Metamorphosis

So, September kept it coming. After my Mom got hurt, so far this month my son broke a toe, my cat needed emergency surgery and my Dad needed a trip to the ER. So, now looking forward to October :). I am having a personal metamorphosis as I learn how to juggle it all. I appreciate my family and support network even more than ever. I am changing day by day and hope I transition into something amazing at the end of it all.

But, in the midst of the insanity, a little touch of magic from Mother Nature. We had to babysit caterpillars for a neighbor. I know, not the most common of neighborly requests, but we said OK. And got to watch one change into a pupa. Managed to capture it on film.

This morning while we were waiting for buses, our neighbor came out to say that two of the butterflies emerged last night. I got to take some photos of them, and one shows how the pupa changes. So amazing.

The photo of the toad was just because we were happy to see him today :)

Going to HigherEd Web in Austin

My first conference since joining UB and my first professional conference in years. Roswell used to send me to work the booths for their conferences (not that I fit the classic definition of a booth babe by any stretch of the imagination) but I don't think I've traveled for learning in over seven years, maybe longer. I am truly looking forward to a chance to think outside of the box.

Let me know if you're going to be there too!

Be careful of word choices

Well, I had no idea how using the word crash to title my first blog for the month would come to signify the whole month of August for me.

My home computer is still getting repaired. They fixed the first issue I sent it in for, but broke the fan in the process. So, when we booted it up, it sounded like an airplane was landing. Back to the store and back to another two weeks of warranty repairs. So glad I had the extended warranty, but getting annoyed that we still don't have it back and school starts next week.

But in the rest of the month I've been affected by road crashes (one solid hour on thruway in middle of nowhere due to a major accident in front of us), emotional crashes (leaving my oldest at college) and bone "crashes" that sent my Mom to the hospital for surgery. It has been a roller coaster of a ride. I am glad to see September at the end of this week.