Commitment (Ceremony)

I've had a lovely weekend. Ben and I went with Eric and Heather to dinner at Yahala, a Middle Eastern restaurant, on Friday night. We savored falafel, hummus, delicious red wine, fresh pita bread that popped and hissed steam when you poked its yummy crust. Then I got to curl up with Ben and Missy in his air-conditioned bedroom, and--despite my weird dreams--I slept like a baby and woke up refreshed and happy.

I've been haunted by weird dreams as of late. Does this have to do with my first acupuncture session I had last week? Acupuncture is amazing, folks. Annabelle Snow at the North Portland Wellness Center works wonders, and we spent the first chunk of the time discussing my needs: physical, mental, spiritual. Then we moved into my actual treatment plan, and these warm flushes--pulses of energy--moved up and down my body. During the treatment I felt it most in my head (right where our "third eye" is) but afterwards I felt it most in my shins and the top of my feet. I almost felt like I could float. Since then, I've noticed some changes, and these could be changes I would have gone through at this point anyway, or they could be because of the acupuncture, or both. Strange, disturbing dreams that leave me with a feeling of catharsis. Also, elation, like a caffeine high without the jitters. A sense of calm, a lessening of my OCD. Not sure yet how acupuncture will help my bum knee, but it seems to have lessened the pressure and creakiness, even if only a touch for my first session.

Yesterday, Mom and I went to Ciara and Aster's commitment ceremony at McIver's Park outside of Portland. What a lovely time: tables with lace clothes and topped with fresh bouquets of wonderful smelling flowers; a potluck galore; tiki torches lit up around the meadow filled with dandelions; trees protecting our tents; pathways down to the water; dogs running all over and having fun. I was impressed -- it was the Misfit Dog-a-Thon....one limped, another was missing a leg, and another had extra toes....My heart goes out to their owners/companions for taking them in and giving them loving homes. What impressed me most was the community of people. Ciara looked beautiful in her faerie wings and green dress, while Aster looked dashing in what I think was a Celtic-inspired vest. Friends and family gathered in the meadow's circle at dusk, and there were people of all ages and all walks of life, a collage of tattoos and colored hair and fishnet stockings and cotton button-ups and slacks. The couple wrote their own vows, and had everyone take in one another, person by person, and then they lit candles and passed the flame on until each person helt a lit candle in the circle. Jan and I met lots of great folks over the course of the evening while we gathered at the tables and then at the bonfires -- Karen is a joy and a beauty to boot, and Skyler is just a spiffy, nice guy who reminded Mom and me of a happy-go-lucky hobbit (who happens to like wearing Spiderman shirts). And you're not going to believe this: Mom and I saw Abra and Dana, whom we know from Madison! Abra was friends with Jordan and Aaron and our friend Kristin! How funny, and fitting, to see them there, a sign that it was all meant to be. Abra and I exchanged book recommendations, bonding over Harry Potter, Anne McCaffrey (Abra, am I spelling her name right?!?!), Christopher Pike, and other geeky faves. Mom and I had a few special moments alone during yesterday and today on our way back....Breakfast at Francis's on Alberta, and the Redland Cafe....a stop at a very cool estate sale....reading in our foldout chairs down by the waterfront in the park....tucking ourselves into our tent and contemplating all the cool names people had given themselves who were in attendance at the ceremony (me: "I really liked the lasagna that Catalyst made." Mom: "No, I swear she told me her name was CataPULT!")....and we both had to pee at the same time in the middle of the night, and when we got up it was in that moment when the sky was just about to stop being gray and start turning a pinkish, sunrise-y yellow. The generator for the hundreds of strung white lights was running out of battery juice, and it made this whirring, pausing, whirring noise as the lights pulsed in and out like heartbeats. Then, right when we were walking past, the batteries completely died and the lights blinked out and silence filled up the meadow. It was just a perfect moment.

Now? Me? What am I doing? About to settle in with Jan and Ollie and pick up the newest--and, sigh, last--Harry Potter book and snuggle into the comfiness of our home. I'm thinking of you all and sending you tons of love.