First Light, Penn State

I mentioned last week that my 1998 Mazda is down for the count. The brakes went while I was driving it last Wednesday. The good news is that I got the car and myself safely home. The bad news is that we're not sure if we can fix it or whether we even should.

So in the meantime, while we are deciding, I have been cobbling together my travels, day by day. Some days I take the bus back and forth (oh, rest assured I've snuck in a meal or two at the Corner Room to mollify myself!). One day I borrowed my husband's Chevy Impala; occasionally, he comes and picks me up from work.

On this day, I was riding the early bus, which puts me on campus well before 8 a.m. I'm not so fond of leaving the house before 7 a.m. to catch this bus, but I do love the morning sights that I get to see on our nearly deserted summer campus.

I had some spare time between buses and so I strolled on over to West Halls. I lived in North Halls myself in the 1980s and loved it there, but of all the dormitory areas on campus, West Halls is the prettiest. All of the buildings are very nicely shaped and harmonious and old-fashioned. It's visually pleasing to go there.

I was standing just inside this area at Waring Commons, adoring the day's first light. I took about a dozen shots of the scene. I think of it as my West Halls triptych, as the three sets of doorways remind me of one of those art works from the Middle Ages with three panels.

I am trying, instead of moaning about what I don't have or what I've lost, to celebrate the things I DO have, and to be fully grateful for them. So on this day, I am grateful for the bus that takes me back and forth, the beautiful golden morning light, and the opportunity to watch the sun rise over Penn State.

The soundtrack tune is a song I first heard on season 1 of the TV series Supergirl, of which I am a big fan. A story about a nice girl with a good heart trying to save the world? Why yes, somehow that resonates with me! This is a cover of a song we all know that was originally written and performed by Fleetwood Mac. So here is Lissie, with Go Your Own Way.