SHE DID IT!!!

There has to be a sense of accomplishment, when 10 years after your started working on something, you finish it. Such is the case today, when Older Daughter earned her Bachelor of Science degree. I will admit I had my doubts, when she told me she planned on carrying 19 credit hours this semester. I could not imagine how she could work full time and go to school full time, study, and breathe all at the same time. But she did it, and did it in style. She wasn't the oldest student, nor the youngest - in fact her 29 years wasn't even the average age of the students. The oldest student receiving a Bachelor's degree was born in 1945.

We were all grateful she was in the first 150 students to get their degrees. We did not have to wait for the rest of the 1273 students to be recognized. It also meant we got to have lunch out. Wahoo!

Genetics

All I can say about today is Younger Daughter drove 10 hours from Michigan to Tennessee to spend the weekend and watch Older Daughter graduate from Tennessee Tech.

Also, I'm not sure it's always a good thing that both OD and YD inherited their mother's sense of humor.

The Opposite of the Sleepless Night

Two nights ago I could not sleep. I was up until about 5:15 AM. This morning, thunderstorms awoke me at 5:30 AM. I am up in anticipation of arrival of Younger Daughter hopefully early this afternoon and hopefully after the thunderstorms rumble through Kentucky and Tennessee. Older Daughter graduates tomorrow from Tennessee Tech. She managed to make the Dean's List again even though she carried 19 credit hours.

Text message from her yesterday afternoon while she was at Grad Practice says "Recommended you be here at 8:30 AM to assure good seats." Graduation is at 10 a.m. Probably have to be there at 8:00 AM to assure parking.

Congrats, kid!

Maybe I Was a Genealogist in the Womb?

Last weekend, my Aunt Shirley (my dad's sister-in-law) sent me a church bulletin for Linwood Presbyterian church in Kansas City, Missouri. From December 4, 1926. The reason for her sending it to me is the mention of my father in the Cradle Roll. By the time this was published, Frank "Hank" Percival was about 17 months old. It is sometimes hard for me to imagine the gruff man my father could be as a baby. It's funny as I scan down the list, I see a few surnames that stick out: Bowman, Kirtley*, Estes, Sevier and Francisco. Certainly, those last names can all be found in our family line.

The curious thing, is that I've always had a "thing" for church bulletins. As a child, I always scanned the church bulletin from St. Robert Bellarmine's church in Redford, Michigan for mention of people whom I might know. My favorite was the "Heirs of Christ" column, which listed the weekly baptisms. I'm really sorry I didn't keep a few of them. I think they would be fun to read and see if I still remembered any of those names!

*The particular Kirtley mentioned, Geraldine, is indeed listed in our family history! Isn't that fun!

Just Sittin' Around

All but two minor things and one major thing left to do for the landscaping. The minor things are to plant some creeping jenny and some phlox that I have in two different colors. Unfortunately, the last 3 days we have begun to catch some of the rain that has plagued Arkansas. I hope that ends before Younger Daughter makes the 600 mile trek down here. The major project is to add a stone patio out back and - of course - that will have to wait until after the rains and after younger daughter's visit.

Younger Daughter is coming of course, for Older Daughter's graduation from Tennessee Tech University next Saturday. Older Daughter is prepping for the three days of finals she has this week. I think she is pumped and more than ready to pick up that degree with the 1274 other graduates. In a hot indoor stadium. In May. In Tennessee.

Yesterday, while enjoying my morning coffee in my office while reading blogs, answering email and listening to an audiobook on my mp3 player, I watched the birds. In Michigan, I was used to the cardinals and robins, blue jays, wrens, sparrows, doves, chickadees and the occasional finch.

Here, there have been quite a few I've been unable to identify by sight. One turns out to be a rose-breasted grosbeak and the other I assumed correctly was an eastern bluebird. So it turns out that not only I am enjoying the bird station out front, but so are the neighborhood squirrels and cats.

DH and I have gotten hooked on the new Doctor Who series on BBC. When we were much younger, we were hooked on the original series before it was cool. We actually started watching last year and caught the 4th season, which is on hiatus until 2010. For Christmas, we bought ourselves Season 1 of the current incarnation - David Tennant. For my birthday- DH got me the first season with Christopher Eccleston. Something besides laundry and house work on a rainy day!