Thursday, February 25, 2016

The NEMO Inclusion Project & Supporting the Kirksville Kiwanis Club





Today, I am breaking with tradition and asking my readers, family, and friends to consider donating to a worthy cause.

Currently, my local community of Kirksville, Missouri, is looking to build a playground that anyone can use.  By anyone - I mean literally anyone (adults, wheelchair bound individuals, walker bound, etc.).  So why, in particular, does this project appeal to me?  Growing up, my favorite times outside included time at the playground.  "Going to the moon" via the swing set.  The satisfaction of finally figuring out how to climb the fireman's pole on my own.  The fun of waxing a straight metal slide or taking the curly slide to the bottom.  Or playing tag with friends and family on the playground in the evenings.  This time will forever be etched in my memory and the opportunity to provide this experience to others is just waiting for you.  More details about the project itself are available here.

The Kirksville Kiwanis Club, of which I am a member, pledged to raise $100,000 for the NEMO Inclusion Project.  Right now, the club needs to raise $19,700 by June 1, 2016, to meet its goal.   Just over $80,000 was raised in 12 months.  How fantastic is that?

Personally, I have contributed $100 to the Kirksville Kiwanis Club just for the playground and I plan to continue donating small amounts along with assisting in fundraising efforts until this pledge is met.

If you, family members, businesses, or well meaning civic groups are willing; the Kirksville Kiwanis Club would ask you to consider donating money to them directly in meeting the June 1st goal.  We know this is not something easy for you to consider, but your support in anyway is most appreciated.

If you have questions or ideas, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them.  I will also provide information on how donations can be made for anyone who might be interested.

Happy Friday!

Monday, February 15, 2016

A view of my childhood

Hey All!

Between a crazy amount of work (i.e. 50+ hour weeks for the past 2.5 months) and my computer quitting on me, sigh, I have not been great at posting.  This technology issue will be fixed by the end of next week at the latest.

In the meantime, I am sharing an article about my Dad and the research he does.  Growing up, I had the life of a Modern Day Nomad, which is an essay I wrote for my graduate school applications, and I loved every second of it.  This was my first introduction to research, ethics, and the importance of putting your entire self into every aspect of your job.  Without further ado, I encourage you to read this article.

While I am not sure what the upcoming years will bring, having more to do with research, data, and writing up of projects I have completed or am completing are on the agenda.

Happy Monday!