^^ That brought tears to my eyes. Sweet story!
I was just asked to be keynote speaker for a conference in New Orleans by a nonprofit organization I love at the annual conference.
While he is not the star of his team, as captain, he has done his part when called upon both on the field and more importantly in the locker room by helping to lead a change in program culture. In November, he wrote his dream for the team on a banner hanging in the locker room. Bold move given the long drought since the last year on it and the pre-season poll placement. He deeply believed in his squad, outsider thoughts be darned. The team rose to the occasion, met his prediction and are headed to post-season tournament play for the first time in 14 years. Today is a good day.
When she was just 17, she lost her mom, her dad and her beloved sister – her entire immediate family – in a car crash that left her with a brain injury. Years of psychological turmoil (not surprising!) followed. She started, and left, college. She started, and left, therapists and meds. Eventually, she finished her BA by living in a group home for students with brain injuries. She traveled to Nicaragua to perfect her Spanish. She worked various social work-related jobs. And next fall this amazing young woman will begin a Master’s Program at an Ivy League university. Her mom and dad would have been so proud. Her sister would have yelped with joy. She didn’t just struggle and overcome: she’s THRIVING! I wipe a tear thinking about her journey.
Brava!
I got a small bonus today for a project I’ve been working on! it’s enough to cover the trip I took this past weekend!
I’m watching four bald eagles playfully soaring back and forth against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset. Wow. Just wow.
The sunset was truly outstanding!
So today I learned a 4th great grandfather was a Revolutionary War hero. And that he is “14 degrees removed from Henry VIII”. I’m sure it was probably servant related. LOL.
D is taking a new job and her soon to be former boss said he would match her raise ($20K) and told her she is always welcome to come back and, if she does, they will give her equity in the company. This makes up for the fact that I was just passed over for a promotion that I am very qualified for with the putdown - “You are just so good at what you already do that we can’t bear to lose you there.” I have now put my mental exit plan into motion and have selected my last day…
Plus, S17 got his best GPA yet and is on track to graduating one year early.
I got my PC up and running after weeks of building and software malfunctions. Can finally play games with everyone else at school.
Little brown bats populated the bat house that we thought was hopeless! We need more bat houses! 
I am writing this while sipping wine on our deck with not a bug in sight.
My blood pressure just rose.
DH and I had a wonderful weekend up at our cabin. It’s so nice to enjoy the fruits of our labor - we bought the land in 1990 so it’s been a LONG-term project. Nice to have a low-cost vacation alternative while we try to get the two kids out of college!
Also happy to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary this week. I hit the jackpot with DH.
The Stanley Cup Finals start TONIGHT! C’mon Bruins. City of Boston and all of New England (other than those pesky western CTers and part of VT) have the rare opportunity to have three parades within 8 months.
Is it 8pm yet? I’m such a kid!!!
Yay! D is home with us for a visit of nearly two weeks! We are so happy and lucky!
We have a few trips scheduled over the next twelve months and I have older, heavier oxygen equipment but earlier this month discovered there is a new more compact model that will better allow me to travel. I was dreading how much it would cost to trade and get the newer equipment but the wonderful guy who sold me my equipment said he’d be happy to trade my old equipment for a newly refurbished smaller model for a nominal charge. Yippee!! I’m so happy and so is H that we don’t have to have as large a piece of equipment to haul around.
Got 4 Eagle Mentor pins last week at the Troop’s Eagle Court of Honor. I’m the Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, or Tom Brady when it comes to helping Scouts earn Eagle.
My son came back from college break to help with the ceremonies. And when the new Eagles took a group photo with their dads, one of them wanted my son to be in the photo-the Scout was raised by a single mother and my son wrote a Eagle reference letter for him. And the new Eagle is headed off to Carnegie Mellon as a Computer Science major with his perfect GPA/SAT and NMSF.
I got a letter from a high school friend who is in prison. I’ve been writing, sending books, etc to support him. I wrote a character reference letter for his appeal process. He just found out he is being granted parole next summer, when he will be just over the halfway point of his sentence. It is the best possible news for him and his family. 
Mom was chosen Mother of the Year at a local association and is featured in our local newspaper. My sister took a photo of her reading the article and sent it to all of us. She will be honored at a dinner next week.