Hanging Out with Gardner-Webb University's Major Gifts Officer

Dr. William M. Downs became President of GWU in July 2019.

After graduating from high school, I attended Gardner-Webb College which was then a two-year college.  I remember my years there from 1955 to 1957 with much appreciation and excitement.  It was a good school, and it prepared me well for my last two years of college and for life in general. Gardner-Webb over the last sixty-three years since I graduated has grown into a well-respected University.  The enrollment in 1957 was approximately 500, and this year the enrollment was a little over 2000 undergraduate students.

Several weeks ago I had a visit from Tami Ruckman, Major Gifts Officer at Gardner-Webb University. I had met her earlier in Boiling Springs, and when she was in Raleigh, she came by for a visit. I had my yearbooks from 1956 and 1957 and we had fun (at least I did) looking through them as I reminisced about my two years there. Comparing then and now was mind-boggling for me.

My Gardner-Webb Yearbooks. 

She arrived with a gift bag of little goodies from GWU.

Gifts included a copy of the most recent Gardner-Webb Magazine with a picture of their new president, Dr. William M. Downs on the cover.  Dr, Downs came with stellar recommendations when he assumed duties in July last year.  I hear glowing reports of how much Dr. Downs already is liked.

Another gift is my own personal drinking straw made of aluminum with its own cleaning brush and carrying case.  If I can remember to carry it, I will make my contribution to eliminating the use of plastic straws.

The little charging pad will be helpful because all I need to do is put my i Phone down on the pad and it will charge.  No messing with cords.

Can you find me among the two photos here?  That was 1956-57---a special fun year!!!!!

Where's  Grandpat?

Where's  Grandpat?

Tami and I really hit it off, so I look forward to more visits with her whether here or there.  Thank you, Tami, for the visit, and I am still giving thought regarding a gift to my alma mater. It was fun looking back at the yearbooks and remembering all the good times I had there and all the friends that I made.

Hanging Out with Grandpat on Wednesday Morning

Hang out with me for tea and toast this morning!!

One thing I am trying to do at least once a week is to post on my blog.  This is for my own sanity so you can ignore or not.  Today I thought I would just post some of the things that I've done this morning so you can hang with me.

I filled up Maggie my dog's water bowl.

Hey, let's water my indoor plants.

Words With Friends on my phone is helping me during these days.  I usually have two or three games going at any one time.  This morning I played with an online friend of mine who is in Toronto. She usually beats me.  But it is usually pretty close which is fun.

For dinner, I am going to make tacos so I picked some lettuce from my little garden in my raised bed.

Morning tea was special because of the freshly made sourdough bread that my friend Amanda left at my door yesterday.  Toast with that bread and butter and blackberry jam really hit the spot. Thanks Amanda for the delicious bread and for the brownies too. I wish you could have been here to have tea with me.

My real treat this morning was talking with my friend Libby who is in Shelby.  Libby and I have known each other since the first grade.  In high school, we were good friends and we sometimes had sleepovers at each other's house.  Back in the day,  young children did not have sleepovers like the children do today, but in high school, we did occasionally.  What do two OLD friends talk about when housebound? how we get groceries, how we get our hair done, cleaning the house, and working in our yard.  Next time we will reminisce about our high school days.

Libby is on the left. Peggy Jean in the middle, Pat Whitley on the right.  This afternoon I'm hoping to hang out with those other two who have also been friends since first grade.  I think this was when we got together in Lattimore in January.  

Stay tuned for more hanging out.

Hanging Out with Me and My To-Do List

My List for the Day

When I was teaching and had to organize my time more carefully I usually made actual to-do lists, but in the 20 years since I have been retired (Gosh I can't believe it's been that long!!!) I've just made mental ones for the most part. To keep me on track during these strange times, I am going to revert to making physical paper to-do lists. Of course, I am sure things will pop up during the day that are not on my list for today that will require my attention.  But I'll what I can finish.  

One thing checked off, but it took about 45 minutes, because I went to Ace Hardware, called them and they brought one out to the car.  Social distancing. 

Now do I add getting this thing attached to my hoses to my list for today????  Absolutely not!

Returned Green Room and now I'll get the top of my queue A Star is Born. 

I made the meatloaf and the turkey vegetable soup. Froze the soup for a later time.

Meatloaf out of the oven. 

Turkey vegetable soup ready to freeze. 

Maggie was walked, and after the walk, I lay down on the sofa with the intention of listening to some Handel, Bach, and Pachabel for 15 minutes.  Fifteen minutes turned into 45, but I was enjoying and relaxing. 

I called my friend to wish her a Happy Birthday, and I have completed my balance exercises.  I just watched the first Masterpiece episode of Little Women (this was not on my list for the day). Now it's bedtime.  There are two things on my list that I didn't accomplish, but one is reading for an hour so perhaps I can do that in bed if I can stay awake.  Tomorrow my list is going to be shorter. 

p.s. finishing this blog before the day is up wasn't on my list either, but I did it.  

Hanging Out with my CD Collection.

Our CD collection. 

Last week I dusted off my CD collection and decided to play some oldies, specifically songs from the 50s which were the heydays of my high school and college years.  Some years ago I organized our collection and shelved them according to categories: Cape Breton, Classical, Country, Easy Listening, Irish, Pop Music, Prose, Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, Scottish, Xmas.

Country Music

Part of our list.  

 I have the most (51)  under the category Pop Music.  Artists such as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Beatles, Eva Cassidy, Arlo Guthrie, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, just to name a few.

Here's one of my favorites from 1959,  I bet my high school/college friends remember this one.

I have over 20 classical CDs. 

Another of my favorites from my classical collection.

I even have a few country CDs.

I like almost everything that Willie Nelson has done.

And of course, I can't leave out Cape Breton music.  Here's one by Natalie MacMaster.  Dan and I used to see her when she was a teenager performing in communities near where we stay in Cape Breton during the summers.

I hope you have enjoyed hanging out with me and enjoying a bit of music from my CD collection.