Sunday, February 27, 2011

Wedding Day

The First Dance.

Daniel and Becky's wedding was held in Salem, Oregon on February 18, 2011.  It was like a family re-union on the Gossard side of the family.  We stayed in the same hotel and eat breakfast together.  At one point I got to join to Carl, Mom and G-ma for an adventure to the Willamette Valley Cheese in Salem and Bauman's Farm in Gervais, Oregon. Somewhere along the way, the GPS said "In 0.2 miles get into the ferry.  Get off the ferry."  We actually did cross the Willamette River by way of a ferry boat but the wait was long that at one point I began to worry about missing the wedding.  Anyway, the trip was well worth it and I was glad to have spent an extended time with Tim's uncle Carl.  This must have been the first time that I ever had the chance to talk to him in that much. 



Shannon entertains DJ and Julianna.

The Lewis cousins on the other hand also took this opportunity to catch up on each other.  They all seemed to have been so happy with each other or they are just so considerate that they laughed at each other's jokes.  Julianna has grown up since the last time we saw them.  She has lost her baby weight.  Now she looks more mature, taller, and beautiful.  DJ has also become more entertaining than he used to.  He and Miriam got along were well.  The two of them spent some time dancing in front of the mirrors at the church before the wedding ceremony.  It was such a delight to watch them until I began to realize that my child is a girl - she should at least act more modestly than her cousin.

The cousins.

After we said goodbye to the other relatives, the two Lewis families drove to Portland straight to the famous Powell's Books.   Love of books is one of the things that the cousins share.  Let them loose in a bookstore and they get excited and work hard to find just the right book.   I myself found an old horticultural dictionary, Hortus, published in 1930.  It is so old and yet it is in good condition.  I thought that it not only makes a great technical reference but also provides a history of the American and Canadian early plant collections/importations.  Right now it decorates an alcove in the family room.  :)  Powell's Books is the first bookstore I've been to where new and old books can be found on the same shelf. 

Julianna and Shannon

The girls.

Enjoying pie.

G-G Ma and her escort.

Mom and G-G-Ma

Daniel and Becky's wedding was really special!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Marriage


Yesterday we have witnessed a very special wedding - Daniel and Becky's wedding!  It was not a traditional wedding, the songs played were not the usual wedding songs, but it was very solemn because the whole ceremony focused on their lives as two distinct individuals who are now ready to join each other in marriage. In an analogy, the pastor said that Daniel and Becky each had their separate stories but now they are going to start one story - a story of their lives together.  I believe that together their story will be more vibrant and more significant than the combined story of their individual lives.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Predator


The hawk waited on the fence for another opportunity.
 
Whenever the sun is out, we bring Lala, the dove, outside to enjoy the solar warmth and the company of the wild birds in the backyard.  We maintain a bird feeder that attracts American Gold Finches and White-crowned Sparrows.   These wild birds like to go around Lala's cage to glean seeds.   

The other day while I was pulling off dead leaves from my potted plants I heard the sound of flapping wings. It was so violent that I turned around to see Lala which was not a foot away from my back.  And as I turned my upper body swinging my arms for added balance I touched a feathery moving object.  There was a gush of information that simultaneously rushed to my brain.  From what I felt, the dove probably has escaped from the cage.  A split of a second later, my eyes sent new information - I actually touched a hawk.  Yes, a hawk that tried to harass Lala from its cage.  This hawk was not inhibited by my presence or my proximity to its intended prey.  When it flew it did not go very far.  It stayed on the fence for a long time until I went very close to it - I guess it got scared by my camera.

Scared position.

Relaxed position.
Lala was traumatized.  The cooing dove did not make a sound for the whole afternoon and evening that followed.  It only started to coo again the next day.  Sleep must have helped her forget the experience.

Sometimes we are also confronted with predators.  We lose the peace that we are so accustomed to and suddenly we shift into a mode of crisis because we realize that we are no longer control the situation.   It is not all bad to recognize the presence of a predator because it is then when we begin to examine the ways we handle our wings.  We become more alert and observant so that we can sort out the truth from the lies lest we get deceived.   

"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm." 
~ Proverbs 1:32-33 NIV