Groovy Girl turns 18...

 

(First trip to NYC)

which is a major celebration! This girl has been featured on this blog almost her entire life. I started Peaceful Reader when she was in kindergarten and now she is a freshman in college.  We celebrated this major birthday with dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant and there were gifts and delicious vegan desserts. She's not vegan but her brother is and everyone wants to share in birthday treats. Because I spent part of the weekend visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Deephaven, MN I had the opportunity to visit a cool vegan bakery/restaurant  Vegan East, and purchased a box full of treats to bring home. They have 3 locations and I stopped by the Uptown shop which took me through some familiar neighborhoods.  I passed by Lake Calhoun, Lake Street, and Hennepin Avenue, and my favorite Walker Art Center; all places I loved hanging around when I lived in Mpls/St. Paul.

She is enjoying her freshman year even with it's unusual Covid-19 restrictions. It's a long list of negatives yet she is making it work and smiling! G.G. and her roommate spend a lot of time in their room and luckily they don't seem to be getting on each other's last nerve, which is fantastic.  Most classes are on Zoom but she has  two dance classes that meet in big studios.  This is great as she is very used to being active and dance + Zoom is not a good combo. 

(Dad ride)

All of our children are unique and inspiring and Groovy Girl, as the baby of the family, brings a level of happiness that is often infectious. She gets very excited and we love her enthusiasm for life. She cares about the world, is empathetic toward others, and will continue to make a difference as she grows. I appreciate that she loves many different styles of food, can cook a great meal, and is willing to experiment with spices and sauces. I'm surviving the empty nest but only because she and I talk at least every other day. She texts me when she needs to talk and we FaceTime when we need to see each other.  Communication is so different now. My husband and I compared our experience of having one dorm phone on each floor!  We had to take turns so I talked to my parents maybe once a week if that.

(Groovy Girl now (r) w/ her roommate Laurel)

When I began this blog I didn't want to use her real name as it is unusual and over the years she has had readers call her "Groovy Girl" which made her feel a little like a blog celebrity. Even though she is a beautiful 18 as of last Saturday she will always be my Groovy Girl!