Joan's White Coat Ceremony

Hello, all. We are one week removed from Manhattan, KS and Joan's White Coat Ceremony at the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine. The WCC was held in the Union Ballroom at 2 pm last Friday. It marked the (almost) end of the Class of 2008 classroom work and the beginning of their "rotation" year. They had finals this week and on Monday Joan's first 3 week rotation begins in Anesthesia. Then she will move to lab animal (rats and mice). I'm in the dark about the rest of the schedule. It truly is a milestone to be done with the very demanding classes. She is also working on a Master's of Public Health, so the load this semester was VERY heavy.
Prior to the WCC, Joan took Mom, Dad , Tim, and me on a brief tour of the College. We saw the 1st year lab and classroom, as well as her classroom and lab for this year. The 1st year lab is full of skeletons of many animals and features a rail (like a meat locker) to ease the transport of the bodies they use for dissection. We saw the large animal side of the Hospital, including the room where she did her first bovine abdominal exploratory surgery.. She was so happy and pleased to show us around the school.
In the evening we shared a potluck supper with her roommate, Katie and family from Maryland, as well as her lab partner Darrin (Texas ) and his wife and sweet little boys. Other classmates stopped by and we were privileged to get acquainted with two professors the girls had invited.
Ben, Heather, Tom , and Allison Meyer also came for the WCC. It was a wonderful evening.
Saturday morning was the "Dog and Jog" event sponsored by the vet students. We took our rat terrier, Patch, and participated in the 1.5 km family walk. It was just great to see the amazing variety of dogs AND owners enjoying a beautiful Sat. morning.
I actually now own a digital camera but am very slowly learning how to use it. Posting pictures will take me a while! We did get some good ones in Manhattan.
I will not be attending Football 101 this year because we have a wedding that day. Our friends, Mike Masek and Linda Miller are tying the knot and we will be Host Couple for the reception. This is a very special event because we introduced these nice people and have appreciated the development of their relationship. Mike's wife succumbed to breast cancer 9 years ago, when their youngest son Brian was in 8th grade.(He is Tom's classmate.) Linda was divorced many years ago and came to Columbus to teach elementary music. Mike has 4 boys and Linda has 2 boys and a daughter. All the kids are happy for them, so it should be a happy occasion. They had actually crossed paths several times over the years, but had never connected, so I guess our little nudge was just that---a nudge for a new life for both.
Next week Tim will go back to KS for the 3I (Industry, Irrigation, Innovation) Farm Show in Garden City. He'll see lots of his old buddies there. His employer, Duo Lift Mfg., is starting a short line farm equipment distribution business so he will be on the road more, calling on dealerships.
Til next time....
Connie