Memory Boxes

In May, on our return trip from Philadelphia, my daughter and granddaughter and I stopped over at my older son's house to stay Saturday night with his family. Sunday morning my younger son and his wife and son came over for breakfast. We were all together, and I had something to share with each of my children: a memory box. In April I decided I wanted to do something concrete sooner rather than later, in addition to a family gathering later this summer. The Sunday before Mothers' Day, when we were all going to be together, seemed like the perfect time.

I had bought three decorative boxes about the size of shoe boxes. I had set aside two or three cards that I found among my mom's papers that each of my kids had sent their grandmother. I started filling each box with those cards and the small album I had created for her of each of her great-grandchildren in their baby & toddler years. From her stash of photos I selected a half dozen photos of her as a child and young woman for each of them, as well as a few photos of her with each of them when they were babies and teen-agers; I made small albums for those photos and attached on the last page a copy of the notice of her death I submitted to her local paper last August. Also in the box I placed a solar collector in the shape of a butterfly for their garden. The finishing touch was a small two-inch hoop with a piece of lace from her wedding gown and tied on top with a pink ribbon to hang in a window or as an ornament. 

The creation of the boxes was a process that I could not complete all at once. I set aside the cards one day. Another day I went through photos, and it took a few times through over a course of days because it was emotional for me. I had seen all the photos many times, even several times over the last year, but I hadn't looked at her life from age 5 to age 20 all at once. She was beautiful with the most wonderful smile, truly happy. I wished I had known her then; I wished she had been that happy when she was my mom. I was glad to have photos of her with my kids because they didn't see her often for a variety of reasons; when the kids were old enough to say what was true they coined the phrase "fly-by visit from Grandma" because she would come for a visit and in a couple days she'd be gone. I was glad there was a record of some of the time they had with her.

It was meaningful for me to give the  memory boxes. My children listened to my explanation of each item. We had time to talk a bit about what they remembered. Now the memories in each box may sit on a shelf for a while, and that's okay because what mattered to me was the giving of the opportunity to remember.

And I still have lots of photos to finish sorting, organizing, and preserving for future generations.

The journey continues.... 

Day 648

We are expecting measurable snow this weekend. It's not unexpected this time of year, but I was hoping to make a quick trip to Boston to put a few presents under the grandkids' trees. I will stay home because it's one thing to get caught in the snow but something entirely different to knowingly drive into the storm. I will put things in the mail instead, and we will catch up in person after the 25th.

It was encouraging to think about taking a drive because I have been totally homebound since December 6, when I tested positive for covid. We got word a few days earlier that there was an outbreak at my grandson's daycare and were advised when to test. My grandson and his parents tested positive too; Ken was negative. My biggest concern was for my grandson as he is not old enough for the vaccine. Fortunately he came through it okay, as did the rest of us. I felt like I had a sinus infection for ten days. I got back on the treadmill this week and no longer feel "fuzzy" headed.

I am grateful that we are all okay. I am glad we had the Thanksgiving weekend together. I wouldn't trade a minute of the time we had.

The news this week about the latest variant is concerning. We will continue to be as careful as we can and do our best to keep ourselves and others safe. 

I thoughtfully share my experience because it is the case that we can do everything right and still get caught. I will go forward one day at a time acting on the best information I have.

Be safe out there~

Now December

 The second half of November was a welcome family-centered two weeks. 

My older granddaughter celebrated her sixth birthday with friends in a zoom cooking activity where they made cupcakes. We were the lucky guests to Maggie's birthday dinner on the exact day, complete with streamers, colorfully wrapped gifts, her favorite foods, and happy chatter. I had fun making doll quilts to match the quilt we started together last summer and a matching pillow case ~ I am delighted she appreciates fabric as much as her mother and I.

The next week my younger grandson had his first birthday. His party was postponed but we had a video chat and sang happy birthday. I couldn't wait to hug him and his parents ~ making it through the first year is an achievement and worthy of celebration.

And celebrate we did over the four days of the Thanksgiving weekend. My sons live in the Boston area just four miles from each other so we easily visited back and forth. My older son and his wife hosted dinner on Thursday; we each contributed favorite dishes which made for a delicious dinner and tasty leftovers. Friday we celebrated Wyatt's birthday with his other grandparents, and Saturday the cousins came over for lunch and cupcakes. We topped off the weekend with the Patriots game and a beef brisket my older son has perfected. It really was the perfect holiday weekend.

Now we're home. The house is quiet and the days are long. I have time to work on anything I want to, when what I really want is to spend time with my grandchildren. I will see Maggie next week and family in Massachusetts later this month. It's good to have that to look forward to.

Mid-July

On June 19 school ended on a high note. Twice in the last two weeks of school the principal told me how well my students had done on assessments. She tracks data for all students in the school, and while I knew my students had made progress academically I didn't realize how much improvement they had shown. I was their teacher for two-thirds of the year and it mattered that I did a good job. I was pleased they had matured socially and felt they were all ready for second grade. Students were happy. Parents thanked me for being there. It was a good experience, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to teach in that particular school.

I hit the ground running the minute school vacation started. Day one I cleared out the family room to clean and declutter. Two days later I tackled my sewing room, cleaning and organizing and pulling out fabric for my next quilt. I've tried to make time to sew at least a square each day and almost have enough to lay out to see how it looks.

The rest of the house was put in order just in time for our Boston grandchildren to come for a visit. It had been exactly a year since my son and daughter-in-law moved east. They have been incredibly busy so it was nice to relax and visit for a couple days. Piper turns three on Saturday so we will be there to celebrate with family and friends. We went down in early June to see our grandson graduate from preschool. It is pure joy to have family living close enough that we can see them regularly. Since our younger son and his wife bought a house in February, we have our choice of places to stay, which is a luxury we never imagined.

We also relish the time we spend with our daughter and granddaughter who live locally. Whether at our house or theirs, we enjoy the chance to visit and play and share meals.

Back on the home front, I decided this was the summer to attend to the flower beds. They have been neglected since I went back to teaching because I haven't wanted to spent precious summer days weeding and fertilizing the clay soil that is everywhere. As luck would have it I had a long conversation with a local gardener in early July. We have talked before but I hadn't shared the full story of what I was up against. I was startled when she said it is impossible to amend clay soil enough to make it able to support plants and flowers. She advised me to use that soil as a base and build up twelve inches with loam and compost. That's a lot of dirt! And our house is on a slope which presents another whole set of problems. Ken and I have been hard at work, and I'm almost ready to share photos of the first flower bed we have completely rebuilt.

Summer is here and anything seems possible. I love that feeling~

Saving Time

School ended three weeks ago Friday, and I have been soaking up the days like a sponge. Every day I wake up grateful to have the day to spend as I want.

The first week of my summer vacation I drove to Pittsburgh to see my sister, visiting from Scotland, and a good friend who drove over from eastern Pennsylvania for a visit.

The next week my husband and I met our son and his family at the airport in Boston. They had a lot of luggage as they are moving back to the east coast. Ken and I watched our grandchildren while our son and daughter-in-law started house hunting. We enjoyed two days together, including a July 4 cook-out with friends.

All the while I was aware that my friend Barbara was fighting for her life. In April 2017 she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Over the next 14 months she did everything a person can do to overcome cancer, and she did it with grace and humor and dignity. April this year she underwent a stem cell transplant, which often works when other treatments have failed. It appeared to be successful at first, and then at the end of June the cancer returned. There were complications from the stem cell transplant, and Barbara passed from this world a week ago. She touched so many lives and will be missed by so many that it's impossible to put into words the sadness that we feel.

That time is precious has been the theme this summer. It's not that I expect to live forever. It is that I want to appreciate the time I have. Today I found myself thinking about saving time. I stopped to ask what that means ~ to save time. Is that possible? I don't think it is. I think the answer is to appreciate the moments as they happen, to say yes, to stay present, and to be grateful.

I've turned to sewing to work through my questions and grief. Fabric therapy always helps. The first two projects use pink and yellow and orange ~

                                                                         "Sunrise"

                                                                          "Sunset"

There is a pink and green quilt top in the works. I want to get back to making clothes. There's time... as the journey continues.

Wait

We had a different kind of Thanksgiving this year ~ my younger son hosted the day in Boston.  We had eight fresh inches of snow on the ground in Maine, but that didn't keep my husband, daughter, and I from leaving early with the turkey in tow.  It was the kind family day the four of us enjoy, which means sharing good food in good company with a board game on the side.

Then I spent Friday and Saturday at home puttering and catching up.  It was much needed.

Monday night I was finally able to reach an oil guy who came highly recommended.  He has installed and serviced boilers and furnaces for 30 years and had plenty of time to talk.  He assured me that the sounds I described are the natural sounds of pipes as they heat and cool in a house that is still settling.  We talked about heating in general and he had some good ideas.  I'm sure we will talk again. 

The ice arrived Wednesday morning.  There were meetings at school and no students until 9:30 so I waited to leave for work.  I am not often in the car at the right time to hear The Writer's Almanac on NPR, but I'm glad I was yesterday.  The poem that Garrison Keillor read was a salve for my anxiety and the message has stayed with me: stop struggling and wait.

Wait
by Galway Kinnell

Wait, for now.
Distrust everything, if you have to.
But trust the hours. Haven't they
carried you everywhere, up to now?
Personal events will become interesting again.
Hair will become interesting.
Pain will become interesting.
Buds that open out of season will become lovely again.
Second-hand gloves will become lovely again,
their memories are what give them
the need for other hands. And the desolation
of lovers is the same: that enormous emptiness
carved out of such tiny beings as we are
asks to be filled; the need
for the new love is faithfulness to the old.

Wait.
Don't go too early.
You're tired. But everyone's tired.
But no one is tired enough.
Only wait a while and listen.
Music of hair,
Music of pain,
music of looms weaving all our loves again.
Be there to hear it, it will be the only time,
most of all to hear,
the flute of your whole existence,
rehearsed by the sorrows, play itself into total exhaustion.

Last Times

For some life events, it's hard to know before it happens when the last time will be.  I didn't understand this when my children were little.  I had three so it seemed that there would always be diapers to wash, sippy cups to hand off, one last time to nurse. Then one by one things happened for the last time...  except I didn't know it was the last time until it was.  One day the diaper pail stood empty and those lint-free cloths turn into window-washing rags.  The third baby stopped asking to nurse, so I honored his decision and stopped offering.  The sippy-cup lids sat in the dish drainer for days because the toddle now wanted his cup to look just like the big kids' drinking glasses.

We then moved to a time of predictable last times in our family.  Moving through the school system, learning to drive, and graduating from college fell nicely on life's timeline.  We could predict ahead of the event that it would be the last.  I enjoyed those "lasts" because I had time to prepare for them.  I liked the chance to anticipate what would happen, how, and when.  Plans were made in advance, and though we stayed flexible and details might change, the central event was a celebration from anticipation to completion.  I was a happy mom.

Yesterday Ken and I traveled to Boston to help our youngest son move.  We anticipated that it could be the last time we helped one of our children physically move from one place to another.  Each of our three offspring is grown up and gainfully employed, and they have all the possessions that come with a professional life.  Ken and I are in good shape, but we are realistic about how many more times we can heft futons and solid wood bureaus down three flights of stairs, into a truck, and up three more flights of stairs.  We moved our commitments around and our son changed his schedule so Ken and I could both be there yesterday to be a part of this "last time."

We arrived in Boston and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with our son.  Then he delivered his surprise:  for the most part he was already moved.  There were a few boxes we could easily walk from the old apartment to his new abode, and after that he had tickets for us to attend a Red Sox game at Fenway Park.  It was a wonderful surprise.

It caught me off guard because I was prepared for another "last."  I continued to find reasons for us to walk between the two apartments because I wasn't ready for the experience to be over.  Then it was time for us to get on the subway to get to the game, and since we had so much free time we made plans to meet our son for dinner before we got on the bus to head home.

It was a delightful day.  Ken and I talked on the way home about how proud we are of our children and how lucky we are.

It will have to be okay that we can't always predict the "last time."

Broadway In Boston

Ken listens to a sports talk radio station out of Boston.  Weeks before Christmas he heard that the Broadway production The Book of Mormon was coming to Boston in April 2014.  He asked me what I thought about tickets for Christmas gifts for me, my daughter, my son in Boston, and of course Ken himself.  I was on board immediately and the online search for tickets began. [We have since learned more about ticket acquisition and the importance of staying on top of announcements for scheduled shows.]  I reviewed calendars and took into consideration the obligations that I was aware of for all of us.  We found four tickets for a Saturday matinee.  Sold!  We were pleased with ourselves and anxious to share the surprise.

Christmas morning the four of us were exchanging gifts when my son handed an envelope to Ken and me.  Ken opened it, a gift certificate for the purchase of two tickets to The Book of Mormon.  Ken smiled.  I smiled.  Sometimes duplicate gifts are a sign of enthusiasm.  We then handed out our envelopes and everyone was smiling.  Travis hadn't bought tickets yet, so he offered to find tickets for another show for us.  We all marked our calendars and waited for April 5.

Everything about this past Saturday was just as we hoped it would be.  The rain stopped Saturday morning.  There was room on a second bus to Boston at the desired time.  Once in Boston we enjoyed every minute.

We started with brunch at the South Street Diner, where I had peanut butter and banana pancakes~

From there we were walking distance from the Boston Opera House~

The theater was originally built in 1927 and has a complicated and colorful history.  Most recently renovated in 2002 the Boston Opera House is a showcase in every sense of the word.  The lobby sets the tone~

We had seats on the mezzanine level, where the stair landing has artwork in the ceiling~

And overlooks the opulent lobby~

The hallway continues to amaze with gold leaf and crystal~

No photos are allowed in the theater so believe me when I say it did not disappoint, and neither did the production~

Ken and I agreed that we need to frequent Boston's Theater District more often.  I had made reservations at Stoddard's Fine Food and Ale, which is unassuming from the outside~

And inside exudes the character of the original 1868 structure that began as a corset store~

The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food was delicious.  We opted for dessert at a Theater District landmark, which my daughter and I first discovered fourteen years ago ~ 

The four of us ended the day with a delectable sample plate of a dozen desserts that left us satisfied and looking forward to the next time we can enjoy such a wonderful day.

Life As A Quilt

I have been thinking about how pieced together my life feels lately.  Some days it feels like nothing matches up, yet somehow the bits fit together, and each day is a piece of the quilt.

This probably came to mind because on Wednesday my daughter and I went to Babson College for an exhibit and discussion about non-traditional quilts.  We particularly wanted to meet Chawne Kimber, aka Completely Cauchy; here is her post about her time in Boston.  Her work is extraordinary and special, and it was a pleasure to meet her.  We also met Andrew Mowbray, who makes paper quilts from Tyvek, a material used in the construction of buildings.  The other two quilts I am sharing here are by artists who were not at the reception: Kathryn Clark uses fabric to map cities that have been hard hit by the foreclosure crisis; and Kyoung Ae Cho attaches natural materials to fabric, and as they change the quilt changes.

Sharecropper Quilt by Chawne Kimber

Self-Study, One for T by Chawne Kimber

007 by Andrew Mowbray

Miami Foreclosure Quilt by Kathryn Clark

Fallen by Kyoung Ae Cho

City Girl At Heart

Last week I packed my youngest son's possessions into boxes.  Ken and I rented a U-Haul on Friday, loaded the truck with furniture and my car with boxes, and drove to Boston on Saturday.  Our son was moving into his first real-world apartment, and we were excited to help him move.

The apartment, a third floor walk-up in a hundred-year-old brownstone, is in a nice neighborhood just minutes from public transportation.  The place is spacious and his roommates are great.  Our son thanked us for our help, and we thanked him for inviting us to be part of the weekend.  We kidded him about staying in shape because there are lots of steps from the street to his front door.  At the end of the day I wished I had kept count.

The weather was perfect for moving, though there was still evidence of February's blizzard along the roadside.  I did most of the driving and am proud to say that I did okay parking between the piles of snow, navigating one-way streets, and yielding to pedestrians.  I am determined to maintain my skills as a city driver, although I could use some practice parallel parking in the new car.

It was a fun weekend.  We stayed with the friends who have been hosting our son since he started working in Boston.  We enjoyed leisurely conversations at mealtimes, a chance to catch up on what everyone has been doing.  It was like sitting at our own dinner table.

I love spending time in Boston.  Every time I go I remember what a city girl I am at heart. 

Moonlight On Snow

Two days after Christmas we had our first measurable snowfall, which meant almost eight inches for our area.  The snow started before dawn and continued all day.  I was home alone, and throughout the day I would stop whatever chore I was doing and walk to the closest window to watch the snow pile up.

It had been a good holiday for our family.  My daughter, sons, and daughter-in-law juggled work and travel schedules so they could be here all together for three days.  We packed the days with catching up, good food, stories, and board games.  I enjoyed cooking meals that I knew everyone would enjoy and was tickled that my daughter-in-law liked my wine selections.  She's training as a wine steward, so we share a love of the grape.  The days with all of us together are precious.

I started following weather predictions on Tuesday the 25th because we'd heard reports that there was quite a storm headed our way.   By that evening it was clear that we were due to get six to twelve inches of snow on Thursday.  My suggestion was that I give those headed to Boston, one back to work and two to prepare to fly back to California, a ride to the big city Wednesday afternoon.  It's great to have a trustworthy car that will take people where they need to go.  I like to drive, especially when I know where I'm going and the roads are clear.  Road trip!

I got everybody safely delivered and made it home Wednesday night before the snow started.

Ken got home late Thursday night.  He goes to work no matter the weather.  He got home and stopped in the driveway when his van would go no further, and on Friday he cleared the driveway, walkways, and deck.  The sun came out and the radiant heat filled our living room.

Friday night there was a full moon.  With all the lights off in the house, moonlight on snow lit up the yard.  Ken looked out the living room to see deer searching for acorns in the side yard.  I looked out the kitchen to see the moon shining through the trees, light reflecting off the snow.  Magical....

More snow arrived Saturday night.  The moon then returned to light the nights into the new year.

I took comfort from the light in the darkness.  It was a good start to 2013.    

Last Week In September

We are off to a good start this last week of the ninth month of 2012.

Four of us went to Boston yesterday.  My daughter bought tickets to a Red Sox game for Ken's January birthday.  At the time we had no idea that this would be the least winningest season the Sox have had in 15 years.  I was looking forward to the trip regardless of the team's record, and it was made all the better that T could join us, which worked out well because he stayed in Boston to fly out to Seattle today. 

While T dropped off his luggage with a friend, three of us had lunch at Thorntons Grille after more than three long years without this jewel in a Fenway neighborhood.  In January of 2009 Thorntons Grille and a row of adjoining small businesses were completely destroyed by fire.  My son sent me a link to the news article.  We were all very sad.  This restaurant was our favorite place to eat when we visited the guys in Boston and one of their go-to places for a meal with friends.  We watched with anticipation as plans to rebuild evolved; the surrounding community was adamant that the restaurants and shops needed to be rebuilt as they were, to reflect the character of the neighborhood.  It took two years and many hearings, but community members won and plans were developed. 

This summer Thorntons Grille reopened.  It is as good as it ever was, atmosphere and food.  Yeah!

The day was gorgeous.  We had walked the two miles from the bus station to the restaurant.  Under a clear blue sky we then walked over to Fenway Park for a 1:35 p.m. game.

The ballpark is 100 years old this year.  It has been several years since I've been to Fenway but nothing has changed.  The wooden seats painted dark green are as close as possible to the row in front and the one behind, so you quickly get to know your neighbors.  The green posts supporting the upper tiers may obstruct a portion of your view of the field, unless the fans sitting next to you leave early and you move down a few seats.  Kids of all ages eat cotton candy and popcorn. The coffee is made by Dunkin' Donuts, fresh and hot.

We had a wonderful time.  It was a bonus that it was a great game and the Red Sox won.  Afterward we all walked up to see the "red seat," a regular seat painted red to commemorate a phenomenal homerun that Ted Williams hit in 1946 against Detroit.  I hadn't seen it before, and it was fun to be in the ballpark as people made their way out of the stands.  Families with children were filling the left field grandstand so the kids could run the bases on the field, a real treat for the youngest fans.

T walked with us to the subway station, he headed back to his friend's apartment while we headed to South Station to catch a bus home.  We all wished him luck for his Thursday interview in Seattle with the company that designed the "greenest" commercial building in the world.

It was a good day and a good start to this last week in September.  I have an interview on Friday for a teaching job I don't know much about, other than it's in a middle school with a good reputation and a philosophy of education that I embrace.

It may turn out to be too good to be true, but I have all week to imagine the best case scenario for T and me.

August Has Arrived

One week in and already enough has happened to call this month a success.

My youngest was home this past week. I got a surprise phone call August 1 from Travis that he was flying home from Seattle the next day. There was a job he wanted to check out in Portland [after our trip west I had to confirm that he meant Portland, Maine]. He landed at 9:30 Thursday morning for an interview at 11:00.

We had just seen him I know, but it has still been so good to have him home.

The job is not the right one, but the time was well spent visiting with us and friends and getting a chance to watch some of the Olympics.

When Trav called to say he was coming home, I was still trying to catch my breath from being gone for four days.

I met a dear friend in Boston the last weekend in July so we could celebrate our birthdays. We have been trying to plan such a trip, she from New Mexico and me from Maine, for over a year. It took some work but we did it, and it was so worth the effort. We talked and walked and talked some more. Phone calls and emails are good for what they are, but they do not replace time together in person. She and I have been friends for more than 40 years. After this visit we have made a commitment to more regular visits in interesting places around the country. Seattle is already on the list:)

More friends to catch up with this week and next. This is the month to do it, especially with friends who are teachers. This fall I may be back in the classroom, too, so I want to take advantage of what's left of August.

I feel compelled to connect with people this summer. Time goes by and it's easy to get waylaid by the day to day details of appointments, paperwork, errands, and chores. There is dust on every surface in my house and the yard has been sadly ignored for months. Those things will wait.

I would rather spend time with friends ~

Through The Looking Glass

Early Friday morning Ken and I set off for two days in Boston. The weather forecast was for "hot" but we found ways to deal with that: an air-conditioned Concord Trailways bus, bottled water, and an afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts. The hottest part of the day was getting to my son's apartment, but even that was bearable as most of the trek was on an air-conditioned subway. We were all looking forward to seeing the Chihuly exhibit at the MFA ~
The exhibit, titled "Through the Looking Glass," did not disappoint us. The crowds were small so we could get close enough to take photos, and we could spend as much time as we wanted with each display. I don't usually share this many photos in a single post, but I don't know how many of you around the country will have access to this amazing exhibit of blown glass by the truly unique artist Chihuly. Here are my favorites:

Ikebana Boat, on a reflective surface, from the front ~

Ikebana Boat from the end ~

Tabac Baskets are thin glass bowls displayed on an enormous plank of Douglas fir ~

Mille Fiori means "thousand flowers" ~

It was hard to pick a favorite part of Mille Fiori, but I was partial to the blues and greens ~

The Persian Ceiling has hundreds of individual pieces, lit from above ~

Many put us in mind of the ocean ~

Especially the occasional mermaid ~

This Boston exhibit contains six chandeliers, the most Chihuly has had in one display. My favorite was the yellow one, shown here next to one that is dark blue and orange ~

The last display in the exhibit hall was called Neodymium Reeds, for the lavender/blue color of the tapers ~

We were delighted to find this 42-foot Lime Green Icicle Tower in the cafe outside the hall, one more piece to examine and enjoy ~

If I lived closer to Boston I would visit the exhibit again, but it's only there through August 7, so I will have to hope to see his work in another place someday. (Of course when I get back to Las Vegas I can pay another visit to his ceiling at the Bellagio:)

Graduation Weekend

So we had quite the weekend! There will be family photos to share later, but for now here is a "snapshot" of our four days in Boston. We spent a lot of time on the "T" and at times the view out the window was amazing~

Friday morning the Boston Garden was all lit up for Northeastern~

And everything was ready for the ceremony~

Proud parents looked on~

While 3200 happy graduates tossed beach balls~

Cheers to our special graduate, on the right in white~

There were tulips in bloom in the Boston Gardens~

And flowering trees to enhance the skyline~

Wedding cake from August made the trip back to Boston~

And to top it all off the Boston Bruins swept the Philadelphia Flyers~

The weekend was everything we hoped it would be.

Favorite Wedding Photos

The third time was the charm. The third disc of photos that my son sent had all the wedding photos, and I could see all of them, and with technical tips from my daughter I was able to download them onto my computer. Even with all the albums my son has created on FaceBook and the slide show the photographer posted online, there were many photos I had not yet seen. It was a treat to go through them one by one. I was struck by how happy everyone looks ~ the kind of happiness that comes from inside and cannot be a product of posing or pretense. Of all the hundreds of photos, these are my favorites:

The groom and his groomsmen ~


The bride and her bridesmaids ~



Married ~

Ready to take on the world ~

Dancing with the groom ~

The Maine Mitchells ~

My brothers, sister, mom, and me ~

My three bright spots ~

There Was A Wedding In August

My son, Peter, was married in August. We have been anxiously waiting for a digital copy of the wedding photos so we can view, share, and have prints made. The CD arrived this week-end, but there was a technical glitch ~ only a fraction of the photos copied to the disc, and none of the ones I wanted were included. It will take some time to get another, so I have borrowed a few representative photos of the day from Facebook. You will get the idea ~

Parents of the groom, waiting to walk down the aisle ~

Peter and Claudia, married ~

Recessional ~

The wedding party ~

The newlyweds with the groom's family ~

The happy couple, outside in a courtyard ~