Today's THE Day

Melodie Ann Rivas and Judge Ginger Garrett

Today, it all culminated.

Today, she stood in front of a judge and swore to uphold the Constitutions of the United States and the State of California.

Today, she is an attorney.

For real.

Today, in her honor, the  members of the Vocal Arts Ensemble attended her swearing in ceremony.

Today, in her honor, the members of the Vocal Arts Ensemble sang Sicut Cervus by Palestrina to her.

Listening to us sing

 

Today, we both cried a little.

Today she starts her career.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is how she started. I was barely 21. She was this bundle of energy that scared the living hell out of me. And I loved her beyond my own boundaries. She became my focus, my reason, my joy.

She kept growing. And learning.

And so did I.

She learned, very early, to be herself.

And then, all of a sudden, there she was. Grown.
And graduating Summa Cum Laude from Law School. Giving a speech three days after taking the Bar Exam.

She worked SO HARD. She gave SO MUCH.

And today, at six pm she learned the the Bar Association of the State of California has deemed her qualified to act as an attorney in all the Courts in this State.

SHE PASSED THE BAR!

I would like to introduce my law partner, Melodie Ann Rivas, Esquire!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flora and Fauna

OK. The neat (do people still say neat??) part of living in a rural area is the flora and fauna that surround you.

Today gave some great examples.

First, here is the lupine in the field next to us.

Now I must apologize. They are fading. I should have taken this last week but, well, I didn't have a camera that would extend from my hospital bed to here. Sorry 'bout that......

But the really great thing today were the visitors to the back yard. I look out my kitchen window and there they are.

Doe and fawn just munching away on branches and grasses. They didn't even move when I came outside to take this pic.

They did move later. Did you know that fawns don't run? They BOUNCE! And they have so much fun doing it.

This morning the spouse tells me we had a wild turkey in the front yard.

I am getting an education and loving it.

There is no place like home......