He reminded me he would be coming home from the birthday celebration in time to clean up for the Spring Fling held at St. Johns. He had told me about his plans to go but had not said anything more about it. So glad he decided to attend, despite the fact the other two guys were not interested. I asked him if he needed anything washed or ironed but he said he was wearing a polo shirt. I would have thought more dressy clothes but stayed out of it. The Fling would begin before I got home from Lake Asbury so I wished him a good time with all his events for the day.
When I got home later that evening, I immediately jumped into the shower to wash the day away and got ready for bed. I had been awake since just after 5:00 that a.m. so was ready to sleep. About 10:00 or so, I heard the door open and Justin came tip toeing toward my room. He whispered, "Are you awake?" and I sort of muttered, "A little..." He came in and just overflowed about how marvelous his time was at the school. I sat up on the edge on the bed and just let him fly.
This event was held to fete the teachers and alumni, several of the teachers retiring after decades of service to the school. Justin wished to recognize some of his favorite teachers (I was under the impression these teachers were the worst---at least, that's what he used to say!) and say 'good-bye' to them. He was blown away that they knew him right away, without his name tag which had fallen off almost immediately.
He said the meal served was fantastic, claiming that even I would have liked it. Since neither of his other two friends went along, he found someone else to sit with, from a year or two ahead of him. Most of the attendees were older folks but there were a few younger ones who took the time to come to wish their special teachers farewell.
His chemistry teacher, in her remarks, said some of her favorite students were there, but they were not necessarily her best ones. That would be Justin and he knows it. He likes to tell how he'd score the highest in the class on the chemistry tests but do badly on the daily work. He would have liked to greet his Latin teacher who instilled in him his love of the ancients but she was not there. Lots of hugs were handed out that night and he was so very glad he went!
Oh, and he said that many of the teachers he spoke with asked about his mother and he told them I am doing fine. I see some of the lady teachers out and about, especially the art teachers and those who live in EH. It was very nice, though, for them to ask after me.
On Sunday he showed me a boo boo on his finger, which I thought he got at work. Nope, he said he felt it when pulling some saplings which had grown up around the base of the Bradford Pear tree, planted outside the lower school building in memory of his brother. He was tending the bed under the tree and got a bite from something. I love how he was paying attention to the tree and such, and suffered a bug bite for the cause.
This bench and statue are just to the right of the tree where Justin was grooming the saplings away
