Wander & enjoy the diversity...it feeds your soul “What is more miraculous than the moment?” Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh

11/23/08 Anniversary (see photos to the right-->)
Thirty-five years ago today, as I was late for my own wedding, I hurriedly took those hideous BIG curlers (famous in the ‘70’s) out of my hair, plunked on my veil, slid into my wedding dress & shakily grabbed my father’s arm who walked me down the isle of the Methodist Church in Monrovia, California to meet Charles Paul & to get ‘married’ (1 definition is: “completely dedicated to someone/something”) by his father, Park Anderson.  We had a very small wedding, with just my sister, brother, 4-yo niece and a few friends that participated in the ceremony.  A thanksgiving meal had been shared the day before and the ladies of the church served cake & coffee after the ceremony.  Very simple, yet for me getting to the church was NOT easy!  I was driving my mother, grandmother, aunt & uncle in an old borrowed car through the maze of the Los Angeles freeways, when the car broke down!!!   Somehow, without the use of cell phones, our wedding singer, a friend of Chuck’s came & rescued us!  The day started out a little frantic!

Since then, life has been a bit like a ‘love-ly’ merry-go-round & Ferris wheel ride!  Up – down – around and at times rather like “bumper cars!”  But we do support one another in our various adventures & explorations and are dedicated to personal, family, and professional goals.  Last year we celebrated our anniversary in the Tibetan community of Dharamsala, India.  This year we are in the little community that makes up “Save House” which includes other TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) students & teachers in Chuck’s class, other travelers (some teachers as well) from Sweden, Canada, Australia... Tasmania, Great Britain, plus the Thai staff.  Such thoughtfulness & generosity from them – greetings, cards, roses, tropical bouquet, snacks, homemade pop-out card, framed Buddhist monk photo.  It was fun to share a carrot cake with all of them at this family restaurant - they feel like a warm & cozy family already!  When traveling, it is all about enjoying family-friends wherever you are, isn’t it!