Episode #18 – Katy

Katy

                             Portrait by Garland Robinette   ROBINETTESTUDIOS.COM 

I think of my granddaughter Katy as a beautiful butterfly because she makes the world more colorful and interesting! She loves to flit around to her various groups of friends and gathers everyone together for fun and games or just to spend time together. She unites people and they want to be around her and with her.

Katy and her sister Claire are twins.  Since Katy was the first twin born my daughter said she would be my namesake.  What a wonderful surprise and honor it was to have a child named after me.  The joy of having a namesake gave me a rejuvenating glow that continue to this day.  I love my life as a grandmother to all my nine grandchildren.

I used to love to watch Katy play tennis.  She was such a graceful player.  We spent hours at tennis matches when she was in junior high and high school, but to my sad regret she gave up competing.

The hours it took to practice and play at a competitive level was a bit much for this butterfly. She had her mind on developing her artistic side. This picture was taken her freshman year when her team won a State Championship for Mandeville High.

Katy also has a serious side, which she doesn’t let many people see.  Behind her bright smile and fun loving ways she made great grades while seemingly never focused on studying.  She also grew to know exactly what she wanted to accomplish in life.

There is a bit of steel behind these baby blue eyes!

This is Katy! She has that winning smile and those bright sparkling eyes. She’s sincere and friendly and that’s why she builds friendships wherever she goes.

Katy also takes responsibility for her life. She decided she wanted to do something in the field of art and took extra credits at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts or NOCCA. This school provides professional arts training, coaching and performance opportunities for high school level students who aspire to be creative artists.  She drove forty-five minutes after school in Mandeville, Louisiana each afternoon to attend NOCCA in New Orleans.  Some of her art projects were a drawing of herself, a sculpture, a mobile on a piece of cypress driftwood, and a mobile book drop box made from pieces of medal which she soldered together.

Katy also started an online jewelry site to sell her custom designs:

She even tried her hand at cake decorating!

Mardi Gras is the biggest celebration the City of New Orleans hosts yearly. The Mystic Krewe of Hermes was founded in 1937 and has paraded longer than any other night Parading krewe in New Orleans.  Mr. Crosby , Katy’s paternal grandfather , was the King of Hermes in 1984. He was an enthusiastic member of the organization and he registered each grandchild to be a member of the court.  Katy was a returning maid in the 2017 Hermes Court.

Katy now attends Savannah Collage of Art and Design or SCAD in Savannah, Georgia and is majoring in Architecture. The Architecture program at SCAD teaches the skill needed to help succeed in a number of careers, including Urban Planner, Sustainable Design Consultant, and Project Architect.

Katy is standing in front of an art project at SCAD, that has nothing to do with her direction of study.  I just love showing off Katy personality and sense of play.

Katy is an “All American Girl!” She’s fun loving, determined, talented, and gifted.  The world is this butterfly’s playground. She will be successful and happiness will surely follow Katy wherever she goes.

“Joy” describes this grand daughter of mine