Today, I am back home in Kentucky. After the art show Monday night, my mom, dad and boyfriend packed the car and drove the 5.5 hours back home after a 5.5 hour drive to St. Louis. 11 hour drive in one day! They are keepers.

The show was fantastic and there was a great turn out. A lot of people and a lot of beautiful art. I am thankful for everyone who shared that special moment with me. I will forever be thankful for the relationships I have made here at Fontbonne.

I am thankful for the teachers/education I have been lucky enough to have. I have learned so much and have been introduced to a lot more than I ever thought I would and the great thing is, that will never stop. I will always learn more and grow, and carry my knowledge with me into new situations.

I am thankful for my family for always supporting me and being ok that I moved states away to study art. They always tell me to try my best, and I do.

I am thankful for my roommate. I love her with all of my heart. I will miss her terribly when I graduate in a few weeks. I don’t know what I am going to do without all of my best friends. This means snuggling in bed with 4 of my best friends is a must at least 12 times a day.

I am thankful for my college life friends. These ladies have been with me since freshman year and I would never have wanted it any other way. I love them so much and thank them for always being with me. All of my memories are with them and my college life would have been totally different if it were not for them.

I am thankful for my body & my health.  I am happy I have gone through college as an athlete and have not suffered serious injuries like I did in high school. I am thankful that I did not get deathly ill while away from home. Not once did I have the flu or its equivalent while in a dorm room and I am very thankful for that. I do think I am getting over bronchitis though, but stressing over the show and spending too many nights awake rather than sleeping will do that to you, but still, I am thankful.

I am thankful for the new relationships & new friends I have made. I am so terribly sad that I didn’t meet these people earlier in my college life, but I am so glad I did at all.

I am thankful for the bad. I am thankful for the good. I am thankful for the scary. I am thankful for the unknown. Without all of these things, I would not be who I am or where I am today, and I am thankful. Happy Thanksgiving from KY!

-Kelia

Thanksgiving is only a few days away, and most of everyone here at Fontbonne has gone home for break. Only the few are left, including myself, but I will be driving back home this evening after dance practice for Griffin Girls. With the beginning of this holiday season, we are reminded of all that we have to be thankful for, and although Griffin Girls is preventing me from leaving for break sooner than later, it is the latest aspect of my life I am thankful for.

Dance was a part of my life for thirteen years, and upon entering college I decided for it not to be. That was a mistake. In the absence of dance I was able to realize all that is does for me. I consider dance to be my creative outlet. Everyone has one. My father’s is music, my sister’s art, but it is dance that allows me to put any frustration, happiness, or other emotion I feel somewhere, rather than holding it inside. Without dance my life seems like a mess, but with it I have a place to send anything I wish, and express how I feel. Today I am extremely thankful for the Griffin Girls dance team, all that they are and all they allow me to do. My family and others close to me will be coming to watch our performances this weekend, and I am grateful they are making the journey.

Griffin Girls at Griffinsanity

On a lighter note, I am thankful for tradition. Tomorrow I will me preparing my grandmother’s traditional holiday dessert: white pie! Many of you may not know what that is, but it is vanilla custard heaven in a pie! I’m sure next week I will be blogging more about its deliciousness and will try to include a picture. Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next week…

Maybe I truly am a child of the 1980′s but when I started thinking about what I was thankful for I started to hum Poison’s song, Something to Believe In. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why that came to my mind but I looked up the song lyrics and could see clearly why. The song speaks of an inner discontent that the writer has for family, friends, and those never truly met that seem to have been lost or forgotten.

The lyrics- “Sometimes I wish to God I didn’t know now
The things I didn’t know then
Road you gotta take me home “
seem to really sound out to me. Why? I’m a little older than the typical Fontbonne student, I’m in my 40′s. There are many things in life that have thrown me off course as far as family, friends, and my education. This lyric speaks to me because I do truly wish at times that I was a first time student in college with all my hopes and dreams ready to come true. Instead, I have a new perspective and life experiences that at 18 I didn’t have. I’ve suffered the loss of my dad a week before my wedding, been graced with two children and a husband, been estranged from my mom I loved dearly only to reconnect with her last year when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. My younger self didn’t have any of these life experiences and was carefree, wow, to go back.

Then, I happened to think that if I went back I wouldn’t have the joys of having my two children and knowing what a blessing it can be to be a mom. By being a mom, I gained selflessness and compassion beyond merit for another. Those are two of my biggest blessings that I’ve got in my spirit the ability to act without thinking of myself and showing compassion and care not only to my kids but to others.

I also wouldn’t know the hurt the loving someone and having them leave your life either through death or on their own. When I take time to have perspective each of those have led me to me to being a stronger and more capable person. When I was younger without this experiences I was constantly relying on my dad or husband to bail me out, to be my knight in shining armor. Through my life experiences I’ve become more capable than I ever thought.

Lastly, is the relationship with my mom. When I was younger my dad told me the sun rose and set on me when it came to my mom. I can never remember a time when she didn’t love or support me. I wish that I still had those feelings when it came to my mom. But she chose to disconnect from me for over six years which is time that is lost. She chose to not see my kids growing up or talk with me which breaks my heart. This Thanksgiving though, I am thankful to God, that He gave me a loving mom as a child and into early adulthood. I can even see a blessing in that she has brain cancer. What? I am able to re-connect with her and see can be a part of my life again. The relationship is not perfect and our time I fear at times is limited but I’m thankful for the cancer because it has brought me back to her.

The song ends in these lines -
“You take the high road
And I’ll take the low road
Sometime I wish I didn’t know now
The things I didn’t know then
And give me something to believe in”. This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for a new perspective that comes from age and experience. I’m thankful that I’ve got a firm foundation in Christ most of all that helps, encourages, and gives me something to believe in daily.

May you all find something to believe in through Christ this holiday season.

Blessings- Sherry

Hey Griffins! Thanksgiving was a few days ago and I had a wonderful time with my family. I’ve been thankful for a lot this year. My number one would be my family; they are always there for me and have been really supportive. I’m also thankful for my boyfriend and his family. Over the summer paying for me to come out to Colorado and this winter break letting me come out for 3 weeks and spend the holidays with them. Other things I am thankful are being able to be at Fontbonne to get a good education, the new friends I have met here, and just life in general. Life has been good to me and other people; and I think some people take it for granted. Lastly, I am thankful that the semester is almost over!

Until next time.

“I’m just having the worst day…”

“That man in there is going to have to learn how to walk again without a leg, and the woman down in 501, she’s going to be told that she has stage four pancreatic cancer.  You’re not having the worst day.”

The above dialogue is from my new televised addiction, the CW’s “Emily Owens M.D.“  Though this show is definitely in the dramedy category, I think that these short lines speak volumes.

It’s Thanksgiving break.  One of the most-revered holidays in America is tomorrow.  And as I sit here writing this blog, I’m taking a break from all of the work I still have to do.  By next week, I have to complete a plant biology research paper, a developmental biology essay, a physics term paper, and a statistics case-study paper, plus I have to prepare for two major presentations.  And as I said, it’s Thanksgiving break.

At various times during the semester (especially near the end), it’s easy to get caught up in yourself.  It becomes increasingly easier to be pessimistic than optimistic.  I find myself asking, “Why do we even bother having a break from school when all we’re going to be doing is homework?”  However, it’s always important to remember to count your blessings.  It’s important to remember that a) I chose my major, b) I chose my classes, and c) I’m blessed to be at Fontbonne, an institution where I’m not only receiving a great education, but where I’m also really valued as a student, future biologist, and friend.

“You must think I’m incredibly self-absorbed.”

“No.  Just human.”

Considering Thanksgiving is this week, I figured it was a good time to talk about food (well, I guess it always is, but especially now). I don’t consider myself a picky eater; I’m usually willing to try anything. However, there are actually a few traditional Thanksgiving foods that I’m not too crazy for. One, turkey. I like the taste, but I rarely eat meat. Two, stuffing. I’ve had some kinds that I really like, then others that are just unfortunately bad. Three, cranberry sauce. The only fruit that I don’t really care for is cranberries. Four, pumpkin pie. I used to love it until I ate any entire pie one year. I haven’t been able to eat pie since I made myself sick on it. Supposedly taste buds change every seven years, so I will probably try some again this year. I know I’m making it sound like I’m picky, but I’m not really. Thanksgiving just happens to host the few foods that I would be fine without.

Despite these food hindrances, I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It’s great to have the entire family together, especially when myself, brother, and cousins live away from home. Mine stay up super late playing games. After being up all night, my aunts sprint off to their Black Friday shopping destinations and I go to work. I look forward to next week so I can continue this Black Friday discussion… Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!

Is it really the last full week of October? I cannot believe how fast this first semester is flying by! It seems that each week is busier than the last. Before I know it it’ll be Thanksgiving. But that’s still a few weeks away, and I focus on the present.

This week is an exciting one for me. Today I almost completed my skirt I’m making for a fashion merchandising class (yes, the one I sewed wrong sides together and did every other possible thing wrong to last week). I can’t wait for Monday so that I can finish. The skirt is made of  maroon colored wool, high waisted, with an asymmetrical hemline and a leather waistband. Perhaps I will wear it on the fast approaching Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow I will be seeing Les Miserables at the Fox! I have never seen this opera, let alone any, and am anxious to see it. I love going to see musicals at the Fox. I am able to go because my Music Appreciation course is required to critique it, so I got a really good deal on tickets. I will be going with my roommate/best friend, and we’re making a whole day of it, beginning with a tour in the morning, lunch, and the show in the afternoon.

After the show I will have Griffin Girls practice, which is going really well. I love that I am able to dance again, and the entire team works really hard to do their best. We have already finished two routines and are beginning the third this weekend. Our first performance is November 2nd at Griffinsanity. Come check us out!

The Fall Fest is tomorrow evening, so maybe after dance I will stop by to check out what the Fontbonne clubs and organizations have going on at this point in the semester. I know students can make masks for the masquerade ball this weekend, and try to put together the best Halloween costume for a prize. With so many things to do and see this week, I wonder what next week will bring? I’m hoping for some actual fall-related weather!

Until next week…

Thanksgiving break came and went in the matter of a snap. I had a long list of things I needed to complete over the five days, but now I am playing catch up with all my school work this Monday and Tuesday. It’s fine with me though because I spent a lot of my time at Memorial Medical Center, in Springfield, Illinois. I worked there over the summer and became part of the kitchen staff, delivering trays and snacks to all patients and doctors and staff at the hospital. Our first day of break, I spent ten hours working, making money for Christmas. It was a drag in the morning because working was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had to. When I finished eating lunch, I had to sit there and couldn’t help but to count my blessings. A lot of patients were without family during Thanksgiving, really sick and depressed. Over the course of the next four hours when I delivered the trays, I made sure I spent time listening to what they had to say and if they wanted a conversation, I would stay and talk longer then I should. It was really humbling over the break knowing I made some sort of difference in some patients’ lives. When life is stressful and tiring, I think of all those people who don’t have loving families or a warm roof over their heads. It always puts me back in a positive mood. I hope you all have good breaks, welcome back to the work load of school and final exams.

Old clichés always seem to get the best of me. Everyone knows the phrase “you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone.” I always knew how great my family and friends were, but only getting to see them during the holidays makes that time spent with them even more special. I love attending Fontbonne which is a ways from home, but nothing beats the rush of anticipation as you are driving home to set up the Christmas tree during Thanksgiving break! I was lucky enough to get to have some company from my dad on the ride home after he came to my game in St. Louis, and spent all of today decorating for Christmas with my mom and sister. I am so very thankful that I get to see my whole family tomorrow and spend black Friday with them shopping for the hottest deals! I wish all of you the best during this Thanksgiving holiday!
God Bless!

I got up at 4 a.m. to take Brad Soble to the airport for his 6 a.m. flight. Why is he leaving so early? Frankly, I have no idea, but that’s beside the point. I too am leaving today for upstate New York, around 2 p.m. This is a pretty great week – there’s nothing quite like the two-day week that is Thanksgiving break!

Of course, I’m actually flying into Buffalo, NY, not Rochester, my home town. Jess, my girlfriend and best friend since high school, is at the University of Buffalo, where she studies pharmacy. She’ll be picking me up from the airport, and I’ll be spending the night with her on Tuesday. Wednesday morning, I have an interview with an advertising agency in downtown Buffalo – I’m really, really excited about it! And nervous. But mostly excited, and really wishing I could land a job here since it’d be amazing to end the long-distance part of my current relationship!

After the interview, we – Jess and I – are heading back to Rochester together, where I’ll see my family – and my dog! – for the first time since my birthday in October, a month prior. This holiday time together should be a nice break before one final week-long push to complete my undergraduate classes!

Enjoy this Thanksgiving, everyone! And reflect on all you have to be thankful for, and be grateful. Enjoy what you have and more importantly who you have to share it with!