My Trip to Oregon... part 2: The Setting

I had never been to the Pacific Northwest before, so I was enthralled with the natural beauty of the place. Mapleton, Oregon is a very small town with very big scenery. Here are some pictures that I took in Mapleton. It's so easy to take a nice picture there. Then there is a video of my friend Daniel showing me Sweet Creek Falls, where we found a giant banana slug.

My Trip to Oregon... part 1: The Wedding

Last weekend I flew to Oregon to witness the marriage of a dear friend-- my daughter's best friend. My daughter was a bridesmaid. This wedding was special for many reasons. Elisabeth, the bride, either made herself, or had a hand in making everything needed for the wedding. She made her dress, the invitations, the flowers, the cakes, the cake toppers, the decorations, the programs, etc. and everything was done in a Victorian country style. Her dress had a corset and a bustle! The bridesmaids each made their own dresses in various retro styles. The groomsmen wore suspenders and hats. The dancing at the wedding was English country. Have you ever seen a production of Pride and Prejudice? Well, that's the kind of dancing they had. Perhaps the most special element of this wedding was that the bride and groom shared their first kiss at the altar. Nowadays, that is very special.

Summer stuff

I was organizing pictures today and realized that I neglected to post these three videos for your enjoyment, so here they are in no particular order:
finding a copperhead in the field;
the little girls swinging on a double-decker swing that they designed themselves;
and our pet squirrel, Twinkie, making a nest on the bookshelf. We have since released Twinkie at Grandpa's house. He still hangs around to get easy snacks that Grandpa leaves out for him. (too many cats at our house)

Bridesmaid's dress

I finally finished my daughter's bridesmaid's dress. Her best friend is getting married on Aug. 22. My daughter and I are both flying out to a northwestern state for the wedding. We are both looking forward to it. Then my girl goes straight to college. What?! But then who will go shopping with me? With whom shall I discuss classical literature? Or who will tell me if my outfit looks dumb, or if I'm not parenting my little ones properly... wait a minute, maybe a little autonomy is not so bad :)
Ha ha! Look at this picture of the vintage crinoline slip we bought to go under the dress. It is so stiff it can stand by itself!