Throw Back Thursday Gratitude

In honor of Throwback Thursdays, I want to say how grateful I am for the years in my undergrad that I lived in the dorms at Eastern Illinois University.  I lived there the whole time...and loved every minute of it.

While I make a practice not to refer to people I write about by name, I have to mention some in this post because we had such love and laughter and I am in touch with many of them still.

I lived in Carmen Hall my freshman year and though I cannot think of anyone from Carmen I am still in touch with, I had a blast and enjoyed those new friendships so much. 

And did I learn a lot...

My first roomie moved her clothes out of the closet, down to the closet in the lounge and grew her own "horticulture" in the closet with purple grow lights.  She found a phone credit card and called her brother in Germany every day.  And I first learned the phrase from her "deny, deny, deny is my motto."  Strangers knocked on our door during finals week to "purchase" her wares to stay awake to study.  I used to sit in awe of what I was seeing...  Her sister is an actress in Hollywood now :)  I wonder where she is?

And second semester was the opposite in a roommate who did not approve that I had a boyfriend since I was still only 18 (she was 19.)  She prayed over me when I was hungover on Sunday mornings.

I learned a lot...

Lawson Hall was the beginning of lifelong friendships since we have now reconnected.  Pitch and Zins, Jan and Jennifer, Peggy and Gretchen, Grover (where is she by the way gals?)  Bonnie and Stacy, Elliot, Deb S, Terri R, Deb W, Amy from my hometown, Jackie who dressed me like a vampire for Halloween one year, my other half/pledge sister Peggy Bob, my ex roomie Lindsay, who did I forget?  What a great, great bunch of gals!!!  With the exception of a few; Peggy passed away, and some others I am not in touch with, I see and talk to them on Facebook and love watching where life has taken us.  I am so grateful for riot hours craziness during finals week, sharing sorority stories, and trips to Ikes, Marty's, Mother's, Chink's, Rock's, and Sporty's for 4 o'clock clubs. 

The end of the line was Pemberton Hall, the oldest women's dormitory in IL and I had a single room as big as the den in my house now.  It was AWESOME.  And it was RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM IKE'S BAR :)  So crawling home with Nancy and Kiehna and Ferg and whomever else was a shorter distance.  (It was the 70s...it could have been worse!)  Someone on the floor had last name Heath and after she had been home for the weekend there was always candy when she returned.  And we had a SUN ROOF TO LAY OUT ON!!!  Nancy and I are still in touch :)

I am so grateful for the fun and the friendships and the laughter.  I loved the dorms!

Time goes by and yet reconnecting there is nothing of that space in our conversations now except catching up on kids and now grandkids and locales.  I love it.

Ladies, here's to you all on Throwback Thursday because I am so very grateful for your love, laughter, time and friendship. 

You all ROCK <3