Time to celebrate

It's all graduation, (mostly) all the time.

We've also got Maddie needing a lot of TLC and many trips to the vet, but she is healing very well, so first things first:

Katie's graduation from South Hadley High School is this Sunday, June 6. A stream of activities includes parties and school events. One of my jobs is to figure out where I am invited. Yes to the scholarship award program at the high school yesterday. Yes to the baccalaureate program tomorrow. No to the senior banquet after the baccalaureate. No to some parties, yes to others.

I'm not sure what to expect from the baccalaureate. I didn't go to Ben or Joe's. I guess it's a big celebration. A slide show of the seniors then and now is planned, with music to cry by.

Katie and two friends, Connie and Rachel, shared a party at Rachel's house this past Sunday, the three families participating in planning and splitting the cost. Katie's dad helped too. It turned out very well. Katie's friend Connie baked an incredible cake made of four pieces, each one forming a digit in the number 2010. Each piece was its own cake; I believe they were lemon, chocolate mint chip, strawberry shortcake and peanut butter.

After graduation this Sunday we'll have a small party attended by Diane and David and and a few friends who are like extended family. Joe is already here, and Ben will come from New York.

It's all very exciting!

This has led to a rare urge to clean. I swept up a lot of pine needles off the little deck where the grill is and in front near the steps. I wanted to get them into the cart to dump them in the woods, and also pull out some weeds where I was sweeping, but I made myself stop to let Joe or Katie get closer to the dirty work, as per doctors' orders.

Inspired by gardeners Ann and Susan, I want to buy some more flowers for my planters, but it might not get done before the weekend. I walked to the farmers' market on the town common and splurged on a planter put together by a local woman. From her garden, she chose lobelia, impatiens and a green butterfly-shaped plant whose name I forget.

Way too early for me, Katie leaves Aug. 22 for orientation at Brandeis University.

On the dog side, Maddie is healing remarkably well. She has to wear what most people call a lampshade around her head, because as soon as it's off, she goes right for her stitches. We take it off when we walk her (not very far) or feed her. She has to go back to the vet every few days. Usually we do it in twos, but the last time I did it by myself when we realized I could get her in and out of the car alone. The bandage has come off and gone back on, depending on how the stitches look. It was on, but last time the vet took it off so the area could get some air. We return tomorrow.

We could be going closer, to our regular vet, but we decided to stay with the emergency hospital – Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital – in South Deerfield, Mass. – just to finish the job with the same people. It's about 20 minutes away, but the more we go, the easier it seems. Also we've all been so impressed by the veterinarians there.