September 2005 Archives
Today we have a special contribution from the husband. I love this picture. We had a good laugh over the spelling -- you know what they say about artists and spelling. He used my brand spanking new Wacom Tablet and Stylus Pen that I ordered using an unexpected and very generous Amazon.com gift certificate from work. It's been a joyous few weeks of guilt-free shopping sprees.
Among the bounty, I got the new Jamie Oliver cookbook, Jamie's Dinners, and I've already successfully made an apple pie and chicken tikka masala. I like that his recipes are pretty loose (e.g. "knob of butter") and easy to make. This week, I'm going to try my hand at the smoked trout salad and tomato soup...yum!
Still in a daze. I returned to work after a week-long vacation and could do with at least another week off. The above image is part of a children's story I started years and years ago which never quite materialized...
The basic gist of the story was about a girl raised by an old man and woman in a land far, far away. One day she finds out that the old man and woman are not the grandparents she believed them to be, but kind folks who discovered her at the base of a pear tree when she was but a wee infant. She then decides to find her real parents aided by her trusty team of pets including a talking turtle, a wheezing porcupine and a singing anteater. You see why I was stuck?
We did it! We actually went through with the wedding and are no longer living in sin. Above is the most fabulous cake made by the wonderful Melissa C. It's a "red velvet" chocolate cake covered in a sugary outer layer of fondant and decorated with chocolate flowers and vines. The Honey and I chowed down on it during our mini-honeymoon.
Below is a pre-wedding photo and I think we both look sufficiently terrified. Observe my very forced smile and the look of sheer dread on The Honey's face. I was a stress-case on the morning of The Big Day and you can see the maniacal glint in my eyes. And yes, he did in fact wear jeans. He looked quite dashing and hipster-esque, I must say.
The weather forecast claimed that the skies would be cloudy with a good chance of rain. But the sun shone as we walked into the venue and I was told later that a little girl saw me and exclaimed "Look! A princess!" It seemed like an auspicious sign. Everyone arrived on time, and the room overlooking the city was as glorious as I'd remembered it. It was a very small gathering of my parents, two brothers and his parents. We milled about, taking pictures and admiring the room and view.
The Buddhist reverend took a few moments to set up something like an altar with a bell, a book (of koans?), and a gilded fan. He wore a black robe and over it he sported an embroidered smock. On his feet he had on the traditional Japanese two-pronged socks and wooden sandals. He was tall and kindly looking, with a surprising amount of hair. Somehow, I was expecting him to be bald.
"Shall we begin?" he said. Nervous, we took our places: the bride and groom in front of the reverend and the small wedding party lined up behind us, all standing. The 10-minute ceremony itself is a blur to me now. I do, however, distinctly remember the reverend suddenly turning his back on us and beginning to chant. It was a sonorous, authentically buddhist-sounding chant punctuated by the tinkling bell that he struck every so often.
I think he translated the chant to us - there was a reference to obeisance. Perhaps an aknowledgment to loyalty and faithfulness. I was just so relieved that he finally turned around, I wasn't following the program as closely as I should have been. And then the rings were exchanged, we kissed awkwardly and the reverend presented us as husband and wife. I was in a daze and vaguely remember a flurry of picture-taking, going to the restaurant, raising a flute of champagne.
As we drove out to the Olympic Peninsula for our mini-honeymoon, I felt myself de-compressing. Back in my ratty jeans and old t-shirt, I may not have looked like a princess, but I felt like a million bucks. I was happy to be with my new husband and now I'm looking forward to enjoying my days instead of worrying about wedding details.
I know that we are extraordinarily lucky. I try my best not to take this life for granted and what can I say that hasn't been said by every deliriously exhausted and contented newlywed? The Buddhist reverend advised us that life is suffering. "But," he said, "you must persevere and you must not be afraid to be happy." With that, he waved his gilded fan and we were on our way to begin our new life together.
