<p>It is so fascinating to ponder other people’s family histories. I don’t know that there is anyone in my or H’s extended families who have even heard of the place, much less have a desire to go. My mom had to defy her parents to even finish high school (Her parents wanted her to drop out a 16 and get married, much like her two older brothers dropped out to join the Navy. College was not a consideration for any of them.)</p>
<p>When I would see historic pictures of the early classes of my undergrad - from the mid to late 19th century - I always marveled that there were women in the picture, that back then there was anyone who wanted their Ds to go to college.</p>
<p>@Modadunn, the odds are pretty low that I know anyone useful. We’re pleased but a little surprised that we have come to be friends with so many well-known or well-connected folks because we aren’t social-climbery sort of people (and believe me we know some). On the medical school front, we know people who are on the faculty at HMS, which doesn’t help you, though I have no idea if they have any input into admissions. A guy who works with me used to be a high-ranking exec at HMS, but I have no idea if he had any input into admissions. I used to have a friend at Stanford Medical School but now he’s at Harvard. Not sure I know folks at other places. Probably I have acquaintances at a variety of places, but it isn’t my field so the contacts are likely to be very weak.</p>
<p>@missypie, in my parents’s families, both males and females were encouraged to go as far as they wanted to educationally. So, my father had a PhD and his sister had a PhD and later a JD. My mother has a PhD, her brother went to Harvard Law School, and her other brother was the black sheep with only a B.S. but in geology, so he was always decently employed. Both sets of grandparents were immigrants who came over with nothing and I was going to say that none had college degrees but my maternal grandfather (who was born in Eastern Europe before emigrating) was a high school shop teacher and when I Google his not so common name, it shows someone with that name as graduating in about the right year in the Practical Arts from Columbia. I believe that the culture of Ashkenazi Jews places very high value on education of the children. My father’s parents were non-observant but my mother’s parents was Orthodox. But, in both cases, there was no desire to stop the females from going as far as they wanted to go. </p>
<p>Have had very short emails and FB posts from D2 on her eastern European jaunt – she went paragliding and river rafting in Slovenia at Lake Bled; says it’s absolutely gorgeous. Anybody ever been there? </p>
<p>Z, you’re doing better than me with D2 in New Zealand. She started a blog of photos and it looks just gorgeous and she skypes with her dad all the time (and when he was here - he went home this week for meetings - I used to catch bits and pieces and pop into say hello). But it’s usually early morning there and she’s in the mostly dark!! I find it odd. But as for being anywhere - H&I are getting used to the phrase, we are too busy making sure our kids lead fabulous lives that we go nowhere! :)</p>
<p>Missy - My great parents met here all the way down to my parents the same thing. I met my husband thru his HS tennis partner who I grew up with here. Not quite the same thing, but close enough to make it unique. If you ask people in Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Buffalo, they likely have heard of the place. It’s a very small place. Just a speck really. But between PBS a few years ago, this best small town thing and now this NYT piece, they’re trying to amp up the marketing. I have to admit, it does seem kind of slower than usual so far this year. But then I hear the week with Ken Burns is sold out on all levels. </p>
<p>Shaw - Yes, I know the type and we are not that either. Would be helpful now though! My husband’s business doesn’t even introduce us to that kind of crowd and the closest we’ve come to being even a part of it is through our kids’ private HS, which since graduation for both of them we see less and less, frankly. As far as education itself, our family was the same as yours but not nearly as extreme. For us, it was very much the expectation to graduate college and that’s been the case since my great grandmother graduated from Wellesley (dad’s side). My Mom’s father did not go to college, but all of his children graduated college (except mom’s sister who died when she was 16). A lot have MBA’s and we have a few lawyers and a lot of entrepreneurs (Husband side is much the same, lots of lawyers and business folk) and all do reasonably well across the board for the most part, but I don’t think we have the genes to stay in a classroom as long as takes to get as far as that.</p>
<p>Both the HS friends of my step father’s who came to Mom’s interment did not go to college. One couple got married when she was 17 and he was 19, the other both at 18. All had been friends since then. My mom was married at 18, had been attending Tufts and my dad was at Cornell. She went back to school when we were in school and got her BA and then went back again to earn her nursing degree from St Francis Hospital which is now Childrens in Pittsburgh when my parents divorced and just before D1 was born for me. She was her class valedictorian at 40-something. (I could do the math, but not in my head that’s how bad I am at it).</p>
<p>It was so different. I’ve been lucky to have women friends who went to college in the 1930’s and 40’s, and the stories they tell (especially if they majored in one of the sciences) are pretty amazing. My MIL did her grad work in geography because she couldn’t find a PhD program in geology that would admit her. (Late 1930’s.)</p>
<p>And neither of my parents went to college at all.</p>
<p>Moda – so interesting to see how your nook’s location varies from the one we have out here. Ours is in a city-owned park – lots of cute little cottages, beautiful auditorium (with concerts, talks,…) and a restaurant/dining hall, but no lake, no particular kids program, and no entrance fee. Lots of hiking. I would love to visit yours and the one in Ohio to see what they’re each like. (Of course, yours is the mother ship!)</p>
<p>Mod–finally figured out where the nook is and do know about it from H’s family and driving through the area. For them it was place to visit for music.</p>
<p>I am the first college graduate on my Mother’s side and the second on my father’s. I was accused of “being better than” the rest of the family. Most, not all, get at least a bachelor’s now. In my H’s family there are M.D.'s back as far as one can go–woman, too. When I went for my M.S. my grandfather asked me why/when I was going to get a job instead of going to school. Never mind that I did my B.S. in 3.5 years and my M.S in less than two to save money as I was completely on my own. Graduated with excess hours to boot. </p>
<p>We signed up for a group tour for “those who do not do tours” this spring. 8-12 max.( I am not group person but this seems doable) in Umbria, Italy . We will visit the Ferrari Manufacturering Center. I don’t think we get a test drive though. We will go to villages that I cannot find on the map and do cooking, ceramics, an olive oil farm and parmesian cheese maker. Hopefully, D (maybe new BF???) will join us for a week for Florence and Sienna.</p>
<p>As I have not had a real talk with D for nearly 2 weeks I believe she is happily enjoying a new relationship.</p>
<p>Oregon - that is exactly the kind of trip I would love to do. Neither H or I are planners to really do it on our own but we don’t really do tours either. Well, that would be more him than me! Absolutely thrilled for your D!! We have no MD’s in the family… yet. :)</p>
<p>Thrilled for your D!</p>
<p>My neighbor is in the symphony. They work incredibly hard and he practices all the time… which is just heaven for me. I will even miss the lecture sometimes because of it… but I don’t go to the evening performances as much as I should - and that’s a fact.</p>
<p>Okay, now I’m really trying to figure out the nook town
Despite all my time in the Toronto area, Montreal, and parts north, I’ve never actually been in the area. But I feel like I should know it.</p>
<p>Then again, I couldn’t even remember the name of the muskoka area town where I spent summers as a kid at my grandma’s camp when someone asked the other day…so clearly the mc-“hard drive” needs a good wipe…or reboot…or flash drive </p>
<p>Memory notwithstanding, things are smooth enough despite the crazy around here. Mcson of course miscalculated the day he had to be entirely moved out of his AA apt, but I am leaving that hot mess to him to untangle this weekend after the party, then company last weekend, and more company on the first, I’m hoping to just hunker down and chill this weekend!</p>
<p>Speaking of parties…where’s the NM wedding report? Hopefully she’s happily recovering from a great time :)</p>
<p>Thrilled to hear about Oregon101 D. Hope you have good company in Sienna. One of my favorite places in the world.</p>
<p>We had impromptu dinners with the doc who fixed ShawD’s eyes 11 years ago two nights ago and then the co-owner of the gallery in NY at which ShawWife has shown last night (he’s showing his son colleges and wanted my insight on how to think about it). ShawSon was there (albeit with a cold) but was a living example of being non-standard and still succeeding at the highest levels. As he is transitioning away from his company, he is writing up two papers for publication this summer with his advisor in case he decides he wants to be an academic later and apply for the Gates or a PhD. Gotta love that kid.</p>
<p>Oregon, H and I are certainly in the “those who do not do tours” camp, but your itinerary sounds terrific. Although our nest is not yet empty, the majority of meals now are just the two of us, and we are staring into space more than conversing. It would be great to have interesting and out of the oridinary activites planned for vacations.</p>
<p>Heck, I’d just settle for vacations Though yours does sound fab, Oregon.</p>
<p>Shaw, I have to chuckle at the contrast in our LD/gifted sons…yours is writing meaningful papers in case he determines at some future point to pursue the academic realm while mine wandered out of the house last night in a hilariously improvised “lame batman” costume to attend a contest for same at a local music venue sponsored by the Vault of Midnight…Sigh ;)</p>
<p>The latter was made funnier because I was sitting at the dining room table with two writers from my writers group reviewing a sci-fi fantasy novel one had just written when we saw “the cape” drift by. The one fellow called out to mcson, who spun around and said “I’d hoped to escape without explaining myself, but its good to see you too ;)”</p>
<p>Well, ShawSon also has a regular D&D session over the internet with some of his friends from college. So, it is not all black and white. But I am impressed at his willingness to put in the effort for future goals. </p>
<p>I love it too , kmcmom. He sounds like a great kid. My sons still pay video games on occasion. I wonder if they ever outgrow that? </p>
<p>Going to DC tomorrow for the weekend to see S2’s new rowhouse and also the new car he bought last weekend. S1 is still in training in California for his new job. The other roommate is also on travel for business . So S2 has the rowhouse to himself and he invited us to visit and stay there. It was kind of sweet that he asked us. We were going up next month anyway when H is on business , but it was hard to turn him down. We’ll stay in S1’s room and S2 joked that he’d tell S1 to hide the crack pipe before he left town. He’s already suggested we go to the Farmer’s market on Saturday in his neighborhood. Not sure what else we’ll do yet but I’m looking forward to the visit. Hope everybody has a nice weekend!</p>
<p>Have a good weekend everyone. Enjoy your kind and clever S’s and D’s.
Hiking and canoeing is on the agenda. Finishing some small decorating projects. H tells me he doesn’t have time to delve into the oh so many projects/promises he always said he would do when he retired.
Glass fusion glass today. I am enjoying it.
Trying to learn Italian and the program will not accept my pronunciations unless I flail my hands. Guess it has picked up that I am 1/2 Italian and cannot speak properly without gesturing.</p>
<p>Greetings from Prague. It is so beautiful here that D says it almost looks fake. have toured Prague Castle, the Jewish museum, Charles Bridge and spent yesterday at Konopiste Chateau. We are taking a slower day today, maybe just the Bohemian Museum and D wants to do some shopping as she leaves tomorrow AM. ( H , S and I have an additional day as that how the flights worked out). We spent the first half of the trip in Greece which was also wonderful, but very hot. saw a lot of Thessaloniki, shopped at the markets, took a train to Edessa to see the waterfall and spent a day on a beach on the Aegean Sea. Lots of good food and wine, thankfully I think I’m walking it off.</p>
My husband’s business doesn’t even introduce us to that kind of crowd and the closest we’ve come to being even a part of it is through our kids’ private HS, which since graduation for both of them we see less and less, frankly. As far as education itself, our family was the same as yours but not nearly as extreme. 