This is an edited version of the excited announcement I made about what we expected to be a trip to California.
This
is a special view of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, our home church. The picture on the right shows the special redwood fence opening to the sidewalk along Waverly 
St. The picture on the left looks into the garden through an opening in the shape of a cross. You see a Japanese style garden created with California native plants. I love this garden. It was created while I was in the hospital in 2002.
When I heard from Margaret Irwin, who was our rector at All Saints', that she and her husband Paul were going to Califormia for what the Episcopal church calls the "institution" of a new rector, we began to think, "why can't we go too."
And, we almost made it. But TRIP NOW CANCELLED.
Our congradulations to the new All Saints' Rector, Ian Montgomery. All of our All Saints' friends who will be at the "Celebration of New Ministry" in Palo Alto on Wednesday the 22nd: We are there in spirit, and we hope to be there in person by the end of the year. Congradulations on this wonderful transition.
SO, FRIENDS IN CALIFORNIA, we will miss seeing you. Write us, call us, Skype us.
Dear Bonnie and Daniel - Thinking of you every day. Mel Kelm asked me today for an update on how things are going. Bonnie, you are on his prayer list. On all our prayer lists.
The Institution was very festive -- Margaret Irwin and Kathy McAdams were both there, also many other faces I hadn't seen for awhile.
Miss you very much --- but you are doing the right thing to wait on the trip.
Jeff
Posted by: Jeff | February 26, 2006 at 04:27 PM
Dear Bonnie and Daniel,
Ian Montgomery's Institution was a very grand ceremony... more clergy than I've seen altogether in All Saints'; lots of vestments and incensements. The church was full - clergy occupied the first 2 rows all the way around, and the rows behind them pretty much filled with congregation. But I was most conscious of the absence of many friends, especially those I first connected with in my Covenant Groups. It was a melancholy occasion for me, thinking of former days and friends who have moved on... some, like you, who have moved away geographically; others who have moved away emotionally or spiritually. Transitions are always hard but I didn't anticipate this transition being hard in this way.
It's lovely seeing the pictures of the Meditation Garden on your blog. You may be happy to know that one of the Vestry's hopes for Buildings and Grounds this year is to open the Meditation Garden to the public during the day.
It means a lot to me, knowing that you intended to be there and that you were thinking of us. I was thinking of you and missing you.
Love, heather
Posted by: Heather Hadlock | February 26, 2006 at 07:10 PM