Ahoy there!

Let me re-introduce myself; my name is Vivien.  It's been.... egad, six weeks since my last post!  I wish I could have been better at keeping up with my blog, and all of yours, but I haven't had many moments to spare.  I've opted to spend any extra time with my family while all of us are together.   So here's a quick update:

In the middle of May, I went to my oldest daughter's graduation from Notre Dame.  It was a wonderful weekend, full of time spent with just our daughter and raucous times spent with her friends and their families.  Despite the weather (36 degrees cold!) on the big day, nothing could suppress the celebratory mood.

My daughter, all bundled up beneath her robe, along with her boyfriend as they entered the stadium

The next weekend we headed to Florida for an "I want to be a kid before I have to be a grown-up" trip to Universal and Disney.  Both my son and daughter's significant others joined us.  We had so much fun that the inevitable lines didn't even phase us.  It could not have been a more perfect trip.

Then came prom.  My youngest daughter's school is small, so they have a combined junior/senior prom.  She had a great time.  I love it that the school sold individual tickets to the event, so there wasn't any stigma for going without a date.  That said, my daughter went with one of her closest friends and it was sweet to see them get all dressed up.

My daughter and her prom date; what an elegant couple they were!

That same night was the opening reception for Art Around Town, a NWAG-sponsored event that paired merchants with artists. I was selected by a day spa and I think the consensus is that my flower and shoreline pictures are a good fit for the spa atmosphere.  I have to say I love the look of my large photo, Georgia's Poppy, printed on canvas and hanging right behind the reception desk.

Of course, work has kept me busy.  I just love it.  I'm a big fan of all the people I work with, both staff and founders, and taking the 9:22 train home hasn't been a problem --- except when I get stuck behind an open drawbridge for hours.  That said, I'm learning and doing more in those days than I ever thought possible.  Being in the city is great too.

Grand Central at night; what a sight!

I love people -watching in Union Square; she was kind enough to let me take her picture

We work hard at work, but we enjoy building our community, too.  Here's a great picture from an evening out.  I'm telling you; these entrepreneurs are smart and have great ideas.  Can't wait to keep an eye on what they're doing.

XRC Labs, Cohort 2; definitely keep an eye on these folks! 

When I have that calm moment in the morning, I've been admiring the generosity of my garden.  It's been overwhelming.

Peonies, roses, and irises from my garden gathered in a tabletop bouquet

I've been lucky to squeeze in some time at the museum.  The Nest exhibition was amazing.  I wish you all could have seen it.  I was able to give one of the closing weekend tours last Saturday.  By now I'm sure you know how much I love giving tours.  Even though the exhibition has been up for three months, every visitor brings a slightly different take on the art and it keeps it so exciting for me.  I'm looking forward to docent training next week when we learn about a new exhibition!  And, I've been in conversation with the Associate Curator about upcoming exhibitions for which I might want to be docent trainer, so stay tuned.

Now that the exhibition is over, all of James Prosek's mural will be painted over ... and he's excited about that

I'm signing off now in favor of some more family time.  I hope all's well with you.