Isa and Sean's Wedding Plus - Segment 2

Well at my age it is important to journal details because “a picture is worth a thousand words” is a great quote but it doesn’t provide memory of dates and sometimes mentally vivid minutiae.

So if it seems that my journaling of events is a bit late, it is. I was in the throws of it all and writing was not in the schedule for the past six months (at least).

I’ll get to it, but just a few non-wedding things while it is fresh in my memory…

Two weeks after the wedding reception in Ben Lomond, our friend Kristy held her 40^th birthday party at Camp Solyo; more aptly described it as “Club Solyo” by another friend Rochelle. It is true; my home is a great party place.

Kristy’s party had an 80’s theme In 1980 I was 33 and it was probably the wildest time of my life. MTV was launched in 1981. Devo’s 1980 hit “Whip It” got heavy air play in the early days of MTV and surely this band was in my mind as a reflection of the 80’s. Therefore Lucia and I came to the party as Devo with the Energy Domes on our head. Madonna cone bras just wouldn’t be fitting (that’s a 90’s theme anyway). I loved Madonna in the 80’s and I have to say I stayed up all night watching Live Aid and still have the unabridged video of that whole concert. Live Aid was held simultaneously in London and NY and included acts like Madonna, Duran Duran, The Cars, The Pretenders and the finale “We Are the World”, new from Michael Jackson et al. It was the biggest benefit concert in history!

Anyway…back to my daughter’s wonderful wedding celebration.

Segment Two: Kauai

Hale Luana

The plan was to find a place similar to Shambalah Ranch that would hold a number of guests. Isa and Sean wanted to be wed in a beach at the North Shore, therefore ideally we would stay in Hanalei, Priceville area. The criteria was that it would accomodate most of the bride's wedding party and that it had a large enough area to hold a dinner party for approximately 30 people.

There were several beautiful places as I did the research but the price had to be right! Finally after looking through many and inquiring about details we found Hale Luana. It was not in Hanalei, or Princeville, but in Kilauea. We had never stayed in Kilauea and the only thing I knew about the town was the lighthouse, which we visited in the mid-90's when we stayed in Princeville with Nancy, Melinda, Pat and the kids. That was a great and fun time we had, but that's another story, another Blog (if I remember).

Kilauea is in the North, just before you make the left on the highway towards Princeville and Hanalei. The house was adjacent to a bed and breakfast, all owned by one family. The pictures looked great. There was a pool between the two properties. If we rented both the house and the two rooms at the B&B...we had room for quite a few. We determined who would stay in Hale Luana and it totalled 16, 14 adults and two children. It could have easily housed 4 more people, but it was perfect with 16.

The list of guests by room:

Main House

• Grace and Lucia
• Eileen and Chelong
• Patricia and Rita
• Tita Nena
• Brandon and David
• Rich, Cara, Zach and Lilly

B&B

• Gabrielle
• Greg and Chelle

http://www.haleluana.com/

Sean's family were going to stay somewhere else in the North Shore. The Laybourne family had a timeshare. Sherri, (Sean's sister) and husband, kids: Noah and Jesse and Lillian (Sean's Mom) were going to stay there.

Others who were coming and staying elsewhere; my first cousins and their husbands; Mil and June, Lele and Walter, The Browns; Greg, Jenny and Lucas, and lastly; Mia, Christian, Alessandra and Luca.

The Wedding Officiant

Isa and Sean had to rely on the internet to find a person to marry them. She chose based on what she read and on impression/gut feeling about them. She chose a woman named Claire (oops, had to come back and edit because her name was Virginia St. Claire, not Claire) and the package came with a photographer, Candace who was her partner. She had a good feel about her and her services.

Alas, the feelings changed when not long after the contracts were signed, Candace backed out because of some unforseen family priority and was replaced, then a couple of months closer the the wedding Claire backed out for some other reason.

Needless to say this didn't make the bride feel secure in the wedding arrangement plans. Here start some of the wrinkles.

to be continued...

Isa and Sean's Wedding

This has been a very busy last 12 months. It progressively got busier as we got closer to August. As you know based on my past post, Isa and Sean got engaged in February of 2008.

I will attempt to journal the process and activities that led to the most beautiful wedding at Anini Beach in Kauai on August 9, 2009. (It will be in segments) It wasn't without challenges but it was well worth it!

Segment One - Announcement - Early Prep

An engagement party was held in April, 2009. The engaged couple looked for venues for their wedding and chose a sweet place in Mendocino, Shambalah Ranch. It was beautiful and a number of the wedding party guests (up to 22) were going to stay at the ranch and places were located nearby for other guests to stay. A deposit was made and so we were set, thanks to Lucia.

By June "save the date" notices were sent to the priority guest list.

To read the newly wed's blog go to http://isasean.nearlyweds.com/sitelogin the password is "osowoof" It better describes the ranch.

As we started creating the greater list of guests, it became clear that it was going to be difficult to keep the list manageable. A wedding of this magnitude was going to cost a pretty penny. Of course it was expected to require some funds, but when I realized that my funds would be limited (due to her father's non-participation) we had to re-think things. Sooo....we had to re-group. We also realized that there was a possibility to lose the deposit...even if the change decision was made within a month or so. Painful to imagine when funds were low to begin with.

After some thought, Isa and Sean came up with another "destination" wedding idea. Kauai. We would make it small around 30 people and it would also serve as a vacation for the guests.

A "change" notice was sent and the planning was full on!

HOLY COW - How Time Flies!

Who needs to blog now that Twitter and Facebook constantly encourages you to broadcast what's on your mind, or what you're doing in short bytes ever so often?  Besides I will admit that I've never been one to keep a journal.  Call me lazy.  So, it has been 2 months short of a year since I posted an entry here. Hopefully this post will prompt me to write more.  I do have a lot going on.  Today, however...specifically April 2, 2009 2:56 PM I have a nagging headache.  So I'm signing off.  Manana maybe.

Where has the time gone?

Wow! How time flies. My last post was in January and it is June 12th today. A lot has happened since.

1. My daughter got engaged to Sean and are tyeing the knot in August 2009 in Mendocino.
2. We had an engagement party for her in April at the house in Ben Lomond, relatives and friends attended.
4. My sister Chelong and family of 4 kids were visiting from the Philippines.
5. We went to Las Vegas with the family and Lucia took my sister and me to see "Love", the Cirque du Soleil performance about the Beatles. It is a MUST see.
6. My friend Bob Razon moved back from the Philippines and is actively involved in the bay area latin jazz scene. We saw him at Yoshi's San Francisco with a bay area latin jazz band in tribute to Cachao Lopez (the Mambo King) who died in March this year. Debbie Galler came for the event and brought her pup, Cocoa (who was one of Abbe's babies)
7. My sister Eileen celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary but I couldn't attend because...
8. Lucia and I went to Kauai, Hawaii for 10 days. It was wonderful!
9. My friend Wayne has gone on a sailing voyage. He started a couple of months ago from Bodega Bay and is in El Salvador today. You will enjoy his blog at http://learnativity.typepad.com His sailing mate is Ruby, another one of Abbe's babies!

You can view photos of a lot of what I mentioned in my list by going to www.fickr.com/photos/gracereb/sets/

Oh, and by the way, Angus, my male cockapoo has become quite a swimmer. He started at China Camp in San rafael a few months ago nad has loved it since. I'm so proud of him. See his video on You Tube.

Todos Santos

P3060037
Originally uploaded by mzing

On our first port stop, Cabo San Lucas, our friend Sabrina took us to Todos Santos. This is me and Lucia in front of the famous Hotel California.

Merry Christmas!

It is that time of the year again. I am usually all out Christmas but this year not so much. After Thanksgiving I was up in my attic, looked at the boxes of decorations and thought to myself “hmm”. Then I descended.

This is the first year my daughter is not going to be around for Christmas. And because of this, Lucia invited me to a cruise of the Mexican Riviera. Great Christmas gift and one I’m truly appreciative of. Although this is not the first time we were not in the Bay Area with our friends and extended family of the last 20 years, this is the first time I will be with total strangers.

A couple of Mondays ago December 10th, late in the afternoon I got a phone call from a man who was interested in one of Abbe’s Cockapoo puppies. I had found good homes for five of them except for Mars, the last one. So I had mixed feelings. I was happy about the prospect of a home for him and sad because I had gotten attached to the little guy. All his littermates were gone as of Saturday, so I took down the pen and he ran around with the other dogs and felt perfectly at home. He slept with me Saturday and Sunday night.

His name was Greg and Mars was going to be for his son. I sent him pictures and left for home. I was driving down Highway 9 looking forward to love up the little guy in case he was going to be adopted that night. I passed by a nice little house all lit up with Frosty the Snowman in the front, then Johnny’s Log Cabin in Felton beautifully decorated and lit up brightly. I was starting to feel melancholy: a combination of Christmas nostalgia, sad about losing Mars and sentimental about home and my little brother who I just lost suddenly in October. Then I thought about my Mom and Dad, my Abuelita, my other little brother who I lost years ago.

Mars (now Gozi)

“I can’t not have Christmas lights; I need Christmas lights, at least!” I thought to myself. I stopped at Rite Aid and bought a few strands of colored lights. While there, I got a phone call from Greg, he wanted Mars; he was coming all the way from San Francisco to pick him up right there and then! I paid for the lights and hurried home.

When I got home I picked up Mars, loved him all up and played with Angus, Abbe and the puppy. I then decided I was going to put lights up on my rosemary bush, in the dark! I forgot my sprinklers were still on, and they suddenly went on and I got totally soaked. At least I was done with the lights.

Mars left that night. I cried to Isa, I cried to Lucia, I woke up at 4:00 Am and cried. I was a complete basket case.

Well, I feel okay now. I got over the empty den syndrome, but I think about the pups and I can cry. It was so hard giving them up, especially Mars, the last one. He melted my heart.

So since December 10, I have progressively added more decorations. I put my large ornaments with my lights on the rosemary bushes. I have my red lit up star in the guest room window. I have start lights on my fireplace mantle. I have Christmas stockings for all my animals as well as ones for Oso, Arty and Lilly. I have a decorated Christmas Tree. I have a Christmas centerpiece in my dining table and decorated the entrance to my house as well.

As you can see I even had my picture taken with Santa.

It feels good. I am in my Christmas bliss in front of the fire and the blinking lights, even if I leave for my vacation on Friday, the 21st, I’ve enjoyed the environment I know as Christmas for 11 days!

I am looking forward to Christmas in Mexico with Lucia and New Years Eve with my sister and family in San Diego.

Trompo

I am a grandmother of sextuplets. Luckily they are puppies.

I am a trompo, (a spinning top); constantly in motion. Clean the cage, feed the puppies, make Abbe nurse the puppies, feed Abbe, feed Angus, keep the big dogs from eating the puppy food. Then they take naps, when they wake up I clean the cage, feed the puppies, make Abbe nurse the puppies, keep the big dogs from eating the puppy food. But in between all these mundane to dos, is the best part! I sit and play with the puppies. Watch them eat their mush, watch them nurse, watch them play, hold them, smell them, watch them grow, and then watch them nap until the next cycle begins.

The reason I’ve been slow in uploading pictures and videos and skipping days is because I am a trompo. It’s not like watching little puppies sleep and nurse their mommy anymore.

The puppies now have teeth. The cuspids (canines) are out and some of the back molars. The incisors (front teeth) are still under the gum but you can feel them coming. This is lucky for Abbe because that would not feel very good while the puppies are nursing.

Abbe is growing tired of the whole ordeal. She lays less to nurse them; she often feeds them standing up. Wait ‘til the incisors come, she’ll even despise nursing more. She still likes to groom them. Why? Because she likes the taste of pee and poop. Most dogs eat poop, it is called coprophagia. They say that it contains certain proteins, but is not well understood. So call it grooming or call it coprophagia. She is after all an animal. It is a benefit to me because that makes it easier to clean. Don’t let her lick your face, yuck!

Don't get me wrong, she is still very protective of them. She doesn't go too far away from them. She is very alert and barks at any sign of any perceived intrusion. She still snarls at Angus sometimes when he gets too close, but a lot less because I think she welcomes the help.

Angus plays with them. He also likes to groom them and smell them. He wants to play with them and growls at them when they pounce on him but he is not rough. I think he is just putting them in their place. He wags his tail while he's doing it.

They are also very playful. They bite each other, bark and growl at each other, run around, and explore. Their personalities are also more prominent. I’ve named them temporarily.

Devon. He is the biggest and the darkest. He is red like Angus. He has white on his chest. He is very well proportioned. He has the longest legs. He has a very loud bark. He loves to play but is not mischievous or a bully. He is a big eater but definitely prefers Abbe’s milk over puppy food. He is very alert. He is one of the first ones to recognize my voice and look up at me when I come close to their corral. He is the most mature looking.

I named him Devon after another cow like Angus. He is the closest in appearance to Angus of the two boys. Mars. He is the second largest and the second darkest red. He is red like Angus but he is solid with no white markings. His face is a bit puggy. He is a sleepy head and is very mellow. He has a bit curlier hair than Devon. He likes mommy’s milk best.

I named him Mars because he is all red.



Lucy. She is the red female. Her red has faded a bit and she is turning a beautiful buff color. She has the curliest and thickest hairs so far. She also has interesting markings. She has white on her chest all the way to her jaw and lower lip. She also has white on her paws. She is pretty big, she is the largest female. She has a sweet disposition but don’t let that fool you. She is a bit mischievous, and aggressive. She likes to play and explore. She is a big eater. She likes both mommy’s milk and puppy chow.

I named her Lucy because she was very red to begin with, like Lucille Ball.



Halle. She is a black female and has a large white marking on her chest. She has a puggy face. She is also curly. She has a bit of white on the bottom of her paws. She is a sleepy head and is very mellow. She has very similar shape and disposition like Mars. She likes both mommy’s milk and puppy chow, but less than Lucy.

I named her Halle, like Halle Berry because she is cute and a mulata, black and white.

(picture soon)

Whoopie. She is a black female with a small white spot on her chest. She is the runt. She has the smallest head and a pointy poodle face. I think she looks most like her mommy. She is full of piss and vinegar. She is the most aggressive and the most playful of the bunch. She is a big eater. She likes both mommy’s milk and puppy chow, even more than Lucy.

I named her Whoopie because she is funny and has the same shape of face as Whoopie.

(picture soon)

Last but not least:

Hershey. She is the chocolate brown one. She has white on her chest. She has a pink nose. She is quite unique. She is almost as rowdy as Whoopie and just slightly bigger. She likes mommy’s milk best.

I named her Hershey because I already named the boy Mars. Why else?

(picture soon)

So enjoy the latest videos and pictures. (Having problems with Blogger video upload today, try again tomorrow or Friday for the latest videos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9406780@N03/sets/