The month of April has drawn to a close and it was a record month. Pittsburgh set a record for precipitation with over eight inches of rain. A lot of that came in the first half of the month. The second half of April has not been quite as active. It looks May is starting off summer like with temperatures in the 80s. We saw a high of 87 on Monday. Therefore, May is beginning the same way April ended.
I made two Toastmasters club visits online at the beginning of April when I attended Indiana and Johnstown’s meeting. These visits were in the plans for a long time and I finally got down to making them. I’d been to both clubs before (13 years in Toastmasters, people! I’ve made my rounds). This was my first visit to both clubs in their new locations. Indiana meets at Indiana Regional Medical Center and Johnstown meets at the Arbutus Church of the Brethren. I was warmly welcomed at both clubs and learned that Johnstown had their 70th anniversary celebration coming up. They held that meeting at Hoss’s in Richland Township on Theatre Drive on April 23.
Last Spring, I dealt with feelings of discouragement. Three reasons and two were beyond my control. One was Benny’s prolonged hospital stay at Children’s due to his condition. He was there for almost four months. Two was the Canadian wildfires that brought plumes of smoke down into our region. Cities like Chicago and New York had skies that looked very apocalyptic at one point. Third was the Bud Light controversy and the attacks on a certain transgender TikTok star that followed. One person in particular was very savage in her opinions on Dylan Mulvaney in a podcast. One other person referred to her as a pedophile. This had an effect on me in my journey and almost caused me to quit completely. I went back though and it was at Summer TLI when I wore a leopard print scarf and my Coach purse. A couple of my Toastmaster friends gave me rave reviews on my style and I knew I had done right. While the Bud Light controversy was beyond my control, how I reacted could be controlled.
This Spring, I still have my doubts but I’ve gotten so much better in my journey. I ordered new ‘fits from Old Navy and everything fit. I like everything a little short and don’t mind rocking a crop top. I slay whatever I wear. When I visited Johnstown earlier in the month, their club president Sandi really adored my polka dot top (after I took off my jacket and thus, stopped hiding my true self).
Whatever downtime I had when the weather was nice and not rainy was spent outside. I found out that Hempfield Park is a great place to get your mile walk in if you don’t want to make the drive to Twin Lakes. On those days when it didn’t rain, I filled my exercise goals by walking on the treadmill at Planet Fitness and taking to time work on my muscles as well. Maybe I can figure out Yoga or Pilates in May.
Did you get a chance to view the eclipse on April 8? I was asleep for the morning and early afternoon but I came out just as the sky began to get dark. I put on my special glasses and witnessed a phenomenon that won’t likely come again in my lifetime, at least around my area.
The NFL Draft occurred this weekend and it looked like the Steelers did very well, drafting some much needed help on the offensive line. Six quarterbacks went in the first round, including the first three picks. It felt like 1983, 1999, and 2004 all rolled into one. 1983 saw quarterbacks go in the first round, three who’d end up in Canton. 1999 saw three quarterbacks go first, second, and third. 2004 was all around my most favorite draft of all time because the Steelers got their GOAT at quarterback.
Finally, I finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the eleventh hour. On the last day of April, I read the final chapter and bid adieu to one of the most trying books in the series. I’ll be watching the movie this weekend and then I will begin Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince next week.
And with that, the month of April comes to an end. Good night!
Stylish 🍒 