You Are Invited

Croissant making is no joke. It takes two days to make the most delicious, buttery, flakey, beautiful croissants that just melt in your mouth. The whole house smells of them, and its amazing. Made some with dark chocolate centers (pain au chocolat) and it only adds to the unbelievable sensation of blissful flavors. As I was making these I thought for sure I had completely fouled up the complicated recipe, but oh no. These are phenomenal.

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Aunnie, Posie, Aunnie, Posie

This is Posie, Bethanys beautiful and talented baby. She will be two in November.

She really likes berries. She is the most fantastic little person ever.

Tofu dinner at Skates.

Aaron's lobster!

Love Is All You Need

Here is a brief summary of Aaron and Namgyals wedding day. I have more pictures and will figure out how to post them on a picture site. 

We started off the day with a Tibetan ceremony, Namgyals mom made all the food, a lot of which was brought over from Tibet and not available anywhere else in the world. The food was given as offerings and symbolize various great things for the new couple. 

Next we went to the Oakland courthouse where they were married in a little chapel room.

We went for dinner at Skates on the Bay at the Berkeley marina, Aaron had lobster for the first time, then home for wedding cake! Congrats A and N, you guys are the best!

Tibetan wedding ceremony, abbreviated. There are offerings to Buddha and the Dalai Lama, and the wedding party eats symbolic food that promotes longevity, prosperity and many other things regarding the new couple.

Aarons Tibetan wedding clothes.

To the courthouse!
Namgyal and her mom.

Moms

Dads

The prayer scarf makes the outfit

They do.

Married.

Namgayl and her mother walking to dinner on the bay.

Perfect sunset for a perfect day.

Wedding cake! 

Dolma, Namgyals mom, making dinner.

They Do

I have a million more pictures of my brothers wedding (sorry ladies) last weekend, but I've yet to sort through them. More to come! 

Growing To Love You

I thought my garden was hopeless this year after our snow in May and severe lack of sun but finally! Its beautiful and so tasty! 

broccoli

chard

salad lettuce

Kale

corn

my dahlias! 

Come Sail Away

You Are My Favorite Flower

My dahlia garden is bloooooooooming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gladly

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You Make Our Nation Great

Wrapped up jury duty yesterday with a tough verdict. Guilty on count one: the manufacturing of methamphetmine, a controlled substance; & guilty on count three: possession of methamphetamine.

One more bad guy off the street! Nothing more interesting then having an expert chemist from the state crime lab teach you how to make meth in excruciating detail. 

We really had nothing to link this guy directly to the meth lab located in the back of an SUV, but we had enough circumstantial evidence to pin it on him and feel confident about it. We were told when trial was over he had been convicted of meth manufacturing 2 times previous! They didn't tell us during the trial because they thought to might effect our verdict. So, its ten years in the slammer for this guy. Luckily, the judge is big on getting drug offenders into rehab and all that so I guess there's a bright side for him. 

Its amazing the way your heart feels as if its going to explode when you are about to decide someone's life. We all needed a few margaritas after it was over. 

Guilty On All Counts

hey look! you can see me and frankie!

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Tout effort est voue a l'echec

Finally done with the courts arguments, tomorrow we deliberate with arguments of our own. I've already made up my mind. 2 of the 12 of us have. It could be a long day, though, I'm hoping it is not. I hope you are well and don't have to listen to anyone argue for the next 36 hours. 

Yours & Mine

Arguing is exhausting.

To be caught in the middle of an argument is a horrible place to be, one which we all avoid.

To be a juror is to be in this place.

Don't get me wrong, the process is fascinating, methodical, scientific, manipulating, and above all else, fair.

So all day we sit and listen to the arguments so we can decide who wins. Yesterday was especially exciting with expert scientists(chemists!) and more diagrams, both of which I'm a sucker for. 

We'll see if it continues...