Saturday early evening found me sitting at a table in my favorite coffee shop on campus, sipping spicy coffee and copying recipes from a library cookbook to the notebook I use for that very purpose.
As I looked around from time to time, students were chatting and debating, typing intently on mobile keyboards, or curled up in overstuffed leather chair reading contently.
An hour went by before my husband walked in the door and I don't think I saw any sad face in that time... the excitement of youth and new beginnings... all in a communal cozy place... bringing back memories of a more innocent age in my own life.
I must admit to having a love-hate relationship with campus. While I do enjoy the energy and excitement of each autumn's beginnings (including sweater weather and football games to come), I dread the increase traffic the additional 35,000+ inhabitants bring to town. I have been known to mutter something about "all campus drivers being crazy" when I arrive home quite often.
I have long enjoyed the foreign students who bring their own culture and foods to our Midwestern town... for it is only due to Indian and Asian students and faculty coming to this meat and potatoes society that I developed my own passion for their spicy goodness. I don't think my mother had ever heard of naan bread.
I must admit my husband does not share my passion for Indian food but he does like the Mediterranean dishes. Our daughter introduced him to hummus when she was in college. He thought it sounded horrible and then went on to eat almost all their shared dish. :)
Not that he isn't aware of international foods, having spent time in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He knew he loved some of it but did not acquire a taste for kimchee. I don't blame him.
As for the cauliflower? I finally got out to the garden this morning to plant the fall veggies, only six cauliflower and two kale plants. I'm still not certain if I will plant lettuce when the green pepper plants have finished producing, we'll see what my energy level is at the time.
A combination of hot weather and too many errands pushed back the planting until this morning but it was so worth it... a gorgeous morning with low humidity. I wish you could have smelled the aroma when I watered the herbs. The entire garden received a nice shower as the one holding the hose did not mind being outside in such lovely surroundings... especially low humidity.
3 comments:
Oh, how I miss living near a Big Ten college town. We have lots of colleges in Grand Rapids, but it just doesn't have the same feel as East Lansing or any of the other college towns.
And I love college students. My time working with InterVarsity made for some of the best times and friendships of my life. Drinking coffee and talking about faith and the Bible with college students. Truly a little bit of heaven on earth. :-)
Thanks, Brenda, for stirring up some great memories! :-)
When we lived in State College, the home of Penn State University, we experienced many of the same feelings. Loved the atmosphere that youth can bring but were frustrated by the extra traffic and pedestrians...
My parents were deeply involved in ministry to the International community and often hosted international dinners which provided opportunity for the sampling of many interesting dishes.
I went to Bible studies at least weekly with my college friends. It was great!
Becky K.
We will have 'snow bird' traffic in the not too distant future.
I'm glad you had some pleasant weather to plant your next garden. My windows have been fogged with humidity for several weeks now. My yard is neglected until we have a weather change! Still.....I'm not ready for fall yet, for I know a busy schedule will return.
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