While we were trailing after my daughter Jessica during her graduation events last weekend, I was charmed to see so many animals had infiltrated the ultra-geeky world of Carnegie Mellon University. I don’t just refer to the CMU Scottish Terrier official mascot – although Scottie was there – but wild animals too. From the early morning robin and bunny to the sparrows in the grass during the commencement service, CMU creatures joined our celebrations.
Images Copyright 2012 by Katy Dickinson
Filed under Home & Family, News & Reviews
My son Paul is very much enjoying his second year at Foothill College (Los Altos Hills, California). The family teases Paul that he is working his way through the course catalogue in alphabetical order. So far, he has taken only classes starting with the letter A: Art, Algebra, Anthropology, Astronomy.
Last weekend, his sister Jessica and I were consulting with Paul on his classes for this summer. We thought he was going to break his pattern by taking swimming and a practical software class, until we saw that the Foothill catalogue calls these Aquatics and Adobe In Design. Maybe Paul will get to the B classes next year.
Image by Katy Dickinson 2012 Copyright
Filed under Home & Family, News & Reviews
My daughter Jessica graduated from Carnegie Mellon University yesterday in Pittsburgh PA, with college and university honors, Phi Beta Kappa. My son Paul and I flew in from San Jose CA and her husband Matt flew in from Seattle WA for the big event. Here is some of what I saw in our joyous three day visit:
Jessica and Paul
CMU
Phi Beta Kappa
Congratulations to the Honors Students
Three Wonderful Kids
Going to Graduation
Jessica and Proud Mom
Carnegie Tech – Class of 1948 Her Grandfather’s Medallion
Processing into the Stadium
Honors Regalia
Relaxing After All the Fuss
Pictures by Katy Dickinson 2012 Copyright
Filed under Home & Family, News & Reviews
I am proud to announce that my clever daughter Jessica is graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh PA this weekend. She finished her 5th Year Scholars project and is being awarded college honors, university honors, and Phi Beta Kappa. Phi Beta Kappa is “The Nation’s Oldest and Most Widely Known Academic Honor Society” started in 1776. She next takes on a summer internship at Harvard Law School and then is moving to Seattle WA where her husband Matt has a new job at Amazon. Busy girl!
Regular readers may remember that Jessica also graduated in 2011 but still had to finish her minor and 5th year project. All done now.
Image Copyright 2012 by Katy Dickinson
Filed under Home & Family, News & Reviews
One of the interesting parts of owning an older house is discovering how it is built. Our 1930 Spanish Mission Revival home in Willow Glen has delightful arts and crafts style details, including oak parquet floors downstairs and on the upstairs landing. When my husband John first bought the house in 1998, many of the floors were covered with icky dark pink carpet. We ripped most of that out and refinished the upper floors and stairs ten years ago.
There was one room downstairs that still had the pink carpet. This is the only downstairs bedroom, so person using it does not have to share a bathroom. Our son Paul had the room until his sister Jessica moved out last summer, just before she got married. In 2002, Paul and his grandmother painted a mural of the Pokemon fire chicken Moltres on the wall. Late last year, Paul moved into Jessica’s old room upstairs so that my mother could move in after my father died. She and her cats recently moved into a senior community nearby, so we have finally gotten rid of the last of the pink carpet.
Under the horrible cat-stinky carpet, we discovered an equally smelly rug pad. Under that was amazingly ugly linoleum. Today, the linoleum came off and we discovered that we have a potentially-lovely wooden floor of Douglas Fir wood. We are delighted – Doug fir is not as good as oak parquet but it is much better than pink carpet. We will get the boards refinished and the room will become John’s new office.
Pink Carpet:
Linoleum:
Douglas Fir boards:
Images by Katy Dickinson 2012 Copyright
Filed under Home & Family, News & Reviews
I am working with two teams on panel proposals for the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women and Computing, to be held 3-4 October 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. Submissions are due 16 March. I have been going to the Hopper Conference for many years and have presented regularly. I am particularly excited about GHC12 because all of this year’s TechWomen mentees will be attending. My daughter Jessica usually attend GHC together.
Here is what we have so far for the two proposals:
Panel Proposal #1
“Silicon Valley Inside Out: Surviving the Distance” presents a panel of very senior technical women who work in R&D in the Silicon Valley, for companies based outside of the USA. Topics to be discussed include: culture and language, effective communication, distance collaboration and management, localization, norms and taboos, conflict resolution, issues and risk-mitigation.
Panel Proposal #2
“Mentoring Between Cultures: TechWomen” is a panel on mentoring between technical women, using the successful TechWomen program as an example. The panel members are senior women who work for Silicon Valley technical companies and served as mentors to one or more women from the Middle East or North Africa (MENA) during the first TechWomen term in 2011. Topics to be discussed include: best practices and tips for mentors and mentees, mentoring program design, effective mentoring across cultures and time zones, the benefits of women mentoring women and technical mentorships, the career advantages of mentoring for both mentees and mentors, how mentoring drives transformation, etc.
GHC presentation proposals are accepted based on evaluation by several judges. Competition is ferocious. I hope we are accepted. Wish us luck!
Image by Katy Dickinson Copyright 2011
Saturday, John, my mother, and I spent another day of sorting and packing my parents’ San Francisco home. As my daughter Jessica wrote, this is about Dirt, Dust, and Duty. I shipped five boxes of my father’s clothes to my older brother, put five more boxes of family quilts, lace, and linens into the car, then packed in two small tables, two mirrors, some art, and a shower chair. Everything but the shower chair goes into storage. My uncle came over to pack some of his stuff. Then I did a walk through with the mover in preparation for his crew returning next weekend.
Today was my day off. After church, I worked in my poor neglected and dog-pounded garden. Then, John and Paul and I spent several hours reviewing the construction proposal for the new addition to our home in Willow Glen. Comparing the proposal to the architect’s drawings, we discussed flooring, counter tops, lighting, electrical outlets, TV cables, and all of the other minutiae which are so expensive if you don’t get them right the first time.
Our house addition will initially be for my 80-year-old mother, so we are making it wheelchair accessible, just in case. This means more than just a roll-in shower and wider doorways. Can she get into the pantry? Should the doors open in or out? So much to consider!
Image Copyright 2012 by Katy Dickinson
Filed under Church, Home & Family, News & Reviews
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