Graduation

Stylish

May 10, 2025

Graduation

Yesterday marked commencement ceremonies for students at Slippery Rock University as students received their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Graduation marks the end of one person’s time in an institute of higher learning, but it also marks the beginning of a new adventure. For me, that’s how I felt when I graduated high school and began college later that Summer. 

Some key takeaways from graduations that I attended or took part in included:

  • My high school graduation when it had rained the night before and it was chilly the night we walked. Hard to believe that’s going to be 25 years ago very, very soon. 
  • Memorable keynote speakers, including Auntie Anne who spoke at my college graduation in 2005. Her nephew was graduating that day as well and we were both part of the school’s Campus Crusade for Christ chapter.
  • Going all out to buy a graduation gift for a girl that I liked. She graduated in the Spring of 2004 and I attended her commencement that May. 

I loved hearing the Slippery Rock alma mater at the ceremonies I attended, the most recent being Rocco receiving his graduate degree in the Spring of 2009. He now works for the university in the Bailey Library and is doing well for himself. 

Slippery Rock Alma Mater 

WHERE THE SLIPPERY ROCK CREEK WANDERS

WITH ITS SPARKLING FALLS

THERE IN STATELY GRACE AND BEAUTY

STANDS OLD S.R. HALLS

(CHORUS)

SING HER PRAISES LOUD RESOUNDING

SPEED THEM ON THEIR WAY

WE’LL BE TRUE TO THEE, OH, S.R.

TRUE FOR AYE AND AYE.

II.

ALL THY HALLS THE DAY IN DYING

CROWN WITH GOLDEN LIGHT

AND THE MORN IN WAKING SPLENDOR

GREETS THEE IN THY MIGHT

III.

LONG MAY YOU, OUR ALMA MATER

SHED YOUR LIGHT ABROAD

AS YOUR LOYAL SONS AND DAUGHTERS

LIVE FOR YOU AND GOD.

One thing that I never did at graduation that most people do now is write on my mortarboard. It was never a thing when I finished high school in 2000 or college in 2005. If it was, what would I put on mine? Maybe “Once In a Lifetime” since my graduation year was at the turn of the century, or “I Hope You Dance” which was a popular song on radio stations during my graduation year. Which leads me to my next topic, and that’s graduation songs. 

Ours when we graduated high school was “I Will Remember You” by Sarah McLachlan. This was the song that played just after the Columbine High School shooting and I don’t think it was one of the best choices. “Graduation (Friends Forever)” was in my opinion a far better choice, but I digress. Even “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack was also one that could have been used in the early 2000’s. 

Finally, here’s a quote appropriate for graduation from Dr. Seuss’ “Oh The Places You’ll Go!”Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!

Continuing my Magnificent Speaking Streak!

This coming Tuesday begins a challenge for me where I’ll be speaking back to back weeks at Laurel Highlands and Greensburg and achieving another level. I’ll be doing the same thing in June, on the heels of Summer TLI and my week off. Where that award ends up will depend on if we have enough to get to President’s Distinguished at Laurel Highlands. Thus, my magnificent speaking streak that I’ve had since August will continue. I didn’t give speeches in January but still it’s been a mighty good run eight out of the last nine months. 

In February, I spoke twice within a week. My Greensburg speech was on Hartley King as he had recently passed away. My first job out of college was at Kings. My Laurel Highlands speech less than a week later promoted my favorite little coffee shop in Greensburg, Cutie’s. I feel that stepping up on stage and speaking has helped elevate my mood as well, since for most of Spring and at least the first part of summer, I was feeling down. That has been a recurring theme for me every Spring at least since COVID and even going back further. A few years ago, it was because of feeling attacked in my journey due to the Bud Light fiasco,the Canadian wildfires which shielded the sun on a nice day, and wondering when Benny would be coming home. Last year, it was simply wanting attention and likes on the socials.

This Spring feels different though. 

Tuesday night at Laurel Highlands, I will revisit one of my past speeches from earlier in the year. It will be about life at the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. One way I plan on improving the speech is by knowing my audience and their interests, reminding them that everything isn’t cancelled. I’m now looking for speech ideas for next week at Greensburg and into June. That should wrap up Level 3 in Presentation Mastery.

It took me four years to finish my first path, Dynamic Leadership. Now, I might have three levels on my new path completed, all within nine months. Time will tell but I may be up for starting a new path or two when the new Toastmaster year begins in July. Taking a page from the current VPE at Laurel Highlands and Western Maryland, work on one path at Greensburg and one at Laurel Highlands. I’m just looking ahead to the future.

Wednesday night at Greensburg Toastmasters, before we wrapped up the meeting, the realignment proposal and changes coming to our District was up for discussion. There were some ruffled feathers over the changes but this could help when contest season comes up. More contestants may be able to compete at area contests, which are usually held in February. 

Finally, we picked our officers for the 2025-26 Toastmasters year. While swapping officer roles in Greensburg would have been an option (President and Vice President Education), our Treasurer stepped in and will take on the role of Presiding Officer for next year. I’m hoping to swap club roles for next year. I took the VPPR position for 2025-26 at Greensburg. At Laurel Highlands when we do officer roles for next year, I hope to get the VPE position. At Greensburg, it may likely be the end of an era as our Treasurer accepts the Presidential nomination. 

Looking ahead to next year, I’m looking to make Greensburg distinguished again. I’ll take a page out of my VPPR friends’ books and go from there and, blog about our meetings. 

A Surprise Guest at Greensburg Toastmasters!

Tonight, we had a special guest in person by one of our former Greensburg Toastmasters. The Teagues are still part of our club but since moving to South Central PA last Fall, they’ve been attending meetings online via Zoom. Jim was attending a John Maxwell event and so he was in the area and thus, was able to drop by and serve as our Toastmaster. It also felt good for me to attend an in-person Greensburg Toastmasters meeting for the first time since March. It didn’t feel good to contend with the Palace on a meeting night, but it is what it is.

Our small turnout made for a great meeting, and we had a guest join us online from the Pittsburgh area. I had one job and that was to remember the banner that I kept with me since the conference. I got it back to Mike in good condition.

We began the meeting a little bit late but it ran very efficiently. Our only speaker for the evening talked about his experience running in marathons. We just had the Pittsburgh marathon on Sunday amid the unsettled weather pattern. He spoke of the preparation and what to put in your body. My cousin is no stranger to marathons as she’s run in a few herself. She may have blogged about it or posted pics on the socials. I evaluated the speech and learned a lot of new practices and picked up some good tips if I ever decide to run a marathon or the full, half, or mini variety.

Our Table Topics proved that we weren’t going to be acing the English section of the S.A.T’s anytime soon. Goodbye, Stanford or Ivy League. Our topicsmaster gave us some words and we were to come up with what we thought was the definition. None of us got the words right and we learned what the words really meant. Mine was “kenspeckle” and I described like a pickle, or embarrassing situation. One takeaway I got from the Toastmaster of the day was to cherish our friends. At my age, friends are definitely hard to find. In my case, likes are hard to find on the socials as well and that contributed to my mood over the Spring and Summer of 2024. I have friends in Toastmasters to keep me company and I’m not as discouraged as I was at this time last year.

Patience is most definitely a virtue, though.

Finally, I made my weekly Cutie’s visit today and how cutie is this little treat? This is the Oreo Dirt Dessert which I ordered as a frappe. I got tripped up a little bit while ordering when I saw the Strawberry Lemon Matcha but I think I’ll wrap up the In Bloom menu with matchas including that one and the Lavender Butterfly 🦋. At some point before the month is over, I’m up for taking a road trip, possibly to Latte Lane in Cheswick.

The new Summer menu debuts on June 1.

End of an Era?

In 2023, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy and thus, many stores across the country closed their doors, including here at the home in Pittsburgh. In the wake of the restructuring, all but four stores remain in Ohio and in Michigan, all Rite Aids have closed their doors.

In the Fall of 2023, many stores in our region shuttered after the bankruptcy, including the one closest to me on US 30 across from Wal-Mart. That Rite Aid was once an Eckerd that was bought out by the chain in 2007. It’s rumored that Sheetz is supposed to build a location where that Rite Aid was, but nothing has happened yet. 

Rite Aid emerged from bankruptcy in late 2024, but several months later have gone back into Chapter 11. It’s possible that this may be the final nail in the coffin for the longtime pharmacy chain based out of Philadelphia.

For me, this is yet another link to my WIS days that will likely be going away sooner, if not later. Earlier in the year, Joann Fabrics announced that all of their stores would be closing. Rite Aids were a big part of my WIS years, especially early on. I was part of a dedicated team doing four stores a week most of the time on top of our big events (Lowes, JoAnn Fabrics, JCPenney). Being on Rite Aid didn’t come without growing pains though and I worked with quite a few personalities there and at other stores. Despite the drama, I was still happy to be part of a team. Signs of my past are really starting to fade away, with Century III Mall being torn down, Pittsburgh Mills hanging on by a thread, and stores like Party City and JoAnn Fabrics are going away. Can’t forget the passing of Hartley King, either. Who knows how much longer the three remaining Kings stay open?

We are truly experiencing the end of an era.

One Week Later

It’s now a week since our 2025 Spring Conference. I’ve taken the time to look back on how great this weekend was, but the struggle has been real. My mood has improved this Spring compared to last year and I’m ready to get back into speaking mode for May and June. Laurel Highlands and Western Maryland are battling neck and neck to see who makes President’s Distinguished first. That makes going to these meetings a lot more fun. We’ll be electing new officers at the next couple of meetings and I’ll be picking them for Greensburg. I’m done with Level 2 in Presentation Mastery and hopefully by the end of the year in June finish up Level 3.

Not to repeat myself from the last blog, but Cutie’s Bible Study had a great turnout Monday night. The next one is May 12 and I’m excited for what’s to come. Since I’m off Mother’s Day (or for now part of the day) I’m thinking about attending the Sunday morning service at 4TheCity Church in Southwest Greensburg. The panel discussion brought back memories of my time being a Christ follower in college. That seems to be a contradiction in terms. I discovered a Student Fellowship meeting at HGA which ran on Wednesday nights. I began to listen to Contemporary Christian and Praise and Worship music during my last year in Johnstown and again at Slippery Rock. I didn’t discover K-Love until 2009 when it replaced Froggy 98.

It’s a good thing that we had nice weather for our Bible study Monday night. The next day was a completely different story with severe weather all throughout our region. We sure paid for it Tuesday, but we were spared while others saw the worst of it, especially in Allegheny County. Some are still without power until May 5 at the earliest.

One week later, as I look back on the past weekend and all I took from it, I tell myself that I almost wasn’t going to come last year. Again, it was my mood and I was feeling lonely, not getting attention. The past few Springs were like that for me and 2023 was the Bud Light fiasco and Benny’s prolonged hospital stay. I have a better handle on things now and seem to have planned a little better in 2025 than I did in the past. Looking back, the contests were run well and so were the workshop. Had I remembered to bring cash, I might have even come home with some books from the authors who were at the Friday Fun Night event.

Finally, while I was out over the weekend. My mother kept herself busy by cleaning up my space upstairs. I’d taken it for granted for far too long and it needed a little TLC, so I’m glad she did that. I plan to keep it looking that way as well. It felt like somewhat of a metaphor. I need to take care of myself just as I need to keep my upstairs space. There’s plenty of time, even after dinner, when I can put in a quick walk.

First Bible Study of the Year at Cutie’s!

Last summer, the newest coffee shop in town began a Bible Study. At first, a small turnout of 20 was expected and who knows how long it would last if offended someone? That hasn’t been the case and the turnout last summer was amazing. Instead of having it in the shop, they moved it out to the parking lot. Hundreds have shown up every other Monday to be fed the Word of God. With the success they had last summer, Cutie’s knew they were going to do this again.

It’s been a joy watching this little business evolve into what it is, and to try their amazing drinks. I’ve developed into a Cutie’s addict.

Back in February, I spoke about Cutie’s at a Laurel Highlands Toastmasters meeting. One thing I mentioned was their Bible Study, which I started attending towards the latter part of summer. Monday night was the first Bible Study of the year and you couldn’t have asked for better weather. Cuties stayed open until 6 to serve those attending the event. We began by singing along to a great worship set. Monday night’s study was laid back and more of a panel discussion from those who are speaking, including one of the baristas. She delivered the message most of the time last year when I attended. They answered questions they were given including what were their favorite songs and what their key Bible verse is.

While last year saw me grow moderately in my Toastmasters journey by giving more speeches and starting a new path, 2025 is seeing me return to my walk with God. It’s easier said than done to attend in person, so I’ll have to settle for online. But, next weekend I’m off at least on Saturday night. This gives me the opportunity to attend church Sunday morning on Mother’s Day. I plan on attending 4TheCity Church in Greensburg next Sunday. Bible Study at Cutie’s will be the Monday after Mother’s Day.

I got serious about going to church and the Lord in college. It’s usually the complete opposite of what happens to most kids when they live on campus. They begin to look at other options and start walking away from what they were raised to believe. I found good church homes in Johnstown and Slippery Rock. I was very active in Campus Crusade for Christ when I was at The Rock. If being involved in Christian organizations was a major, I could have graduated magna cum laude. But I do have a lot of memories being involved in “CRU”. It was hard in the first few years after graduation because that and college were so near and dear to me. Just as I was starting to enjoy my time at SRU, I was done and off to the real world.

After graduation, I started to drive more and one Sunday morning found a church close to home. I would become very involved there the next few years, participating in many different programs there. Despite being a member of a good church, I will still feeling regret because of decisions I made a few years ago in school. I was also somewhat envious of people because I wasn’t like them. There was also politics and culture to deal with. After so many years, things came to a head and I needed a break.

Now three and a half years later, I’m ready to make my comeback.

Igniting My Spark at the 2025 District 13 Spring Conference!

The 2025 Spring Conference began the next morning. Our food was provided to us by Thermo Fisher. They had a few of their members attending the event and one of them was speaking in the Tall Tales Contest. I ran into a few former members who were in clubs no longer in existence and both from Notthern and Central WV where Toastmasters doesn’t have the presence that it used to. After eating my breakfast and feeling a cool breeze at my back, we all headed to the Carnegie for the first session of the day with our Keynote Speaker. We had a small parade of banners and I carried for Greensburg. Instead of standing behind the podium our speaker walked around and called on people, including those in the back who thought they were safe 😉.

Tall Tales was the first contest of the day and we heard a lot of funny speeches from our contestants. My division was represented well by our two speakers. Our Frenchman from BPMI spoke of his perils trying to live life in Paris and speak the language. He should brush up on his French-speaking skills or he’ll end up with something sour to eat. Grapefruit, anyone? Perhaps taking five minutes on Duolingo will help. Our contestant from Thermo Fisher showed us what it was like to live life as a cat. The lady I met from HELPS on Smithfield spoke for the trees in Penn Hills. But it was our South Hills Toastmasters participant who stole the show looking for her friend. Bruce, if I’m correct. She’d end up winning the Tall Tales contest of 2025 with our Frenchman placing second and feline friend placing third.

The top three contestants in the Tall Tales contest.

Once that amazing Tall Tales contest ended, it was back to the Carnegie after a ten minute break to be enlightened by our sparkling keynote speaker. This time, we thought of a speech topic using a diagram and looked for words that would highlight it. Soon after, it was time for lunch which was an Olive Garden type setup with salad, dressing which tasted like the restaurant’s itself, and choice of penne or tortellinis with either alfredo or red sauce. Oh, and I can’t forget the breadsticks. Glad I chose the alfredo as I might have just hopelessly soiled my clean white shirt with that red sauce. We honored our members who achieved new levels and finished their paths, and celebrated two dignitaries who received their DTMs, including one who was our past District Director. The International Speech Contest would be coming soon, but first the afternoon workshops. 

I made sure to attend Sharon’s afternoon workshop that showed us how to find our purpose and ignite our fire. It was very interactive and we began with an exercise where she called on a few of us and we tried to free ourselves. In a way, it was almost like Twister. We were given a handout with some blanks to fill out. We filled out a Gifts and Talents Self Assessment Form and added up all the numbers. Research shows that only 10% of people know their life purpose. When employees are connected, turnover decreases. Some takeaways from the workshop include the mind being our most valuable asset and that we are our greatest investment. Also, there are six psychological human needs. One more is to do everything you do 1% better than everyone else. 

Eight dynamic speakers represented their clubs and their divisions Saturday afternoon. All the speeches I heard were very good. It’s hard enough judging at the area level, imagine how hard it is at the District. I’ve done both. This was my fourth time hearing our champion speak, including Tuesday night at the Johnstown club. Each time he spoke saw improvement from all the feedback he received. When it was all said and done, the best speaker won but it was very close. 

Cranberry Area Toastmasters with member Josiah LaDuke who placed second in the International Speech contest.
The top three speakers in the International Speech contest.

We wrapped up the night with an amazing dinner that included key lime cheesecake or a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. For my dinner, I had the apple brie stuffed chicken with some Florentine vegetables. I sat with Western Maryland and Steve and Carly from the Nittany Club. Carly is our incoming Division C Director and Sharon is the incoming Program Quality Director. After the DTM gauntlet and basket raffle, the conference was over and we took some time to let it all out and hit the de facto dance floor. 

Our 2025-26 District Trio. Club Growth Director Douglas McCall, Program Quality Director Sharon Imes, and District Director Kathy Wolf

When you’ve gone to as many conferences as I have, they feel like a reunion where you meet your old friends. But you find new friends along the way for you to invite into your life. 

Finally, let’s talk about my fashion sense. I rocked my outfit for the dinner portion of the conference. Minus the scarf, I copied my Winter TLI ‘fit which included the iconic cheetah print cardigan. I was treated to a drink along with our keynote speaker as well as our past regional advisor. I downed another cosmopolitan and received some compliments on my pink bag from a few people. The fact that it went with my cardigan showed how much of a fashion statement I really made Saturday night. Those words of wisdom to just not worry about what I’m drinking or what I’m wearing really helped me to enjoy the night and the conference. 

Thursday Night Dinner, a Bananas Foster Latte, and a Murder Mystery!

There’s lots to talk about from this weekend’s Toastmasters festivities. Conference weekend is a lot of fun and it’s nice to catch up with old Toastmasters friends while making new ones along the way. Before I recap the weekend, let’s look back at Thursday.

This past Thursday was my monthly Thursday Night Dinner with Mr. Clougherty. I’m using that name instead of the Dinner Series because it ties in to Gilmore Girls which I’m rewatching for the second time. We met at Primanti’s and one of our talking points included the 2025 NFL Draft and who the Steelers were going to draft (and whether or not they would draft a quarterback). I tried to stray from politics and the sad state of the high school. But, I walked right into what I didn’t feel like discussing when Kevin mentioned the tariffs. That’s what is delaying the construction at the best high school in the nation, Hempfield Area High School. Politics and high school aside, let me tell you what I ordered. 

I ordered the PB Reuben with a Kosher Dill pickle and water to drink. That’s because I made a stop at Cutie’s before I would meet Mr. Clougherty for dinner. I planned on going the day before but I was busy putting together a basket for the Spring Conference. I went with a gardening theme and called my basket the “Green Thumb Basket”. It was a hit with our club president at Laurel Highlands and the Program Quality Director-elect. The basket chair liked it as well. She’s from the Western Maryland Toastmasters club and serves as their Vice President of Public Relations. 

Getting back to dinner… 

The service was excellent and our server was patient and professional as Kevin and I took the time we needed to order our food. The Pitts-burger is one of my faves and on my last few trips, I’ve gone with the features (the Dangeruss and the Primanturkey) and both were hits. The reuben was calling my name on Thursday night though. I was happy with my sandwich and the sauce added a nice kick to an already good sandwich. I’ll do my review on Yelp. During our time together, I also explained to Kevin 20, 25, and 5 and the meaning behind those numbers. 

20 marks the years that I’ve been out of college, and when I had begun my social media journey. I’ve been on Facebook since it was only for college students. Surprisingly, I’ve stayed with it, for better or for worse. 25 marks the years since I graduated high school and later in the summer of 2000, when I started college. I took classes for a semester at the Hiram G. Andrews Center and then moved on to the local community college in early 2001. We decided that I’d attend the former and the latter as a way for me to learn how to be independent, before transferring to a four year college if that was my plan. Finally, five marks the years since our world shut down due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. That period during COVID was a wake-up call and a turning point for me. 

During the week, I started the process of packing for the conference. I tend to overdo it but you can’t be too careful. I did the same thing when we went to Hershey back in November for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. In my next blog, I’ll recap the Saturday portion of the conference. By late afternoon on Friday, I was en route to the hotel where the 2025 Spring Conference would be held. In the next blog, I’ll go into detail on how I got there. Here, I’ll highlight Friday’s activities. 

Early in the evening, there was an authors’ round table. Some of our Toastmasters are accomplished authors and that includes one of the people from my home club, Greensburg. Our keynote speaker has written many books herself including “Heart of a Toastmaster”. I had a coupon for a free book and did I use it? I’ll tell you in the next blog. 

The best part of Friday Fun Night was the fun Casino games that we played and the Murder Mystery that we had to solve. Last year’s trivia at the DoubleTree in Washington was also a lot of fun and we almost won had I known the answer to the final question. No hard feelings though as we had a lot of fun. I met lots of people and played some roulette with my friend from the Johnstown club. Things got really interesting as the music stopped and the lights went out, and then we had to figure out who the murderer was.   

I wrapped up my Friday night by going to the bar with friends where I had my first Cosmopolitan, and impressed everyone with my knowledge of geography. Then, it was time to get to bed as I had a full day ahead of me on Saturday.

Visiting Johnstown Toastmasters!

On Sunday, we celebrated Easter. It was a small turnout and we didn’t have our usual suspects there. The Somerset Gaffrons were in State College celebrating Easter. But it was still a great day, albeit a little chilly. We had ham, scalloped potatoes, and vegetable casserole.

It was a quiet day after the chaos over the two nights before. It was also the calm before the storm coming the next four days. At work, nothing is tranquil. As I write this during midweek, I’m currently in the homestretch and the light at the end of the tunnel that I mentioned last week is there. But, it’s still somewhat faint. It‘ll glow brighter by Friday morning when this seven day stretch comes to an end. The price you pay for taking off this upcoming weekend for a conference.

Last night, I had the liberty of attending Johnstown’s meeting online. It was a fun meeting and well-attended. I made plans to attend months ago, but I also felt like I had returned the favor after TJ visited the Greensburg club last Wednesday (also online). He gave a speech at our club. I didn’t speak Tuesday night at Johnstown. Regardless, I still had a great time and look forward to my in person visit in October. Just as the Spring Conference is nearing and our excitement is growing, so the elections for new officers in the upcoming 2025-26 Toastmasters year are coming up as well. At tonight’s DEC meeting, we will be electing our new district officers for the upcoming year including our Division Directors and Finance Manager. For my clubs, I’m hoping to swap roles (though at Greensburg I might want one of the two that I had at Laurel Highlands). But I might be President again at Greensburg as well so who knows there. If VP Education is open at Laurel Highlands I’ll take that role. We‘ll see what happens in May at our club officer elections. Summer TLI is June 21 at WCCC.

While I’ve gotten the hang of Zoom and online meetings thanks to a laptop gifted to me from my Allentown cousin and her little family, I feel I can benefit more from better lighting. I use my book light but it’s not enough. In the future, I’d like to find a better room downstairs and of course, I’ll possibly need headphones that can work with my laptop and I’ll have to reserve one of the rooms for an hour and a half. It’s nothing serious, just a change of scenery that I’d like to consider for upcoming Toastmasters meetings.

Finally, as I said this week and the week before have been nothing short of crazy. At work, we’ve been busy focusing on Easter and getting around vacations. It doesn’t help when we don’t have enough people. Point is, I have things I enjoy doing but sometimes can’t find the time for. I try to make time for everything but sometimes I tend to overextend myself. Life happens and sometimes we can’t always get what we want. That has rang true this week with Easter and preparing for Spring conference. Once this weekend is over, I’ll have more time for the things I want to do. That’ll put an end to the craziness for a little bit. The next important event in my life should be Summer TLI in June.

Bible Study at Cutie’s on Monday night is a great start too.

Eye of the Storm

It’s the beginning of a seven day stretch at work and right now we’re in the eye of the storm. Last night brought with it rain and wind and tonight it will be more of the same before we catch a break on Sunday. Disclaimer: This is not a real weather forecast. The start of the new workweek brings storm chances and scattered showers and thunderstorms but it won’t be a washout every day leading up to the weekend. Again this is not a real forecast for Greensburg, but for me this week it’s figuratively speaking.

The mild weather has descended on our area for the first half of Easter weekend. Yesterday morning, as I was leaving the gym to go home, it felt more like early summer with the warm breeze. I still had a light jacket on even as it felt a little humid outside. I almost felt like I was in Panama City Beach (shades of 2004 and 2005 when I spent Spring Break there) or at Cape May on vacation. I’m out for an early walk before the sun and humidity take over, keeping me hydrated. I wonder if they have a Cutie’s like coffee shop in Panama City Beach.

This is a big week for me with the District 13 Toastmasters Spring Conference at the end of the week. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel after a long week of work for me and I’m hoping that this weekend will be well-earned. Actually, this will be a busy weekend as I prepare for the conference, visit a Toastmasters club online, and attend a council meeting. We’ll be electing our new district officers and talking about realignment. I will RSVP as soon as I get the email. I’ll be attending Johnstown’s club meeting virtually on Tuesday as part of my Spirit of Toastmasters tour, and squeezing in a day to get my haircut. Thursday, I am meeting Mr. Clougherty for our monthly Thursday Night Dinner at Primanti’s.

Now let’s talk about fashion for the upcoming week. I have something nice picked out for my online activities on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Girls Table raves about my fashion sense. I’m thinking black on black with a floral top (I bought this last summer from where else but Old Navy. I have some other cute tops for later in the week and a white shirt for Wednesday’s online District Council meeting. Of course you know I can get away with lounging pants for my online meetings but I want to look nice. But what to wear for conference weekend.

Looking great at Winter TLI this past December. The cheetah cardigan will be coming with me to conference this weekend.

For Saturday, which is in the heart of all the conference activities including our speech contests, I have a black and gray outfit planned for breakfast and the first half of the day. For dinner, I’m thinking of donning the cheetah print cardigan. That piece works well dressed up or casual. I may even repeat my outfit from Winter TLI in December. Friday and Sunday will be laid back as I check in early Friday evening and check out Sunday morning. It’ll feel nice to be in the hotel after getting through traffic in West Mifflin and driving through residential Broughton Road. Here’s hoping for good vibes this weekend and Sunday morning as I head home via West Mifflin (PA 885) or the Parkway (I-376). Lots of great outfits planned and I will be trying them on at some point the next five days. I just need to be me and not be hungry for attention. If I remember my keys to the game, this weekend and conference will be a success.

Credit goes to Cutie’s Coffee but these drinks are Bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Finally, I’m going bananas in my upcoming Cutie’s visits and moving away from the lattes the rest of the month and into May. The In Bloom menu runs through May 31. I see a Cold Brew, Chai, and Frappe on my radar soon. Sometimes it feels good to diversify. I might even order one before the first Bible Study of the year on April 28. I’m excited to learn from God’s Word and grow in my faith with the lessons I’ll be hearing from our speakers.