Dearly Beloved

Yes, once again I'm marrying someone. As God is my witness I think I feel as nervous as the bride and groom. Almost.

Beach themed wedding this time so I will be making lots of analogies to nature and storms and currents... And, of course, that potent little word L-O-V-E.

For now I'm off to eat tacos and maybe indulge in a margarita with that fabulous guy I live with, GG.

Thought for today... There's something grand about being married to someone and still feeling surprised and interested after 30 years. Wish I could somehow share that with my newly weds.

It's Over...I'm Tired!

Here we are...GG & I all dressed up and ready for the big event.

My boys

Their girlfriends were with us too, but I don't have their permission yet to post pictures.

I did it! They're really married!

After complaining about not getting a photo of me to post on the blog. GG obliged by taking one after we got home... at around 12:30 AM AFTER much dancing and sweating. I'm a little worse for wear. My hands are out because I was having a "discussion" about the late night photo shoot with my darling husband at the time.

But really, who cares when you have bitchin' red shoes like these?

Poster Girl

I took all of today off from work at the last minute. What does that mean? Well, I didn't have a specific plan for today, just a plan to get my last minute stuff done for the weekend without being crazy, rushed or, did I mention crazy?

However, being the Poster Girl for Stuff Happens, I instead have been playing on the internet. Joyfully playing. Blog hopping and googling to my heart's content. All of which means I didn't write the post about WRITTEN ON MY SKIN by Meredith Duran that I set out to write when I sat down this morning.

Nor did I start some sort of post for Access Romance. Nope. I played. I even *whispers* Twittered a little bit. I know! I'm such a loose cannon!

Time to get back on track and ready for the Stairsteps and the new little baby in the family, happy little GW, to arrive. Can't wait. Although I have a couple loads of laundry to do, a bathroom to clean, a rug to vacuum, some bruschetta to make and much painting and spakling to make myself presentable.

Wedding rehearsal is tonight. I found out yesterday I'm facilitating it. Power! So heady!

Some stuff I need to tell you...

Nope no July book list yet. I had such high hopes for today too because I took the day off from work and thought... You know I might get to do some fun stuff. No such luck.

I do have a couple of things I want to say about some recent reading though because I haven't had time to do proper reviews and because I don't want to lose the "feeling". Do you ever have feelings that linger long after you read a book? Sometimes I want to exercise more, or cook, or get to work earlier, or make something with my kids or... it can be just about anything. Something will grab me and just not let go.

As I think I mentioned when I first got back from DC I began reading my ARC of INDISCREET by Carolyn Jewel right away. I'm making big assumptions about this writer from the very kind and sweet woman I've met only a few times, but I'm telling you, a lot of stuff is going on in that brain of hers. Her characters are so human and real. She reminds me that a bigger than life dilemma doesn't have to be created when surviving the REAL life stuff is hard enough. I'll be posting this review closer to the release date of the book, but obviously I'm still loving her work.

Another of my favorite writers, Jenna Kernan, had a release this past week. This one is called SIERRA BRIDE. I stopped reading it. The hero was too schizo for me. The heroine too self sacrificing and not in a good way. SL Wendy was 100 pages in and liking it. I put it down thinking maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it because I normally adore Kernan's books.

It took me the better part of a week but I finished TASTING FEAR by Shannon McKenna. Regular visitors to my blog know that she's one of my favorites. Yes, I know that her heros are sometimes what is considered well, jerks. BUT, they are jerks with heart. Anyway, I've vowed I'm not going to apologize for liking the over protective hunky brutes. However this book of 489 pages is actually three books. It was like reading three Blazes back to back. I think I might have liked it better if she'd intertwined the stories more, but I won't swear to that.

Here's the thing. There are three parts, one for each sister, who in turn has her own hero. However, the sisters, who are not biological sisters as they were each adopted, seem exactly the same to me. I also felt that Ms. McKenna was trying too hard sometimes to write in answer to her critics who found her previous heros a bit too neanderthal. I, of course, wasn't one of those people, so making the men more sensitive and the women more independent and self sufficient didn't bother me. What bothered me was the sameness. That bummed me out. GG on the other hand, has just discovered McKenna. Yes, you read that right.

He just finished reading BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and gave it a 'B'. He asked for the next one but sort of backed up a few steps when he saw that the trade size book, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS was hot pink in color. Dunno if that one will get read or not.

My first book of August is THE FIRE KING by Marjorie Liu. Damn she's good. Now her characters...no two alike. Karr and Soria are wonderful. While the book proudly wears a DIRK & STEELE NOVEL on it's cover, in my so very humble opinion it stands on it's own very well. Good book people.

I think that's everything I wanted to get off my chest. Now I have to go get ready to go out. Tonight I'm off to my niece's bachlorette party. I haven't been to one in years. What does one wear to bachlorette parties these days?

I love my niece. Adore her in fact. I'm thrilled and happy for her, but don't you think it's odd she wants her aunt at her bachlorette party? Of course, I'm not saying there aren't some things I could teach her...

What I'm Doing...

What I'm doing is blog hopping. What I should be doing is polishing the wedding ceremony for my niece. Our last meeting is tomorrow. Two weeks to go to the big day.

I'm typing fast and looking over my shoulder because GG is doing yard work and I should be out helping him and weeding my flower beds. Instead I'm in the air-conditioned house here with you. Shhhhhhhh... Don't rat me out! Besides, I've decided the weeding can be done in the early AM when the temperature is below 90-something degrees.

Here are the red shoes I bought this morning for my dress. I tried them on with said dress and they look killer. Red was definitely the way to go. Don't worry, they aren't too casual for the dress. (Hey I know you aren't really worried about it, but indulge me.) The dress material is light weight and cotton-y. No I don't know what it actually is and I'm too lazy to go look when I also have to be on the look-out for GG.

Wow, so many of you have your July reading lists up already. Look for mine to be posted around September. J/K. Hopefully this week...some time.

Crikeys, I better go. I have to finish this wedding stuff and get some stuff, and myself, ready for this wine tasting thing we are going to tonight.

The Junk Drawer & An Award

I don't really have a junk drawer. My sister forbid it years ago. She pulled open the catch-all drawer in my kitchen gasped and said something like, "You can't have a messy drawer like this. You always have everything so organized." It was a call to arms hidden in an intervention.

Anyway, I told you that just so I could say, I don't have a junk drawer. BUT, if I did, this particular post is the equivalent of what my only imaginary, not real, junk drawer would look like.

See how messy things are already and I've hardly started. So FWIW, here goes.

Remember that saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"? My good intentions were to keep up with the posting and blogging once I returned from RWA. Apparently the universe had other ideas. I came home from RWA and promptly had the mother of all flare ups with my rheumatoid arthritis. Well, a mother of a flare up for me. Anyway one swollen & drained knee later I'm "fit as fiddle and ready for love".

(Don't you just love Singin' in the Rain?)

However, it did throw a major crimp into my good intentions seeing as how I had a leg propped up and was a sleep for at least half the week last week. For a brief moment Wednesday night I did throw myself a bit of a pity party imagining that I wouldn't be able to wear this dress...

or stand in these shoes...


What do you think? Should I go with red shoes to match the dress or stick with the silver?

Anyway, I chased those blues away because the knee is good. Mostly. New meds, good knee. I should be all kinds of awesome by August 15th when I will stand for approximately 20 minutes straight in those killer shoes to marry my niece and her fiance. Promptly following the ceremony I plan to change into something that won't cripple and disfigure my feet for life.

You know why?

Dancin' baby! Dancin'! It only takes a little coaxing and a few lurid false promises to get GG on the dance floor. What can I do but take advantage of the poor man? He just plain likes it so much.

Oh, and now that I feel better, I'm out in Romancelandia again too. Feels good. Mucho good. So, you know, HELLO EVERYBODY!

I'm lifting a glass of my favorite bar beverage to Ms. Lisabea who gave me an award in the guise of yet another call to arms disguised as an intervention.

Here's to you LB. Mwah!

Le Award

The Kreativ rules state that: Once you receive this award you are to list seven of your favorite things and then nominate seven other blogs.


1. Chocolate cake - it has to be moist and not be slathered in frosting.

2. A bright sunshiney day without wind. You have to live where I do to appreciate this.

3. Swimming. I feel so powerful and strong moving through the water.

4. Coffee. Slightly (a lot) addicted.

5. Buying presents. I love the feeling when I know I've gotten just the right thing for someone.

6. That moment every night when I lay my head on GG's shoulder and sigh. We just fit.

7. Books, of course. They've brought so much joy into my life not only in the pleasure of reading, but now with all the friends I've made.

Sisters and Brides and Packing...oh my!

My sister is here visiting. She came without her husband and the Stair Steps because my niece's bridal shower was yesterday. Which, by the way, was loads of fun.

Now I'm not particularly a "shower" type of person. Generally speaking I can think of no worse torture than being trapped somewhere and having to play bridal/baby shower games. My only solace is knowing that most women feel the same way and we all secretly agree to endure the ritual for someone near and dear to us to have her rite of passage.

The theme at this soiree was BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S. Yours truly won the BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S movie trivia game. My prize? A truly awesome set of dessert plates which helped mitigate the torture aspect of the event immensely. Truth be told, we had a lot of fun which was helped along with some tart and spankin' raspberry martinis. And, more importantly, it was great watching my niece's enjoyment of the event. That says everything.

Now I'm off to run a couple of errands with my sister and then it's cramming my stuff packing for me. It shouldn't take long. Hopefully. I'm pretty organized. Then it's early to bed.

The adventure begins tomorrow. I'm up at the butt crack of dawn to catch my plane to Washington DC and RWA.

The plan? See everyone. Do everything. Miss nothing. I'll be blogging. I also plan to have my tweets on my sidebar like last year.

Any last minute advice? People you think I should see?

Planning a Wedding

I may have mentioned I have another niece and family wedding this year and that my niece had asked me to marry them. With a family as large as mine we rarely have a year without some big event or other. Anyway I've been working my butt off on the ceremony. We had a very productive meeting this morning and got a lot of things finalized. Since I'm sworn to secrecy there's not a lot I can share at this time, but my sister, who's a genius when it comes to selecting music, chose this one for the bride's entrance. I love it.

The Scoop, The Dish, The Dirt...or what happened at the Wedding

You know your life is crazy when you post pictures of your niece's wedding and realize it was two weeks ago and you haven't even told the story of the event. You are all such good friends, and it was a bit humbling and startling to realize how much I tell you about my life and how invested we all are in one another. I adore you all. I do. I do. I do. Speaking of I do...

My story actually begins on Thursday. GG and I took the day before the wedding off to get the house ready and grocery shop because we were having much of my immediate family come to our house Saturday and Sunday for a BBQ and breakfast.

I tell you this because after we swam Thursday morning I called my brother, the father of the bride, and asked him to join us for breakfast. My SIL and the bride had already left for the venue and to run errands before the rehearsal dinner.

Anyway, we were having a great time until the conversation turned to the Dad update. I don't know if I've ever mentioned that my Dad lives half the year in Montana and half of the year (theoretically) here in SoCal. Dad was supposed to have left with HER to drive down here on Tuesday. Most people need two days to comfortably drive the route from MT to CA. My Dad always takes almost 3 full driving days because he likes to stop a lot. So if he left on Tuesday morning he'd be here Thursday afternoon.

So when I'm telling my brother the update, because he and Dad don't really speak any more, I let him know that Dad's been calling me about every 6 to 8 hours and updating me on his trip progress because he didn't leave MT until Wednesday NIGHT. He was only able to drive two hours out and stopped for the night.

Now call me crazy, but if I were a father estranged from most of my children and wanted them to accept my new wife and heal the rift, why would I tempt fate by leaving MT so late? Both my Dad and his wife are retired with no commitments or time constraints. Not to mention even though he's aggravating and irritating, he's also 77 years old.

Anyway I had been feeling sort of certain Dad might make it anyway because his wife is my age and she often does the driving. Well, my update to my bro was that my Dad says their pace is so slow because they are driving two separate cars. He bought her a new Prius to match his. But I digress and that's a story for another day.

My point here is that his wife has been here several times already. Why choose the time you are making the trip to go to your granddaughter's wedding the time you decide to move stuff down to SoCal and take two cars??? Huh? Why? Whatever though, right?
So my brother says, "Maybe it won't be an issue because he won't make it to the wedding." Sure I think to myself. What we wanted to avoid was making the wedding about Dad and drama and now we are all wondering and worrying about them driving and rushing and whether he will pull some slick trick and bring her at the last minute.

Throughout the day Thursday Dad calls. His progress and stops are pretty much status quo. I'm beginning to think he won't make it. Thursday night he's only half way. He says his pace is slow because of the two cars and he's going to press on ahead of his wife so he can make the wedding.

Long story short? They continue to drive together all day Friday and call and give me updates until I want to scream. Just as an aside, being the oldest sucks.

In the meantime, the rest of us are all gathering and getting ready for the wedding. Much happiness ensues. I try not to say anything to anyone about Dad because I don't want us talking and focusing on his drama. Of course that works pretty well with my brothers because they compartmentalize better than the sisters do. My sisters and I stew. And stew. And stew.

The wedding is at 6 PM. At 430 Dad calls and tells me to let my brother, the father of the bride know that he should go on without him. I almost swallow my tongue. Go on without them? Them? Uh-oh. I wonder...does my Dad actually think they'd hold the wedding for him? I'm amazed at the delusion.

I realize during this conversation that my Dad is still on Mountain time and remind him it's 430 not 530. He can still make the wedding if he really is already enroute. Of course, he wasn't. He had just arrived at their Cali home and hadn't showered or changed. He tells me his wife is too tired but he's going to try and make it.

Okay. It seems one disaster is diverted. No wife is coming. Whew! I move that message along to the masses and let them know to keep an eye peeled and their phones on vibrate because Dad isn't sure how to get to the Mission Inn.

We finish getting ready, kissing and shmoozing our way from our rooms at the Inn to the chapel where the wedding will be held. We're seated at 5:40. No Dad. More kissing and shmoozing as other family members arrive and are seated. No Dad.

6 PM. No Dad.

6:05 PM they close the doors to the chapel to prepare for the bride to walk down the aisle. My purse vibrates. It's Dad. I press ignore. 6:06 PM I'm now holding the phone in my hand to be able to shut if off because I know... It vibrates. It's Dad. He then calls GG. Dude! Look at the time! The music for the bride starts and I press redial.

I whisper, "Dad, the wedding has started. C is literally walking down the aisle. I have to..."

"I'm stuck in traffic. You'll have to press on without me."

I press 'hang up'.

Did he not hear that the bride was walking down the aisle???

The ceremony was beautiful and brief. Being Catholic we've had some looooog weddings so Shmoo trails out behind us after the ceremony and says, "Now that's my kind of wedding. Short."

*eye roll* I reply with a "Zip it."

The story ends with all of us looking for a half an hour after the wedding for my Dad. You'll be shocked to know we found him in the bar. Alone. No wife. He stayed for about 30 - 40 minutes. He barely saw the father of the bride and never saw the bride and groom. We were still enjoying cocktails and hors d'oevres before going into the reception when he left.

So no he didn't bring his wife. Just drama. We were all left wondering why he even came. And well it's easy to say he made an effort what he mostly did was cause another ripple and rift in his relationship with his kids. And while we did a pretty good job of diverting or cutting him off, he was still able to make part of the day about him.

Learning to let go is hard. It's difficult to let go of guilt and worry. All the normal things a child should feel about an elderly parent turn into something else when he is so reckless with our lives and feelings. We did make sure he didn't have more than 2 drinks and believe me that was an effort. It may also be part of the reason he left. That and his repeating to all of us over and over how much he was missing his wife. Not our mother. His wife.

There is a good part. We went on and had a wonderful time. Dad left and took his emotional vortex with him.

We laughed and danced and celebrated. My family. My blessing.

The Bride and Groom

If you live in Southern California it's not unusual you might choose the Historic Mission Inn in Riverside, California as a place to get married. My niece did. It was a beautiful wedding. Their photographer Cean Ornett of CEAN ONE PHOTOGRAPHY was just awesome and here are some photos he had up on his blog of the wedding. Excellent aren't they?

The father/daughter dance. My brother didn't want a picture taken of his face because he had tears in his eyes. Yeah, fire fighters don't cry...even when their daughters get married. Whatever, KM, you were a great father of the bride.

This one is one of my favorites. Okay, I admit I'm more than a little biased and I won't shamelessly solicit your concurrence. Kudos to Cean. This is a wonderful photograph of our little missy.

Going to the Chapel and...

There they are. My niece and her intended. It's one of their engagement photos. So, it's here. Today is their big day...er, uh...night. The wedding is at 6 pm. Sort of odd to get married at 6 p.m. on a Friday night in SoCal. The traffic on the freeways on Friday is a nightmare, but I digress.

After all the planning it's finally here. I was doing a head count this morning and it's been more than three years since EVERYONE in my immediate family has made it to a single event on a single day. So that's pretty awesome and pretty cool. GG promises to take some pictures for me so you can see how pretty we all are. Hopefully I'll be able to get them posted before I'm out of town.

Now I gotta go help feed some people breakfast. Don't you just love chaos?

Was it good for you...

Wine tasting... an awesome evening in a beautiful home.

Bridal Shower... fun, laughs, excellent food.

Visit with sisters ... emotional, fun, too short, exhausting.

Why is it I have no discretion or sense when my sisters visit? It's a marathon, intense, and balls out.

I'm so tired I'm cross eyed and I wouldn't change a moment of the weekend for anything.

I just wanted to say...I'm alive. Barely.

Babies and Brides...or Brides and Babies

IT'S A ...

NOT A ...

I started a post this morning while I was waiting for Shmoo. The engine light came back on in his car and he had to take it in. The upside is that I went into work a bit later. The downside is there was no extra sleeping time involved.

Anyway I thought I'd dash off a quick note because as I've mentioned previously my sisters will be here for the bridal shower. The shower I unfortunately keep referring to as the "baby" shower. Uh-oh. Not good. I don't know why this keeps happening. The bride is most definitely NOT pregnant? It does not, however, stop me from talking about the baby shower on Saturday. Aieeee Carumba!

It's unlikely I will do any posting, blog hopping, etc. this weekend. I probably will also not be doing any reading. Bummer. I will be drinking wine with friends, gabbing with my sisters and doling out advice to unsuspecting young women. My kind of fun all around.

So take it easy out there. I'll be around.

THE WEDDING STORY

So one of my husband's co-workers, actually somebody he supervises, was getting married this weekend. Fortunately, rather than one of those obligatory gatherings, we actually like the guy and his family.

I say his family because his brother-in-law used to work for GG. As a consequence of that relationship we bought some flooring from his father-in-law who is also the father of the groom...follow me so far?

So, to re-cap we know groom, groom's BIL, and groom's father...which means we know assorted spouses and children of same. Which all means we would know people and have a fun time at the wedding, which we did. Although the DJ did make me feel like I was listening to a radio show all evening, but music at weddings is a blog of a different feather and will be written about at some future date.

No, what prompts me to write this is the bride's mother. Look, I'm the first one to admit that I'm no fashion queen. Hell, I'm not even allowed in the queen's court, but I do make an effort to wear age appropriate and size appropriate clothing.

The wedding couple is in their early thirties so this makes parent units in their early and mid-fifties. Groom's mom...was beautiful. Lovely somewhat tailored lavendar dress, mid-knee. No chiffon, not too dowdy and not too young. Great hair and make up...she looked awesome, young, and enjoyed herself and danced the night away.

Okay, bride is a tall (almost 6') statuesqe woman. Auburn hair, green eyes, cute nose, halter gown...great tan and no tan lines. Dress wasn't too bride-y or over the top. She looked fabulous. Likewise her sister and cousins who were in wedding party.

Now while I can hardly be classified as a slim gal myself, I do not dress myself in form fitting (okay it was TOO TIGHT) pepto bismol pink polyester dress, tea length, with a lighter pink chiffon over coat (same length as dress) with a huge (at least 30" across) pink floppy hat with pink chiffon bow on it for a night time wedding. I swear, I almost laughed out loud!!!! It was like seeing a caricature on a sitcom of the overblown, loud, lived-a-hard-life mother in law!

Of course it gets better. Bride's Mom proceeds to get sloshed and do the can-can to Aretha Franklin's R&B classic RESPECT. It was a sight I can tell you. Of course two of her equally sized but better dressed friends joined her. To say the least they cleared the dance floor.

By the time the dance began she was sans hat. Her scant brunette locks were held to the top of her head with a pink chiffonned banana clip with a bow.

Well it was a sight to behold, Bride's Mom sure was happy and celebrating her daughter's good fortune. I know I'm not the only person who was at the wedding who will be telling this story.

You had to be there.