And the end of the semester invite season begins - including my first ever bubble party

Since I was hired at Fairfield in 2011, Dr. Diana Hulse has invited me to her end-of-the-semester bubble party in celebration of spring, new beginnings, and a hopeful tomorrow. Sadly, I've been unable to attend because I had my own graduation, then Writing Our Lives, and last year's loss of Lois. This year, however, I attended the soiree and got to drink wine with colleagues as Diana's bubble machine threw bubbles into the air. They landed on our shoulders, wine glasses, and crackers.

One of the hits, however, was the chocolates she sent for from the Blue Frog Chocolate company in New Orleans, Louisiana. The first I tried was a maple treat and I gave myself a stomach ache trying to find another one. The blue frog, however, I kept for Diana and asked her to kiss it to turn it into a prince. I then gave the blue guy to Peter, her partner, and said look, Diana, your frog became this guy.

Yesterday was one of those perfect spring days of 65 degree temps, wide, puffy clouds, and lots of blue skies - a superb day for a party. Today, we have another one on deck for Fairfield's graduation. I will spend this morning writing recommendations and plotting out best use of time to get prepared for my own trip to Louisiana for the Young Adult Literacy Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. But then it is all about commencement.

I might have to make a field trip to New Orleans, however, to get some more of the chocolates. They really were out of this world delicious.