A grand wedding

A lesson I've just learned: even though Western NC is quite far away now, even though there may be a gas crisis, even though your car floods itself like an excited baby whale... it is always worth it to make the trip. This weekend we gladly packed up some pretty clothes (and a gift I've been working on for months) and drove south west to Asheville for Nathan & Suzannah's wedding. I didn't know much about what to expect, but there was no doubt in my mind that we were in for a beautiful, heartfelt, profoundly lovey-dovey wedding. And I was right!

Cutting the cake. Baked by Becah, photographed by Lola, and cut open by the happy couple:


The ceremony was awesome. We made a mansion of ribbons, each representing their loving intentions, for them to be married under:


We all worked to cook and lay out the main meals:




And at the end, we all threw origami balls up in the air and smacked them, releasing hundreds of paper butterflies.


Many more pictures of the whole dang first day (didn't bring the camera on day two) on Flickr.

Musings on a Wednesday evening

I have two big political blog entries stewing in my head, but now is not the time to write them. For now, I have a bowl of fat free ice cream (say nay all you like, naysayers, but it's good treat for me right now), and I just came back from Ellen's house and our grad-school-girls' knit night. Ellen has a hedgehog, which pooped on me (!). How many of you can say your left thigh has been the landing pad for a hedgehog turd? Anybody? That's what I thought.



Also, I coached a lot of kids through lots of grief today. Someone's best friend wanted to play with other people today, and many tears were shed. I felt like a very calm, wise saint as I gently rubbed backs and spoke softly of new friends who were surely right around the bend. Also, someone attempted to go across the big kids' monkey bars today, and almost made it, but fell right at the end. I did the same back rubbing routine while speaking softly (with much praise for simply trying!) about how big risks can come with great rewards as well as great sorrows.



I'm really liking the simple combination of me, my iPod, and my bicycle in the mornings. i finally figured out that I don't have to bike to work in my actual work clothes (which renders me sweaty and embarrassed when I arrive at work), and the freedom of biking in gym clothes makes me bike harder, faster, better. It feels awesome. Plus, the weather is finally showing mercy and cooling off-- oh my god, Fall, I can feel you right around the corner. Please, come soon.

I just stumbled across photographer Jenny Jimenez's website. If you live in Seattle, you should hire her, because I wish I could.