The weather this spring has drawn many complaints, but one thing in its favor is the way the blooms of spring shrubs have lasted. Mountain laurel, the state flower of Connecticut, has been especially beautiful. The hot sunny days we had were enough to get the flowers to bloom, but not severe enough to bleach out the colors. Rhododendrons have been outstanding also.

My friend Joy Yates of Minnesota brought me a handful of clipping recently. Several were related to the time the postal service changed the abbreviation of the states to only two letters. The idea did not receive wide approval, and I remembered the other day receiving a letter postmarked “Wash.,” for Washington State. The abbreviation now is “WA,” but because the letter also had the proper zip code it was delivered without a problem. The Old Farmer’s Almanac objected strenuously to the new states’ letters, saying they were more confusing than the former ones. I agree. I still am not certain about Massachusetts, and find myself writing “Mass.” on a letter.

Another thing many people do not like is the postal stamp designating the place the mail originated. Many postmarks come listed as Southern CT or something similar – I got a letter mailed Friday and postmarked “Litchfield.”

Considering that it arrived in my mailbox Saturday morning, that was a pleasant surprise for two reasons – I knew where it had come from and received it less than 24 hours after it was mailed. I feel we all have a right to have mail postmarked in the town it is mailed. It isn’t very friendly to learn it was mailed someplace in Southern CT.

The increases in postage are a little startling when you realize how rapidly they have climbed upward. In 1885 the first class stamp was increased by two cents. By 1985, it amounted to 22 cents and by 1988 it was 25 cents. To advertise their service, the postal officials spent millions in advertising. If they decreased the rates, they might get a 1st move business!

My daughter Susan took me to the graduation of my grandson, Ben, last week in the Lewis Mills High School gym. The towns of Harwinton, where Ban lives, and Burlington are School District 10. I was very surprised at the huge turnout for the event. The program was simple and quite traditional. It was conducted mostly by the students and the many generous scholarship awards were presented by the school principal. The only thing I missed was the school band and chorus, in which did not take part. Otherwise, the graduation was quite like the ones I remember when my five children graduated.

The security, which was evident both outside and inside the school, was far greater than I have ever seen at any public event. Perhaps a new consciousness has arisen as an aftermath of the tragic things which have happened in schools, recently. The local and area police were everywhere, and there were fire trucks and many firemen; an ambulance and a crew to man it; school personnel to guide the program along; and a corps of undergraduate students helping to seat and assist the spectators. The young people showed nothing but respect and dignity as they dealt with the public. It all went off without any kind of an incident, and 175 new young adults left their school days behind and entered a new life.

Susan and I were late coming home and we agreed that it was an evening most worthwhile. Wendy (Ben’s mother) had a small gathering at her home, for Ben and his family members. An hour later he left for the big graduation party given by the school, and a traditional part of the special night.

Last week the words that closed the column were by Margaret Thatcher.

Who wrote, “No race can prosper until it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem”?