rearranged the living room again to greet change and act like I was ready for it. I looked at some of my favorite books. I watched 'The Office'. I got nitpicky about cleaning. And basically rattled around the house. But melancholy thoughts still linger! On a positive note, I get to see her new apartment next week (and help move things into it).
 

This is your classic case of resisting change and anticipating a new season of life in the fall.  School for teachers officially begins on Monday after all.  I have to face facts....it is coming.  I like teaching, and look forward to it, but the transition to it is weird.  And I have been having weird dreams.  No curriculum outside of teaching the kids about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?  Teaching Russell Brand?  (Yikes, no thanks.)  Completely ditching the way I live as a teacher and imagining that play out?  Horrible. 

Thankfully I wake up from this and reality sets in.  The kids do listen to me.  I do know what I'm doing.   It is so, so relieving.  I used to have these dreams every other night when I was subbing, and that sort of thinking definitely plays tricks on your mind.  It will be very nice to quit having these dreams and actually get into the classroom again.

Cheers to good summer memories, Leona being the very best, and the fall just around the corner.