The View From the Top of My Lemon Tree--Love, GaGa: From the farming flower child who is my new hero to playing with tigers

Again I am amazed at the amount of time that passes between posts. I come up with the great ideas to share and then never seem to get around to making time to write them down. Well not to muddle the point let's get to the next entry.

Back to back weekends in November I visited two colleges and these two institutions could not have been more different. First, I went with Anna and the 2014 Circle de Luz girls (click on the link if you want more information about the organization) to Warren Wilson College . These girls are rising sophomores and this is their fourth college visit. When Anna first approached me about going to WWC, my response was, "but it will take like a day to get the patchouli oil off". Every one I have ever known to graduate from WWC has a certain air of Asheville and wannabe post modern hippie that my use of the stereotype is not unfounded. Don't get me wrong, the stereotype lives, but it was not without challenge or has taken a new unpredictable facet. For instance, yes, I did see a kid come to lunch barefoot and in his bathrobe and yes our lovely small private school educated, from New Jersey wearing a hat that tripled as a scarf and gloves in the design of a frog did give off a certain element of "peace to all" vibe. BUT my friends, I was completely floored by my new hero (I think her name is Kate) who does her work study at the campus FARM (Everyone at WWC has to work on campus if they live on campus-commune-esque and also do 100 hours of community service before graduating). Kate killed her own turkey for Thanksgiving last year after killing chickens at school. She rules because our turkey came from Bojangles! Below are pictures from the farm. My thirty-something self wants to go back to college just so I can farm.

I giggled like a school girl over the "piggery"

Seriously, doesn't it make you want a little piggy as a pet?

Why I probably won't get a pig as a pet.

The very next weekend I found myself in Tigertown, South Carolina, otherwise known as Clemson. I went with my friend Charlie to an alumni event. Friday we hung out with his friends from graduate school and Saturday we bounced from tailgate to tailgate to tailgate.

Just for your imagery...boing...boing...boing.

We went to the game, but actually never went into the game. My day included two outfit changes (I am now the proud owner of a discounted Clemson t-shirt) and hating my feet by the end of the day. (note to self: Boots are cute. Boots with heals are very cute. Walk in boots with heals can be done, but not for 7 hours). It was a great game against Wake Forest and we watched the end while debating whether spending $42 for a jersey for a 2-yr old was worth the price for the cuteness factor Charlie would get from watching him wear it--we concluded that Clemson fans were crazy if they paid that much for a throw away jersey.

I saw a lot of farmer-types at Clemson and perhaps a few that have killed or attempted to kill a deer, but I guarantee you they are not as brave as my new hero Kate and killed their own turkey for Thanksgiving. Enjoy some shots of an absolutely gorgeous football day.