The next major event of the year was the high school graduation of Rafael , the son of the couple which owns the cleaning service we use to take care of our home. We have become friends over the years, and the Osubas invited us to Rafi's graduation dinner. We were so pleased to meet their neighbors and friends. Rafi is a freshman at UNC Charlotte where he is studying criminal justice ans may play in the school band, as he did in high school. Rafi's two younger sisters miss him.

Incidentally, in the winter mom and I attended a play, "Cinderella", in which Gabi, the next oldest child played a part. You can see her on the "Kidz Korner" site.

The other big transition of the year was the wedding of our dear friends, Julie and Heinz. Unfortunately we were in Hawaii when they wed, but we had them over for dinner, where we celebrated with a "multi denominational" commitment service and an "ecumenical" meal.

Here they are duplicating the vow renewal service David and I undertook on the beach in Waikiki, sort of a combination of ancient Hawaiian rite with Christian overtones, complet with hula. (I did a rendition of a hula to some Hawaiian music I had downloaded.)