It's an honor....

Today I received an e-mail from the Dream Rocket site:

This is an update to let you know that your Dream Rocket submission will be on exhibit at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site from May 1 - June 30, 2013. Exhibit posters, images, and a press release will be distributed this week, these items will be posted in our Flickr album as they become available...I would like to invite everyone including teachers and students to join us this Friday May 3 at 5:30 for an opening reception at the Brown v. Board of Education location. Opening remarks will begin at 5:45.... Presenters include students and teachers, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, and artists from the Dream Rocket project. 

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Exhibit
Topeka, Kansas
Theme: Expressions of Freedom and Equality
Exhibit: May 1 - June 30, 2013
Opening Reception: During First Friday Art Walk, May 3rd at 5:30 p.m with a short ceremony at 5:45

I can't tell you how much this pleases me. 

I don't usually get political on my blog, but Civil Rights is something I deeply believe in, and having something I've made shown in such a place in conjunction with such a theme makes me very very proud.

If you want to know more about the site, visit http://www.nps.gov/brvb/index.htm

And, some day, my artwork will be placed on that Saturn Rocket!

OK...So maybe AT&T isn't ALL bad...

They finally managed to keep their appointment and successfully installed UVerse ... so our connectivity (so far) is pretty amazing...
And not only do we now get the Smithsonian Channel but we also have a NASA channel.

NASA!!! 

How cool is that????

Oh yeah - they also managed to be finished in time so we could have date night at Amici, where Chef Bartolino Cocuzza once again rocked the kitchen!

Happy Birthday to me some more!!!!

MUST be Spring!

Even the indoor plants are blooming -

and it's warm enough that Darlene's tulips opened up, even though they were just buds on Monday!

So...I guess we'll have 3 (maybe 5) more days of Spring, and then it will be Summer (defined by over 85-degree days).

Still beats Winter....

4/14 Birthday!

I love how birthdays now spread out over days!  I say celebrate as long as possible!!

The day was wonderful with beautiful weather and over the course of that day and the next I received phone calls and emails from children, grandchildren (which included singing)  and friends - delightful!  Wish I could have hugged everyone in person to say "THANK YOU!!!" - they all touched my heart.

On Monday, the admins took Darlene and I to lunch (we have the same birthday) at Ojeda's - here I am with my birthday sopapilla!

fortunately, Haidee had her camera on-hand!

Haidee also gifted Darlene and I each with vases of flowers - mine still looks beautiful on my desk - thanks, again, Haidee!

 And, if AT&T doesn't screw up their service appointment again, I have a future date night with my husband at one of our favorite restaurants.

Who said we had to have just a birth-DAY celebration?  

I vote for a minimum of a month!

Speaking of Surprises....

Mike and Maryann stopped by on their honeymoon tour last night!!!

Dave and I were thrilled!  Not only did we get to see Mike again, but we got to meet Maryann and she's a doll - We're excited to have a new Daughter-in-law and a new grand-daughter!

Seems the only real thing we can afford to do for the kids these days is feed them.  Since Maryann has a special relationship with barbeque (her words), we went to Spring Creek for dinner.

picture from Spring Creek website

It was an evening of good food and good company -

Surprise!

You just never know when something will surprise you (I guess that's what makes it a surprise, huh?) ... every so often, some of us will take a short 20-minute walk through the buildings to get the kinks out or just to get in some sort of cardio during the day...

Now this place is chock-full-o'art, which I wouldn't include in a post because I don't have permission but I did find an unexpected bonus at the base of one of the big plants outside of one of the elevator banks - orchids!

you never know what you'll discover in a day...

A Loss....

We flew to Nevada to say a final goodbye to our niece, Amanda - the world has lost a truly unique and special person..

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We stayed in Sam's Town this time because it was close to Mom and Dee; our room overlooked the courtyard where they have a fake mountain, with animatronic wolf, bear, and eagle...

and it gave a good vantage point for the laser shows at 8 and 10 pm

Early one morning, we made a quick visit the M&M store on the strip to pick up "thank you" gifts for friends watching the house and picking up the mail -

and we saw where the Key Largo burned down the day before (they were still putting water on it)...

I suppose this qualifies as a Men-at-work photo....

and, while we were sorry for the reason, it was a good visit with family as we got to spend time with some of our kids and grandkids.