State of Grace

How Life Goes On (in the nicest possible way)

Wedding in Progess I, originally uploaded by GraceD.

So, mah dollin friend Jennifer called this morning saying she had a whacked out idea and that I should sit down and hear about it. After taking a seat and asking if she was pregnant again, she told me no, but she wanted to surprise everyone and get married to her partner Richard at their going away party today (they're moving back to Washington State). She asked if I could officiate. I had to go to a baby shower first, but told her well sure, honey, why the heck not?

After attending the shower, I changed to a purty gold dress I've had forever at the back of my closet, bought a bunch of flowers, tied up cala lillies and greens in a ribbon for Jen's bouquet, and went to Kinko's to get online so I could become ordained through the Secular Humanists who ordain folks free of chage and on the spot. I checked with California law to make sure all was legal and, WTF, it was. Then, I wrote out a ceremony in 15 minutes, printed this at the Kinko's and headed over to the park for the going-away picnic/surprise wedding ceremony.

Jen, in the meantime, bought a slinky pretty dress for cheap at the Salvation Army, her lovely friend Shannon fashioned a sweet floral headpiece, Richard put on something tropically handsome and their two kids reluctantly got into dress up clothes.

We asked the party crowd to gather round under a willow tree near where the going away picnic was taking place, and blew them all away with a setup of an altar, vases of flowers, Jen and Richard in fancy clothes and the announcement that this get together was also a wedding.

And, just like that, my pals got married. They even had rings.

Isn't that great?

Apple Store Shenanigans #3 in a series - Palo Alto, CA

Apple Store Shenanigans, originally uploaded by GraceD.

I made a vow last year - not anything holy like keeping to Buddhist precepts or maintaining a strict macrobiotic diet - but, that if ever I'm near an Apple Store, I'll go in, jump on one of the Macs and:

1.  Take a PhotoBooth pic
2.  Upload that pic to flickr
3.  Send it to my blog

Behold, I am holding true to my resolution and I present to the blogosphere a pic of the hound and the hag.

This means I'm getting out more.  It's been gnarly lately, but the gnarls are sorting themselves out.

Dear Dollin Readers, I send my very best from Shallow Alto, where, as a friend of mine from 90% African American East Palo Alto once said,  "all the white people are riding around on bicycles."