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!

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.

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 



Busy Saturday

Chess Tournament 2011. Shannon and Miriam played as a team and won First Prize at the Brooks Elem. Chess Club Tournament.  Miriam also won First Prize as an individual player.  That's right; they came home with two trophies.   This was a Parent-Child Chess Tournament where parents play against parents and their kids against other kids.  Each parent-and-child is a team. Brahms and Tim ran the tournament.

Sam visits us.  Sam is the new addition to George and Barbara's household.  We got to see him when today.  Miriam and Brahms played outside with him until he got tired.

Preliminary interview for Princeton.  One of the many schools Shannon applied to is Princeton University.  Today she drove herself alone and met with her interviewer.  Different universities take different approaches to evaluate applicants.  At the moment we do not have any clue as to her chances of being admitted to any school.  Only God knows and He knows everything about it. 

Pie-Oratorical

One of the wonderful blessings brought to us during the Christmas season was the time spent with Daniel and Becky! The bride-and-groom-to-be at our house! Getting to know them as a couple was as exciting as learning about some of the details of their wedding which is right around the corner.

When she talked about the number of pie plates she has now and the practicality of increasing it, knowing that she will soon be a (pie-making) Mrs. Gossard, I couldn't help but be reminded of a tradition that runs in the Gossard family (Tim's mother’s side). There is a belief that is almost religious in the Gossard family that "All pie is good pie. Some pie better than other pie, but all pie is good pie." I do not adhere to this belief because my judgment tells me that it is a superstition. But even so, being a kind wife and mother, I consciously go far and wide to provide the necessary pies for my family—for the sake of this tradition. I was told that Tim’s grandfather, Waldo, was the father of this [religion]. I've witnessed him along with Paul, and Johnnye eloquently carry out poetic exchange during times when pie is being served. In the early days of our married life, I kept quiet to try to make accurate interpretations of what I was hearing. I supposed this is what other new members of the family would also do. Later on it was revealed to me that I was not the only one feeling out of place because Mark was the same way after he and Jennifer got married. For as long as I can remember since Tim and I got married, I’ve heard this saying said every time the family got together - as if to remind the family about the exalted status of the pie. It has become a significant part of the pie-eating ritual. The weird part of it all is that when the men in the family get closer to being wise and married they automatically begin to participate in the oration of pie verses. I can remember the joy and pride on Tim's face when he initiated his first pieoratorical (pie-oratorical). David my brother-in-law, then an apprentice pitching in some verses here and there, was soon to be part of the club after he and Saskia got married. If I had thought about it sooner, it would have been a good idea to have recorded all their sayings.

The women in the family are supposed to be entertained by the pieoratorical; they are obligated to feel slighted when the men do not try all the pies on the table; and rejoice when the pie plates are emptied.  Pie-eaters are expected to show grace and kindness to the pie-makers by going back for seconds or thirds  .

Next month Daniel and Becky will get married. Daniel, who served as ring bearer in our wedding, will take on a new role in life – husband to Becky. There is an unexplained joy in the Gossard clan. Soon there will be a new couple to give pie plates and pie recipes to. Their marriage announces the possibility of new grandchildren, nephews/nieces and cousins. The wedding will mark his official induction into the pie-oratorical club. But wait, that's not all. Daniel and Becky after they will have been declared man and wife will upgrade the tradition with something that no Gossard has ever done before. Pie will be elevated to the pinnacle when Daniel and Becky serve pie at their wedding for dessert, instead of cake.  There we will see a multitude of people in designer dresses and tuxedos, declaring, "All pie is good pie!"

 These are exciting days indeed!

Capturing the Foggy Days of January

  The last rose flower remaining in my garden. (January 6, 2011)

California Quails (Callipepla californican) on a foggy day. (January 7, 2011)

 Ridgeview Village at 8:30 in the morning.  (January 7, 2011)

There have been many foggy days this month and I love it.  The fog reminds me of England.  It brings back fond memories of those days at the University of Reading.  It made walking from Sibly Hall to the main campus very pleasant although I had to cover my nose with my scarf so as to avoid inhaling too much water. 

In taking these pictures I attempted to apply the Rule of Thirds but I don't think I got it yet. 

Understanding Natural Light

 Outdoor on a clear sunny day.  (Apple Hill - December 27, 2010)

 

Foggy and facing the source of light.  (January 7, 2011)

Outdoor on a foggy afternoon.   (January 7, 2011)

Indoor and facing a sunny window. (January 14, 2011)

Photography = light writing.