Tag Archives: Jessica

August 26, 2011 · 5:20 pm

Making Pots at Camp

I have written about how proud I am of my son Paul’s pots. This is to show you two of mine:

Last week, we went for our annual stay at U.C. Berkeley’s Lair of the Golden Bear family camp. In addition to swimming, singing, and long walks, my family enjoys making ceramics together in the Camp Blue Art Grove. Jessica and Paul and I all made pots while Matt and John kept us company. Paul coached us on our technique using the potter’s wheel. Working with clay under the trees is lovely. We watched the squirrels steal paper towels from the trash to line their winter nests. Seeing a ground squirrel dashing off into the bushes with a wad of wet brown paper in its mouth is funny.

My brother Pete was in a tent nearby with his family. Jessica and Matt were awarded a Camp Blue loving cup (usually given for sports participation) to honor their being newlyweds at camp.

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August 7, 2011 · 12:58 pm

My Daughter is Married!

My daughter Jessica married her High School sweetheart Matthew yesterday at Mount Madonna Park near Gilroy. The bride was lovely, the groom was handsome, and the 125 gusts had a delightful time. Jessica wore my first wedding dress (ivory raw silk) with a river pearl necklace from her Grandmother and me. Matt wore a tuxedo with white vest and tie. The mothers read two poems:

I read “Wedding Poem for Schele and Phil” by Bill Holm
Matt’s Mom Karen read “A Marriage” by Michael Blumenthal

Before, during, and after the ceremony, there were hundreds of formal photos. Then, everyone ate food and cake and was happy and silly… The couple will live for their first year in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania while where Jessica will be a 5th Year Scholar at CMU. Jessica was graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with honors in Ethics, History & Public policy (that’s one major). She will finish her minor in Music and focus on her Arabic during the coming year. Matt just was graduated from William & Mary with honors in Computer Science and Public Policy.

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Tagged as CMU, Eleanor, Jessica, marriage, Matthew

August 3, 2011 · 1:11 pm

All things are ready, if our minds be so

My daughter Jessica’s wedding is in three days. 125 people are joining us in a lovely State Park on Saturday to celebrate the happy union under the redwoods. I am sure there is much which we have forgotten or neglected or mislaid but I trust in King Henry V: “All things are ready, if our minds be so.”

The Holmes and Dickinson families got together on Sunday for a pre-wedding pizza dinner, check-in, and games night. We played Munchkin – a fun game based on Dungeons and Dragons with silly cards such as

Curse! Duck of Doom (“You should know better than to pick up a duck in a dungeon”)
Swiss Army Polearm
Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment
Nasty-Tasting Sports Drink
Pantyhose of Giant Strength
Squidzilla (a monster)

We first played Munchkin when we visited Jessica last year in Qatar. Several of her professors at CMU-Q were addicted to the game.

Paul and Matt went together to get their hair cuts earlier this week (supervised by Jessica). The soon-to-be-brothers-in-law look very handsome. Last night, Jessica and Matt and I went to Costco to buy two shopping carts-full of wine, beer, champagne, sodas, and bottled water for the wedding reception. Jessica has given us a written timeline (15 minute intervals) for The Day Before the Wedding and The Wedding Day. I do not expect everything will go as planned but all will be well at the end.

Wedding Shopping at Costco Jessica Matthew

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Tagged as CMU, Jessica, marriage, Matthew, Middle East, Paul, Qatar

July 31, 2011 · 5:51 pm

Spiderweb Lunch in Los Gatos

The town of Los Gatos is full of cat pictures and puns. Many local businesses’ names refer to the mascot of the town (Los Gatos means “the cats” in Spanish). The original cats were the indigenous cougars. We live in San Jose but have been in Los Gatos frequently of late, visiting the talented Sumi’s Tailoring (for my daughter’s wedding dress), and eating lunch at the excellent California Cafe in the Old Town shopping area.

Waiting for lunch last week, I noticed a quiet neighbor: a spider had strung her web across the fence next to my chair. Spiderwebs are tricky to photograph. I was lucky to be there when the light was glinting from the delicate strands. Near the restaurant, we walked by a vintage car which had been parked under its cover long enough to have its rear tire become a trellis for a flowering weed.

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Tagged as insects, Jessica, marriage, San Jose

July 31, 2011 · 1:35 pm

Ladies’ Wedding Tea

My daughter Jessica is getting married next week. We are mostly ready for the big event (125 guests). Yesterday, she and I went back to the tailor’s for another sash fitting, bought her two party dresses, and went to the florist. John and Paul went to the grocery store and the bakery. Sinead (the Maid of Honor) and Jessica baked cookies when we got back.

Last night, we held the Ladies’ Tea for the senior women in Jessica’s life to celebrate. The gentlemen of the family were invited to go elsewhere. The younger ladies are getting together for a bachelorette party next week. All of the guests brought their favorite treats. We had cakes and cucumber sandwiches and rosemary bread and cornbread (with honey) and tarts and biscotti and lavender ice tea and hot teas and wine. The table decorations were the wishes tree, wedding favors, and love poems with ribbons to be given out at next week’s big event. My favorite was the almond cake with marzipan frosting in the shape of a gift box with a big bow (from Flower Flour bakery and florist here in Willow Glen, San Jose CA).

Tonight, the families of the Bride and Groom meeting for dinner and board games at our house – to check in and make final plans. We usually play Settlers or Hearts.

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Tagged as Jessica, John, marriage, Matthew, Paul, San Jose

July 16, 2011 · 5:44 pm

Last Harry Potter Movie

I went with family and friends to see the last Harry Potter movie last night. It was dark and sad but with a marvelous battle at the end. My kids love J.K. Rowling’s books and have read each of the seven Harry Potter stories many times. My son listens to recordings of the stories regularly. For the last fourteen years, our whole family has awaited each book and movie eagerly. We have several copies of each book, some in more than one language. In 2003, when we took a family trip by Amtrak train from Chicago home to the San Francisco Bay Area, we had to share just two newly-arrived books among the four of us. I think I achieved a personal best by reading Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (870 pages) in a day and a half. I am sorry to see the end of new stories about our favorite boy wizard.

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Tagged as Jessica, John, Paul, San Francisco, San Jose

June 25, 2011 · 11:00 am

Portrait in Charcoal

My son Paul just finished his Freshman year at Foothill College (Los Altos Hills, California). Like his Grandmother, Eleanor Dickinson, he is an artist. Paul spent his first college year studying art and math. This quarter, he did an extra credit portrait for his first Drawing class. Paul took a photograph of his sister Jessica and played with the image to increase contrast, then created the portrait above in charcoal on paper. The teacher liked it so much, Paul got an “A” in the class! Paul has also been taking ceramics each quarter, so we now have dozens of lovely small bowls to find homes for.

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Tagged as Eleanor, Foothill College, Jessica, Paul

Tag Archives: Jessica

Making Pots at Camp

My Daughter is Married!

All things are ready, if our minds be so

Spiderweb Lunch in Los Gatos

Ladies’ Wedding Tea

Last Harry Potter Movie

Portrait in Charcoal

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