The Wedding Project

Portraits of Family and Friends

2007-09-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

The best portraits of the day were all the informal shots that Dave took as he walked around the wedding to capture the intimacy of family and friendships. Kat and Judith share a hug and a smile.

Lisa and Sue came early in the week to spread their warmth and joy into every aspect of the wedding details. This portrait reflects the happiness and kindness that they infuse into every moment.

Greg and Margo give Betty a big hug for one of the nicest small portraits of the day.

Betty and Ari had some fun trying on each other's shoes and stopped to posed for this delightful portrait.

Since we decided on a casual wedding, friends and family took the wedding portraits. Tonya, Cathy, Keeko, and Alyssa line up for the second round of family pics. Many thanks to Phyllis, Gigi, and Dave for such a great variety of lovely wedding portraits.

Dave brought his computer along to download photos all day long. Sue, Lisa, and Noel enjoy the view and some good wine while the master photographer works or is that plays?

Gigi and Keeko enjoy a quiet moment on a bench by the Tank House, Gigi took many of the photos for the day, along with the Wixsom Family portrait the following week - after we realized that we forgot to take one on the wedding day. The down side of a casual wedding is revealed in the details like family portrait groupings!

The extended family of Margo and Greg's children include Maura, Kiera, Bill, Isaac, Ari, Gavin, Mariana, Nick, and Ariel.

The Long Family gathered into a wonderful group in the sunlight path by the fountain. Greg's mom Betty is surrounded by all of her children and grandchildren that include Tonya and Steve, Jared, Josh, and BJ, along with Chris and Cathy with Alex and Megan, and Greg's children Isaac, Ari, Nick and his fiance Ariel.

We had everyone nearby gather for a Friends & Family portrait. Lisa, Sue, Huck, and Cindy join the gang - they're all like family anyway!

The next weekend all the Wixsoms came down for a family BBQ so that we could walk over to the Harris-Lass Museum and get the family photo that we forgot to gather for at the wedding. Thank goodness for a casual wedding because the post-wedding pic doesn't look out of place in the album even after Kat and the girls drove up from camping on Monterey Bay. Quick showers and a few minutes after we were posing for the family portrait. Greg and Margo were the only ones who needed to get dressed up again, and that wasn't much effort either. Bill and Keira are next to Neil, Keeko, Alyssa, Niki, and Jake. Noel and Kat with Kelsey, Phoebe, and Remy are on the right with Maura.

We had the youngest children in the family gather round the couple for a Children's Portrait which turned out well.

Celebrate Good Times!

2007-09-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

The day was lovely, the food was fabulous, and family & friends were inspiring. After the ceremony it was time to celebrate with sumptuous grill from Bill, Neil, and Noel. The caterers, Delectables of Santa Clara, devised the perfect feast to accompany the great grill. Diane and Phyllis enjoy the fruits of their efforts.

Lisa and Margo celebrate Patty's gift of Royal Riviera pears that Bill thoughtfully brought along to grill. The best part was the combination of desserts that included almond pear tart (more pears is always a good idea) and chocolate raspberry decadence cake.

Greg and Kiera never got a piece of the chocolate decadence cake, so Margo surprised them with a second session of the fabulous concoction the next week when the family had to return for more grill and photos of the Wixsom family at the museum.

Margo packed a bin of games to enjoy, but forgot to bring them over to the museum. Isaac, Kelsey, and Phoebe ran home to fetch them from the garage. Luckily they only had 2 blocks to go - the best part of having a wedding in the neighborhood. Our party doesn't start until the games are on deck! Bocci was a family favorite as Nike and Jake demonstrate their focus and enthusiasm. Nate and Gavin were team captains and everyone had a great time playing bocci. Niki, Remy, and Jake enjoyed checkers with football helmets of Stanford and the Cal Bears.

Keeko holds two of the peacock feathers that decorated the tables over Alyssa's eyes and the results are hilarious.

After dinner the sound crew got the dancing started. Isaac, Nick, and Alex manned the mixer and iPod with all the tunes that Bill downloaded from Margo and Greg's greatest hits list. For the first dance, they enjoyed the wise words from "We're Impossible." Then everyone joined in to relieve Greg from his dance anxiety.

The Ceremony

2007-09-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

The ceremony begins with Remy, Niki, and Jake, leading the parade of bridal party drummers to call the guests to the gardens for the wedding. The children play folk percussion instruments, while Greg, Isaac, Gavin, and Nick play drums that experienced drummer, Huck has brought for the ceremony.

As the drumming begins to call the guests to the wedding, Cindy, Margo, Sue, and Lisa wait in the flower gazebo at the side of the gardens. Sue holds the lotus pillow with the rings for the ceremony.

Cindy, Sue, Margo, and Lisa enter the ceremony carrying carved gathering baskets from Uluru filled with rose petals from their garden. Sue carries the rings, and Margo carries a single stem of Regal Lilies that Lisa selected at the Farmer's Market.

The drummers call the bride and attendants to begin the ceremony.

Huck explains the Flower Ceremony and gives the invocation for the ceremony, sharing with guests the meaning of the Heart Blessing, Candle Ceremony, and Ring Blessing that Margo and Greg have selected as their marriage rite. Attendants Cindy, Sue, and Lisa stand beside Margo with the rings nestled in a lotus pillow, while Isaac, Nick, and Gavin flank Greg with didgeridoos for their ceremony.

Sons Nick, Gavin, and Isaac play a Heart Blessing for the couple, and then for the guests. Margo spent last summer on a Fulbright seminar in Australia studying Art, Environment, and Culture, which has enriched our lives throughout the year. Two of the didgeridoos are from Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Site. The Fulbright projects can be seen online at:

http://www.fulbright.com.au/events/FulbrightHaysCurriculm.htm

For the Candle Ceremony daughters Ari and Maura held candles that Greg and Margo used to light the single wedding candle - symbolizing how love comes from and is nourished by family. Kiera brought a candle representing the presence in Spirit of son Ryan, along with a sculpture of carved seals to represent the bonding of family and love.

Cindy, Sue, and Lisa read the Ring Blessing:

Benediction of the Elements

May the fountain of the waters of Life
Spring eternal within you!
May the breath of the Spirit
Consecrate the cloister of your hearts!
May you truly be children of Earth,
Living to nourish the seed of the word!
And may the cosmic fire rise
Forever torchlike through your Beings!

The exchange of rings. Margo designed her engagement and wedding band with etchings of the 4 Elements: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. Greg's ring is a Mokame Gane from Japanese metalwork traditions that fold several metals into one piece for great strength and to symbolize unity from dioversity. It also reminded him of the Lord of The Rings - one of his favorite books - which is a pretty cool style for a wedding band.

Holding hands Margo and Greg walk out into the community of family and friends . It's ime to get this party started!

After the ceremony it's hugs all around and time for the celebrations to begin. Fabulous food, great music, extraordinary family and friends made this an absolutely perfect day: the evidence is on our faces.

Dave, Gigi, and friends took such lovely photos of the entire ceremony. Phyllis emailed several wonderful shots. In this one Dave zoomed in and the photo has a blur that creates an interesting halo. A lovely effect as this was the moment in the ceremony where Huck declared us a married couple. The halo of happiness radiates to reflect the joy of the moment.

A Beautiful Space for a Wedding

2007-09-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

The happy couple pose outside the house as they prepare to walk to the wedding. Margo walked to a salon a few blocks from the house to get her hair done, and Kiera did her make-up, after Sue pressed the wedding dress and vests. Lisa bought flowers from the Santa Clara Farmer's Market a few blocks away and decided on the single Lily stem for a bouquet.

It was a particular treat to be able to walk to the wedding. All the details were planned for a small environmental footprint. The caterer came from a few blocks away, and the wedding and reception at the same space allowed people to stay in one beautiful setting for the day, walking back to Margo and Greg's house for post-wedding celebrations. Table linens, china, and silverware made for an elegant outdoor dinner without being wasteful. Potted hibiscus plants for floral table decor allowed guests to take the greenery home and plant flowers in their yards to expand the green space of the planet. Creating a sustainable wedding and supporting the neighborhood museum was an important part of the celebration.

Mature California Live Oak trees in the center of the museum grounds provided a sheltering space for a wedding ceremony, shade from the hot August sun for dining and dancing, and a spectacular backdrop for a wedding. It was the perfect setting to celebrate the marriage of two avid Naturalists.

The happy couple arrive at the Harris-Lass Museum surrounded by sunshine, flowers, and the warmth of family and friends. Alyssa leads the way with programs for the ceremony. Along with Kelsey, and Phoebe, she handed out programs and made sure that everyone took the time to select a flower for the Flower Ceremony.

Before the ceremony, Greg and Margo had the chance to walk around and greet guests and celebrate the gift of family and friends before the ceremony started. Greg chats with his Dolby colleagues while Margo embraces Graham's best wishes.

Irene at Delectables Catering suggested that we serve appetizers and drinks for a half hour before the ceremony, which was a perfect idea for an afternoon wedding. Kathy, Megan, Judith, Tracy, BJ, Josh, and Jared sample the tasty selections. Guests arrived at 2pm to relax with fabulous food and delightful company. Fresh food and cold drinks set the tone for the day for all to be relaxed and refreshed.

The expansive lawns and many garden areas of the Harris-Lass Museum created a delightfully relaxing space to enjoy the company of family and friends. Nick, Ari, and Ariel relax on the benches and grass around the front fountain.

Margo and Greg savored the ability to walk around and greet guests, and enjoy time to laugh and relax together before the ceremony. It certainly was a treat to feel so relaxed at their own wedding after all the work, planning, and activities.

Nick and Isaac ccordinated the set-up for tables and chairs for the wedding celebration. Tonya, Jared, Josh, and BJ were the lead work crew, setting the stage for a perfect day.

Lisa and Cindy set flowers and vases on the ceremony table, after they arranged pots of hibiscus and peacock feathers at the other tables. The ceremony table was surrounded by mature California Live Oak trees and pale pink hydrangia.

A Beautiful Space for a Celebration

2007-09-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

Mariana cut and arranged decorative papers for each table setting. The colors coordinated with the wedding party fabrics: gold, light brown ochre, pale blue and turquoise. Keeko painted Kanji for joyful words on stones groupings set at each table to keep the placemats in place with the regular breeze.

Margo, Cindy, Lisa, and Sue get ready for the ceremony in amid the greenery and flowers of the gazebo. The museum grounds had such a luscious assortment of flowers, benches, copses, floral archways, and green spaces. The women gathered in the gazebo beside the main gardens while the men processed in with a drumming ceremony led by the children with folk percussion instruments.

Ari and the Warren cousins select flowers for the Flower ceremony with Patty, Moose, and Alyssa. Huck set up a table near the fountain so that flowers would sit in the water jars in the sun for the afternoon to absorb the flower essences and blessings.

Margo gives hugs all around to the grill crew who made her vision of fabulous food come true. Neil, Noel, Gavin, and Nate were chief grill crew members. Neil made marinated portabello mushrooms and Noel prepared two varieties of stuffed figs.

Bill was a champion with the BBQ chicken. He spent most of the previous evening repackaging chicken in ziplock bags with his famous "Love Rub" that has become our household favorite.

Throughout the day he was decked out in his apron nourishing the crowd with his incredibly fillin' grillin'. Maura, Keeko, and Nate keep the grillmeister company, and guarantee that he is never lacking for a cold beer!

The Wilson Posse enjoys the shade of the large oak tree. Kiera, Rebecca, and Becca make a stunning trio of beauties.

The Wedding Guests

2007-09-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

In 6th grade Sue was assigned to be Margo's "friend" (under the most abusive conditions!) and still holds fast to that assignment. Cindy sat across from Margo for 4 years of high school and the friendship stuck also. Lisa got the college berth as Margo's friend through 3 years as Literature majors sitting in the same classes together creating dragons and essays. We 4 have been enjoying the adventure ever since!

Dave stepped off the plane in San Jose to the request, "You're #1 photographer for the week!" He's embraced the assignment with a delightful and mischievious relish. Sue looks over his shoulder as he downloads photos after the wedding ceremony.

Keeko's dad, Gigi, gets the award for farthest traveling guest. He returned with Keeko and Neil from Japan for the month of August. Gigi has been our #2 photographer taking great photos and always bringing good cheer.

Graham came in with the New York contingent, although technically he could be the farthest traveling guest since he's from Sydney, Australia. His kindness and generosity (and propensity for golf and engineering) has made him an honorary Wixsom.

Greg's mom, Betty, has known Wayne and Marlene since middle school back in Iowa. Middle school sweethearts, Wayne and Marlene (long married) are still glowing, and live close by in Los Altos to join the celebration.

Nate, who keeps our 19th Ward family alive in the Bay Area, brings his good humor to every family event, along with the serving trays for the grill, and sumptuous desserts for the rehearsal dinner. He's the family's Food Czar.

Abe and Miriam congratulate Kiera on the coming of Olivia as they enjoy a shady spot on this sparkling sunny afternoon.

Greg's Dolby colleagues include ET and Sam, with Wilson and Jane.

A reunion of the Washington Manor Wolves includes Huck, Phyllis, and Diane who worked with Margo at her first school in the Bay Area in San Lorenzo. Diane has retired to Chico, and Huck has retired to a magical life. Phyllis keeps us connected with current and former staff as she continues as the school librarian.

Quynh and Craig enjoy some relaxing time with Greg before the ceremony. Quynh collaborates with Greg on Adobe product research, and has recently joined him in the MBA program at the University of the Presidio.

Our last family wedding was celebrating with Tracy and Jim, so it was a pleasure to have them call and volunteer to help with set-up and clean-up for our wedding celebration. They bring plenty of fun and good times to every family gathering.

Becca and Rebecca, who are 19th Ward family, share some fun in the sun visiting from San Diego and San Francisco. they stayed overnight after the wedding to help keep the good times rolling.

Margo's Palo Alto High School colleagues, Linda who is retired and living in Mendocino, Moose and partner Patty, and Susan with partner Ken.

Wedding Day Preparations

2007-09-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Even a casual wedding like we planned takes a HUGE amount of support and assistance from family and friends. We have been blessed richly by both. In the morning Sue and Lisa went with Margo to the Farmer's Market and bought 15 bouquets of flowers for the wedding ceremony and table settings.

Alyssa, Kelsey, and Phoebe distributed the wedding programs with the cover illustration of the wedding mandala. The lotus was the design pattern from the wedding vests, playful otters, the 4 elements of wind, water, air, and fire surround the moonrise and sunset that symbolize the joy and timelessness of love.

Sue & Lisa arranged hibiscus plants in pots as centerpieces with peacock feathers at each table. Mariana cut decorative papers, in colors that matched the wedding vests, into three-layered placemats for the tables .

Huck prepared a table with water and a placard about the Flower Ceremony, and invited guests to select a flower from the table arrangements and place it in the water jars with a blessing for the couple. Sitting in the sunlight all afternoon, the water is infused by the flower essences. After the ceremony Huck made flower essences as a very special gift for Margo and Greg to have and use throughout their marriage.

The caterer, Delectables, set up appetizers and drinks as the guests arrived to provide a welcome and refreshing space for the wedding celebration.

Decorative tables, exquisite food, a guestbook table for kind thoughts and wishes, along with the Flower Ceremony table provided a lovely celebration ambiance to welcome guests and bridal party to this sacred space.

Noel prepared and served figs in goat cheese and prosciutto (Margo's favorite!) while Neil marinated portabello mushrooms for the vegetarian entree. Last year Margo asked Noel, Neil, and Bill to do the grilling for the wedding, because they provide our family with such delightful holiday grilling - and no caterer could recreate that kind of excellence!

The most extensive support for the entire week was Bill's tireless grilling efforts. He marinated 80 pieces of kosher chicken the night before and rolled his smoker grill the 2 blocks to the museum grounds early that morning. Gavin, Nate, Noel, and Neil formed Bill's grill squad while Graham transported and coordinated beverages. Keeko toasts the finish of her decorative kanji stones.

Ari arranges the candles on the ceremony table before the ceremony. The Candle Ceremony included the three daughters. Maura and Ari gave Greg and Margo their candles, used to light a couple's candle, while Kiera carried a candle to remember our son Ryan Brendan who is with us in spirit.

Keeko paints Kanji for happiness, joy, laughter, freindship, love, and other delightful words on the stones that hold the centerpieces in place. After the ceremony we invited people to take home the hibiscus and kanji stones as mementos of our wedding celebration. Keeko also stayed at the house all day on Friday to help with the children and rehearsal dinner preparations.

Rehearsal Dinner Day

2007-09-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Fun was on the score card all day long the day before the wedding. Greg and the golf set headed for Deep Cliff in Cupertino for a morning of golf followed by lunch.

Cindy and Abe treated the rest of the gang to lunch at Picchetti Winery in Cupertino. We stopped for salads, drinks and goodies at Trader Joe's nearby and headed into the Santa Cruz Mountians. The drive was lovely and we had the winery grounds to ourselves,...and we soon learned why.

We were swarmed by hundreds of bees looking to get a bite of our lunches. They sent the kids screaming and everyone ducking and dodging the swarm. Jake did have some fun following one of the peacocks around, and Kiera wisely suggested that we return home and enjoy our lunch in our own lovely (bee-free) gardens. Abe bought a few bottles of wine to celebrate and we returned to a relaxing lunch.

For the afternoon we sent the guys off with grocery lists to Costco for sides and fruit trays for the rehearsal dinner. They also worked as prep chefs for Bill's Grill enterprise. Rack of lamb and salmon were on the menu. The girls headed over to Lavande Salon on Santana Row for an afternoon of manicure, pedicure, and pampering.

The only snafoo for the rehearsal was that all THREE household printers decided to run out of ink simaltaneously 10 minutes before the rehearsal as Margo printed off the program. Fortunately we found a black ink cartridge and the rehearsal was a success.

Back home the celebrations began with Betty, Nate, Tonya and the boys helping with set-up and serving.

Bill's Grill was in full swing with Kiera and Lisa getting the salads and sides ready for the feast.

Sue shows off her stylish outfit that is one of Dave's selections that makes that girl look like a model everywhere they go!Maddy and Blaze followed the food all night long hoping for droppings and dribblings.

The Literary Shower

2007-09-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

We decided that on Thursday night, we'd have a shower for Kiera since so many friends from New York would be in town. Kiera requested that we have a Literary Theme: everyone would bring a favorite book from their childhood (or parenting) with a note to Olivia about why it was a favorite book. Books and shower gift packages arrived from around the world - with Maija from Finland sending the Scandinavian design bib in this photo.

Barb and Bob Swan sent a whole stack of favorite books, including Bill's first President books - proof that reading to your child is very influential. To this day Bill is a Presidential Literature buff. Bill's sister Cathy send the Go-Dog-Go books that Bill had as a boy, with the "Billy YES" scribbles on the back cover. That package arrived an hour before the shower!

Niki picked "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," and Gavin's favorite was, "Where The Wild Things Are," since after reading it as a child, he wanted to change his name to Max!

Sue's book was the perfect double-match of the evening. She gave them Chris van Allsburgs' beautifully illustarted "Swan Lake." Double perfect macth because of Sue's extensive ballet background, and Olivia's last name is "Swan."

Maura was proud of her big find in Oakland: onsies with Rock star images. The golf crew arrived from their second day of golf just before dinner, as Bill and Nate cut up roasted chickens from Costco. We had quite a feast and a few pies for dessert with toasts for the not-yet-arrived Olivia.

As always, Isaac was the favorite wrestling buddy for Jake, Niki, and Remy. They are lucky kids to have a cousin like Isaac who is always willing to play, wrestle, take them to the park, and he's the favorite activities coordinator for the kid set.

Mariana kept a wonderful list of gifts for Kiera and Gavin kept the laughter flowing.

The Support Crew

2007-09-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning the excitement officially started when Dave and Sue flew in from Rochester with Lisa, and then Graham following from New York within the hour. They all stayed close by at the Madison Street Inn and were truly the best friends to have around for so many reasons. Dave got right to work taking photos and was our head photographer for the wedding, shower, rehearsal dinner, and fun stuff along the way.

That evening we had dinner at the Yankee Pier on Santana Row, where Alyssa, Kelsey, and Phoebe got to feel Olivia getting in her celebratory kicks!

Dave, Greg, and Graham hit the greens right off with Isaac along for cart chauffeur. They were grateful for the masseuse who came to the house to assuage sore muscles! Graham’s clubs and luggage were delayed from his flight, so he missed the first round of play, but Greg and Dave were heroic in their dedication to a few more rounds of golf to get everyone out on the greens.

With her beautiful smile and great sense of humor, Lisa got right to work in the gardens, trimming roses and watering flowers, along with cooking and cleaning in the kitchen alongside

Kiera and Bill, who were the mainstay for food prep at the wedding, their shower on Thursday night, and the rehearsal dinner. They were amazing!

Back at the house, Sue got right to work attaching the wedding vests to their linings. Margo was afraid of making mistakes in the final piecework, so Seamstress Sue saved the day - as usual.

A month before, Margo sent Sue a sketch along with a lovely silk dress that she found at a consignment store for $15 a few years ago. The dress was Margo’s perfect idea for a wedding dress – simple and elegant, but needed some alterations. Sue lowered the neck and back lines, added side panels of sheer floral material, and Dave suggested a bit at the bottom for the perfect touch.

The wedding dress was a perfect fit and a perfect complement to the wedding vest. Margo also sent Sue sketches and fabric for bridesmaids outfits: casual sleeveless tops and Capri pants for Lisa, Cindy, and herself. Sue worked her magic with beautifully coordinated outfits in individualized styles with lovely beadwork. The results were fabulously beautiful,… and comfortable! Everyone looked absolutely exquisite thanks to Sue's tailor-made touches on the clothes, vests, and beadwork.

Gavin and Mariana stayed with us at the house and were also great company and wonderfully helpful with anything that needed to get done, especially amping up the fun! So nice to have them for the whole week!

Graham was point man for golf inspirations and beverages throughout the week. We were most grateful for his excellent chauffering for the rehearsal, wedding, and Monterrey play day. Here the boys are just back from their second session at Cinnebar Hills, which left them aching but happy.

InVESTed in a Beautiful Wedding

2007-09-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

Margo’s vision for the wedding dress was California casual, so everyone could relax and be comfortable in the August heat outdoors, but elegant silks for the wedding vests that worked with t-shirts. She found the perfect silks in pale blue and yellow with lotus designs, so the lotus became the marriage symbol. The lotus represents compassion, renewal, and self-creation, since it’s beautiful blossom rises from muddy, still waters. Wedding guests sent pieces of silk, which Margo used for the lotus petals in the appliqué, and a patchwork frame surrounding the lotus design, which were sewn to the back of both vests. The surrounding pieces of silk, from family and friends, represent how they are the fabric of the couple’s lives.

Margo also designed a vest for Huck, who would be the wedding celebrant. Huck requested a raven design on the back of his vest. Raven in Native American culture represents cunning and wisdom and is the guradian of ceremonial magic and healing circles. Raven symbolizes the void - the mystery of that which is not yet formed. During the first fitting, Greg requested dragon and phoenix silks to be added to the front closing to represent the meaning of his name – which is “dragon” in Vietnamese. The phoenix is a favorite of Greg's after reading the harry Potter book series with Margo and Isaac. A single row of silk wedding ring fabric trims the waste of both wedding vests as a symbol of marriage.

The garage studio got to be quite a chaotic mess with all the fabric and silks lying about.

Most evenings Kelsey kept Margo company

as she organized the toy basket for the wedding day play.

At the wedding Margo, Greg, and Huck were aglow in their wedding silks. The appliqués on the reverse side of each vest were truly lovely. Huck wore a lotus t-shirt, the perfect match!

The BEST Work Crew Ever!

2007-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

The nieces came to stay all week, and what a gift! Along with Isaac, they were a wonder of a work crew helping to get the house ready for the celebrations.
Every morning they cleaned, scrubbed, gardened, , and brought lots of laughter and fun to the work load.
We asked family to drop off coolers for the beverages and all the meat that Bill was scheduled to grill for the rehearsal dinner and wedding day. Alyssa and Kelsey make fast work of cleaning coolers, while Isaac designs a brickwork edging for the backyard. Kelsey paints a table for one of the many seating areas that we’ll need for the many evenings of dinner for the shower and rehearsal dinner. Margo gave the girls lists for Trader Joe’s and Costco shopping, and they inspired Greg with their giggles, encouraging him to come home with flowers and candy which were not on the list – but definitely necessary for the celebrations!

What was most impressive to us was that every night the girls made time on their own to finish homework pages they knew they needed to do. They would read or do worksheet pages in their math and language books. Very impressive girls!

In the evening we made time for lots of fun to rest from the big work schedule. When the girls were not enjoying Alyssa's video game, we watched movies and headed for the local Baskins & Robbins for ice cream treats.

Boulder Boys

2007-08-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the Great Boulder Adventures turned out to be just a little more work than expected! After 6 tons of 6-inch slab stones were delivered in our driveway, Margo called to beg the quarry manager to take back the stone. A professional mason cautioned that it would cost up to $5000 to have the slabs craned OVER the house, since most pieces weighed from 1000 - 2000 pounds! Much to our relief, the manager graciously sent a pick-up team to retrieve all but the 4 smallest stones. Greg rented an industrial 3-ton pallet jack so that he, Nick, and Isaac could move and hoist the 4 remaining stones in place in the backyard.

Promised the final arrangement, Margo cautioned the grunting team that they should arrange them in a row down the center, as the most functional and aesthetic design. Greg insisted that she would just "love" his idea - boulders arranged across the front of the deck. It looks like his aesthetic skills are matched only by his engineering calculations about getting 6-inch 1-ton stone slabs into the backyard in the first place! Poor Isaac shrugs in realization that they'll have to lug those boulders yet again! Greg wailed about injuries and lawsuits as Margo left with the burger order for the work crew. Upon return, and the smell of food, Greg admitted that the row arrangement was indeed the best, so he cancelled the liability call to his attorney.

Not happy with a morning of back-breaking work, Greg decided that Margo's list of wedding chores was just too easy. Back to the professional tool yard for a disk-grinder, he got even more committed to hard labor! The idea to rent a professional grade sander was for stripping off the old paint on the surrounding patio, which didn't quite showcase the new slabs as nicely as expected. The one hour job stretched into 5 hours of grueling and gitty work. Perfection is a small price to pay for,...um, perfection? Thank goodness for a Jacuzzi at the end of this day! With a few sore muscles and a few pounds of sweat, Greg has finally begun his work-out routine.

At the end of the day we arranged the pots of flowers around the slabs to Greg takes a well-deserved break with Kelsey, our niece, who is staying for the week to help with house-cleaning and getting things ready for the wedding. The boulder boys have given us the best "step-up" on the block (possibly in all of Santa Clara!)

Cleaning House

2007-08-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

For Greg the best way to start housecleaning is with a bike ride to Santana Row for a cappucchino, the morning paper, and time to relax on the lovely outdoor patio. We started and ended the weekend at Santana Row with Pete's cappuchino on Friday, then Sunday evening @ The Left Bank for dessert & more cappucchino [mocha for Margo].

This was Greg's flex-Friday so we started the weekend a day early. On our return from Santana Row, we did some reconnaissance work at the Harris-Lass Museum to figure out where to put tables and chairs for the wedding. The gardeners were there to let us in the gate and take our photo in front of the farmhouse. After that it was back to the house to get crackin' on the cleanin'! Greg scoured the screens and windows, painted the foundation to match the stucco, and cleared off and organized the shed side of the house. Our favorite food recently is a sliced heirloom tomato. The markets are full of them these days - and we couldn't be happier! Greg takes a lunch break to savor a tomato & basil sandwich with a cold Corona. Much to our delight, Kiera & Bill returned from a weekend visit in Chico with a CASE of heirloom tomatoes from Sheila & Steve's garden! Margo spent the weekend getting the garden groomed, transplanting hibicus for wedding table settings, and transplanting heirloom tomato seedlings. We plan on having Green Zebras, and Black Russians for dinner through the winter with a possible greenhouse addition in the Fall. The weather's been unseasonably mild - every day just sunny & absolutely lovely in the South Bay. We haven't had a hot day yet!

Margo made a circuit of local Home Depot stores to pick up a matching set of clearanced lawn cushions & new umbrella for the table. Now the back deck looks like new! After lunch Greg tightened all the screws and bolts on the deck furniture, then swept up the patio, and whacked the dust out of the cushions on our new outdoor living room [in the background]. We'll have to get a new lotus for the backyard fountain,...the raccoons tore it apart pawing for fish last week! He rounded out the day by installing a decorative grate above the new succulent garden on the side of the house. Now Kiera & Bill's entrance has an inviting garden & grate to balance the recycle bin, green waste, and trash can on that side of the house.

This is the view of the garden from the guest house. The tomatoes are getting tall, basil is filling out, and cosmos are keeping the color. Trays of tomatoes & hibicus transplants are at the edge of the flower pots. Greg ordered a flat of red stone slabs to finalize our patio remodel, so over the weekend Greg, Bill, and Nick will get to figure out that two-ton puzzle!

Museum Musings

2007-07-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

When we moved to Santa Clara we were stunned that this lovely historic museum was right behind our house. The city purchased the farm and all it's contents a few decades ago - a lovely heritage for our town. On our daily walks past the museum, we decided that it would be the perfect spot for our wedding.
The trellis archway is where we'll have the wedding ceremony. The gardens are lovely year round with quite a collection of flowers and fruit trees - typical of the farms in this area that used to be known as The Valley of Hearts Delight with orchards running from east to west between the Santa Cruz and Diablo Mountains.

The tank house was brought from a farm where they recently built the new Kaiser hospital - where Kiera will have her baby! There was a tank house on the original property but it was demolished when the land was sold off into the lots that are now our neighborhood houses. The brick BBQ where Bill and Neil will be grillin' up chicken and portabello mushrooms is just behind the summer kitchen.

This view from the patio beside the house is where we'll set up tables and chairs for the wedding festivities and BBQ reception. The caterer had a great idea - to serve appetizers and beverages as people arrive around 2pm. That should assuage the afternoon heat and get everyone in a full mood for the ceremony which will be short. If you feel like coming early - just come on over and enjoy the gardens. There is a small parking lot in front of the museum on this side, and you can park along the street also. The surrounding lawns are where we'll have the kids set up games and the bubble wands.

Looking forward to seeing everyone here on August 18th!

Ceremonial Plans

2007-07-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our fried Huck is helping us plan our wedding ceremony. Last month we spent an afternoon at Picchetti Winery in Cupertino hiking and talking about ideas for the ceremony that blends our Spiritual ideas from Buddhist and Naturalist traditions to weave a tapesty for our celebration.

Huck taught at Washington Manor Middle School with Margo and once retired, he's expanded his expertise in world travels, wood carving, drumming, massage therapy, alternative healing, and officiated at several weddings. Huck manifests spirituality in so many delightful ways. Here he holds his Emissary of the Doll card, which requests that we send him stories of how "worry dolls" manifest good energies to our lives.

During his last visit, Huck had each of us select a "worry doll" from a small bag, explaining the custom of Guatamalan woven dolls that "carry" the worries of their holder and promote healing. Margo put her worry doll to work when she took Greg to the ER for his kidney stone. Rather than worry about the complications in the past of the lengthy hospital procedures and healing time for kidney stones, she handed it over to the worry doll. The next day Greg passed his stone, which was quite unusual for him!

This Friday, Huck came down to help us finalize the ceremony details. We planned a Flower Ceremony, in which each guest will select a flower from the table bouquets and place it in a ceremonial bowl. The flowers transfer their energies to the water, which Huck distills into a special marriage aromatherapy for us. If you would like to select a special flower, you can check this list of flower essence qualities at this website: http://www.sacred-space.com.au/bach-flower-essences.html

Greg, Isaac, and Huck practiced a Drum Ceremony for the beginning of the wedding ceremony. Isaac and Gavin will be practicing to play a special Didgeridoo Heart Blessing.

After teaching two summer school Drawing classes, Margo got the idea from her students to make a wedding mandala for the program cover. Mandalas are spiritual icons fromBuddhist tradition. Their circular patterns and designs represent unity & completion to establish a sacred space. Students designed personal mandalas using favorite colors, shapes, animals, gem stone, and flowers. This student works on her mandala that incorporates a dolphin, sapphire, and sunset to represent her personality.Our wedding mandala will include a star sapphire, which represents heaven and loyal devotion, the lotus flower pattern from our wedding vests which represents enlightenment, the sun and moon for timelessness, and a pair of frolicing otters, which symbolize play, creativity and laughter.

In Sickness & Health

2007-07-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

Greg had another kidney stone scare! He took the day off today to rest up from a very painful weekend. Conveniently he timed it for Sunday morning, so Margo could hang out at the ER with him. We read the introduction to the Dean Ornish diet and lifestyle program as the Toridal drip made life less painful. Hopefully the new approach will lead to healthier kidneys! He passed the stone last night, so we can bypass the ultrasound treatment this time around. Since he had the day off we drove over to the County Clerk's Office and picked up our marriage license. We found out that Monday's a good day to apply for a marriage license.

We walked right up to the window - no waiting or lines - and filled out the paperwork. So, surprisingly, the day allowed for one more detail to get checked off the wedding"to-do" list! We headed home to relax for the afternoon. Greg checked back into his favorite spot in our new outdoor living room. Maddy and Blaze, our two terriers, were fast on his heels for some rest time in a cushy spot.

Your Presence is Gift Enough

2007-07-01T18:26:00.001-07:00

In this corner of our garden a Laughing Buddha and reflection ball bring us to the quiet spaces in our lives. We're blessed with wonderful families, friends, a lovely home, opportunities for travel, and work that we both love. We're grateful for an abundance of things that enrich our home and lives. Our relationship has been a gift of finding kindred spirits and making a joyful life together. On the wedding invitation we noted that "your presence is gift enough." We are delighted that you spend time with us to celebrate our life together, in August for the wedding, or in the future if you can't be here at that time to come and visit. If you feel the need to purchase a gift we request that you make a donation in our name to any one of the generous organizations that supports a sustainable environment, education & the Arts, and positive social change. Some of our favorites organizations for land preservation and positive social change are:

Penninsula Open Space Trust http://www.openspacetrust.org/

The Trust for Public Land http://www.tpl.org/

The Nature Conservancy http://www.openspacetrust.org/

In honor of Ryan Brendan Barry @ the American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide

http://www.afsp.org/

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission

http://www.fulbright.com.au/

The Arts projects for the East Gippsland Aboriginal Arts Corporation

egaac@ozemail.com.au

Art Projects

2007-07-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

Art projects are the focus of this summer. When Greg sat down to help assemble wedding invitations he stopped and asked in surprise, "Margo, what are you getting me into? This looks like some kind of weird art project!" Kiera looked at him and laughed. Well, duh! How long has Margo been making life into an art project? And why would the wedding be any different? So hopefully everyone received their collage invitation. Here are some of the returned ones with photos and lovely decorations to add to our wedding celebration. We're assembling the returned invitations into an art poster - so be sure to send it back with your additions! This is our dining room table - the workstation of the Arts - filled with the latest art projects.

Other art projects of the moment are the Fulbright memory book - printed copies were sent out to friends from the Oz Adventures (check out that blog at http://ozspotting.blogspot.com/) last week. The original pages will be assembled in an album - all 68 pages in full color! And the most recent art project is a book for Lisa's birthday titled Pear Dreams. It's the red album on the table with color pencil drawings of pears in each circle. The book is filled with mythically beautiful photos of Lisa that just begged for a story rather than simply a photo album.

Welcome Home

2007-07-01T16:06:00.001-07:00

The old brick wall is now a lovely entry walkway. We built a "Peace Gate" with the kanji for peace in front and a "Happiness Gate" at the side entry with the kanji for happiness. Our house is the one that looks like a Bed & Breakfast with front and back gardens and decorative gates. The trellis is now grown over with wisteria and we put up a koinobodi - a giant fish kite flying from a tall bamboo pole. Can you guess that we love Japanese style architecture and decor? We dug a pond for turtles, frogs, and mosquito fish. Margo arranged 2 tons of rocks around the edges of the pond, and Greg installed a waterfall that looks like it comes from a creek behind our 100 foot redwood tree. Sheer delight - just ask the turtles! Bricks from the old wall were cleaned and arranged with various size stones to create a figure-eight walkway around the front gardens. A Buddha statue rests blissfully smiling in the midst of colorful flowers, the sound of waterfall, and hummingbirds and dragon flies buzzing about.

Garden Extravaganza

2007-07-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

We're busy planting in new flowering additions to the back and front gardens. When we bought the house six years ago our vision was to have a home that felt like a vacation retreat every day! Greg rented a dumptruck and we hauled 12 cubic yards of compost to transform the surburban slab-o-lawns into a lush gardens and shade the view to the street. Two trellises, double decks in front and back, as well as a recycled brick wall turned into an old walkway, give the place a rustic and vintage feel.

Greg had the brilliant idea to get a Jacuzzi so we bought a Shoji-style cabana that doubles as a spa and guest house. If you are coming to the wedding - don't forget your swim suit. Inside is room for a futon couch that converts to a double bed for guests. At Christmas we had the pleasure of hosting Bill's family from Wisconsin and Paris and 8 guests was no worries, so we're looking forward to a housfeul of wedding guests.

The Garden of Eatin'

2007-05-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Since Kiera and Bill moved in and started making amazing dinners (as well as clearing off the junked up patio!) our home has truly become the Garden of Eatin'. Recently Lisa visited from New York and went with Margo to the local garden store, which inspired an explosion of planting that's turned our yards (back and front) into the Gardens of Eden. Many large ceramic pots later, filled with pear and peach trees, gardenias, kangaroo paw, fuscia, jasmine, and calla lillies, we're well on our way to a stunning wedding outpost. We decided to start making the house and grounds a hospitality delight for all you friends and family traveling from afar to our August 18th wedding. Stay tuned for all the plans and antics as we amble through the summer and the countdown for our wedding celebration.