I am re-posting this message as it now has become a part of me, my daily life..

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends.

 To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. 

This is to have succeeded."

 ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Best of Show Needlework Award

My entry into the Needlework Category of the Garrard County Fair won the Garrard County Arts Council  Best of Show honor and Fair Grand Champion- Needlework award. This is a 1/2" scale french knot miniature rug. Averages about 2-200-300 french knots per inch- this means about 6-8,000 total french knots. I have been working on this piece for 2 years.This was a Teresa Layman pattern.


Two other miniature pieces I entered received "blue/first place honors".

Here comes July

How can the summer be flying away so fast?
I just returned home from a wonderful trip to Indiana.. sharing time remembering... being a Sigma Chi sweetheart.. thank you , Kirby! Kirby is one of the founding members of this fraternity , who were celebrating their 50 year reunion. The activities and were events were as "classy" as all of these Sigma Chi men are.  Oh, yes, my son Jay is a William and Sigma Chi .
I returned home to this week being our local county fair.. so I am off in about 30 minutes to enter miniatures into their miniature categories.
Upon my return home- it is to work on NAME convention - GALA, Auction, Estate table, roundtable kits, gift exchanges, it is time for me to begin getting things packed and organized as traveling to Charlotte, N.C. is not so far away!
Oh, yes, July 1- I open the doors to the Youth Enrichment Services of Mid Kentucky , I am still trying to believe that this agency is mine.  

Off I go attacking a very busy day!    

        

If you have not heard... a new chapter in my live has begun... well, several new chapters.... within a 5 week period... my life changed.  It all began with a text message on May 6th. From that day forward, each day brought more and more bad news, events and well, I was to the point of actually saying.. when is this going to stop!  Actually, I screamed it between thousand and thousands of tears. Yes, the strong Babette was in need of a good day desperately.

But then , a phone call... changed my life.
 I had submitted an education federal grant proposal . With the support of 15 major partnerships and the encouragement and help from many outstanding people- all I consider very special friends and much more.

.. I was awarded this grant. 

... I am still in disbelief. 

I am now the
 Executive Director and Owner of Youth Enrichment Services of Mid Kentucky.

 Youth Enrichment Services of Mid Kentucky (YES) is an alternative agency that provides opportunities to disadvantaged youth for the completion of a high school diploma or GED certificate.  YES serves the youth of Garrard, Lincoln, Jessamine and Boyle Counties and other qualified candidates.  Our primary goal is to work with youth and their families to increase opportunities for success. Student experiences will include but are not limited to educational and classroom skills; on- the- job experiences and observations of work environments; paid and unpaid work experience; occupational skills training; basic life skills workshops; character building courses; leadership development seminars; mentoring, counseling and community service. Development of student character is an important focus and we will foster proper work habits, as well as good citizenship. We expect to have (40) participants with the goal of creating more productive citizens for these communities.  Criteria for the program include a lack of literacy skills, status as a school drop-out or runaway, pregnancy, and other issues. 


This will be changing my life.. and this opportunity is once in a life time.  
Those who will be joining me in this journey will be rewarded in so many ways. 

Moving on to planning the next event

This event is called " Party on the Square" held on the four quadrants of Lancaster. Everything is free- food, entertainment, give aways galore all sponsored by the Solid waste Committee of Garrard County. I serve as chair but along with 9 other wonderful people ( and spouses and children) on this volunteer committee made this all happen! A huge success and fun!

This is my kind of building...
'