AAAAHHHH, SO MUCH BETTER.

Yesterday was just what the doctor ordered.  A full day of rest, followed by a good night's sleep, and then it was "Hello, Sunshine!" bright and early this morning.  The breeze is cool and lovely and I am looking forward to a day of happy things indeed.

Rich and I are spending a lot of time on campus lately, and I am back to wearing my ring and feeling good about Notre Dame.  Moments ago I pointed out Walsh Hall...my dad's senior year dorm, and it brought back the memory of a campus visit when I was in sixth or seventh grade and Dad and Mom and Chrissy and I were strolling about.  Dad was telling us stories about his time here when we came upon Walsh.  

"This is where I lived my Senior year", he said as we approached the front door. "Let's go check out my old room to see how things look after all this time."

And with that, the front doors opened and a herd of undergraduate women poured out.  As Dad reached for the door to enter behind them, one turned and said "I'm sorry, Sir.  This is a women's dorm and we have visiting hours and men are not permitted."

My poor dad was crushed.

But Mom reminded him that were it not for the admission of women, Chrissy and I wouldn't be able to follow in his footsteps eventually and that he should be happy that we would be able to do so.

And then we had ice cream and hot dogs and all was well once again.

I've had a very interesting relationship with this place, but I honestly think I'm turning a corner.  I guess it took a guy from New Jersey to remind me that a girl from Ohio had her roots here all along and that I needed to stop looking at the tarnish and look for the gleam of that Golden Dome once again.

So that's the report from the Happy Land of Glitter and Make Believe, kids.  I hope your Thursday is lovely and that you find your very own gleam wherever you can find it!