This week has been at a forced breakneck speed. From last Thursday until this Thursday, Jack was well and truly at work except for one late night home. I am so grateful for his return to the working world. I appreciate the salary, but he needed the ability to work to pull him out of a dark morass he was sinking into.
On the other hand, that meant I was solely in charge here. His parents didn't need more than checking on (Harold is unwell, but there is nothing I can do), but there seemed to be a never ending list here. Part of the time went to hauling a kid into soccer practice a few nights. A lot went to grading papers/creating assignments. And a fair amount went to building a puppy pen and starting to house train our new friends: William the Ugly and Sweet Kate. (No, I am not a royalist, but apparently their previous owner was - and now the names seem stuck). Kate and Willie are half corgi and half mutt that looked like there might have been a a very short border collie vaguely associated with his past. And these pups? Well, Kate has a corgi body and border collie coloring. Willie, well, he is just a brown wiggly thing that my child likes .
The other time suck this week is a truly happy thing. My oldest brother, Tucker, is getting married today. Pedicures, dress shopping, and flower girl stuff for Bell has spread out over the past few weeks. Today, though, is the day. There will be the big fancy church wedding and reception, but afterwards, 120 of our family and closest friends will descend on my parents for roasted pig, salads, homemade cheesecakes and pies. We will have dancing, fireworks, and there is a canon that will be fired. Last weekend found us at Momma's helping to repot every plant that been growing in my beds and my grandmother's beds. One night was a marathon night of making pastry crust. Yesterday, I played hooky from school and went to my mom's to churn out 8 coconut cream pies and help a bit more around the farm.
Last night while we were in the rehearsal, a great rain storm came through. The rain was blinding and filled the ditches and flooded the roadways in 30 minutes. When rehearsal was over, I left Bell at the front of the church and went to get the car, sprinting through downpour. As soon as my hair and skin were soaked, it was evident how much I baked as waves of the odors of coconut and buttery pastry crust rolled off me. By the time we got home, my car smelled like a pastry shop.
Today, we are up early for showers and fancy hairdos and being at a church for hours before the wedding begins. I am excited to see our family that has traveled in. I love parties like this one at my parent's house (which is funny since I have never had one of my own) and yes, I love to dress up.
Mostly though, I am so excited and happy for my brother. He is 30 which is not so old at all, but the past 5 years have not been kind to him romantically. Well, maybe they were. Maybe all those years of heartbreak were worth it if it meant finding this girl who seems to make him whole. Last night as I watched Tuck and Lexie walk up the aisle after the rehearsal, the look that they shared was so full of joy and love that it could have powered a city. This is what weddings are about - the finding of love that gives us the joy and wholeness in life, of finding a best friend to share our bliss with.
No comments:
Post a Comment