Sometimes Saturdays are Meant to Begin Anew, and to Simply Do a Few Life Revisions

It was a honor to celebrate the incredible work of counselor scholar, Dr. Diana Hulse, who has taken the big step onto the retirement parade. Yesterday, colleagues gathered in celebration of her life achievements and family members came from all corners of the United States to applaud the sister and mom they love. I don't think it will really hit me that she's no longer in Canisius until the Fall, when we return to our offices and I realize that she and her spirited, hard-working self isn't there to greet Dr. Ryan Colwell and me. Her pep-in-the-step attitude brightened the floor and I am thankful I was able to have her friendship and mentorship.

And on the Homefront, other changes arrived as the furniture people arrived at 6:30 a.m. (a half hour before the earliest delivery. I didn't even make the coffee). They were done by 6:45 and I simply put a sheet over the new mattress and went back to bed, sleeping until 10:30. I told my mom, I think it must feel like sleeping on a cloud does. The t.v. stand, coffee table and end table also arrived (great deal), but I'm more thrilled about my evening purchase. I needed something to pull the dark furniture together with the plants and the blue in a few of the art pieces hanging around. I stopped at a Pier 1, no luck, then a Home Goods, no luck, but then a 2nd Pier 1, ch'ching. I found a $495 carpet marked down to $175, but it was a clearance day, so it was another 50% off. Score. Because I saved so much, I decided to get a couple throw pillows, too, simply to match the carpet. They were buy one, get one 1/2 price. I rarely indulge, so am patting myself on the back.

Can't wait to learn all the additional ways Glamis's shedding and her hairs will piss me off. Speaking of, she's frustrated with me because I made her climb in the bathtub and washed her down with oatmeal shampoo. I'm not sure what she's been rolling in, but it is a lifetime of decaying crap. She's getting better about stepping in the tub, but she hates water on her head (and doesn't like drying off in the sun, either - she'd rather be indoors in air-conditioning). I took two grocery bags of fur off of her and it still is coming off. I love dogs, and Glamis, but I could do without the peskiness of her pin-hairs.

She's getting adjusted to the rearrangement, too. Her bed was moved as well as her toys, but this morning she already brought me a tennis ball I found under the furniture when I moved it and that I placed in her toy box. She'll be okay.

I'm getting excited for the week ahead, however, as the teacher institute kicks off. It's nice to have personal space here and there to take care of things at home. It's rare, but I am thankful for Chitunga and his Father's Day gifts for inspiring the Mt. Pleasant changes. He kicked it all off!