What a Month!

Whew!  Too much going on and not enough time!

First off, my job is changing; I currently work 50/50 for the graduate school and the department.  Sept. 1st, I will work full time for the department.  What a shocker!  I am grateful that I got to choose which job I wanted to keep (and that was a VERY difficult decision) and I'm extremely grateful that the department could pick up the other half of my time (in these economic times, that was not a given...).  I'm used to the idea now, but it's taken awhile - it has helped that my "kids" have assured me they are still mine and that they will still come to see me (we currently have 45 in the program).

Both of my sewing machines have been ill; one is still in critical care and the other has at last returned home, so maybe this weekend I can finish up some stuff - there is a pile waiting!

My new computer is out of the box and set up for use (that only took me three weeks to get around to doing!) - so that was 4 hours of setting up and installing software.

And last, but not least, I have once again thrown a successful party..um...symposium.  And this year we held it at the Dallas Arboretum - much prettier than planes at the airlines museum!  I am the committee for this shindig, and if I get to do another one, it will be for the department, not the program, so it was also kind of bittersweet for me.

The students surprised me with a card, signed by all of them and the faculty gave me presents - what can I say?  It made me cry...and I'm very grateful that I do get to keep working with the ones that are in my department!

And I did remember to say "Thank you!"



Lisa (who now has her Ph.D.), me, Nam (still working on his degree), and my PI, Kevin



Me with Anna, who is defending next week and going back to medical school!

It was such a gorgeous day!  And even though I didn't spend a lot of time in the gardens, I did gather up plenty of new flower photos!

So - here's to getting back on track and finding my focus!