Tuesday, August 16, 2011

School Supply Time

I have to say I was a bit envious of the young gal walking around Bed, Bath and Beyond today. Her mom was close by, clutching a shopping list and checking it twice as a younger sister pushed a cart full of everything that was sure to make her college dorm feel like home.

Maybe I was a little envious of the adventure she was about to embark on, but mostly I was jealous of all the cool stuff they have for college kids these days. Stores just didn't carry that kind of stuff 30 years ago when I headed off to school. My college shopping trip consisted of exactly five things: a green bucket that would be used to cart my supplies to the hall shower, a nice pink soap container, a brown bedspread, a small hotpot and a hot air popcorn machine.

I still have my pink soap container-surprising that it's moved with me over the past three decades. The bucket was re-purposed after college, it came in handy when washing my car. The hotpot got a lot of use during my four years of school--there were endless cups of coffee, noodle soups and mac and cheese (sometimes with a little tuna stirred in). I can't say what happened to that little hotpot, but I bet it was one of the things I threw in the dumpster the day I looked at all the stuff that wasn't going to fit into the car after graduation. The bedspread is still around. It now makes its home at a friend's beach house. Next weekend I'll meet up with a few friends from college at the beach and no doubt we will be lounging on that very blanket reminiscing about all the fun we've had since we first met so many years ago.

I did a little back to school shopping last week. I have a new plan book for the year and some new pens.

I'm ready for school.

2 comments:

  1. Lots of popcorn eating in college; I remember it too even though it's long years ago. So funny that you bring that up, & so nostalgic. No-we didn't have a line of college room things to choose from, but bet we had as much fun. I like the line about the blanket & reminiscing. I remember the naps, too!

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  2. Wow - you are reading my mind! I'm packing up my daughter for college right now. When I went away to college, I could easily pack everything in the trunk of my rusty Vega. :)

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