August, a busy and sad month

August was full of traveling for me. First, I went to Brock University in St. Catherine's, Canada to meet with a colleague. I flew into Toronto and stayed in Niagara Falls. The university was about 20 minutes from my hotel, but over an hour to the airport. Trips like these make me love my job. The first morning I was there, I went for a jog along the North end of the Falls...those are the pictures of the falls through all the trees/brush. After my meeting, I went for a long walk along the main part of the Falls, on the Canadian side. I used to come here often when I was an undergrad in Buffalo. It was beautiful. I even caught an amazing glimpse of a rainbow over the top of the Falls. After I checked out of the hotel, I went to the Botanical Gardens and a Butterfly Conservatory. They have a huge horticulture school there, so the students are in charge of designing and maintaining the gardens. Sadly, on this trip, I got a call from my sister letting me know that my grandmother had passed away after having a heart attack. She lived a good, long life though...88 years!

Conference in Madison, WI

I had to present at a conference in Madison, WI from August 19th-22nd. Once again, I had the opportunity to mix a little business with pleasure. There are pictures I took from the plan, and from my walk by the Marina. Madison is such a cute little town.

Elsie Taylor's Funeral

And sadly, we had to travel to New York for my maternal grandmother's funeral in Long Island on August 24th. It was a sad reason to go home, but it was great to see my family, especially my cousins who I haven't seen in over 15 years! They all still look the same!!! I'll post some pictures of my grandmother once I get them from my sister. She was an absolutely stunning woman. She even wore spiked heels until a few years ago. My aunt convinced my grandmother to wear flat shoes in her older years, and much to her chagrin, she relented.

My 33rd Birthday

And the final day of August was my birthday. Anthony took me out to one of my favorite restaurant's in town, a Korean BBQ. We had way too much to eat and ended with dessert at Rita's Italian Ice...mmmm. Not sure why he's making that silly face.