May 2007 – Page 5 – A Design So Vast

May 9, 2007

Is it just me or is Whit’s hair starting to resemble Princess Diana’s in her heyday?

Princeton ladies

February 17, 2010May 9, 2007

This is the Bouff party crew for this weekend. I am so excited to see Quincy, Allison, Kara, Dux … and to celebrate Bouff’s birthday and the baby girl en route. Nothing better than time with dear old friends (especially ones who like their wine)! With the Exeter reunion last weekend, the Princeton ladies this weekend, and a huge Boston-area-TPT dinner on the 19th, it’s a regular celebration of my beloved ladies lately!

A few random quotes to close (on this glorious day) as I take the children to Bertucci’s to meet Christina, Charlie, and Will:

Adversity does not build character, it reveals it. – Anonymous

What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life. – Leo Buscaglia

May 8, 2007

Spoke to Grace and Whit this morning as I walked to work from the hotel. Grace announced to me that “Daddy is the best babysitter in the world” and I got some laughs at Starbucks when I said, “he’s not a babysitter, Grace, he’s your father.” Literally several people guffawed out loud.

Had a lovely visit with Alexandra and Tim last night. I finally got to see their divine house (HOUSE!) in the west village and had a chance to see both Margot and Cameron before they went to bed. It is seductive to imagine living down there in the village – everything seems so adorable and accessible.

Slept like a log which is a nice change from the usual. The Regency upgraded me to a ridiculous two-bedroom suite which was pretty much the same size as our house. I went for a very quick run this morning and was at the office by 8am. Heading home tonight!

May 6, 2007

Exeter reunion this weekend. The academy building in full sunshine, above. Above the door, carved into the marble, in Latin: “Here come boys to be made men.” You might remember that from A Separate Peace.

The further I get from Exeter the more affection, warmth, and most of all respect I have for the place. While I had a few very special friends while on campus, I didn’t particularly enjoy my two years there. Note to all parents considering boarding school (and to those of you with more than one child under five: who isn’t?) do not send a child to boarding school for just two years. Not a setup for a great experience, at least for for me.

That being said, I’m fairly sure that it was those two years at Exeter – which, in memory, consist largely of endless winter cold and snow, dark falling at 4:15, long runs in the woods, Mr. Valhouli, reading, our wet hair freezing on the way to G & H classes (4:15 to 6), and Evening Prayer in the chapel on Thursday evenings – that formed the basis of the rest of my life. Exeter was the place that helped me get to Princeton, and it is certainly my academic ground zero.

So, I am immensely grateful to Exeter. I’m also very proud of being associated with an institution who believes smart children are up to the task of rigorous intellectual and academic endeavor. There is so much keeping-up-with-the-slow-guy in America today, I think, that I really respect a place that says, No, we believe you can handle this, and we’re going to keep throwing stuff at you until you you prove it to yourself.

Being back on campus brings it all back. The incredible power of the place is manifest in so many small details – in the beautiful architecture, in the severity of the weather, in the enormous library. I am proud that Exeter is part of the fabric of who I am.