Thursday, December 14, 2006
continued from yesterday.....
The ceremony was a combination between a Japanese tea ceremony, a Pagan handfasting, a traditional Hawaiian wedding and a Buddhist meditaiton. The idea was that we were each committing to be family to the other. It was, for all of us I think, very moving. There were two bizarre coincidences though. It was raining everywhere on the island (hard rain all day in Lahanina where Teri lives just minutes away from Wailea) on the day of our ceremony. but it didn't rain at all for us. It was, in fact, perfect sunny weather. And the other strange thing was that just after our ceremony began, the Doobie Brothers' song "Takin' it to the Streets" started playing somewhere down on the beach. The music drifted over to us but wasn't intrusive. we were up on a grassy knoll on a cliff above the beach. The moment our ceremony ended and the sacred circle opened, the music ended and no other songs played. Maybe it was a sound check. Maybe it was a message. Here are the lyrics:
You dont know me but I'm your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You dont know my kind in your world
Fairly soon the time will tell
You, telling me the things youre gonna do for me
I aint blind and I dont like what I think I see
Takin it to the streets x 4
Take this message to my brother
You will find him everywhere
Wherever people live together
Tied in poverty's despair
You, telling me the things youre gonna do for me
I aint blind and I dont like what I think I see
Takin it to the streets x 4
--------
OK - so Dani and I decided that because poverty is one of leading causes of death (through disease, hunger, and desperation that leads to crime and terrorism...) and because poverty effects us all, we want to do what we can to ease it. After what we have seen on our forays into the streets and underpasses of San Francisco, we know that we can make a small difference. Instead of wedding gifts, we decided to ask for people to instead contribute to our effort to bring food and water to the people in our own back yard who fall through the cracks and don't make it to traditional food and shelter programs. We also want to continue to our efforts to help hurricane-displaced people in Louisiana.
We didn't make that decision because of the Doobie Brothers' song. But isn't it weird?
After the ceremony, we were at the absolute opposite end of poverty. It was the one place where we really splurged and, I have to say, there are no regrets. We ate at Spagos - the restraunt made famous by Wolfgang Puck in L.A. I guess there are four Spagos restraunts (L.A., Las Vegas Palo Alto and Maui.) It will probably be the most fancy, beautiful, tasty food that I will ever eat. The atmosphere was dynamic and romantic, the color scheme brilliant and elegant. The service was impeccable but not stuffy in any way. And they were kid friendly! We were all a little too hungry after the flurry of activity so it was perfect.
That night, after dinner, we drove all the way back to Hana from Wailea. For those of you who are like me and know next to nothing about the island of Maui - the road to Hana is famous for it's 56 tiny one lane bridges (built in the early 1900s) and it's 617 hairpin turns with jungle on the south side and crashing ocean on lava formations on the north. It was beautiful when we started out from Hana that morning of the wedding but at night, on the way back, it was raining and a little trecherous and got scary at one point when Dani was sleepy. Thank heavens we don't drink alcohol! There was a very magic moment when Dani and I saw a shooting start that streaked across the sky right in front of us. A very good omen, we thought.
We were tired blissed out newlyweds when we got home!
The next morning found us back at the Venus pools, where Parker and Dani jumped from the hardened lava formations jutting from the earth. They happen to have formed a barrier of sorts to the ocean while still allowing it let the ocean water in. The pool is very deep with no shore whatsoever - just lava rocks. On that morning we had a late start and, therefore, shared the pools with others who enjoyed the warm water and lush surroundings. Luckily, they were not offended at our notion that it is only proper to swim naked in a magical pool that used to be reserved for Hawaiian royalty.
Our trip was full of hikes and swimming, waterfalls and good food. We learned some Hawaiian language (with only vowels and 8 consonants, it is hard for me to grasp) and much about the rich Hawaiian culture and history. We had a nice balance of being inside and out, seeing museums and making art, reading and swimming. We had very little privacy. But it wasn't a time for privacy, really. It was a time for family and even though there were rough points in our transition into group intimacy and communication, we all tried to bring our best selves to the adventure. I am proud of us.
Now that we are home, we have sent out invitations to friends and family. Many people have responded and will be coming from far and wide to celebrate with us. We decided to only have a cake reception instead of some big sit down dinner thing. We do hope that we will manage some good music and atmosphere though. And it will be great to see festival friends and high school friends and co-workers and our church community all in one place. If, for some reason, you didn't get an invitiation, please please let me know. I don't want to leave anybody out so don't be shy. It just might be that I don't have your email or snail address.
OK - I am off to the studio. I am working on a few personal projects and then it will be time to begin the Sweet 16 quilt. I think I will work on that and the Himilayan quilt at the same time.
Thanks for keeping up with me...
The ceremony was a combination between a Japanese tea ceremony, a Pagan handfasting, a traditional Hawaiian wedding and a Buddhist meditaiton. The idea was that we were each committing to be family to the other. It was, for all of us I think, very moving. There were two bizarre coincidences though. It was raining everywhere on the island (hard rain all day in Lahanina where Teri lives just minutes away from Wailea) on the day of our ceremony. but it didn't rain at all for us. It was, in fact, perfect sunny weather. And the other strange thing was that just after our ceremony began, the Doobie Brothers' song "Takin' it to the Streets" started playing somewhere down on the beach. The music drifted over to us but wasn't intrusive. we were up on a grassy knoll on a cliff above the beach. The moment our ceremony ended and the sacred circle opened, the music ended and no other songs played. Maybe it was a sound check. Maybe it was a message. Here are the lyrics:
You dont know me but I'm your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You dont know my kind in your world
Fairly soon the time will tell
You, telling me the things youre gonna do for me
I aint blind and I dont like what I think I see
Takin it to the streets x 4
Take this message to my brother
You will find him everywhere
Wherever people live together
Tied in poverty's despair
You, telling me the things youre gonna do for me
I aint blind and I dont like what I think I see
Takin it to the streets x 4
--------
OK - so Dani and I decided that because poverty is one of leading causes of death (through disease, hunger, and desperation that leads to crime and terrorism...) and because poverty effects us all, we want to do what we can to ease it. After what we have seen on our forays into the streets and underpasses of San Francisco, we know that we can make a small difference. Instead of wedding gifts, we decided to ask for people to instead contribute to our effort to bring food and water to the people in our own back yard who fall through the cracks and don't make it to traditional food and shelter programs. We also want to continue to our efforts to help hurricane-displaced people in Louisiana.
We didn't make that decision because of the Doobie Brothers' song. But isn't it weird?
After the ceremony, we were at the absolute opposite end of poverty. It was the one place where we really splurged and, I have to say, there are no regrets. We ate at Spagos - the restraunt made famous by Wolfgang Puck in L.A. I guess there are four Spagos restraunts (L.A., Las Vegas Palo Alto and Maui.) It will probably be the most fancy, beautiful, tasty food that I will ever eat. The atmosphere was dynamic and romantic, the color scheme brilliant and elegant. The service was impeccable but not stuffy in any way. And they were kid friendly! We were all a little too hungry after the flurry of activity so it was perfect.
That night, after dinner, we drove all the way back to Hana from Wailea. For those of you who are like me and know next to nothing about the island of Maui - the road to Hana is famous for it's 56 tiny one lane bridges (built in the early 1900s) and it's 617 hairpin turns with jungle on the south side and crashing ocean on lava formations on the north. It was beautiful when we started out from Hana that morning of the wedding but at night, on the way back, it was raining and a little trecherous and got scary at one point when Dani was sleepy. Thank heavens we don't drink alcohol! There was a very magic moment when Dani and I saw a shooting start that streaked across the sky right in front of us. A very good omen, we thought.
We were tired blissed out newlyweds when we got home!
The next morning found us back at the Venus pools, where Parker and Dani jumped from the hardened lava formations jutting from the earth. They happen to have formed a barrier of sorts to the ocean while still allowing it let the ocean water in. The pool is very deep with no shore whatsoever - just lava rocks. On that morning we had a late start and, therefore, shared the pools with others who enjoyed the warm water and lush surroundings. Luckily, they were not offended at our notion that it is only proper to swim naked in a magical pool that used to be reserved for Hawaiian royalty.
Our trip was full of hikes and swimming, waterfalls and good food. We learned some Hawaiian language (with only vowels and 8 consonants, it is hard for me to grasp) and much about the rich Hawaiian culture and history. We had a nice balance of being inside and out, seeing museums and making art, reading and swimming. We had very little privacy. But it wasn't a time for privacy, really. It was a time for family and even though there were rough points in our transition into group intimacy and communication, we all tried to bring our best selves to the adventure. I am proud of us.
Now that we are home, we have sent out invitations to friends and family. Many people have responded and will be coming from far and wide to celebrate with us. We decided to only have a cake reception instead of some big sit down dinner thing. We do hope that we will manage some good music and atmosphere though. And it will be great to see festival friends and high school friends and co-workers and our church community all in one place. If, for some reason, you didn't get an invitiation, please please let me know. I don't want to leave anybody out so don't be shy. It just might be that I don't have your email or snail address.
OK - I am off to the studio. I am working on a few personal projects and then it will be time to begin the Sweet 16 quilt. I think I will work on that and the Himilayan quilt at the same time.
Thanks for keeping up with me...
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
