Hahaha, cheers Artemis! I know, I feel the same way. Over here, where people are supposedly so in touch with the spirits, it's rarely done. However, while planning the Minka, we discussed various traditions. In Japan I saw Shinto priests performing ceremonies on a piece of land before it was paved to be ... a parking lot. Great! In Germany, it's common to set up a little pine tree on a newly completed roof, kinda like a Christmas tree without decoration (an obviously pagan tradition). Since we'll have a green roof, we can actually plant one for this purpose. Not a pine, for sure, and maybe not even a real tree, at least not one that grows out of proportions... Just a little bush maybe. In the berm, though, where it's the deepest, we've been talking about plating a royal palm tree. Its roots don't grow out in all directions, so the walls should be fine, and besides: our beams are royal palms, so it's the least we can do.

Thanks! That was the idea: though white is the best color to pick in this climate, it's also the worst given all the dust and dirt around here. But it's sweet looking during the fiesta! However, it was the suspenders we've received lots of comments on. Who ever wears suspenders??? Certainly, the people who organized the event. It doesn't take a lot to stick out in a nice way, and our Julia is excellent at choosing what's perfect for it.