(no subject)
Because so many things are happening between now and August I'm going to make more of an effort to actually write about them. Type your cut contents here.
So.... The Abilene Bridal Shower
When Gail and I spoke on the phone she told me that she'd invited about 75 people to the shower, which floored and scared me.
When I got there on Sunday, in my green polka dotted sheath, there was a mountain of gifts and about 40 women. It was held in Gail's best friend's house, hosted by another 8 women (all doctor's wives) and it was lovely. They had a dainty spread complete with petit fours and punch (that was all I got a chance to eat, but there was a lot more).
It was a really odd experience, I'm not used to have so much attention put upon me. I mean, this is so different from any sort of birthday party feeling. These women, complete strangers, know and love the Thames family so much that they have thrown 2 parties in my (and Ryan's with the engagement party) honor. Its a really interesting social rite of passage. I spent most of the party opening up gift after gift after gift. I received all of my Christmas China www.bestwishes.net/01hol001.html , but the best thing was a "lucky house cricket". It was so unexpected and neat.
On Monday Ryan, Gail, Paul, Karen and I all flew back from Abilene to Winston-Salem and have been moving Ryan into the rental house we'll be living in "after the wedding". Tuesday we packed his entire apartment and worked in the yard. Today we not only moved and placed all of his stuff into the house, we also moved a bunch of my stuff, spent nearly $500 at Lowes and hung all of the artwork in the house. I've never seen anything like it. These people are like blitz movers, its crazy.
We met a whole bunch of our neighbors yesterday. 5 mothers, 7 children and 6 dogs. This house www.trulia.com/property/1064031906-1250-Abingdon-Way-Winston-Salem-NC is in a real neighborhood. Mostly people are in their parents with 6-10 year olds. Not exactly a hip neighborhood, but everyone was really friendly and it turns out that our next door neighbors go to St. Timothy's, (the Episcopal Church we joined and went through mandated pre-marriage counseling there). Its so domestic, and it makes becoming a family with Ryan and the dog and the cat seem more real, and more...reassuring. Oh, and it costs half of what his parents were paying for rent on our 2 apartments.
Momma is getting stronger every day. She's not driving yet, but she's going to start working out at the hospital instead of having people come to her.
But, my great aunt Muzzy is dying. She's 86 and has lukemia. Muzzy has decided that she doesn't want to go through the twice weekly, 4 hour blood transfusions anymore and she's been given 10 days to live. While I'm not terribly close to her it saddens me that she won't be at the wedding. When I was about 8 years old she gave me a sixpence encased in hard plastic with
"Something Old, Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
Something Stuck in Your Shoe." on one side
and on the other
"The old bride's ryhme and the Lucky English Sixpence go together. For hundreds of years the English Sixpence found its way into the shoes of brides around the world because it was considered a lucky coin. And wearing one on the day of your weddings would ensure good luck throughout your marriage."
I never opened it. I've always kept it for my wedding day, keeping it is the only thing I ever did for my wedding when it was in the distant future.
I'm having it made into a charm to hang from my bridal bouquet and was going to surprise her with it. Obviously, that's not going to happen. So, I wrote a letter to her tonight telling her about it and how much I it means to me and I'm going to overnight it to her tomorrow. I didn't call because, well, I'm not sure what I would have said in a conversation with her.
Ok. that's it.
So.... The Abilene Bridal Shower
When Gail and I spoke on the phone she told me that she'd invited about 75 people to the shower, which floored and scared me.
When I got there on Sunday, in my green polka dotted sheath, there was a mountain of gifts and about 40 women. It was held in Gail's best friend's house, hosted by another 8 women (all doctor's wives) and it was lovely. They had a dainty spread complete with petit fours and punch (that was all I got a chance to eat, but there was a lot more).
It was a really odd experience, I'm not used to have so much attention put upon me. I mean, this is so different from any sort of birthday party feeling. These women, complete strangers, know and love the Thames family so much that they have thrown 2 parties in my (and Ryan's with the engagement party) honor. Its a really interesting social rite of passage. I spent most of the party opening up gift after gift after gift. I received all of my Christmas China www.bestwishes.net/01hol001.html , but the best thing was a "lucky house cricket". It was so unexpected and neat.
On Monday Ryan, Gail, Paul, Karen and I all flew back from Abilene to Winston-Salem and have been moving Ryan into the rental house we'll be living in "after the wedding". Tuesday we packed his entire apartment and worked in the yard. Today we not only moved and placed all of his stuff into the house, we also moved a bunch of my stuff, spent nearly $500 at Lowes and hung all of the artwork in the house. I've never seen anything like it. These people are like blitz movers, its crazy.
We met a whole bunch of our neighbors yesterday. 5 mothers, 7 children and 6 dogs. This house www.trulia.com/property/1064031906-1250-Abingdon-Way-Winston-Salem-NC is in a real neighborhood. Mostly people are in their parents with 6-10 year olds. Not exactly a hip neighborhood, but everyone was really friendly and it turns out that our next door neighbors go to St. Timothy's, (the Episcopal Church we joined and went through mandated pre-marriage counseling there). Its so domestic, and it makes becoming a family with Ryan and the dog and the cat seem more real, and more...reassuring. Oh, and it costs half of what his parents were paying for rent on our 2 apartments.
Momma is getting stronger every day. She's not driving yet, but she's going to start working out at the hospital instead of having people come to her.
But, my great aunt Muzzy is dying. She's 86 and has lukemia. Muzzy has decided that she doesn't want to go through the twice weekly, 4 hour blood transfusions anymore and she's been given 10 days to live. While I'm not terribly close to her it saddens me that she won't be at the wedding. When I was about 8 years old she gave me a sixpence encased in hard plastic with
"Something Old, Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
Something Stuck in Your Shoe." on one side
and on the other
"The old bride's ryhme and the Lucky English Sixpence go together. For hundreds of years the English Sixpence found its way into the shoes of brides around the world because it was considered a lucky coin. And wearing one on the day of your weddings would ensure good luck throughout your marriage."
I never opened it. I've always kept it for my wedding day, keeping it is the only thing I ever did for my wedding when it was in the distant future.
I'm having it made into a charm to hang from my bridal bouquet and was going to surprise her with it. Obviously, that's not going to happen. So, I wrote a letter to her tonight telling her about it and how much I it means to me and I'm going to overnight it to her tomorrow. I didn't call because, well, I'm not sure what I would have said in a conversation with her.
Ok. that's it.