Singing, Clapping and Dancing

If I recall correctly, there were three times when D played the guitar and sang, always encouraging the rest of us to join in. I have never witnessed such integration of music into a ceremony and found it to be quite wonderful.



Music leads to clapping and that's what the next four photos show from various distances, starting with the girls and moving back to take in the audience. The third picture is just a zoom of part of the one before it. When I looked closely at the whole photo, I found that all four of us — parents and grandparents — were engaging Nikki Dee as they clap as we often do this together. I, particularly, have a goofy look on my face.











Good music tends to lead to dancing. This one was impromptu. What fun! Imagine being spontaneous at your own wedding!



More to come tomorrow.

Under the Chuppah

The Jewish wedding ceremony takes place under a canopy called a chuppah (don't say the 'c'). For their event the girls had their west coast friends sign their best wishes at the party following the civil ceremony. Puff's dad has passed away, so on top, Puff placed her father's prayer shawl.

The first photo shows the whole scene and part of the audience. One has to appreciate how green everything was so late in August. That was the beneficial side effect of having such a wet summer. Another great thing is that by the end of August the insects were not inclined to bother us very much; earlier in the summer, they could have and would have made it miserable. Notice that the families stand beside the couple rather than sit through the ceremony.



The next photo is a little closer than the first. The flouncy bride's family and friends are on the right actually closer to Althegal. Except for Nikki Dee who was being a very good girl in the front row, that's our whole but tiny clan under the chuppah and to the left. The two brothers-in-law, Puff's and Althegal's, are holding the chuppah with Puff's nephew helping out.



Moving in even closer, you can see me looking off into the trees. At times I needed to collect my emotional self by casting my glance to the glorious surroundings. Cuppa seems to be having a similar moment. It was a beautiful scene on a beautiful day with the Crowe River in the direction in which I am looking (except lower). If you look closely, you can see that the officiant is playing the guitar at this point as he did at several junctures during the ceremony. It was quite poignant.



And finally, for this post, a closer shot under the chuppah with the rabbi reading, the girls holding hands, and my son-in-law holding the chuppah. The funky footwear is more visible in this photo, but if you look back up at the other photos, you'll see it there too. We didn't all wear pink or green Converse sneakers, but I was keen to go with the flow.



(Note: all of these photos as well as those yesterday were taken by my BIL.)

Along the Green Aisle

Even the last four years have brought about a difference in photography. When Thesha got married, there were digital cameras, but they weren't quite as ubiquitous or so many megapixels. I perhaps have access to half the pictures taken at the wedding and feel swamped. Nevertheless, bit by bit I'll try to wade through them and post them here and there on the WWW. Primarily for family, I think some of you regulars may appreciate a quick look too. In almost all cases, and certainly in today's batch, the photos were taken by others. All of these, for example, are from my Bro-IL, Treebeard who has some amazing photos posted on his Flickr site.

Today, I 'll show you the walk down the aisle, the green aisle. In this first photo, you can see where the wedding party collected for the traditional walk. It shows the lawn, which we call Bridgesward (or Bridge Sward)because there is the relic of a bridge if you were to point the camera the other way. The rabbi (not officially one yet) is the first to make the walk.



At thirty second intervals the rest of us followed. This is Thesha, my oldest.



Both Cuppa and I walked Althegal. This was very emotional for me, and there are a number of photos of me looking to the ground, but I managed to lift my head for a this one. Get a load of the funky vest and bowtie, will ya? I think it's been fifty years or more since I last wore one of those. Don't Cuppa and Althegal look smashing?



At the end of the walk, we both got a hug from the girl. Cuppa is about to get hers in the next photo, and I managed a smile while waiting for mine.



Then Puff came, escorted by her mother and sister.



Here, the two brides greet and are about to hug and kiss before being officially joined.



I'll try to keep the photos coming fairly regularly now that I've started because I know that a number of folk are getting anxious to see them.

Foto Friday

Last weekend while at the cottage we stopped along The Old Mill Road near Apsley, Ontario for a few photos.



This is Eels Creek as viewed from near the road.



Cuppa: my focal point in life.



The other day, Nikki Dee brought Little Winnie the Pooh to me, so I grabbed big Winnie the Pooh, and we all snuggled together for quite some time. Probably the only person on the planet to appreciate my singing, she made me repeat the Winnie the Pooh song over and over and over again.



Then, when I decided to assume a back friendly position on the floor, Nikki Dee decided that her poor back could use a break too and that mine needed just a bit of extra pressure.

Thirty-One Years Apart

Somewhat uniquely, Althegal and I share the same birthday which is several days past now. Thirty-one years apart, we both arrived just under the midnight wire. Since she was still in Ontario after the wedding, we managed to squeeze in a quick birthday supper between arriving from Riverwood and her departing for Vancouver. I'm not sure anymore what we were finding so funny at the time, but it seems that we enjoyed a fine if all-too-quick time together. The birthday celebration was early and this is late, but Happy Birthday kid!

Another Magical Riverwood Weekend

For the second consecutive weekend, Cuppa and I travelled to Riverwood. Both weekends were wonderful for different reasons. The first, the wedding weekend, has already been discussed, so what about the second?

The foremost reason for this second trip was to collect and bring home wedding related stuff that was still up there. But we arrived to glorious weather and soon began to relax. Much of our relaxation took place in the newly made over planer mill. Below: B and I walk towards the mill.



When B and H bought the property a decade or so ago, Riverwood still boasted a functioning planer mill. Although it was soon gutted, the shell remained intact. Eventually, B began to work on his vision for the place. He poured concrete flooring, built the side wall, and screened the windows. The screens separate us from most of the forest insects most of the time, and it's quite a pleasant place to sit, sip, and see, and were doing some of that in the next photo.



There is a lovely, tranquil view in all directions from the old barn (next below) to the South Woods (two below).





We trundled down there both evenings of our too-short weekend and sat by the campfire toasting marshmallows and chatting. But the highlight was H reading some of her short stories to us. She is developing into a marvellous writer, and while not conventionally published yet, she has won several prestigious contests. Our imaginations fed upon her delicious prose as she read story after story by the glow of the fire under a star-filled sky far away from the urban light and haze.

Thanks guys. It was balm to the soul.

Rainbow Celebration

At least part of what adds the salt to life is that it's so darn unpredictable. For most of my life I could never have predicted that this very straight, once-upon-a-time-evangelical guy would attend a Gay wedding, and, in my wildest dreams, I certainly wouldn't have imagined being more than a casual bystander at such an event. However, August 23^rd found me as more than a distant observer as I helped to very happily and proudly escort my daughter-bride down the aisle to take part in a ceremony featuring two brides and no grooms.

Not only was it a Gay wedding but a [mostly] Jewish one too. And funky! The rabbi sported dreadlocks, and most of the wedding party, including moi, wore Converse sneakers, green and pink being the main colours of choice: mine being bright green. To mottlicize the crew even further so to speak, there were two people of African birth present: one black and one white. Another unique feature was the venue: very rural, complete with rustic buildings, far far far from the madding crowd.

While it was the most unique wedding that I have ever attended and surely ever will attend, it was perhaps the most magical and delightful one as well. The Jewish-style ceremony under a chuppah (canopy) which itself stood under the shade of a willow tree by the Crowe River was charming, memorable and endearing. There was singing and impromptu dancing during the actual ceremony and a horah shortly after.

Every word and deed was weighed and considered, even the chuppah on which was written words and wishes from many close friends. This extraordinarily meaningful ceremony included the traditional (in Jewish weddings) seven blessings. The rabbi gave the first two and the last two blessings; in between Cuppa, I and the other bride's mother were given the opportunity to say one. Mine was quite the task as the girls asked me to pronounce the blessing in both Hebrew and English. I certainly could have done much better with the Hebrew part of it, but everyone had kind words for my attempt regardless. Somehow saying "Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam, yotzer ha-adam," with the proper Hebrew inflections proved not to be all that easy for this poor decrepit brain. Those words can be translated several ways, but this was the English equivalent that I was also asked to speak: "Ineffable Breath of Life, giving life to each human being."

I have been thinking over this past week and a bit of how meaningful the ceremony was. With few exceptions, we straight folk all get married, and while we all have greatly appreciated our fine ceremonies, there is a certain expectation and familiarity to the proceedings that we might be tempted to take at least somewhat for granted. But when the girls, with the help of their rabbi, had to pull together a Gay and Jewish ceremony with the occasional Christian thread, they truly had to think it through from the beginning to end. As a result, they composed something both beautiful and incredibly meaningful to both them and the witnesses. Somehow this non-standard union (so far) seemed to make everyone stop and think and perhaps appreciate it all a little bit more.

While I had never thought to be a thrilled participant at a Gay-Jewish-Country wedding, that’s what I was. How I have changed and how life has changed me! While I was once a sincere but naïve young man with all of the relevant answers about earth and heaven (or so I thought), I now admit to knowing little. But I go with the flow a lot better now and have learned to be much less judgemental and much more inclusive. And so I revelled in the beauty and wonder of this union between two loving young people, and I laughed and cried … and sang and danced.