Morning Glories

I both love, and hate, getting up early on a day off from work.

I hate it, of course, because I need all the beauty sleep I can possibly get, and so to be up at 7 on MLK Day isn't going to help clear up the "sleep deficit."

But there are advantages. David drove us down to Woodbridge today so he can do his Communications Merit Badge at Occoquan's Merit Badge Day. If he succeeds today, he'll have completed the last one for his Eagle, and can turn to doing his project, which he decided on the way down would be at Pohick Bay Park if he can make the connection.

And so before Grandma's final eye surgeon appointment, I have a few minutes at Stonebridge to sip coffee and watch the sun come up. It's cold today, not even 20 and with a brisk damp wind that truly brings winter into the body. There's hardly anyone out at this time, which means traffic is reasonable and there's plenty of parking near the Starbucks. Coffee's hot, plenty of seats, and the warm sun creeping over the stores across the street reminds me how phototropic I am.

To be sure, the day will evaporate in a haze of activity. Merit Badge Day, Mom's doctor's appointment, picking up the boy, reviewing more of my homework for the FY 2017 and FY 2016 budgets, picking up Sarah from her sleepover last night, working on my writing, working on David's financial aid applications, serving on an Eagle Board of Review and at the Troop meeting with David tonight...much will be packed into just these next 15 hours.

But for right now, I can savor the sun, I can enjoy the calm of the early morning, and I can give thanks and praise for it. And despite getting up early, that's not a bad way to spend a morning.

Freshman Football Awards Dinner

In early January, the South County football program had its annual end-of-season banquet to celebrate the accomplishments of the year, including the varsity going 10-0 in the regular season and making it to the state semifinal before bowing out.

After the dinner, the various squads went to different places to receive their team awards. The freshmen went to the auditorium, where the coaches took turns giving certificates and remarks to each of the players in their squads.

When it came time for the defensive backs coach to present, he had some very warm and kind words about the first girl he'd ever had the chance to coach on a football squad. Here's what he had to say, and Sarah receiving her certificate from the head coach and the three assistants. She later went on to receive a Scholar Athlete certificate, for being on the team and maintaining a 3.5 GPA in the first quarter.

I can't say how everybody else felt, but it was amazing to me to see, after the parade of boys in their ties and sweaters and khakis, this beautiful young lady rise in her flowing blue dress and walk confidently to the front to accept a certificate for being a football player, the first time that's ever happened at SCHS.

Well done, Sarah, as usual--and now she's eagerly looking forward to next year's season and seeing what she can do in JV, if she can stay off the medical list. But first...lacrosse!