On Sunday, we celebrated Mom’s birthday at home. The spread consisted of chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, and potato wedges (picnic food). For dessert, we had Texas sheet cake with ice cream. We had a small family gathering with my Somerset relatives. Mom was blessed with nice springtime gifts, including gift cards to Panera Bread and Arona Road Greenhouse, and a solar light that she can put outside. Once the warmer breezes prevail over the colder winds, Mom and Dad will be out there planting their flowers and cutting the grass.
Big things are happening in Toastmasters this month with the Spring Conference scheduled for the last weekend of April. Laurel Highlands is growing and gaining new (and one returning) members. Laurel Highlands and Western Maryland recently achieved Distinguished status and we are pushing for Presidents’ Distinguished at Laurel Highlands. This month I will be making online visits to other clubs including Western Maryland as well as Johnstown. The latter will be the Tuesday before the conference and part of a busy week that includes the DEC meeting. Next Thursday I will be attending the history making Western Maryland club.
In 2025, I’ll be celebrating some anniversaries and milestones as well as talking about some memories not so pleasant. This summer marks 25 years since I graduated high school (June) and began college (August). I started at the Hiram G. Andrews Center before moving on to Slippery Rock a few years later. This December marks 20 years since I graduated from college. I’ll be celebrating that milestone this Fall at Homecoming. I managed to luck out this year because Homecoming falls on the week that I am on vacation. Five years ago, we were quarantining and staying home due to spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic. What are some hobbies you took up while staying safe?
This week, I’ve felt a little less stressed and devoted time to other interests without feeling overwhelmed. I’ve made a little more time playing Switch and I’ve been enjoying some Super Mario 64 this week (I have a cartridge with Super Mario 3D games on it including Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy). I’m trying to make less and less time for social media. Not so much less time on the socials, but less time trying to get attention on Facebook and Instagram. Anytime I don’t get likes I get depressed and that’s what plagued me for a good part of the Spring and Summer last year. Attention is one hell of a drug and it is addicting. It makes me feel like my journey isn’t worth it, but shouldn’t it matter that if I like it, that’s all that matters then? Easier said than done. When summer comes, I’d like to take some more time to swim or be outside. Maybe tomorrow, I’d like to get my camera and snap a few pics around town. I’d like to have some more pics on my frame that are my own and not someone else’s photos. I’d also like to take some more time to try on and post some outfit pics.
Finally, we held our Greensburg Toastmasters meeting this evening. We met online as our Zoom Master and Club President was unable to attend. She gave us a great Table Topic that I used for the session (I doubled up as Toastmaster and Topicsmaster). The topic was to ‘tell us about one of your best times in Toastmasters’.
Most of us referred back to 2019 to answer that question, the last normal year we lived before the pandemic changed our lives forever in 2020. I talked about my visit to the Cranberry High Noon club in December of 2019 and how they made me feel very welcome that day. I had just started my blog a month prior and received my Distinguished Toastmaster award in October.
Our speaker gave his second ice breaker speech for his new path. We welcomed a returning member back into the club and a had a visit from our Area Director. Her visit was successful and we made her feel welcome. At the end of the meeting, I talked about the upcoming conference at the end of the month and what all is included. I also highlighted club officer training and officer nominations for the 2025-26 Toastmasters year. Our next meeting is in two weeks on April 16.
Stylish 🍒 