Time and money can only be spent once. Choose wisely "

Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)


This is my philosophy, " Time and money can only be spent once. Choose wisely."

In the Fall 2002, I resigned from my volunteer positions with the Clarence Garden Club and Clarence Historical Society, then went back to college. My children were in college, I had taken care of my parents for the three years they were ill before they died seven months apart. We moved from Pittsburgh to Buffalo, NY in 1999 for Jim's promotion.

I was open for an new adventure.

Every time I looked at colleges with Barry & Kara the urge to go back to college kept speaking to me. When I went to college the first time it was 1974 during a recession, high inflation time similar to what we have been experiencing this past year. Since I paid for my own college expenses I could not afford the luxury of being an Art major in college during the 70's. I have always be adverse to debt. If I do not have the cash to pay for what I want I work until I can afford to make the purchase, that includes staying away from student loans. This time I had some money from my parents estate. What better way to spend the money than to go back to school?

At age 45, more than 2o years of life experience since I was last a student, I enrolled as a matriculated student so I could register for the classes of my choice. I selected Jewelry Design because I had never worked with metals.

The second class was Art History class with a Professor Francis Kowsky. http://www4.bfn.org/preserve/bam/kowsky/kowsky.html I had been reading about this professor's research of Frederick Law Olmsted, designed the Delaware Park System for Buffalo, NY. Professor Kowski met the grandson of Calvert Vaux.

My husband professional organization,BOMA International, http://www.boma.org/Pages/default.aspx needed someone to present the spouse tour when they were hosting a convention the May 2002 in Buffalo.
I researched, organized, wrote and served as the tour guide for the spouses attending the convention. I had been on these tours in Beverly Hills, Baltimore and NYC so I was very eager to showcase Buffalo, NY.

BOMA rented a bus, sold tickets and I spoke into the microphone narrating the tour up Delaware Ave to Forest Lawn Cemetery around Delaware Park then back down Elmwood Ave featuring Buffalo as the an Outdoor Museum.
I focused on the Architecturehttp://www.buffaloah.com/,
Forest Lawn Cemetery, http://www.forest-lawn.com/
Pan American Exposition 1901 http://panam1901.bfn.org/
and the Delaware Park System http://www.buffaloolmstedparks.org/default.asp
Both Buffalo, NY and I were given an rousing round of applause when the entire BOMA group gathered for evening festivities at the Albright Knox Art Museum. http://www.albrightknox.org/ One spouse who had an Art History background and had attended numerous BOMA tours of various cities said this was the best one she had experienced.

The more I learn, the more I realize I need to learn. Anxiously I awaited for the first day to be in Professor Kowski's class. I am the poster child for nontraditional student. My interest is purely academic. Although I work to the best of my abilities, always pushing myself to my limit, grades are not the measure of my success. College credits are an investment of time and money.
I read the course description carefully, research the professors background, purchase the books ahead of time, then full immerse myself in the luxury of life long learning...

" Time and money can only be spent once. Choose wisely."

to be continued...