One College Graduation Down, One to Go!

My girl Sarah officially walked across her college graduation stage last Friday evening. It was a super long day that started with a small ceremony for her major in the Classics department. I thought that was super special! She was part of the College of Arts and Sciences graduates ceremony, and by my count, there were nearly 2,000 graduates on that floor. But the smaller Classics ceremony earlier in the day let each of them shine individually. The faculty introduced every graduate, and each received a crown wreath in true Classics fashion. Then we headed to El Jalisco for a quick dinner and celebratory margeritas before heading to the larger Commencement ceremony at the Tucker Center. 

As most grads do, Sarah wanted cash, but I wanted her to have a little something to open other than a check, so I made these earrings for her. I'm super happy with the way they came together and I hope she loves them as much as I do! Sarah graduated with a bachelor's in Classical Civilizations and will begin pursuing a master's in Information Science in the fall. Liv graduates in August with a bachelor's in Environmental Science after her final internship summer, so we've got one down and one to go! Liv will begin pursuing a master's in Aquatic Environmental Science in the fall. If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, you've watched them grow up! Thank you for following along!  

Sunday Gratitude (on a Tuesday): FSU Mass Shooting, April 17, 2025

You wouldn't think I'd have any gratitude around a mass shooting, so I'll explain. So yes, in case you missed it, there was a mass shooting at Florida State University on Thursday, April 17, 2025. FSU ... my alma mater and the university at which my girls are graduating seniors. A 20-year-old student killed two and injured six before being taken down by FSU police. The two killed, both staff, have been memorialized. All but one of the six injured, all students, have now been released from the hospital. The shooter in still currently in the hospital. 

First, let me share this very powerful piece written by one of my daughter Sarah’s classmates; this describes what went on in the exact classroom Sarah was in during the tragedy. That fact that these students have been through active shooter drills for this is two-sided. It’s great that they have so they knew what do to, but it’s so incredibly sad that our kids are having to go through active shooter drills to prepare for a real event … we all hope that it won’t happen, and yet it continues to happen.

 

I was in contact with Sarah via text from the moment we got the FSU alert. Olivia was at work with me. I can only imagine the panic of the parents who weren’t able to reach their kids as quickly. And I can only imagine what these students and FSU staff experienced. But I can tell you how I felt as a parent to one of those students barricaded in a classroom for nearly three hours hiding from an active shooter on yet another campus where they should feel safe. And as a dear friend to someone who works on campus very close to the Union and is charged with trying to keep her students calm and safe in a very scary situation … I felt surreal panic. Like a “how can this really be happening” kind of panic. And a total helplessness. And not only worry for my daughter and friend experiencing it there on campus, but also worry for my daughter sitting next to me frantically texting her friends to make sure they were in a safe place.

All the News That's Fit to Print

All the News That's Fit to Print... Well, isn't that a mouthful? So it's been a minute since I checked in here, totally wrecking my goal to get back to blogging regularly in 2025. This art journal spread is the first I've done in nearly a month, which is super unusual for me, but life has definitely thrown me some curve balls lately. I usually keep things upbeat here for the most part. Don't so many of us on social media? While we may try to outwardly present that things are always sunshine are roses, behind the curtain, things may actually be stormy and weed-choked. Isn't that truly the case for everyone? So how about some real life today?

I've been dealing with some challenges at work that have really been draining me. For the sake of professionalism, I won't go into too much detail, but suffice it to say there are those that are in top positions of leadership and power who aren't always right, yet they don't seem to be able to admit their mistakes. I've been dealing with an issue that seriously has me considering retiring earlier than initially planned. As a friend on my board said to me, "People are just unhinged lately! Totally unhinged!" and she's so right! It seems that the current climate in our country either has people acting in ways that are totally out of character for them or is giving them the freedom to show their true nature. I'm not sure which in this case, but it's been a doosy. We give so much of ourselves to our careers, and at this point in mine, I'm really giving myself grace and self-love, standing up for myself and my limits of what I'll accept in regards to how others feel they can treat me. I deserve better. I'll be glad when this situation finally plays itself out, but it's been one for the record books for sure. Lawyers and all!

In my personal life, I've been dealing with something I never thought I'd ever have to deal with ... my sister and I are in the midst of helping our 80-year-old father through a major life change. It's not health related; we could have expected that. Just a major change in his personal life, the outcome of which will affect so many different variables that we are still trying to wrap our heads around. And there, too, we have to protect ourselves and be firm with just how much we are willing to do, and that's hard to do with a parent, but we still have to give ourselves grace and self-love and stand up for what we are and are not willing to do. It just plain sucks. 

And then there's Thursday, April 17, 11:58am, the moment my family's life crossed paths with what's sadly becoming a common occurrence in this country: another mass shooting. I live and work in Tallahassee, and my daughters attend Florida State University, the site of a mass shooting last Thursday. One of my daughters was at work with me about one mile from the Student Union, where the shooting started, but the other was on campus in class not far from the Union. Thankfully my girls are physically okay, though I'm sure experiencing something like that leaves permanent mental scars. It was a super scary, super sad day, and I'm still wrapping my head around it, so I'll share more on it later in the week.

So all this to say, sometimes life is just plain crappy, constant storm showers leaving muddy, weed-ravaged ground. We all have our "stuff" we are going through. Every single one of us. Be kind to one another, as we so often have no idea the challenges others are facing behind the curtain. Give yourself and others that same grace and love, and let's help each other through our battles. 

ICAD 2024 - Week 1

Since I've neglected this ole' blog a bit, I'm going to start sharing some things from past art journaling and #the100daysproject challenges that I've not shared here yet. We'll start with ICAD 2024! 

ICAD stands for index card a day, and Tammy over at Daisy Yellow has been leading this challenge for many years! I've been participating in it for several years as well, though the past few years, I've used a vintage rolodex instead of index cards. I love flipping through it! The thing about these challenges - for me, anyways - is that in order for them to be enjoyable, I've long ago accepted that I won't finish them "on time." Creating every day is just not feasible for me with my work and family responsibilities, and frankly, some days I just plain don't have the energy. And that's okay!!! I've always felt that if I start to feel too pressured to post every single day on Instagram (where most of the challenges that place), then that takes the fun out of it. Sure, my posts might not be seen as part of the challenge once I've fallen behind enough that the challenge is over but I'm still working, but I'm okay with that!  The benefit for me is eventually working through all the prompts, regardless of when they are done. They are meant to be fun, so I refuse to be too hard on myself. I hope you'll be easy on yourself as well.

Books - A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson

 

 

 A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson is our Chapter Night Book Club read for March. I loved this book! Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so this definitely fit the bill, but normally I read WWII historical fiction; this is American historical fiction. A Pair of Wings tells the story of Bessie Coleman, the real life first black female aviatrix in America.

Born to a former slave turned sharecropper in Texas in 1892, Bessie was learning how to fly at the same time that Amelia Earhart was learning to fly, and it's about time her story is being told. In her early 20s, Bessie made her way to Chicago and her brothers, and, having always had the dream of becoming a pilot, she worked in Chicago saving every penny she had. Her luck and hard work turned for the better with the help of two powerful, wealthy black men who wanted to help her soar. However, for Bessie, being a black woman, there was no school in America that would teach her, so with the help of these two men, she made her way to France to learn to fly, learning to speak French before she left America.