This and That

Back when I was the broker in charge of a real estate company, our office manager gave me the minutes that she had taken of our weekly sales meeting.  When I got to the section of the minutes that held my message, she had written, “and Cindy talked about ‘this and that’ “.  Somehow I felt diminished by the “this and that” comment.  Looking back, I can’t imagine I had anything terribly profound to say, after all it was the absolute nadir of the real estate bust.  We were all just trying to hang on, keep the doors open, last the recession out, survive the onslaught of short sales and foreclosures and simply breathe.   Most likely the “this and that” that Christina referenced was simply that…  a laundry list of small pieces of data that if assembled, might help us off of the nadir and onto the zenith.  Even more likely, I thought I had a more meaningful message to share than I actually did.  Ego.

So, that is a long way to tell you why I haven’t posted anything since May 5.  My original idea for “Second Time Bride” was to post weekly.  I would keep everyone entertained with my frolic through the planning process as a non-traditional bride.  Weekly was good.   I figured that if I posted more frequently than that, I would bore everyone to tears.  If I posted more than once a week, I would lose readers and friends (even though there is a promise of free food and drink some 75 days from now.)   The truth is that nothing explosive has happened.  I have been involved in a whole bunch of “this and that”, and it is detailed below, and it’s in no particular order.

Who, What, When, Where — The invitations have been ordered, addressed and sent.   In fact we have started getting responses back, the first one came a few days ago.  Steve was on his way to do an errand, but stopped by our mailbox before getting in his car.  He hurried back up the stairs to share the excitement of the first response card.  We had had several discussions about who would be the first to respond.  He thought his mother would be first, I thought it might be The O’Donohues, but I wasn’t certain.  When that first response card came, it was a giant message of, “Hey, this is real, you are getting married… and soon”.  Steve stood there as enthusiastic as I was.  When I put my finger under the sealed flap, I got a shiver of joy as I opened it.  Who was it that was so excited that their response card came back in less than a week?  Who is as enthusiastic as we are?  Who was our very own first responder?  Who, indeed?  It was Maura and Pat O’Donohue and according to their response card, they can’t wait.  Neither can I.

I also can’t wait for the mail to come every day with more response cards.  I have the same reaction with every new envelope.  After I open it and it is a yes response, I think about the person(s) coming, imagine them at the wedding and the reception, think about what they have meant in my life and offer a quick prayer of thanks that in this crazy, enormous world, all of you guys crossed my path and we became friends.  With 8 billion people on this planet, that’s a miracle in my book.

“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance”… Japanese Proverb – We have a band coming out of Columbus, OH.  Their name is “The Recliners” and I have heard that sometimes they go by “Lazy Boy and the Recliners”.  One guy is a professor at Dennison University and at least one guy is a musician with Columbus Jazz Arts Group.  Their playlist is huge, they do The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Count Basie, Brazillian Bossa Nova, Ray Charles, The Coasters, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Connick Jr., The Eagles,  The Four Seasons, The Ink Spots, Benny Goodman, Norah Jones, John Mayer, and Frank Sinatra to name a few.  However, they won’t be playing the Chicken Dance or the Hokey Pokey, I guarantee it.  They are able to accommodate our request for our first dance and for now, I am keeping that a secret.  One thing is for sure, if you’re sitting around during the reception and you’re not dancing, it’s not because the music isn’t good, it’s because you are just plain boring.  Just sayin’.

“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”… Coco Chanel —  I have the most gorgeous dress ever to be seen on this planet.  Seriously, it is the prettiest thing I have ever owned (along with my horses).  When I opened the box, I got big tears in my eyes and my heart started beating faster.  There is some alteration ahead, but I am confident that can be dealt with.  My dress is by the designer Don O’Neill of Theia.  Don is also the nephew of The O’Donohues of first responding fame mentioned above.  Here is what one website had to say about my dress. “Pleated Perfection by Theia.  Darling and Sweet, this tasteful dress from Theia is perfect for an engagement party.  The boat neckline bodice is fitted and cinched at the waist with glittering floral embellishments.  The above the knee skirt features delicate pleats creating a flattering silhouette.  Add high heels to make this style really shine”.  I can’t wait…  I feel like Grace Kelly just thinking about my dress.

“No one looks back on their life and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep”… Unknown  —  Plans are underway for the “I Do Barbecue”.  I hope my pun is not lost on people.  The” I Do” is as in “Steve and I are saying I Do earlier today”, not as in, “ I do shrimp and pasta with artichokes”.  Admittedly on occasion my cleverness needs to be calibrated, but I hope this isn’t one of those times, since,  ”I Do Barbecue” is printed on our reception cards.  Oh well…  In any event, I have had several meetings with the executive chef of The Maylon House and I think we are on the same wave length with everything but dessert.  Spoiler alert!  We are not having a wedding cake.  For dessert, I am opting for peach cobbler, some cupcakes and maybe some ice cream.  For dinner, we are having a big barbecue with chicken and pork and all the fixings.  Peach cobbler and cupcakes go with a barbecue, don’t you think?  Seriously, my intention is to honor my heritage and keep it local.  Patrick’s food is wonderful and the band is great, and that my friends is a recipe for a memorable evening.  Live it up, it’s a three day weekend.  You can sleep another time.

“I can’t think about that right now.  If I do, I’ll go crazy.  I’ll think about it tomorrow”…  Scarlett O’Hara in ‘Gone With the Wind’ —  Yes there are still a few gaps in the plan, i.e.  flowers, wedding music, rehearsal.  But like Scarlett, I’m going to think about them tomorrow.  Stay tuned.  Thanks for reading.