Simone's wedding wishes!

Our wonderful downstairs neighbor Simone made us a poster! It is now hanging on our wall, and it is inevitable that we will have a good wedding. Thanks, Simone!

Wedding Registry Is Live!

Hi loved ones, our wedding registry is now available through Alternative Gift Registry. Follow this link below--

http://www.alternativegiftregistry.org/view_registry_public.php?registry_uid=6742

or in the sidebar. The password is "caitandjay" (no quote marks).

Meditation Countdown!

Guest Post by Karen Taylor, Friend of the Couple  

Cait and Jay love more than anything to support their friends and family in their journeys of growth and are two of the most centered, awake, and alive people I know.  So, in the 40 days leading up to the Lopez wedding, I'll be committing to meditate 5-30 minutes a day.  Join me!  In the spirit of marriage as a community act, let's collectively re-wire our minds to the present moment. 

Have you never done daily meditation before? Are you scared you can't do it? Are you afraid that you can't do it "right"?  Me too!  Let's do it anyway!  I'll be posting helpful links for beginning meditators and other resources in the Meditation Countdown Forum.  Meditation is both an ancient spiritual practice and a scientifically proven method for making all kinds of healthy stuff happen in your brain and body.

If you'd like to participate, you can let everyone know by posting an introduction under the "I'm In!" thread on the same forum.  At any time, especially once we begin on Tuesday, May 3rd, we can share our thoughts, questions, and experiences there as a community.

On the wedding day there will be a chance for us all to sit quietly together to close the 40 days of practice.  Why 40 days?  40 is the traditional yogic number of days that it takes for a new habit to "stick."  Just as a wedding is only the beginning of a marriage, I hope this countdown can be just the beginning of a deeper commitment to mindfulness in our lives.

Camping on Lopez Island

Hi folks! Just a quick note for those of you who are interested in camping on Lopez around our ceremony on the 11th.

Here are a bunch of beautiful, sometimes bike-accessible, campgrounds on the island, listed in the San Juan Islands Directory and in the website of Odlin County Park itself. Early June isn't quite high season on the islands, but it's getting close, so we recommend that if you want to camp, call ahead soon and make a reservation!

Lodgings and How to Get There

Poulsbo: Small Family Wedding, June 4

(In 1886, Scandinavian settlers intended to name the town Paulsbo – Paul’s Place – after a Norwegian village. The authorities in Washington DC miss-transcribed the name, and it ended up with its present name, which is still pronounced as if it were Paul’s Bo.)

Location

The special family wedding will be at the home of Jeff & Amanda Cain, Jay’s cousins:

2703 NW Finn Hill Road,

Poulsbo, Washington

Places to stay

Houses (Careful - many have 3 night minimum stay!) 

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/washington/puget-sound/poulsbo

Motels

The Poulsbo Inn:  http://www.poulsboinn.com/

http://www.guesthouseintl.com/hotels/poulsbo?chebs=gl_ghi

Beds and Breakfasts

http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/poulsbo-washington.html

The Green Cat B&B:  http://www.greencatbb.com/index.html

Alta Vista Guesthouse: http://altravista.us/AltraVista/Defox.aspx

Lopez Island: The Big Ceremony, June 11

Location

The Big Wedding will be held at 241 Eagles Roost Lane, on Lopez Island, Washington. This is the home of George and Kay Keeler, who are Cait’s godparents and dear family friends. See the map below.

Getting there

If you live in Seattle, you already know how to get to Anacortes; it's about a ninety-minute drive north. Take the Ferry to Lopez Island. Check here for the Spring Schedule which will be in effect in June. There are seven delightful, restful crossings a day. Follow their guidelines for getting to the ferry early.

(If you are flying in, you’ll land in Seatac airport, and then either rent a car or take an airporter to Anacortes. The airporter takes 2½ hours to get to Anacortes. Public transit is also an option. Contact us if you want more specifics!) 

Our goal is to make coming up car-free as painless as possible. Certain hotels (see below) give you free parking in Anacortes and meet you at the Lopez Ferry; there will also be carpools. Contact us if you'd like to bring folks from Seattle, or would like a ride!

Directions on Lopez Island

If you are on foot, just relax and enjoy the sound of the seagulls and wait for the shuttle (either our cars or the shuttle from one of the island's hotles). If you have a car, then drive off the ferry, go 2.1 miles on Ferry Road. Continue on Fisherman Bay Road for 5 miles. Turn Right at Airport Road and go 0.4 miles. Take the first left on Shark Reef Road and go 0.7 miles. Look for signs to the wedding!

Lodging

There are many great places for visitors to stay on the island. We are recommending these two for people who want to stay in hotel-like settings. Both are convenient, and both will meet you at the ferry if you come without a car.

the Lopez Islander Bay Resort has a selection of rooms ranging from $109 to $169. They have free parking in Anacortes so you can park there, walk on to the ferry, call them from the ferry when you can see Lopez, and they will be waiting there for you in their shuttle when you get to the island. Now, that’s nice! They are holding a block of fifteen rooms for us until May 9. Please make your reservation as soon as possible, tell them it is for Cait and Jay’s wedding. 800 736 3434

The Edenwild Inn also has a few rooms available from $170 to $195. If you are reserving with them, please call them soon. 800-606-0662, 


And, Lopez Village Properties has several of houses to rent. Check them out and talk to Barbara Pickering.

But there are lots of other places available, at different prices. Almost every place that visitors can stay on the Island is listed on the Chamber of Commerce website. They have three bed & breakfasts, three camp sites, 17 “private lodgings”, and one big hotel,

Another source, that probably overlaps with the Chamber of Commerce website, is VRBO – Vacation Rentals by Owner – lists 18 houses on Lopez Island. Most rent by the day. Some are very large and can sleep a lot of people. (Don’t try to rent #158307 because that’s the house where the wedding is taking place!)

The Wedding House is about in the middle of the Island, and most of the places to stay are between it and the ferry landing. The farthest you could be away would be a fifteen-minute drive – it’s a small island. But nearer is better: if you call people, tell them you’ll be going to a home near the airport, and ask how far it is.

Information

We’ll be posting some phone numbers before the wedding for last-minute info. Please check back here.

Also, there is a free Lopez Island iPhone app that “provides information about local businesses, farm information, recreational opportunities and ferry schedules”. And, here’s a travel guide to Lopez Island: http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/sanjuan/Lopez/lopez_island.htm. Cool!

As always, write to jayandthecait@gmail.com if you have questions or concerns, or need more info.