Home Stretch

Three days from now, at this moment, our wedding ceremony will begin. I'm feeling surprisingly ready but also like I'm living in an alternate reality. While the past few days have been busy, they haven't been as busy as last week (when we were running a ton of errands every night), so I've been able to decompress and also connect with SB rather than simply going through a checklist together! And although I am kind of a taskmaster once I get started on a "to do" list, the times that I've been able to check out lately have been essential for my soul.

Earlier this week we saw The Way Way Back - which was a great little date night. The movie is very formulaic and in some ways a classic summer movie, but in other ways it was creative and funny and special. I felt like I took something from it - an uplifting message to have faith in and challenge yourself, and to be kind and thoughtful toward others no matter what. I'd recommend seeing it when it comes out in Redbox or Netflix.

Anyway, back to wedding stuff. I'm feeling tired but excited for the beginning of family/friend activities. Tonight is a lady night #1, when the ladies in SB's and my family are getting together to get our nails done. My almost-SIL is taking me to a place to get our makeup done before the nail appointment. Believe me, I resisted at first, knowing that it would be awkward followed by a sales pitch, but I wanted to connect with her and also, hey - I've got a few red spots on my face that a little cover up might fix and of course I want to look good on the most photographed day of my life. hah. 

Tomorrow will be spent with all of my favorite lady friends - a little intimate gathering including dinner and a drink, along with other surprise activities that will undoubtedly make me smile and laugh a lot. The specialness of having these women together will set my love bucket overflowing for sure. Such an opportunity, especially considering that my two best buds in the whole world will live on opposite sides of the country, with me in the middle, in less than a month.

On Friday we actually have the opportunity to set up the reception hall in advance, which is incredibly awesome and a time-saver. Woohoo! Then, the last of the pre-wedding activities is the rehearsal and dinner on Friday. I think this will be my favorite because we'll be with our most immediate friends and family, and we'll be treating them to a lovely dinner and giving them our homemade jam, among other gifts. I am eager to say THANK YOU to everyone! 

Lastly, while I know that many of our friends and some family cringe at the thought of an hour-long catholic wedding, I have realized through this process that SB and I feel happy to be a part of the parish and are excited to share the experience with friends and family for whom it will be new. Our officiant is a very dear man (he truly radiates kindness) - and we've been able to connect with him one-on-one, and it has been lovely. While the wedding has to be more neutral than the weekly super-liberal masses, and while it will require me to do a few things that I wouldn't have necessarily chosen to do, I'm glad that we did it this way. It was right for us and I think it will be really special and beautiful.

Almost Wedding Week

Well, we've got one full week before what I'm calling "wedding week" begins - this means we've got about a week until family/friend wedding activities begin. This also means one week to get a lot of little details done. The good news is that we finalized all plans with the DJ and the photographer this week, so we've got our day-of timeline written and shared with our vendors. Whew! Felt SO good to have that all figured out. And our final count of guests is now at 125 - a very lovely size. Yay for what will be a gorgeous day of love.

As part of the wedding, I ventured to make a joint family cookbook. I'm happy to say that the endeavor was worthwhile, and is nearly complete. While it won't have very many pictures (a downfall of many cookbooks), it will comprise recipes from four generations on each side of our family, and a bonus appendix will contain sentimental contents including photos of grandparents and great grandparents (and recipes that capture their handwriting). In compiling the book, I finally got a scanned copy of my favorite picture of my great grandmother. Oh the joy.

This week's CSA

Had to post again because I am so excited about this week's CSA share. We got the entire box this week because SB's coworker, whom we normally split with, is out of town. What a wealth of fresh produce!

Crunch Time

I got a text from a friend yesterday, inviting me to a yoga class next week and then recognizing that it might be hard for me to fit in due to in being "crunch time" for our wedding. That same day I got 3 wedding-related phone calls (from a hotel about shuttle services, the cake vendor, and a ceremony musician) and one of our readers followed up with SB re: his reading. It truly feels like wedding planning has surged again and it IS crunch time. At work earlier this week, in one day I had 4 people say to me, "oh my, it is getting so close!"

Fortunately I feel like we're in a good place with our plans. Not a whole lot of details left to figure out, but the execution of several of those plans is still in the works. Since the week of the wedding will be busy with family and friend get-togethers and meetings with wedding vendors, we've basically got the next 10 days to finalize everything (I just shuddered when I wrote that...eek!).

And, on top of it I have been applying for jobs and taking a class. I am admittedly falling behind in the class, as there is no real consequence of doing so due to the fact that all work is just due mid-August to receive a certificate of completion. And I recently had two interviews at a super awesome non-profit but just found out that I didn't get the job. Bummer, but at least all of the interviews are good practice while I'm still employed. It is a relief not to feel desperate, and I'll likely be in my current job for another two to three months. Post-wedding, the job hunt will become my first priority. And for that reason I'm grateful to still have the wedding - a beacon of love and fun in the midst of the job change.

And then... honeymoon. Did I mention that I've already started packing? :)

In Honor of the Fourth

It is a holiday week - hooray! And while the 4th of July is not at the top of my holiday list (largely because I associate it with crowds, mosquito bites, and an underwhelmed feeling towards fireworks), I am admittedly a huge nerd when it comes to the history of American government. I am inspired by the ideals on which this country was founded and, while the Constitution is a work in progress, I believe that we are still progressing within the framework put forth more than two centuries ago. SB and I just recently finished watching the John Adams miniseries featuring Paul Giamatti. Not the best, but it had some exciting moments. Anyway, onto a poem that I discovered in an old book tonight that felt relevant to the holiday:

Of Old Sat Freedom on the Heights

BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

   Of old sat Freedom on the heights,

      The thunders breaking at her feet:

Above her shook the starry lights:

      She heard the torrents meet.

   There in her place she did rejoice,

      Self-gather'd in her prophet-mind,

But fragments of her mighty voice

      Came rolling on the wind.

   Then stept she down thro' town and field

      To mingle with the human race,

And part by part to men reveal'd

      The fulness of her face—

   Grave mother of majestic works,

      From her isle-altar gazing down,

Who, God-like, grasps the triple forks,

      And, King-like, wears the crown:

   Her open eyes desire the truth.

      The wisdom of a thousand years

Is in them. May perpetual youth

      Keep dry their light from tears;

   That her fair form may stand and shine,

      Make bright our days and light our dreams,

Turning to scorn with lips divine

      The falsehood of extremes!

On a lighter note - "Lady Liberty" as seen in Ghostbusters 2