Memory day and bikes

The Russian iris beside a soft focus candle at one end of the table. Stephanie and Joel at the other, discovering their birthday gift of a bike rack. Their gifts to each other involved bike gear, too.

Menu at their request--Mom's chicken corn soup from scratch (not the chicken's) and a new entry from the Miller tradition-- short cake with ice cream and strawberries and milk. A big hit.

Philosophy--what direction will volunteerism in church take with some women not employed and others over-employed.

Local details--are strawberries usually ready by Joel's birthday (the 22nd) or by Steph's (the 26th)?

New being--Brutus the dog, Ryan and Sarah's. Then, the men played boccie and the women walked to Red Lane and all went to bed happy.

Memorial Day to me is memory day--memory of the sweet spots in life and memory that organized civic and national life, including war, if it is an absolute allegiance, is one sorry god. iris pic by Joel.

rhubard cook off

The great rhubard cook off. And the winner is. I think that's clear, isn't it. I mean, wouldn't you rather have the viscous, sticky, adhesive, glutenous glup loaded with nutritous prunes and tapioca? That was from an Apple Creek, Ohio, recipe from the Mennonite Community cookbook.

Steph is holding her fresh-out-of-the-oven entry, rhubarb crisp from the Central Market cookbook. The close-up reveals rolled oats and on the left a piece of rhubarb. Thanks, Steph! That's the one we three (Joel's the third) chowed down on with relish after barbecued chicken from Bird in Hand's Rotary.

I can't figure out where my entry went south. Dorcas is in Grantsville helping prepare for Rachel's funeral. Photos by Joel (t) and Stephanie (b), straight up, untouched and uncropped, no flash. The rhubarb is from the orchard at the east tip of the property.

waiting in line

The Gordonville Fire Co. hall is lined with glass cases filled with trophies and memorabilia. Two sides of the hall groaned with tables stacked with food.



Sarah, Joel, and Steph are still patient after thirity minutes of wait. About fifteen more feet to go, ten minutes at the most.

wedding rehearsal

Time stopped at Monterey last week. Part of the world stopped.

A major building block was to be laid in the edifice of life.

That was the matrimonial union of Joel and Steph. Big, fun, seismic events don't take place with the stroke of a pen, a punch of a key, or the mouthing of a word with just one or two witnesses.

Something real happens. Camels and goats change fields. Servants flock around the families and prepare food, set up meeting places, make music, write documents, prepare rituals. Civil servants at the town hall write this up for the official record. Newspapers print it. Artists skilled in beauty, mirth, culinary arts, and dance are summoned by the leaders of the clans.

The evening before the final event, all the major players gather and walk through the ritual. That's what a wedding rehearsal is. And here is Dorcas checking the rehearsal dinner tables.

By 6:30 p.m. the 30 persons came together and had Thai food here in the foyer of the East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pa.

Special couple at wedding shower

These are important and exciting days. Joel and Stephanie are getting married Nov. 10. It's kind of like building a new pyramid, a new Rome, a new civilization. You don't do it in one day.

Bible scholars point out that the wedding at Cana was probably a five-day shindig. The point is not being an extravaganza. The point is the rock-bed deep foundations.

Last week friends threw a wedding shower. I put up a pic of the gifts. Here's the couple having the first piece of cake.

Wedding shower

Here you see the gifts brought to the wedding shower for distinguished Monterey citizen Joel and his beautiful financee, Stephanie. The brunch event was held at a restaurant in Leola last Sunday, hosted by friends of Stephanie's family.
The wedding will be held November 10. We are in the count-down last 30 days. Table cloths, candles, silverware, menus, music, guest list, clothes--it's the current conversation and work.
We're all really excited for this.
Family and friends will come from Oregon, Ohio, New York, Virginia, Deleware, and many points in between.