A Lovely Weekend

Thank you all for your kind thoughts about our upcoming marriage—Melissa and I are as happy as a couple of puppies (I suppose I should make that kittens). We’ve found a great space for Melissa in Santa Cruz, so our cats can continue their separate lives while we will get the benefits of sharing day-to-day life. We are so looking forward to having dinners together on weeknights and being able to talk over our days as we cook and eat.

We can’t give you a wedding date yet. The California Supreme Court ruling goes into effect in 30 days and the state must develop appropriate procedures and forms during that time, but it may take a short while beyond the 30 days to actually implement the new procedures. I had a lovely chat with the Santa Cruz County Clerk on Friday, who was quite pleased with the ruling and who assured me that her office would be extending its hours as needed once the ruling goes into effect to ensure that everyone who wants to get married will be able to do so as quickly as possible. Melissa and I will be visiting her family on the east coast in late June and hope to be married by then so we can celebrate with them. If you’re interested in the details of the ruling or want updates on its implementation, you can check out the County Clerk’s web site.

We know that our status as a married couple will be a bit precarious in the legal sense, with an amendment to the State Constitution barring gay marriage on the November ballot, but we feel deeply, deeply blessed to have this opportunity in the present moment. We will be working hard, along with many others, to maintain California’s current equal protection guarantees and to prevent an explicit denial of rights from becoming part of our state’s most important document.

On the one hand, we are caught up in the importance of this historical moment. On the other, ordinary life keeps moving along. I spent much of the weekend marking student papers, but have also gotten about three-quarters of the way through a Cozy in Cables toddler vest (pattern by Stitches of Violet), that will eventually be making its way to Afghanistan, along with the Waffles for Brunch sweater. I’m using more of my bargain Lamb’s Pride Bulky, this time in avocado green. Like Waffles, it’s a fun, fast knit, with enough going on to keep one interested. I love imagining these pieces at their final destination, giving warm embraces to children I’ll never meet.