Zora Travels

Wonderous Weekend

*Text to come later!

Happily Married!

What a fabulous wedding night we had!  In one candle lit room...with a fountain gurgling, glasses clinking, and music playing...were gathered almost all of those we both so dearly love.  Standing and dancing together, tossing an abundance of joy and smiles and congratulations our way.  We had so much fun! 

I had entered the evening trying hard to be present...in the moment.  Standing around the corner from the guests, waiting for my musical cue to walk...I kept telling myself to feel the intensity, to experience the anticipation of holding Daniel's hands, to meet his gaze for the first time down the aisle with the intention of truly listening to the words of the ceremony we had scripted.  And indeed the hours passed slowly, luxuriously soaking up the hugs, kisses, and merriment of those in attendance, giving a silent thought for those who were with us only in spirit...and most of all, squeezing my husband's hand...and kissing whenever the guests tapped their glasses.

The music played and we danced for hours.  The decorations, inspired by my vision, given life by my mother, and arranged by Daniela & Alyce, were simple and classy.  Food was forgotten, drinks (rum & diet coke) were in abundance....but I held it together with grace until the very end.  After all beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles, and children had left for home...I tipsily crawled into the car with my step-dad, John, at the wheel, Courtney & Kenny in the backseat with me...and my HUSBAND in the passenger seat.  I recall rambling on about the fun, the dancing, the music, and the happiness.

And at 6:00am, after walking home several blocks from the "post-reception" party with Daniel's friends, we climbed into bed as a married couple and relished our first snuggle.  I spun his wedding ring around and around....felt the intricate swirls and stones of my own...and fell asleep with sun shining through the curtains and a smile lingering on my lips.




(Our first dance)

Wedding Bells!

I'm getting married to Daniel today.  Last night, our families sat in my mom's back yard, Filipino food piled on plates, Mexican beers and Cuban cake scattered about, karaoke ballads belting from the living room.  I was aglow with excitement, a wee bit of nerves, and just glorious joy at the merriment, satisfaction, and fortune in my life.

I am marrying a man who choreographed my dad and me on our "father/daughter" dance moves.  My dad's song choice.....tear, tear.

 

 

 

And when we couldn't quite get the hang of it....he stepped in himself.

And my best friend since I was 9 years old is also here to be my matron of honor.

 

 

And Kathy, my dear friend and brother's wife, is also here to be a bridesmaid! We got our manny/peddys yesterday.

 

 

Two maids I love, Claire & Fadime, are celebrating from Chicago and Germany.....and I'll miss them holding my hands and toasting me with champagne....but they'll get flooded with pictures soon.  My mom and step-dad and aunts have been angels.  Daniel's family, despite hearts still carrying grief, are all here with smiles and happiness on their faces.

And it is this man who just kissed me on his way out the door....who is going to become my husband the next time I see him....after I walk down the aisle to this song.

 

 

**Want a sneak peek at the vows I have written?**

"I promise to stand next to you on this day and all the days of my life. 

 

Together we will dream,

we will stumble but restore each other;

we will share all things, serving each other and our fellow humanity."

 

 

 

 

Friends & Loved Ones

These past several weeks have been rich with laughter, pain, tears, and excitement.  When the one you love the most loses someone who has so completely infused their life, personality, and family with strength, courage, faith, and kindness, it is difficult to watch.  Difficult to know what they need.  Difficult to temper your thrill of getting married, having a party, dancing a jig...with their knitted brow of grief, familial obligations, and respectful ceremonies that also need planning, thought, and an open heart.  May Lola Rose rest in peace knowing that her grandson is an incredible man, son, fiance and friend.  His love and that of his entire family was a beautiful embrace that kept her warm, comfortable, and secure until the end.  She knew she was treasured.

In these same two weeks that life has been experienced with many tears and also laughs, we have both enjoyed our Bachelor/Bachelorette parties.  Pics are above and below of these splendid days.

Insomnia, fly, & road trip II

It's nearly 3:00am.  My eyes are red and my throat parched....but the water is so far.  A fly buzzes incessantly around my head.  I can't sleep.  Partly because high-speed internet is so exciting and also because I waited until the two fathers in the house (my dad and brother) were sleeping to start scanning, printing, and creating their little Father's Day gifts.

The other contributor is the looming return leg of our road trip.  We'll depart for the 23 hour jaunt home in the morning...with ice in the cooler and tears streaming down my face as we roll down the driveway.  Rebecca's little hands grabbing at the air in a one-year old "goodbye" and Sam's little face shrinking in the background.

I created a photo/video montage of this leg of the journey.  The "Father's Day Weekend with Dad" portion.  I wanted to be only a click away from Sam's little voice and Becca's little ambling legs.  Oh, geography....it keeps me so far from all of these children and grownups that I love...yet, keeps me near to other children and grownups I love.  The agony of a California-Washington split.

Enjoy the montage...it's quite long...or not.  Soon I'll be home again and making coffee in between picture downloads.  Or perhaps we should get high-speed internet?

This fly simply won't leave me alone.  Maybe it's sending me a message, "It's 3am...you're driving 8 hours tomorrow...go to sleep."

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog

Playing ping-pong with some of my favorite people.   Courtney, my best friend since we were 9 years old, her 2 year old son, Abram, and Daniel.  Courtney has played since she was little...her son, Jonah, is also talented.  Luckily, they divided up the Californians.

 Can Abram's sweet face be any cuter?

The friends (and my matron-of-honor...please don't forget the champagne, Courtney).

The river rafters set out for our majestic day down the river.  Carl, Court's husband, is always our trusty guide.

Courtney's oldest son, Jonah (and my Godson) and Abram.

Shane (my brother) and Kathy (his wife) arrive at my dad's house.  Little Becca is shy.

My dad, Steve, with all of his granddaughters.  Rebecca, Emily, and Claire.

My step-sisters, Rachel, Leah, and Krista (and their families) gave us an early wedding gift.  We wish they could come!  The big day is only 3 weeks away.

Sam loves him some Uncle Daniel.

Falling in love with Seattle

With high-speed internet, my world has changed.  I'm sure that the seven of you who read this blog never knew that each picture I load at home takes about five minutes to load.  I click the button and then get up, stretch my legs, read the paper, get a snack...and in the meantime, eons have passed.

The original inspiration for this blog, by the way, is the traveling inspiration of my grandmother Zora.  She caught a one-way steamship from Croatia to Colorado back in the 1920's...thinking it was just for a visit...and ended up marrying that lucky bloke Matt.  But also the author, Zora Neal Hurston, who under the shaded brim of a giant hat, traveled the dusty roads of the rural South back in the 1930's to capture the essence of Black folk tales as the first African-American female anthropologist.  Her writing captured my heart in college.  My grandmother's traveling bug lent me some vagabond DNA.  To both women I'm grateful.

There are few places I'd rather be than on the road.

Today, in Seattle, at the lovely casita of D's cousins...there is super-mega-high-speed uploading of pics.  I can zip these pics in seconds.  I am thrilled.  So, today's post is a pictorial overview of how these sun-kissed hours were spent in the Emerald City.  Above is my favorite shot of the day.  This little guy, as cool as a cucumber, just struts along the boardwalk of Alki Beach.  The Space Needle pokes the sky in the background, Bainbridge Island hovers, ferries cross, and inappropriately dressed pale people smear tanning oil on their translucent legs for a basking in the scorching 80 degree heat.

Then there's a little listenin' at Easy Street Records.  How handsome is my future husband?

 

 

 

 

And don't think that my beloved is the only one who has to play my hand-obsession-photo game.  Oh no.  The cousins, Alexis and Marie were rallied in there.  (Luckily, we all took a family trip to Italy a few years ago...and they're used to my shenanigans).  This is a an old metal door to the gardens of a Volunteer Park mansion.  They are so confident that their houses are mansions...that they have placards that say "Shafer-Baillie Mansion."

 

 

And winding through Volunteer Park, near the entrance of the SAM-Asian is this gigantic modern tire.  I was easily and Daniel was reluctantly beckoned into the center for this photo.

 

 

What do Seattleites crave after a day of beach strolling, record perusing, old book fondling, organic brew sampling, park walking, and mansion gaping....well, the comfort and love of a luxurious cupcake at Cupcake Royal.  The buttercream-frosted gems, lavished with lavender, chocolate and lavender were the perfect way to end our voyage.

And no, we don't know where the 24-Hour Fitness is.  We think it's only a few blocks away on 35th...but without an actual visual, there's really no proof. 

Wedding dress?  What's that?  Do I have to stuff a chickengyro-herbfry-belgianbeer-frostedcupcake-blackbeannacho-body inside of it?  Can't it hang more kimono-style?

Hey, it's vacation.  

Road Trippin'

Just a few hours ago....the travelers outside of the gardens at Seattle University.

Our first stop - San Rafael, California.  Home of Daniel's gorgeous sister, Anna.  We cruised over to Berkeley for some Zachary's famous stuffed pizza.

The sibs.

Our current stop - Seattle.  The world has a new Bachelor's degree holder.  The lovely, Marie (Daniel's cousin) graduated today from Seattle University.

The cousins.

In a quaint Solano Avenue (Berkeley) boutique I found my wedding ring.  It might be strange to show it off before "the day"....but I adore it.  D likes it because I like it.

And as we were leaving the Bay Area, the car winding along the Napa edges, I received one of the greatest cell phone pics EVER (my niece, Rebecca, being another life-altering cell phone pic)....my first glimpse of Veronica, Claire & Greg's little beauty who arrived on Wednesday.

My old haunt in Berkeley, Cafe Strada.  We sat and cuddled.  Drank coffee.   Talked of the wedding, moving to Nor Cal, having children....starting tomorrow.  And we flipped off the Haas Business School for rejecting Daniel.  They really are stupid for doing that.

Amidst the trees of Eugene we found little nooks of hippy-madness.  Co-op living, trees, wafts of patchouli.

Folk art at Papa's Soul Food.  We swam in the grease of fried snapper, fried oysters, french fries, yams, greens, and cornbread. 

Now, now, now....before you worry about our arteries, we washed it down with multiple micro-brews in mason jars.  See the beauty, my light hand holding the dark beer, his darker hand holding the lighter beer.  Poetry in motion.

I just asked Daniel if we could play "Ebony & Ivory" at the wedding.  His squished face told me the answer.

And here's what the Northwest most often burns into my memory.  Green trees.  A verdant canopy of leaves and fresh air.  Less make-up, more smiles, talkative strangers, eye contact, fruit stands, recycling because it's the "right thing" not a "liberal thing."

Rise and shine

When will my sleeping beloved awaken and open his gift?  I am excited and fidgety.

It's Daniel's birthday and we're taking off for a northern road trip in an hour or two.  The pines and lakes and skies of the Pacific Northwest await us...but not before the pints, the hills, and the laughs with his sister, Anna, in San Rafael.

Come on Sleepy Head, wake up! I guess I could start some breakfast while I wait!

Great minds and trouble makers

Along a tree-lined street, on a shaded porch, with the fountain gurgling and the pink sashimi piled high, we celebrated Daniel & John's birthdays.  My mom throws quite the party...not only does she prepare cocktails, but the drink of the birthday boy's desire.  Shrimp bathed in cocktail sauce, spicy almonds, egg-fried rice, garlic asparagus and sweet scallops were on the menu.  With a final jolt of chocolate-dipped strawberries and cheesecake.

 

Gin, vodka, vermouth, orange bitters, twists of lemon and orange, shakers with ice, and olives scurried around our martini glasses.  I gagged on mine and quickly added orange juice and splenda (yes, gasp) to be able to get it down.

 

 

And finally, the birthday boys opened their gifts.  Both giving cards by the same artist.  One said "great minds think a like" and the other "trouble makers rock."  You'll have to click on the picture to figure out which card was for which man.

It was a perfect sunny day to spend at my mom's.   Both of these guys are the cat's meow.  I get to purr with mine up the coast for a two week road trip.

And when will Claire have the baby?