Woo...Pig Sooie....

We had a wonderful weekend!!! We went to see the hogs play. I've been to see them in Little Rock, but this was my first game in Fayetteville. I had a blast! It was just cool to be at my first game at the University. There is definitely a lot of excitement there. It's catching.

Since the game started early, we didn't tailgate this time. The game had some interesting moments. The inclement weather caused the officials to suspend play twice. So a game that should have ended around 2:30pm, ended around 4:00pm. I know some people were really frustrated, some left early. We were there with some our best friends, so we really enjoyed just hanging out. We were excited to see the Hogs beat Ole Miss!

We decided to eat at Gusano's Pizza after the game. It is one of our favorite pizza places. The Chicago Style pizza is incredible. We enjoyed catching up with our dear friends. There's never a dull moment when we're hanging out. We were glad they were able to join us for a day on the hill.

A Shining Vacation

We visited Denver, Colorado in September. We've been to the Denver Airport in the past, but never stayed in the city. Jeremy had a Family Medicine Conference and I traveled with him. Most of the time was spent with Jeremy in sessions and me studying in the hotel room. We went out in the city most evenings. We ate some great Indian food, shopped, and took in the night life.

We were able to escape the last day for some sight seeing. We chose to travel north of Denver to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. We stopped at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. The hotel that inspired Stephen King's The Shining. The hotel was incredible. I can see why they picked that location, what a view. It would be a little spooky too, to be isolated during the winter months. Estes Park seemed very quaint. When we drove through town, elk stopped traffic crossing the road. It was very relaxing.

The next place we visited was Rocky Mountain National Park. WOW!!!! We enjoyed driving through the park. We stopped at several places to take in the glorious scenery. We enjoyed lunch at the top of one of the mountains. It was so nice to be in nature. It is times like these the worries of everyday life seem to fade away. It gives you true perspective about the important things. It was an incredible day!!! We returned home, informed and relaxed!!!!

Back to School.....

I can't believe this week is midterm for my graduate program. I chose to go back to pursue my masters degree in Gerontology. When I graduated from college, I remember saying, " I'm never going back to school." Never say never.

I began working as a Recreational Therapist in a Geriatric Psychiatric Unit. I had volunteered at a retirement center in college, but never really worked with the senior population. I had worked with preschool age children, after high school and in college. I loved that work too. I had so many wonderful experiences while working on the Geri Psych Unit. I had group sessions, music therapy, pet therapy, and social events. I learned so much from my work with the senior population. Seniors have so many wonderful experiences and the stories to prove it.

When I left the unit, I actually was going to change career course completely. I was going to work as a real estate agent. After a few months, I realized that wasn't really for me. I guess you never know until you try. So I was at a crossroads. I realized how much I enjoyed working with seniors. I realized, I missed it. I began to look at masters programs that offered a degree in gerontology. There was several good choices, but I decided UMASS Boston was the right program for me.

So here I am, working on my degree in a program I love!!! A family friend told me, that I would love working on my masters. He said, it was different from college, you are pursuing your passion. He was exactly right. It has been a lot of work thus far. There is lots of reading, writing, and projects. I have found even with all of they busyness, I am having the time of my life!