We spent the weekend up at the cottage with my wife's parents. There was wonderful weather with cool nights. There was energy to do lots of mowing. There was lovely food and a railroad museum. There was a new domino set and a lot of fun playing team dominoes.
There were mosquitoes, so many.
Today I am feeling exhausted because entertaining guests always tires me and I especially wanted my mil and fil to have a good rest so I did not. I am also realizing again how incredibly wonderful this life is.
My in-laws are normal humans, far from perfect like the rest of us. But such lovely people. Kindhearted, caring, welcoming. A little goofy.
I hear horrible stories of gay couples being ignored as a couple by families and then I feel so rooted when I think of our families. [my brother excepted] Rooted and fortunate. Today I talked to my niece, spoke to a loved friend, found out we have imperial moths at the cottage and I remembered everything that is beyond the tiredness.
Even though plans are constantly changing and there is new stress at work...
It may be a cliche but it's true, life is precious and wondrous.
Even with mercury retrograde for a few more days.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
tiny people charm
Word count=4174
My number is slowly moving up but I am still having fun. I did really wonder about nanowrimo this year. I knew I was going to have wonderful visitors for 9 days the beginning of November including my 22 month old goddaughter. Obviously I decided to write anyway, because the truth is most of us don't have a lot of leisure to write. We have to balance it in with work and relationships and laundry. We have to choose over and over again what we are going to spend out time doing.
We are having fun but there are many hours I choose to spend with them instead of writing. That is ok with me. The truth is I don't get to see my family that often and I want to see them when I have the chance. Also I don't want this to turn into a 'should'. I don't need another one of those. Last year I started late and missed a least a week of writing due to travel and other commitments but I still finished. And I had fun.
Of course I don't know what the future holds, I may not finish my 50,000 words this month but I plan on having fun. It's still not too late to join the creative free fall if you want!
My number is slowly moving up but I am still having fun. I did really wonder about nanowrimo this year. I knew I was going to have wonderful visitors for 9 days the beginning of November including my 22 month old goddaughter. Obviously I decided to write anyway, because the truth is most of us don't have a lot of leisure to write. We have to balance it in with work and relationships and laundry. We have to choose over and over again what we are going to spend out time doing.
We are having fun but there are many hours I choose to spend with them instead of writing. That is ok with me. The truth is I don't get to see my family that often and I want to see them when I have the chance. Also I don't want this to turn into a 'should'. I don't need another one of those. Last year I started late and missed a least a week of writing due to travel and other commitments but I still finished. And I had fun.
Of course I don't know what the future holds, I may not finish my 50,000 words this month but I plan on having fun. It's still not too late to join the creative free fall if you want!
writing with birthdayish stuff
I have a conflicted relationship with my birthday, it has been hurtful in the past so I always feel like I am bracing myself. This year I am having another good day.
There is sun and it's not raining or snowing or sleeting.
I was served breakfast in bed, my favorite quiche from Turtle bread and cranberry bread from Mayday..
I got out for a run.
My niece and goddaughter took me to Travail for lunch. It was yummy, I had the chicken, with soup for starters. My niece had the homemade pastrami. Very nice and much more relaxed at lunch time. It amazes me how filling their food is!
My wife baked me a no sugar cake with agave nectar and grain sweetened choc chips. It tastes so good and I feel so lucky to have people to share it with me.
Tonight I am taking out a few friends for dinner. Fingers crossed the 22 month old will be happy. She hasn't napped all afternoon even though she has been up there 3 hours babbling to herself happily. She'll probably doze off in her rice tonight.
Word count = 3047 So lucky today.
There is sun and it's not raining or snowing or sleeting.
I was served breakfast in bed, my favorite quiche from Turtle bread and cranberry bread from Mayday..
I got out for a run.
My niece and goddaughter took me to Travail for lunch. It was yummy, I had the chicken, with soup for starters. My niece had the homemade pastrami. Very nice and much more relaxed at lunch time. It amazes me how filling their food is!
My wife baked me a no sugar cake with agave nectar and grain sweetened choc chips. It tastes so good and I feel so lucky to have people to share it with me.
Tonight I am taking out a few friends for dinner. Fingers crossed the 22 month old will be happy. She hasn't napped all afternoon even though she has been up there 3 hours babbling to herself happily. She'll probably doze off in her rice tonight.
Word count = 3047 So lucky today.
made up
We delay this important post about make up.
yes, the flowers in the picture on the top of the blog are from the wedding and no I can't believe I am about to blog about make up either.
ok now.
I admit I am somewhat of a girly girl. [I can hear my best-est friend laughing hysterically with a lot of other people]
Ok, yes the last purchase I made was a black velvet skirt but that is not the point. Not so much with the butch though I do keep my wallet in my back pocket, ok well not when wearing a black velvet skirt but...moving on.
I wear make up occasionally. I have been encouraged over the years by oldest friend and my dad to put a little more on.
Has your Dad ever encouraged you to put some lipstick on? Really? Don't Dads usually tell you to "take all that paint off your face"? Of course he was a hairdresser for years, he usually comments positively on my hair.
Basically I have used it when I felt like it, and recently it's been almost everyday.
Right now I am doing it for a few reasons:
-I am having sleep issues, and the circles under my eyes, mostly genetic, have their own circles
-I visited with my parents over xmas, and I tend to 'make up' around them. hmm
-it does help me feel more up, and I can use that right now
-secret main reason I am about to reveal to this blog below
I love this eye shadow. I have never before enjoyed eye shadow all that much. But I love this company [they recycle jars!] and I love their eye shadow. I want to eat it sometimes. Especially Milan and Nile. Ok why do I not see 'Nile' on any of the eyeshadow pages? Did they just make it for the special Rivers collection?! bummer. It's the prettiest pine green with gold and I am actually feeling a bit panicky when I think about how I can probably never buy it again.
Huh. Oh well all the more reason to enjoy it every time I use it. Which I do. I even find myself wondering after dressing 'can I get away with plum or green eyeshadow with that?'
Someday I will do more with pictures but not today. I don't think I could capture the colour anyway.
yes, the flowers in the picture on the top of the blog are from the wedding and no I can't believe I am about to blog about make up either.
ok now.
I admit I am somewhat of a girly girl. [I can hear my best-est friend laughing hysterically with a lot of other people]
Ok, yes the last purchase I made was a black velvet skirt but that is not the point. Not so much with the butch though I do keep my wallet in my back pocket, ok well not when wearing a black velvet skirt but...moving on.
I wear make up occasionally. I have been encouraged over the years by oldest friend and my dad to put a little more on.
Has your Dad ever encouraged you to put some lipstick on? Really? Don't Dads usually tell you to "take all that paint off your face"? Of course he was a hairdresser for years, he usually comments positively on my hair.
Basically I have used it when I felt like it, and recently it's been almost everyday.
Right now I am doing it for a few reasons:
-I am having sleep issues, and the circles under my eyes, mostly genetic, have their own circles
-I visited with my parents over xmas, and I tend to 'make up' around them. hmm
-it does help me feel more up, and I can use that right now
-secret main reason I am about to reveal to this blog below
I love this eye shadow. I have never before enjoyed eye shadow all that much. But I love this company [they recycle jars!] and I love their eye shadow. I want to eat it sometimes. Especially Milan and Nile. Ok why do I not see 'Nile' on any of the eyeshadow pages? Did they just make it for the special Rivers collection?! bummer. It's the prettiest pine green with gold and I am actually feeling a bit panicky when I think about how I can probably never buy it again.
Huh. Oh well all the more reason to enjoy it every time I use it. Which I do. I even find myself wondering after dressing 'can I get away with plum or green eyeshadow with that?'
Someday I will do more with pictures but not today. I don't think I could capture the colour anyway.
Nuthorns
Nut horns yes. a term that only my close friends and family will certainly recognize, others may. In my head [and the title] it's always one word.
First though I noticed a typo from yesterday:
-how happy I am the Obama will be president soon
This made me giggle so much that I couldn't bear to change it.
...back to Nut horns, which is the name my family uses for those cookies which are crescent rolls of barely sweetened yeasted dough with a walnut egg white filling. I know there are several other names for them like 'walnut horn cookies', 'kiffles' from the PA Dutch. When I glanced at the various recipes online I did not see one like my family's which came from some magazine and is dated April 7 1953. This recipe takes 6 cups of flour, a 'cake' of yeast and 2 cups of shortening.
If you are thinking this makes an insane amount of cookies you are right.
[Does yeast get sold by the cake anymore? I remember it that way when I was a child but now I buy it bulk from the co-op so I have no idea]
Nut horns are those not sweet cookies that most children, including myself at a tender age, did not care for and that all adults seem to love. I remember my mother making them I guess every year of my life. She does roll them in powder sugar to make them sweeter for those in the family who still prefer they should be sweeter. I have made them at least a dozen times in my adult life though I change the recipe a lot.
It's against my religion to use shortening apparently.
For a long time I made them with a friend who was allergic to walnuts so we used pecans.
I have made them with maple or agave syrup instead of sugar.
I have made them with ww pastry flour.
Considering the rate they are gobbled up these variations work fine.
This year though my mother is 39 which is her way of saying she is 82 and she just moved homes 3 days before xmas. No one was surprised that she did not have time to make cookies. [Of course no one knows but Dad that in 2006 I also did 90% of her baking for her. Just between us m'dears.]
Before we traveled for the holiday I did my annual ponder of the question: What do you give two wonderful sisters who basically have everything and love to receive presents?
Every year my mother has answered this question for herself by baking them nut horns which they love but do not have the time to make for themselves. I believe it is the kind of present they hide somewhere so that don't have to share them. My brain leaped, it pounced. My mum wouldn't be baking this year and so I could do it! For my sisters! It would be a relief for mum, my sisters would get presents and I would have answered the question for another year.
So I did. I brought white sugar, powder sugar and white flour into the house and used them. I paid a ridiculous price for palm oil shortening because I just could not buy Crisco. I took forever to roll out dough with my lovely marble rolling pin and made dozens of cookies and all the taste testers said they were yummy.
My one sister called so happy after she received them. She had figured out that mum wouldn't be baking and had felt down about that tradition going away. She loved them. --
She thought they could be sweeter. I adore my sissy so you know what honey? next year they will be! Just for you.
The ratio of dough to filling never comes out one to one with this recipe. So I froze the excess filling and stirred up a half batch of ww dough and baked up the rest yesterday. They are excellent. As is traditional in our family I had a bit of dough leftover with no nut filling left. These became apricot horns with the handy jam in the fridge if only mum weren't in CA she would love them.
First though I noticed a typo from yesterday:
-how happy I am the Obama will be president soon
This made me giggle so much that I couldn't bear to change it.
...back to Nut horns, which is the name my family uses for those cookies which are crescent rolls of barely sweetened yeasted dough with a walnut egg white filling. I know there are several other names for them like 'walnut horn cookies', 'kiffles' from the PA Dutch. When I glanced at the various recipes online I did not see one like my family's which came from some magazine and is dated April 7 1953. This recipe takes 6 cups of flour, a 'cake' of yeast and 2 cups of shortening.
If you are thinking this makes an insane amount of cookies you are right.
[Does yeast get sold by the cake anymore? I remember it that way when I was a child but now I buy it bulk from the co-op so I have no idea]
Nut horns are those not sweet cookies that most children, including myself at a tender age, did not care for and that all adults seem to love. I remember my mother making them I guess every year of my life. She does roll them in powder sugar to make them sweeter for those in the family who still prefer they should be sweeter. I have made them at least a dozen times in my adult life though I change the recipe a lot.
It's against my religion to use shortening apparently.
For a long time I made them with a friend who was allergic to walnuts so we used pecans.
I have made them with maple or agave syrup instead of sugar.
I have made them with ww pastry flour.
Considering the rate they are gobbled up these variations work fine.
This year though my mother is 39 which is her way of saying she is 82 and she just moved homes 3 days before xmas. No one was surprised that she did not have time to make cookies. [Of course no one knows but Dad that in 2006 I also did 90% of her baking for her. Just between us m'dears.]
Before we traveled for the holiday I did my annual ponder of the question: What do you give two wonderful sisters who basically have everything and love to receive presents?
Every year my mother has answered this question for herself by baking them nut horns which they love but do not have the time to make for themselves. I believe it is the kind of present they hide somewhere so that don't have to share them. My brain leaped, it pounced. My mum wouldn't be baking this year and so I could do it! For my sisters! It would be a relief for mum, my sisters would get presents and I would have answered the question for another year.
So I did. I brought white sugar, powder sugar and white flour into the house and used them. I paid a ridiculous price for palm oil shortening because I just could not buy Crisco. I took forever to roll out dough with my lovely marble rolling pin and made dozens of cookies and all the taste testers said they were yummy.
My one sister called so happy after she received them. She had figured out that mum wouldn't be baking and had felt down about that tradition going away. She loved them. --
She thought they could be sweeter. I adore my sissy so you know what honey? next year they will be! Just for you.
The ratio of dough to filling never comes out one to one with this recipe. So I froze the excess filling and stirred up a half batch of ww dough and baked up the rest yesterday. They are excellent. As is traditional in our family I had a bit of dough leftover with no nut filling left. These became apricot horns with the handy jam in the fridge if only mum weren't in CA she would love them.
so the engagement's over...wedding weekend sunday
So that's it right, here we are married and the engagement is completed [successfully] so no more blog. right?
well not exactly, because we still had our wedding in Canada. I'm still in mid story and I really want to finish.
So last post the reception was over and all things were great. And stuff kept happening.
I wake up early that morning, we had house guests the night before and they need to get to the airport. The twin cities marathon is being run that morning and it's route closes all the quickest routes to the airport. But I get them there is a timely fashion and get home to try to make sense of the chaos that is our home and pack for the honeymoon.
While trying to unearth and sort needed stuff, I look through a big box that came from the church the night before. This is the box with which the florist delivered the 6 bouquets and 8 corsages. There is still a corsage in there, yep my one sil never rsvp'd and never showed, but wait, there is a corsage in the clear bag marked "mothers".
The room and my head spins.
My mother never got her corsage. The flowers that I thought about so much, the flowers that she really enjoys. All those pictures, everyone else had their flowers but MY MOTHER. Why didn't anyone else notice??! I can barely understand why I was in no state to be organized, but how could my sisters, my chief ninja, the attendants, the head usher, my MOTHER herself not notice? Or did my mother notice and just not bring it up!! I feel like crying, all those pictures [that I still haven't seen 10/24] everyone else will have flowers but not her. I still feel badly about it. Everything else was small or I can let go of...even the cake I didn't get to taste. We can buy cake from that baker in that flavor...but my 81 year old mom and my wedding pictures. No flowers.
I knew things are never perfect but it hurts. So we proceed to get things ready for the house sitter. My sweetie's parents and 2 siblings come over to drop off sweetie's wallet that they took home by accident. DW's mom can barely be dragged away, she would have loved watching us open gifts. She even opens one of our wedding cards herself, I almost die from trying not to laugh. Finally they leave and we are still not packed.
Our ride to the airport, HN and HU, comes early, and they help us pack and try to keep our heads on. The first thing I do is wrap my Canadian wedding dress in a plastic bag for protection. Everything I am taking is going on the office bed along with the suitcase to get packed. It goes fairly well. We figure we'll buy stuff we end up needing. They say they will drop off my mum's flowers at hotel after they take us to airport. They get us to airport in plenty of time.
The plane to Seattle is full and our seats are 20 aisles apart. There is nothing we can do but feel sad and try to sleep. We find edible food in the C terminal and get on our short airhop to Victoria. That goes well and customs into Canada goes quickly. There is a shuttle bus that goes into downtown Victoria that will take us to our B&B.
We get to the B&B at about 8pm. The hosts have gone out to eat but have left us keys. Our suite is fantastic and everything is great. We are on our honeymoon and very happy. We unpack and I realize that the dress that I had bought special to wear to get married in Canada is not in the suitcase. It is not in Canada with us. I cry from disappointment combined with exhaustion.
This is the moment for our hosts to knock on the door, I explain to them the room is great and we are fine. I'm just crying because my dress is AWOL. They are sympathetic. I have to laugh when I think of the spectacle I probably made of myself. We go to bed, breakfast is at 8:30.
well not exactly, because we still had our wedding in Canada. I'm still in mid story and I really want to finish.
So last post the reception was over and all things were great. And stuff kept happening.
I wake up early that morning, we had house guests the night before and they need to get to the airport. The twin cities marathon is being run that morning and it's route closes all the quickest routes to the airport. But I get them there is a timely fashion and get home to try to make sense of the chaos that is our home and pack for the honeymoon.
While trying to unearth and sort needed stuff, I look through a big box that came from the church the night before. This is the box with which the florist delivered the 6 bouquets and 8 corsages. There is still a corsage in there, yep my one sil never rsvp'd and never showed, but wait, there is a corsage in the clear bag marked "mothers".
The room and my head spins.
My mother never got her corsage. The flowers that I thought about so much, the flowers that she really enjoys. All those pictures, everyone else had their flowers but MY MOTHER. Why didn't anyone else notice??! I can barely understand why I was in no state to be organized, but how could my sisters, my chief ninja, the attendants, the head usher, my MOTHER herself not notice? Or did my mother notice and just not bring it up!! I feel like crying, all those pictures [that I still haven't seen 10/24] everyone else will have flowers but not her. I still feel badly about it. Everything else was small or I can let go of...even the cake I didn't get to taste. We can buy cake from that baker in that flavor...but my 81 year old mom and my wedding pictures. No flowers.
I knew things are never perfect but it hurts. So we proceed to get things ready for the house sitter. My sweetie's parents and 2 siblings come over to drop off sweetie's wallet that they took home by accident. DW's mom can barely be dragged away, she would have loved watching us open gifts. She even opens one of our wedding cards herself, I almost die from trying not to laugh. Finally they leave and we are still not packed.
Our ride to the airport, HN and HU, comes early, and they help us pack and try to keep our heads on. The first thing I do is wrap my Canadian wedding dress in a plastic bag for protection. Everything I am taking is going on the office bed along with the suitcase to get packed. It goes fairly well. We figure we'll buy stuff we end up needing. They say they will drop off my mum's flowers at hotel after they take us to airport. They get us to airport in plenty of time.
The plane to Seattle is full and our seats are 20 aisles apart. There is nothing we can do but feel sad and try to sleep. We find edible food in the C terminal and get on our short airhop to Victoria. That goes well and customs into Canada goes quickly. There is a shuttle bus that goes into downtown Victoria that will take us to our B&B.
We get to the B&B at about 8pm. The hosts have gone out to eat but have left us keys. Our suite is fantastic and everything is great. We are on our honeymoon and very happy. We unpack and I realize that the dress that I had bought special to wear to get married in Canada is not in the suitcase. It is not in Canada with us. I cry from disappointment combined with exhaustion.
This is the moment for our hosts to knock on the door, I explain to them the room is great and we are fine. I'm just crying because my dress is AWOL. They are sympathetic. I have to laugh when I think of the spectacle I probably made of myself. We go to bed, breakfast is at 8:30.
Flowery Conditions
My fiancée and I love flowers! And today we picked up the flowers we ordered for the centerpieces. My mother who worked as a florist for years is doing the arrangements. It should be lovely and simple and fun. They are all coppery yellow, and red and creams with plum specks. There is ivy and garland. Tomorrow, I’ll see the bouquets, and I can’t wait. The boutonnières are wonderful copper mums.
All the family is coming in, everyone is talking and everything seems very loud. Most stuff is done and the few things that aren’t probably aren’t that important.. I know what I am wearing to get married in Canada.
There is such an outpouring of love with a tiny bit of crankiness and bossiness all around. It’s a fabulous experience. There are all kinds of secret surprises hovering in the background. I just need to try to get more sleep to enjoy it. My yoga and chi gong do help. So I am off to do just that!
All the family is coming in, everyone is talking and everything seems very loud. Most stuff is done and the few things that aren’t probably aren’t that important.. I know what I am wearing to get married in Canada.
The forecast for the weather on Saturday is improving. My mom said days ago, don't worry it won't rain. I hope she is right, I scan the weather sites anxiously at least once a day like that will somehow change things.
There is such an outpouring of love with a tiny bit of crankiness and bossiness all around. It’s a fabulous experience. There are all kinds of secret surprises hovering in the background. I just need to try to get more sleep to enjoy it. My yoga and chi gong do help. So I am off to do just that!
Showers forecasted all August
Apparently this is the rainiest August on record in these parts. It seems fitting that my bridal ninja threw me a shower this same month.
It was awesome. She cleverly decided to hold it at a tea shop. it was nice and compact, 12 of the 15 guests were able to come. It was not too long, about 2.5 hours. For once this month it wasn't pouring all day. And since the shop cleaned, baked, and decorated we just planned favor bags and shopped for new tops beforehand. We didn't play any games
Some of my family were able to fly in, something that I never expected. Some friends who live far away decided they wanted to help shower me and sent stuff.
It was so uplifting to feel the love and support from everyone. Showers have always seemed very gift focused to me, but I found my shower really about community and love. Gifts were fun to look at afterwards and appreciate but at the time the women were the focus. It was nice for my closest friends to meet some of my family. It was lovely to look out into the room from my corner and see people that I really cared about all there to wish me well [and eat treats].
I was afraid I would cry and cursed that I didn't have waterproof mascara but I was just happy the whole time. if I didn't hate the word I would call it 'perfect'. It was certainly perfectly wonderful.
August showers are better than I ever thought they could be. Bring them on!
It was awesome. She cleverly decided to hold it at a tea shop. it was nice and compact, 12 of the 15 guests were able to come. It was not too long, about 2.5 hours. For once this month it wasn't pouring all day. And since the shop cleaned, baked, and decorated we just planned favor bags and shopped for new tops beforehand. We didn't play any games
Some of my family were able to fly in, something that I never expected. Some friends who live far away decided they wanted to help shower me and sent stuff.
It was so uplifting to feel the love and support from everyone. Showers have always seemed very gift focused to me, but I found my shower really about community and love. Gifts were fun to look at afterwards and appreciate but at the time the women were the focus. It was nice for my closest friends to meet some of my family. It was lovely to look out into the room from my corner and see people that I really cared about all there to wish me well [and eat treats].
I was afraid I would cry and cursed that I didn't have waterproof mascara but I was just happy the whole time. if I didn't hate the word I would call it 'perfect'. It was certainly perfectly wonderful.
August showers are better than I ever thought they could be. Bring them on!
some Room at some Inn?
Blogger seems to be unhappy. It's not letting me put a title line in...so strange. updated later
but I'm still going to do a post about my hotel issues. Really the problem is that there are too many choices!! Way too many. Since it is mainly, perhaps exclusively, my family and friends who will be coming in from out of town and using hotels the ball is pretty much in my court. [and I am ducking and hiding behind the goal]
My family would like to have a hotel where they can all meet up for breakfast or after hours in a bar for time spent together. I of course live here so I have never really stayed in a hotel in this area. There are advantages to staying at one of the airport hotels, it's near the Mall of America if they are inclined to shop and only about 6 miles to the house, 8 to church. But there are about 20 to choose from. Trying to look at the reviews on TripAdvisor almost made my head explode.
Or perhaps people would enjoy being downtown more? Again about 20 hotels to choose from with review to try to sort through. The price is pretty much the same between the two locations and it's about 4 miles to our house and church.
Or there is a lovely hotel just a mile from our house next to the hospital but we went and looked at it and I thought it was really pricey for some quite small rooms. They can get a much bigger suite at the same price near the airport.
Then there is the issue of price in general, I of course cannot guess what people want to spend. After feeling overwhelmed for several hours yesterday I realize I am just going to have to pick a few options and people are going to have to figure it out for themselves. They can probably get thing cheaper by pricelining it in the first place.
But the task isn't done yet. It just seems to be an example of one of those things that takes way longer than what I had thought.
but I'm still going to do a post about my hotel issues. Really the problem is that there are too many choices!! Way too many. Since it is mainly, perhaps exclusively, my family and friends who will be coming in from out of town and using hotels the ball is pretty much in my court. [and I am ducking and hiding behind the goal]
My family would like to have a hotel where they can all meet up for breakfast or after hours in a bar for time spent together. I of course live here so I have never really stayed in a hotel in this area. There are advantages to staying at one of the airport hotels, it's near the Mall of America if they are inclined to shop and only about 6 miles to the house, 8 to church. But there are about 20 to choose from. Trying to look at the reviews on TripAdvisor almost made my head explode.
Or perhaps people would enjoy being downtown more? Again about 20 hotels to choose from with review to try to sort through. The price is pretty much the same between the two locations and it's about 4 miles to our house and church.
Or there is a lovely hotel just a mile from our house next to the hospital but we went and looked at it and I thought it was really pricey for some quite small rooms. They can get a much bigger suite at the same price near the airport.
Then there is the issue of price in general, I of course cannot guess what people want to spend. After feeling overwhelmed for several hours yesterday I realize I am just going to have to pick a few options and people are going to have to figure it out for themselves. They can probably get thing cheaper by pricelining it in the first place.
But the task isn't done yet. It just seems to be an example of one of those things that takes way longer than what I had thought.
Time to think of flowers
Well we have our florist. We got two fabulous recommendations and we liked the first one so much that we went with her. I'm kind of disappointed to not meet with the second though.
We both really like flowers, and wanted live ones so it is a fairly important vendor for us. At the same time we have pretty fluid ideas. DF likes things a bit more formal and traditional than me. I like nosegays to be looser with lots of ivy, herbs as well as flowers. I like lots of texture. I don't like calla lilies or orchids really. I like roses ok, but I love carnations. I had no idea that martha stewart slammed carnations years ago and that's why you stopped seeing them. I love them, I always have. We are both having bouquets as well as our four attendants. I am also wearing flowers in my hair.
Since they are all wearing the same dress we want everything else to be as individual as possible. I want them to choose their own shoes, accessories, do their hair how they want and their bouquets will all be different with some kind of underlining theme, like ivy and hypericum berries. One will have orchids, one champagne roses, one dahlias and one gerbera daisies. I think they will be beautiful. I may buy a sample of my bouquet and one of the bridesmaids just so I know we are on the same page ahead of time. Also, that way I'll be able to get ideas for the other centerpieces, which we are probably going to do ourselves. I kind of want the centerpieces to all be different yet somehow tie together. The bouquets will double as centerpieces during the reception.
It really is fun being engaged. And all this planning is fun. I'm going shopping in a couple of hours with one of my attendants. She is going to try 'the dress' on and it's on sale even more today so that is great!
We both really like flowers, and wanted live ones so it is a fairly important vendor for us. At the same time we have pretty fluid ideas. DF likes things a bit more formal and traditional than me. I like nosegays to be looser with lots of ivy, herbs as well as flowers. I like lots of texture. I don't like calla lilies or orchids really. I like roses ok, but I love carnations. I had no idea that martha stewart slammed carnations years ago and that's why you stopped seeing them. I love them, I always have. We are both having bouquets as well as our four attendants. I am also wearing flowers in my hair.
Since they are all wearing the same dress we want everything else to be as individual as possible. I want them to choose their own shoes, accessories, do their hair how they want and their bouquets will all be different with some kind of underlining theme, like ivy and hypericum berries. One will have orchids, one champagne roses, one dahlias and one gerbera daisies. I think they will be beautiful. I may buy a sample of my bouquet and one of the bridesmaids just so I know we are on the same page ahead of time. Also, that way I'll be able to get ideas for the other centerpieces, which we are probably going to do ourselves. I kind of want the centerpieces to all be different yet somehow tie together. The bouquets will double as centerpieces during the reception.
It really is fun being engaged. And all this planning is fun. I'm going shopping in a couple of hours with one of my attendants. She is going to try 'the dress' on and it's on sale even more today so that is great!
my Mother and invitations
My mother seems to be really getting into the wedding groove. It's been over 20 years since her other children got married. I know she wishes she wasn't so far and that she could do more. But really just talking to her about it is fun. She was a florist in the 60's and 70's and did a lot of weddings. This was before a lot of places had coordinators so she frequently ended up being the on site ceremony coordinator for a lot of brides.
She is hard of hearing so we can't talk much on the phone. We write. My parents usually can't get their email to work, especially the sending. I know she has typed me out 2 letters in email over the last 10 days but they haven't managed to send them to me. I get a lot of empty messages from them. I know it's frustrating for her and it sure is for me.
Luckily her hearing aids were working fairly well yesterday because she wanted to talk to me about stuff she didn't want to get lost in email. I wish I had the conversations on tape, they were so cute.
'Will you tell me who you are inviting to the wedding?' Mom asks.
My mind went blank, did she want me to start reciting my whole list?
'Do you mean from the family?' I asked. She said 'yes'.
'Well, my sisters, their children....'.
'no, no, I don't mean them, [her children, lol] my family, are you inviting your aunts?'
'well, I was thinking about it, I think I should'
I think I'll give up the quote battle...
Then she went on about how my aunts all love me, they have always loved me.
And naturally they all know I am gay, but they are all very conservative. But they do all love me and they did meet Carolyn almost 2 years ago but they are conservative [many more reps deleted]. I said that of course I am not expecting them to come all this distance and I pointed out that if I was marrying just any guy I would be inviting them, and not inviting them seems a bit like lying. I mentioned I was also planning on inviting my Aunt G and Aunt A [from my Dad's side] she brushed them aside with an 'of course'.
She saw my point... Why don't we think it over for a week and talk about it next Sunday? I agreed because really I am not sure how much of my extended family I want to invite. About an half an hour later I was talking to Dad about his continued email problems and Mom wanted to talk to me.
"I was cleaning the kitchen and thinking about what you said. I think you should invite your aunts. of course I am not trying to tell you what to do, it is your wedding I realize that. but you should invite Aunt J., Aunt M., Aunt B., and Aunt K, all my sisters. Though of course it is up to you. it's your wedding. But don't invite your Uncle H. [who I had basically forgot] there's just no point and Aunt R will just go on and on about it." I agreed meekly and we said good bye for the week.
I can't begin to say how funny and sweet my mom is being. I'm so touched by her thinking about the wedding, dealing with any homophobia she may still have, being willing to share with her family and so on. I just love my mum.
It just scares me sometimes that she is so elderly, she is 80 now. How I hope I have her for a good long time because I really like having my mother around. I'm glad since I am getting married that she is still here .
She is hard of hearing so we can't talk much on the phone. We write. My parents usually can't get their email to work, especially the sending. I know she has typed me out 2 letters in email over the last 10 days but they haven't managed to send them to me. I get a lot of empty messages from them. I know it's frustrating for her and it sure is for me.
Luckily her hearing aids were working fairly well yesterday because she wanted to talk to me about stuff she didn't want to get lost in email. I wish I had the conversations on tape, they were so cute.
'Will you tell me who you are inviting to the wedding?' Mom asks.
My mind went blank, did she want me to start reciting my whole list?
'Do you mean from the family?' I asked. She said 'yes'.
'Well, my sisters, their children....'.
'no, no, I don't mean them, [her children, lol] my family, are you inviting your aunts?'
'well, I was thinking about it, I think I should'
I think I'll give up the quote battle...
Then she went on about how my aunts all love me, they have always loved me.
And naturally they all know I am gay, but they are all very conservative. But they do all love me and they did meet Carolyn almost 2 years ago but they are conservative [many more reps deleted]. I said that of course I am not expecting them to come all this distance and I pointed out that if I was marrying just any guy I would be inviting them, and not inviting them seems a bit like lying. I mentioned I was also planning on inviting my Aunt G and Aunt A [from my Dad's side] she brushed them aside with an 'of course'.
She saw my point... Why don't we think it over for a week and talk about it next Sunday? I agreed because really I am not sure how much of my extended family I want to invite. About an half an hour later I was talking to Dad about his continued email problems and Mom wanted to talk to me.
"I was cleaning the kitchen and thinking about what you said. I think you should invite your aunts. of course I am not trying to tell you what to do, it is your wedding I realize that. but you should invite Aunt J., Aunt M., Aunt B., and Aunt K, all my sisters. Though of course it is up to you. it's your wedding. But don't invite your Uncle H. [who I had basically forgot] there's just no point and Aunt R will just go on and on about it." I agreed meekly and we said good bye for the week.
I can't begin to say how funny and sweet my mom is being. I'm so touched by her thinking about the wedding, dealing with any homophobia she may still have, being willing to share with her family and so on. I just love my mum.
It just scares me sometimes that she is so elderly, she is 80 now. How I hope I have her for a good long time because I really like having my mother around. I'm glad since I am getting married that she is still here .
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