The Thompson Family

Bobbi had a little get-together for Sam's 36th birthday on August 24th. She went all out and made three homemade, gourmet cakes -- so delicious! The 5 kids all played well together (Nora, Julia, Julianne, Nate and Alex), and the grownups didn't get too out of control with the champagne, which isn't really the norm for this gang... guess the fact it was a "school night" kept us in check a bit.

Bob and Aimee Westbrook invited us over for dinner at their home in Mill Valley.



Jackson and Nora got along swimmingly, and Grace played along with them after she did her long wakeup from her nap. Baby Spencer (4 months) is as cute as a button, and was a smiley, mellow presence while we sat around the dinner table reminiscing over our ten year friendship.

Bob grilled up some awesome lamb chops, tasty green beans and couscous. They are the hosts with the most -- especially their generous sharing of a bottle of port from 1977! Delish!

The preschool class at Children's Village (The Monkeys) had it's graduation for the kids going off to Kindergarten. Nora is still attending preschool - not ready for K until next year. Music, great food, a celebration of the new mural out front. It was really fun!
View all the photos on Flickr.

Joan & Ray threw a huge wedding reception style party for Chris and Liz in Lakeport. Most of the folks who couldn't attend the wedding were there. We had some great live music, yummy food and drink, and a killer slideshow of the Mexico wedding -- it was a blast!

I need to get some photos from other people who were there, because I forgot to bring out my camera till the very end of the party, and I didn't get any photos of Liz! Please email me if you have any photos I can add to this album. View the few photos I snapped on Flickr.

Another rockin' show by Little Texas at the Saddle Rack in Fremont, CA. I think the highlight was the end of the show, when the girls started dancing in the cage, and Mark ended up in there with them playing his guitar!



View all the photos from the Saddle Rack show on Flickr.

Mother's Day Weekend in SF ~ May 2006

Our dear friend Chris Hanson passed away today after a long battle with cancer, at the young age of 53. She was too vibrant and beautiful, too wonderful and funny, too honest and generous to go -- we will all miss her so.

Last night, I happened across this poem (in the book I just started called "The Time Travelers Wife"), and my thoughts were instantly drawn to Chris... then this morning, she is gone, and sadness is here.

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

—Derek Walcott

My friend Christian Anthony makes these cool shirts, and Nora had one when she was a baby... She just found her old size 2 firetruck shirt in a give-away bag, and she said "this is my VERY FAVORITE shirt! and I'm sad that it's too small now." So of course I had to get her a new one. Here is the photo shoot from her first wearing of her TRK shirt.

Teresa and Michael brought back these beautiful nesting dolls from Moldova... Nora loves them and has given them all names. The little tiny one in the very middle is called "Mimi" but the other names have been changing.