My Mom Blogs the Wedding

Technically, not a blog, but here are my mom’s recollections of the wedding.
+This is a sort of “communal” letter to several of my friends who asked to hear about it.    I’ll start at the beginning.   I arrived on Thursday afternoon 7/10   and had a scrumptious dinner at a local cafe courtesy of Art & Carol, just the three of us.

Shana and Daniel and baby Joseph arrived about then, but chose not to accompany us.    However, I had a few moments to admire Joseph, who weighs over 17 pounds at 3 1/2 months, and is a calm , cheerful, responsive baby.

On Friday evening, we were all invited to Shabbat dinner at Michalle’s, hosted by Art & Carol.   For the first time I met Walter, who has hair almost down to his waist, and he’s not even a musician!    Met his father, who said “But you’re so young!” to me, and then his mother, who said, “You’re so young”  which of course made me feel great.  (She hadn’t heard him say it).   Art made Kiddush and Motzi, and I think we made a Shehecheyonu (sp?)  too.   Then it was buffet style, delicious of course, and we all sat and stood around, circulating.    There were about 20 people there, but most important to  me was that all my children and grandchildren (except Keren, Hillel’s wife, who is in Israel fulfilling a professional commitment) were in the same room — not to omit the great-grandson.

I spent a lot of time in the air conditioned motel room, but Saturday Larry & Ruth took me for a ride to glimpse the Dell (yes, the computer guy) Jewish Campus, which has four synagogues, the JCC, the day school  and I guess a few other things.    It is said that Dell is a product of Austin, and when he made the big bucks he donated  a  pile to buy the land, etc.

Saturday night \the eight of us, plus Joseph, went to a restaurant that Shep chose.    He goes to Austin every year for the Music Festival.     Again, we had a wonderful time just being together, joshing, kidding, enjoying.   The eight is Ruth & Larry,  Daniel & Shana, Hillel, Mara,  Shepard and me.  We were seated that way at the wedding reception too.

Sunday we had to get started early; Art insisted the ceremony start on time, and it did.   It was in the Texas Hillel, which had a sign on the door “Closed for private party.” We went upstairs for the ceremony.   The Chuppah was a red silk cloth on which all the members of the Chang family still in Taiwan had signed their names and wishes.     (Later, there was a smaller piece of similar cloth and markers on which we all signed;  that was downstairs at the reception) Art, resplendent in formal wear and the most beautiful white square top Kippah I have ever seen,  first explained to the guests (around 100) what the procedure would be.    There was a five piece live orchestra that played, but I don’t remember what.    The maid of honor, best man, and three more couples (3 women, 3 men) walked in while Art went out a side door in order to be able to walk Miriam in with Carol on the other side (the aisle was kind of narrow).

Miriam was absolutely gorgeous in a white gown with a train, beaded at the train and in a center inset in the front.   It had an empire waist and halter neck, but you couldn’t see her bare shoulders because her hair was down.     The accent was a RED sash that tied in a bow in the small of her back and went all the way to the end of the train.

I can’t remember much about the actual ceremony, but it was Jewish all the way, especially when Walter stomped the glass in its white satin envelope.   I thought he might smash the floor. After the bride and groom left, we guests all went downstairs for the reception.   The bride reappeared having changed into a bright red/gold dress.   I think you call it a Chong-Sam.   She looked as though she was poured into it.  Mandarin collar,  thigh high slit.    Now her hair was up with one of those long Oriental sticks holding it up.        Gorgeous.

My fingertips are getting tired.   I’ll have to omit some detail.    All the food was Kosher, prepared and served in the Chinese fashion.      There was round dancing, and the hoisted chairs, and when Miriam and Walter did the “first dance” you could see what a trained dancer Miriam is — it was like no other, carefully choreographed.