It soon will be that time of year -- graduation season. I only have one to worry about this year, but it's a biggie: My niece is graduating from law school in May.

While I would rather have had a psychiatrist in the family , a lawyer will do -- I'm excited for her and excited about the path she's about to embark on. But I have NO. IDEA. of a reasonable graduation gift!

Claire has always been her own person, from toddlerhood forward (story about that to come in a sec) -- she's sharp as a tack, has very definite, very strong opinions, and will argue anything, anywhere, anytime, passionately (she's going to be a great lawyer, LOL). She's also ridiculously beautiful, which is totally no fair to have gotten both brains AND looks (says her jealous auntie). She has very eclectic taste and I don't think she would appreciate anything "traditional." So what's a spinster aunt to do?

I have to worry about this now because my budget is planned to the last penny and gifts aren't a usual expense, so I need to start setting aside bucks now. Anybody got ideas for me?

Oh, and here's my favorite Claire story: She was born at the end of my junior year in high school. When she was maybe 2, it was the year of jelly shoes and bracelets, etc (my sympathies if you both remember those and owned them, as I did ). I had this plastic bracelet thingy that was essentially a plastic, colored Slinky.

Claire and I were playing in my room, and she put that on the side of her head. Looked just like Princess Leia. Too cute. So I said, "Oh, Claire, that's so cute! Go show Mommy. She'll like that."

This teeny little kid who had been all giggles and smiles just seconds before *immediately* turned extremely serious...and then enunciated, clear as a bell -- "if it's CUTE, it HAS to come OFF."

That's my girl.