the M. Div. graduation oil

At the local graduation recognition party--way back in April--guests were asked not to bring gifts, but, if they wanted to contribute to the purchase of an original oil by Christine David as the grande graduation gift, that gift would be deeply appreciated.

Finally the painting was chosen, framed, finished with varnish, signed, sealed, and delivered.  Here is the graduate receiving it from the artist, Christine David.  I can't think of the title, but it is an abstract poppy.

birthday gift from Paris

Look twice.  These are spun spheres of 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) bought in a "le cousin paul" shop by my son and daughter-in-law while in Paris earlier this year.  There's only one shop in North America where they can be bought--in Montreal.  You pop them over tiny tree lights to glow.  Great to have this color in my life!

first Christmas gift

At work, I got my first gift of the season, along with each of the other staff members. Thanks for reusing nice Nescafe bottles, for a home-grown, hand-made treat. Here's how fast mine went in one day.

all I want...

for Christmas is a steam engine.

Dorcas turns 60

That kind of achievement calls for special gifts. First the supper of crab-stuffed flounder, succotash (local, fresh), tiny, new potatoes (our garden), salad, and topped off with rose and white--sides of ham baked in crust and Italian meatballs over macaroni and cheese.

The gifts started at the table with the dutch oven, the red, high design, desk-top organizer, the orange hedgehog paper clip holder, massage gift card, hand-made jewelry and more. Then it was upstairs for the unveiling, literally, of the piece de resistance--the corner desk, with 3 drawers in front and 3 out the side, to say nothing of the little ones and locked compartment.

In Dutch we call it schnupp. Thanks to Joel, Steph, Sarah, and Ryan for all the fixin's and the special occasion. Photo right by Joel.

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.

Objets d'birthday

When I look at this picture, I think of the French "objet d'art," which means an art object.

Dorcas is the perfect objet d'art here. The location is the Mascot "park," along the Mill Stream. We went there along with Joel for desert after her birthday supper on September 5.

I'm handing her a piece of her birthday cake, a work of culinary art so complex and multi-layered I'm at a loss to describe it. Did it have a hint of peanut butter in the lowest layer? we asked. Or was that a hint of something else? Family heirloon fanatics will notice the plate is pure Miller, second set. The bottle on the picnic table is Italian Pergalozzi--fizzy water, not wine. Beside it is the red chunks of watermellon, ripe to perfection.

In the beer can holder to Dorcas's left is some decaf in her favorite bone china rose cup. On the bench are three gifts--two books, one of the history of Mennonites in New York City, where we met. One gift is our wedding service of 28-plus years ago transferred from the original cassette of the PA system of Maple Glen church to brand new compact disc--professionally enhanced as it was transferred.