Soul Sisters

The wedding is over and it was perfect except for my lying, cheating florist. Perhaps you will notice a change in my attitude about him. None of the flowers were what was ordered, candles weren't lit and the ribbon on the bridesmaids bouquets was no where near the color of the dress. As of now, I haven't received a a decent explanation just I'm sorry. The happy couple has returned from their honeymoon and are both back at work. We just moved my mother in law into a one bedroom apartment from a 4 bedroom house and quite frankly, I am a little pooped. Would love to get the wedding gifts to their rightful owner (the happy couple) but space is at a premium in their home. At this juncture, we are just waiting on the photos from my photographer. Here is another shocker, I joined the dreaded facebook. I know, I know....but I wanted to see the photos that people were posting. It is worth it. I don't comment on every little thing as I don't think people care if I need to go to Target. I am still trying to figure out how to use it. Post, comment, profile...I don't know how to do anything with photos and if it weren't for a good friend of my daughters, I wouldn't be on there in the first place. If you think I should continue this blog, please let me know. I don't lead an exciting life and it might bore you to tears...Your thoughts please!!!! Take care and to all you past, present and future MOB's.....Shine that tiara....Wear it proudly....If you get discouraged, know that all of us have walked in your shoes, feel your pain and know that it is a lot like childbirth....you only remember the joy!!!! God Bless.

Make a joyful noise

Part two of the wedding day continues with the recessional from the church. The organist is banging out Toccata by Widor (very loud piece of music), the church bells are ringing and the bagpiper is blowing away. Yeah!!! They are husband and wife and now after some photos, everyone is ready to PARTY. The ballroom is elegant and has white relief like Jasper Wear...you know... an old Wedgwood plate. It is a soft green and is awash in candlelight. Everyone loves the food, the cake, the band.

I must take a moment to brag on my son. He was kind, attentive, handsome and helpful to all of our friends. He is cool under fire and I love him to pieces.

Next we greet everyone and the dancing starts. There was some fabulous dancing going on and someone who will remain nameless asked them to lighten up.????? We were all loving it. This band played Santana, Louis Armstrong, Motown, Lady Gaga, Maroon Five. Call me for referrals. Excellent!!!

Food superb. I didn't eat a bite but that was the word around the room. A southern menu was planned with fried green tomatoes over succatash, barbecue pork on sweet potatoe biscuits, shrimp and grits, lamp chops, tenderloin, salmon. A true sampling of the south's faves...

The cake was decorated in the pattern of my daughters veil. On top rested two of the cutest love birds you've ever seen. They were made out of sugar and the bride bird wore a veil and the groom a bow tie and top hat. The wedding cake was a cheesecake and each layer a different flavor. There was none left....I think they liked it.

So everyone ate and drank and danced and my daughter and now SIL loved every minute.
As the night came to a close, paper cones with their names and wedding date on the inside were filled with rose petals. They were showered and into the limo they went.

I must say my photographer was a gentleman. He, his wife and daughter were unbelievably easy going and they must have been exhausted at the end of the night cause they never sat down. You want a calm photographer. They didn't bark. They were
comforting and wonderful.

My wedding day right hand girl was the best. Loved her to bits. Don't ever let anyone talk you out of it. She pinned on flowers, set up the guest book table, loaded our car with the wedding gifts, leftover food and some flowers. She was so
attentive to the bride and groom and upon their arrival she had a change of shoes,
food and cold drinks for them to enjoy.

We head home. Family comes over and at 2 I think our home was quiet for the first time that day. Was it worth it??? You betcha. Do my feet hurt? You betcha.
Thanks be to God for friends and family and their willingness to gather around and surround the new couple with love and best wishes.

Going to the chapel and I'm gonna get married

This morning has not gone as I envisioned. I was over served last night. I wake up and have had four hours sleep. Beauty requires more hours than that. We have our dog, my son's dog and my daughter's dog at our house to ensure that no one tries to break in and take the wedding gifts. I feel so horrible that I encourage the dogs to get on the bed and feed them the crackers I wish I could stomach. My daughter says there is something wrong with this picture. I am getting you water and crackers and it's my wedding day. I know. I know. Try to rally. I'd do a couple of necessary things like load the guest book and pens and have to rest. This went on for several hours. Sewing kit...check, change of shoes...check..recline. Veil check, dress check....recline. About 10:45 we headed off for our massages. Terrific idea. No kidding. It released the toxins and relaxed my muscles and with the help of the massage and some iced tea....I'm back. Here come's the hairdresser. Next the make up girl arrives. One bridesmaid, then another and another and another. Controlled chaos may be an apt description. Hairdryers are blowing. Pictures are being snapped. Nipple tape???? bosom tape....what???? To say the least, it was a learning experience. Laughter and hugs and laughter. Girls spread out on my bed with their feet elevated because it is almost as good as a nap. My turn... I had to remove make up before I even went downstairs. I looked like I could be the fat lady singing in the opera. The men have all met at a club for food. Upon their return, Precious goes to bed. My son showers and puts on his tux and heads off to manland as our home is pretty much awash in girly, girl activites. Time to wake up Precious and then we really have to make hay. Getting the dress in the car is a feat in itself. We are off. Precious, my daughter and me. Breathe.

We arrive at the church and it is hot and humid. The brides' room is small and crowded and hot. After awhile, I clear the room. Get my daughter with much assistance (those covered buttons are a bear) into the dress. Put on the veil and she heads outside with the photographer. Thank God and I mean really thank you God that I won the wedding planner argument. She takes the guys their flowers and I hand out the girls. We are all a little flustered and I might (most probably) assumed a nazi role. After the photographer finishes, all the girls come inside and cool off.
My angel, saint friend had brought water and sandwiches. Little water and food and great air conditioning and laughter resumes.

At this point, I have no idea what is happening with the men folk. Here comes Precious. There is no button for his tux. Do I have a safety pin? I get one and pin him together and try my best not to claw his face off. Lucky for him the wedding planner comes and says five minutes. I try to stay in the moment. Off we go and there is my handsome son. He has already seated two grandmothers and now gets to seat me. Right when we get ready to head down the aisle the music stops. We wait. Here comes a catchy tune and off we go.

In a few minutes, my STBSIL and his groomsmen all file out behind the priest.
Then Trumpet Voluntary. The bridesmaids come and with great fan fare......the bride.
We all stand. She is beautiful and Precious looks dashing. Their voices were clear, the readings meaningful, the homily perfect, the music oh so beautiful....There was a solo by a 19 year old baritone. We were his first wedding. His voice could blow your skirt up...I pronounce you husband and wife and just like that................
they are married.

There's a tear in my beer

Let's just say that it was grand. A gorgeous room. An open bar. Friends and family who have traipsed across the country to be with your daughter and STBSIL. They serve this bacon that you'd kill for. Beautiful flowers on every table and a slide show. Precious has been a tad bit emotional today anyway. Then they display his baby girl's life on the big screen and I swear at one point, he stood in the room and openly wept. His filter was not working. You know Somewhere over the Rainbow playing and your baby's life in photos on the projector. It was hard on a dad. I had the good sense to quit watching but every now and then, I could feel the now familiar catch in the throat. Dinner was out of this world. Toasts. The best man and maid of honor had props. It was extremely moving. Strong, kind, loyal, tenacious, motivating were among the adjectives most used. This makes a mom very proud. Thank you and good-bye. Oh hell no. We are going to a dive bar. It smells like an ashtray. Most of the clientele look like they are five. I ask for a Savignon Blanc and they are clueless. I was forced to drink vodka. Pink champagne was poured and thankfully my brain said NO NO NO never drink the pink. We head home. I apparently did a load of laundry and removed my contacts. Hello, Betty Ford........

Downtown where all the lights are bright

We live in a huge city. Traffic is awful. Our church is downtown. The rehearsal is at 5:00 on a Friday. Get the picture. Get dressed and get out of your house and pray you are not stuck somewhere. Now we are all together. We pray. I love our priest. He is a no nonsense kinda guy. He's young and has three children and I think we got downright lucky on the rotation. There are two wedding planners. Between the priest and the planners and the wedding party, everyone gets a pretty good idea about what they are supposed to do. This is a brief description of the wedding party. Two greeters, three readers, 8 groomsmen, 4 ushers, 7 bridesmaids, 2 grandmothers, 2 sets of parents and one bride and groom. We are a large and unruly mass of humanity. There has been some uncertainty about the time we can get into the church tomorrow. Onto more important issues...the rehearsal dinner. We prepare to go across town.

We gather together

It's 2AM after the wedding. I am going to back track. The bridesmaids' luncheon.
You gather together your daughter, your mom, your sister in law, your niece, two of your very best friends and your daughters friends, your STBSIL's mom and grandmother and mix it all together with a place of great nostalgia and some of the best chicken salad in the world.....Voila...It's a moment. A moment embedded in your heart that you will always, always be thankful for. We toasted my daughter and each told something special about her. My filter didn't work. I was a mess. My favorite moment...the day she was born and every day since. Her friends are so kind and loving. They are old friends in their young lives. Her maid of honor she's known since she was four and the most of the other girls since she was in 6th grade. Now that's saying something. I say that because I have my core group. My grade school friends, my high school friends, my college friends and my adult friends. I am thankful for girlfriends. They are strong and soft and get you through your bad days. I am thankful for my mother teaching me about the value of friendship. I am thankful for my daughter and showing me that she too values the girls she holds most dear to her heart. I am sounding redundant but Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Our lives are blessed.

Ghost busters

Rise and shine and give God your Glory, Glory. So I head to pick up the dress in the gigantic vehicle. I get there and I swear the dress is wrinkled. You don't want to know what I paid to have the dress pressed. The people assure me this fabric doesn't
iron out well. Now, if I were a dress designer, I would only design dresses out of fabric that looks together. After some steaming, the nice tall man who is over 6 feet tall places it in the car. I get home and realize that I am a foot shorter than he and none of the moldings over the doors are tall enough. It comes to me to haul this sucker up the stairs and rig it over the banister. That way the thing can hang two stories. Then I take rubber bands and weave them around the hangers and loop it around one of the posts. This was a precautionary step should (heaven forbid) the dress fall down.It looks like the ghost of weddings past floating around like that. Kind of eerie. Next I head to the hairdresser for a run through on my hairdo. Queen Victoria had nothing on me. Off to the grocery store as the family is coming for dinner. My daughter and I head off to get a mani/pedi and it was the highlight of my week. Upon our return my STBSIL, my son, my brother in law and his girlfriend, my daughter and a friend all sit around and have a cocktail. Off the young folks go and I set the table and thaw the frozen dinner. Prior to this shendig, how did I ever fill my days?