Waiting on a wedding

TG, cool as a cucumber during the afternoon.

Actually I'm waiting on the official wedding pictures, which I have not seen yet, but soon will I am sure.

And at that time I will share a selection with you.

These are all cell phone photos taken beginning the night before, at the rehearsal dinner, and going through until just a short time before guests began arriving for the ceremony.

This greeted us as we entered the rehearsal dinner venue.

We'd been at the church until nearly one o'clock in the morning on the Wednesday night before the Friday wedding day.

There is a family in our church who create dramatic lighting effects in our Family Life Center, which is a gym with a full restaurant-style kitchen, and where many receptions and dinners are held.

The lighting process is somewhat time-consuming, and I had added a light curtain to the mix, and we were all there to help the installers in any way that we could.

Audrey had bought French-inspired vases for the flowers.

We also busied ourselves with other tasks such as hanging backdrops for our photo booth and finishing up some details having to do with table decor.

So it was a late night and the next day, Thursday, wedding eve, would be a long day with, we were hopeful, not so late a night.

But there are so many last-minute things to see to, that one wonders whether simply working around the clock until you drop into the floor unconscious would be the way to get it all done.

E is for Erni, our Audrey's new last name. It's Swiss.

I'm fortunate that I had a great deal of excellent help.

On Thursday I arrived at the church at about ten o'clock in the morning and started on installing fifty pew and altar and door decorations.

All of which I had made with me own pirate hands.

The ladies painted these old books.

The tulle was almost all saved over from Erica's 2018 wedding. I had stored it carefully -- okay, it was stuffed into a box that sat in the guest room closet for six and a half years, haha -- and it was as fluffy and magical as ever.

Tulle does not die unless you set fire to it, I imagine. I'm now saving it in case we need it when our Allissa gets married. Yes, she is sixteen and still in high school, but just go with it.

Get out ahead of things, I always say.

There were charcuterie-type treats on hand.

Around each tulle swath I wrapped a piece of gold bling and added fairy lights, then tucked in an ivory silk rose adorned with a gold laser-cut butterfly, and bows of tulle and double-faced satin ribbon.

Thirty pews each got one of those. Fifteen more festooned the altar -- they looked like tiny waterfalls -- and there were four hanging on the glass doors leading into the church lobby.

My niece Rebecca, who lives here now, having moved to the area last summer, came to help and she ended up fluffing and arranging every single one of those pew decorations.

And a festive Chantilly cake.

It took her many hours and what I would have done without her, I cannot imagine.

I was busy doing the altar decor and putting up some other lighted things, and our lamppost still was not in place beside the bench on the platform, but that would have to wait until Friday morning.

At various times I would traverse the large auditorium and spacious lobby and long hallway leading to the reception venue, where many helpers awaited the rental delivery van.

My brother Mike and his wife Jennifer came from California.

Mike and Audrey rented chairs, linens, flatware, beverage service urns, a grass wall, a coffee cup display piece, and a cold beverage trough that would be stuffed with ice and green bottles of Maison Perrier sparkling water.

The truck came from Charleston and once all of the items were unloaded, many hands got to work placing the chairs and linens, and putting the centerpieces together.

Our centerpieces were meant to evoke both Paris and Versailles, which is forty miles to the west of Paris.

The dress, being photographed in the church lobby.

Both places that Audrey loves and enjoyed visiting on her two trips to France, in 2005 and earlier this year.

In fact the newlyweds are at Versailles as I write this.

On the white linen tablecloth we placed a twelve-inch square of artificial grass. Atop that was a black box eight by eight and four inches tall, which I embellished with the same gold bling used in the pew and altar decorations.

The bride glowed with happiness all day long.

This was to give the centerpiece height and drama.

Atop the box was a fifteen-inch black Eiffel Tower, and stuck on top of the tower was a flower ball of white foam roses installed with diamond-head pins, with some greenery, and more gold butterflies, and fairy lights lighting it from within.

I know, right? Somewhat elaborate but I had fun making those flower balls. They took at least one hour apiece to assemble.

Our grandson Guy enjoyed the run of the sanctuary.

And when all of those were set in place on twenty-five tables in the large room, it looked quite nice. Two dear friends of mine turned all of the flower ball lights on about an hour before the wedding.

We had selected square-ish plastic plates in dusty blue (we called it French blue, haha) and embellished with a frilly gold painted design on each of the four sides.

I thought my flowers were exquisite.

The ornate real flatware (fork and knife only; we couldn't afford spoons, haha) looked great beside the plates, and topping it all off was Mike and Audrey's stunning oversized and personalized dinner napkin, the design of which matched their wedding invitation.

We did a photo shoot about a week before the wedding and I used the pictures, framed in ornate French blue-and-gold frames, to define tables that were reserved for family and special friends.

Tulle and fairy lights adorned the center aisle.

Our party favors were pains-au-chocolat (French croissant-like pastry with chocolate inside) paired with a tiny jar of Bonne Maman or St. Dalfour French jam, and a tiny plastic spoon inside a clear glassine bag adorned with a strip of bleu-blanc-rouge ribbon and a Paris sticker.

In addition, guests were treated to Madeleines served by two adorable mademoiselles dressed in black dresses with white Peter Pan collars à la Edith Piaf, and sporting red berets.

Ember and Rhett populating the park bench.

The girls are first cousins and they loved carrying their baskets full of Madeleines, going around to the tables saying Bonjour! Would you care for a Madeleine? 

Who could refuse such a treat -- either the almost-ingenues or the French cookies?

The rental company placed the grass wall in the lobby of the venue, where Audrey and I had stationed our Scentiment hotel diffusers and were playing the scent "The One."

Dagny joined them for this shot.

We would play it all the next day too, and the glamorous aroma wafted in and around the reception venue.

My large iron easel would stand in front of the grass wall and hold a 20x30 canvas of Audrey's bridal portrait.

As Thursday waned, we were nearing completion of the preparations, except for a few things that would have to wait until Friday morning.

Then it was time for the rehearsal, and it went as well as could be expected.

Joel and Andrew in deep discussion on the wedding afternoon.

Afterwards we all traipsed across the parking lot to a building which houses a space we call the Chandelier Room, which is used for showers and smaller parties.

Audrey had enlisted a lady in our church who has three teenage daughters, all four of them talented in flower arranging and various decorating and entertaining arts.

The ladies had transformed the Chandelier Room into a lovely party venue, and Mike had provided lavish charcuterie, sandwich, vegetable, and fruit platters for everyone to nosh on.

Audrey rested, surrounded by her bridesmaids.

There was a scrumptious Chantilly cake and lots of candlelight and flowers and everyone had such a good time.

Audrey and Mike had put together generous gift bags for their wedding party, and those were distributed along with thank-you gifts for several who had been such a great help to us throughout the process.

Several of us also gave housewarming gifts to our Stephanie. She and her family moved into their new house only days before the wedding. It is a few miles from their former house, but with more room for their growing children. I've only seen it in pictures but I look forward to a visit.

"Little" Andrew and Dagny joined the menfolk.

I slept quickly that night and was up early for coffee, and then set out for the hairdresser's, from which I would go straight to the church.

My hairdresser, Nancy, also cuts Audrey's and Erica's hair, and she would be a guest at the wedding.

My brother Mike and his wife, Jennifer, who flew in from California and were with us at the rehearsal dinner, helped me with the final preparations in the sanctuary when I got there on Friday.

Andrew helped with the children during the wait.

We worked for a few hours and then lit all of the fairy lights and declared it finished.

Eventually all was ready and it was time to get dressed. There is a whole story wrapped up in that, as far as I am concerned, but I won't tell it to you today. Suffice it to say, one lives and learns.

Charlie Mather, our photographer, had been there since noon, photographing the dress and accessories, Audrey's perfume, Mike's cologne, the flowers, many of the decorations in both the church and on-site reception venue, and so forth.

The wedding cake was in the Lambeth style.

Mike and Audrey chose to do a "first look" before the wedding so that we could get the majority of the photos out of the way.

We met in the sanctuary to take a good number of those on the platform where Mike and Audrey would be married a few hours later.

Our grandchildren Ember (almost five) and Rhett (three), the flower girl and ring bearer, were meant to sit on the bench beside the flickering lamppost throughout the ceremony, looking like a miniature bride and groom.

There were also petit fours.

Only, it didn't happen so in this post I share one of the few pictures I have of them on the bench together.

(Rhett melted down when it was time for him to serve as ring bearer. He never made it into the sanctuary, much less to the altar.)

Ember sat alone with her basket of red petals (she forgot to strew them as she walked), and was as good as gold.

The tables, set and waiting.

Alas, big weddings are destined for glitches and ours had more than a few. It will take a whole post to tell you about them and I promise you will enjoy it.

It is of the laugh-or-you'll-cry variety, if you get my drift.

All in due time.

I cherish a photo that Erica took of me with our Andrew that afternoon. He is so busy in his job as a pilot that we don't get to see him nearly as much as we would like.

The napkin design matched the invitations.

He enjoyed catching up with our son-in-law Joel, while Audrey rested in the lobby surrounded by her bridesmaids.

That waiting time stretches long when you get an early start on things, but we felt it was better to be ready and have a relaxing time of photos, rather than be rushed.

The weather was unseasonably warm -- nearly eighty degrees -- and the humidity was an unexpected guest at the wedding.

Our mademoiselles. I forgot to steam the wrinkles out of the backdrop.

We girls were grateful for hairspray and a great deal of it was utilized to keep our tresses from wilting.

I loved my corsage of white mini roses and carnations, and the bridal bouquets and boutonnieres were equally fresh and dewy and romantic.

And then the guests began arriving and it's all sort of a blur after that because there were a few surprises and they were delightful ones, along with the precious friends and family members whose presence I was expecting and keenly anticipating.

I cherish this picture of me with my son.

We had guests from California, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and of course from all over South Carolina, specifically the upstate where my sister lives, as well as many who live locally.

The rest of the wedding story I will save for later.

Meanwhile, are you ready for Thanksgiving? You do realize that Christmas is in just one month; right?

Tell me in the comments what you're up to.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

They circled back

Erica's bridal shoot at the South Carolina State House, April 2018

This post will give new meaning to the old adage that timing is everything.

Allow me to elaborate.

The same photographer worked with us for both Erica's wedding in 2018 and Audrey's wedding last week.

As part of the package both couples purchased, there was a pre-bridal photo shoot.

For Erica's in April of 2018, about a month before the wedding, Audrey helped her sister get dressed in her wedding gown at home, and drove her to downtown Columbia to the State House.

It is frequently the backdrop for many bride and bridal party shoots.

Audrey at the gate

But this time being her turn, Audrey didn't want to have her pre-bridal shoot at the State House.

She asked me what I thought about an alternate location and I suggested one.

But her shoot was to take place in early October, and just before the agreed-upon date, Hurricane Helene blew through.

Mike and Audrey went to the place we'd planned on for the shoot, and it was trashed with limbs and branches and so forth, and we were doubtful that it would be cleaned up by the following Thursday.

So I said, let's go to our old stand-by, the Governor's Mansion. Or as the district is called here in South Carolina's capital, Arsenal Hill.

The mansion sits far back behind wrought iron gates that front a quiet street.

Charlie and Audrey working at it

There is another set of wrought iron gates even grander than the ones at the entrance to the house, and I could imagine a long shot of those with Audrey in her wedding gown on a gorgeous fall day.

(In fact I had a clear picture in my mind of what Audrey's pre-bridal photo should look like, and it involved an iron gate. I planned to display it -- the picture, not the gate -- in the form of a large canvas at her wedding reception.)

Rather than Audrey get ready at home this time and Erica and I try to get her downtown in her massive wedding dress, Mike reserved a room for us at the Sheraton a few blocks from Arsenal Hill.

The hotel is an imposing property, occupying a historic building on Main Street that started out as a bank approximately a century ago.

So it was that Audrey, Erica, and I set out for downtown Columbia -- a fifteen-minute drive from my house -- with all of the bridal paraphernalia we could carry, plus a bouquet of fresh flowers from Audrey's florist, for the shoot.

We checked in and, per Mike's instructions, let the valet service park the car.

The Sheraton, downtown Columbia

With Mike's status as a frequent customer of the Marriott organization, he automatically was granted lounge access with his reservation.

By lounge I mean, not a bar but a suite with refreshments that you get into using your room key card.

We three girls plundered that for snacks before getting down to the business of dressing Audrey in her wedding gown, veil and all.

Erica arranged her sister's hair after Audrey had done her own makeup. We were due to meet Charlie, the photographer, at five thirty.

Only, I looked at my phone just as we were finishing up, and it already WAS five thirty.

So Audrey texted Charlie to say, hold on, we're coming, and we hustled to the elevator and down to the lobby and out onto the street where we collected Erica's SUV and got the bride into the back.

Look at the splendor around you

Erica pulled expertly into rush hour traffic (minimal as ours is a small town, but still, it was between five thirty and six) and headed for Arsenal Hill.

Halfway there -- that is to say, two blocks from the hotel -- Audrey said: I forgot my flowers.

Oh dear.

Erica maneuvered back around to the front of the Sheraton, double parked, and activated her hazard lights. The ones on her car.

I gave her my key card and she ran inside. Our room was on the fourteenth floor.

Six or so minutes later she came back out. Without the flowers.

The key card does not open the door to the room, she said when she'd reached the car.

I gave her my second key card and jumped out of the car. I was right behind Erica as she ran back into the lobby and to the bank of elevators and pressed the UP button.

Historic trees, brick, and wrought iron

I went to the desk and implored the kind lady there to please please please give us keys that work for more than one entrance into the room. We had only checked in two hours before!

She apologized and gave me an additional key card, and by then Erica was back, having had success, and with the bouquet, we went back to Audrey waiting in the car.

We headed out again, and were a full half hour late for the shoot, but Charlie was waiting patiently, and the light was still excellent, so all was well.

Only, that massive elaborate wrought-iron gate in front of which I'd dreamed of a long shot of Audrey? It was mostly obscured by a police car parked there. More or less permanently, as there was no one in it.

We did get a few up-close shots of the bride but the ornate top of the gate was not visible as it disappeared when the cruiser was cropped out.

The street where the Governor's Mansion is situated is an entire block of historic brick and wrought iron, though, and Charlie began working on several poses of Audrey as we moved back down the street towards the gate that leads to the Mansion itself.

The mansion as backdrop

We reached that gate and Audrey posed in front of it for a few minutes. Just inside the gate is a lovely little security building that looks as though hobbits would live there.

A non-hobbit security guard emerged from the tiny structure and said without preamble: Y'all are going to have to move. The Governor and First Lady are leaving.

I had seen two black SUVs sitting in front of the mansion and now they made sense.

We all moved aside, and the gates opened, and sure enough, the two SUVs slowly rolled through. 

The second (or maybe it was the first) one stopped briefly at the end of the drive before turning into the street, and we could see someone waving at us from behind darkly tinted windows.

Erica put in a day's work with the dress

That would be The Honorable Henry Dargan McMaster, 117th Governor of South Carolina.

Then the two SUVs exited the drive and were gone.

I was disappointed that the Governor had not rolled down the window to congratulate Audrey.

But you can't have everything.

Or can you?

We circled back the way we had come, to find another ideal spot for some more shots of the bride.

Perhaps one full minute elapsed before it happened.

We pursued many verdant pathways

And what happened was, we heard a sound, looked up, and the two black SUVs had come back.

They had returned, then circled in the street and come to a stop at the curb not ten feet from the gate where they had moments before exited.

The window went down on the passenger side in the back.

An English bulldog (the First Dog of South Carolina, as it were -- name of Mac) jumped up and stuck his head out.

An elegant feminine hand grasped the strap just inside the window.

I never saw her face, but I clearly heard her quintessential Southern Belle voice. First Lady of South Carolina Peggy McMaster said: Would y'all like to take your pictures on the grounds?

The only pic I got of the Guv's SUV

Moonlight and magnolias all the way, if you get my drift. ALL the way from the Upstate to the Low Country and everything in between.

We gasped and chorused: Yes ma'am!

She responded with a gentle admonishment: All right but just don't go up on the porch!

We promised that we wouldn't. Governor McMaster had leaned forward and was waving to us from beside his wife. 

I think I was too stunned to even wave back. Love ya Guv'na!

The elegant hand receded and Mac the English bully disappeared. The window closed, the two black SUVs purred away from the curb, and again they were gone.

Then the gates opened and we were ushered inside by some surprised but cordial security guards.

We used every bit of the light

Charlie could not believe it. The rest of us could not believe it either. There was not another soul there and it was the golden hour for photography on a perfect weather day.

Right place, right time took on that extra-special meaning that it sometimes does.

Let me stop here and say, there are tours of the Governor's Mansion and its grounds several times a week. I know that, even though I have never been on one of them.

But to be there at that time of day, with no others around? It was like a dream.

Charlie and Audrey started working while Erica knocked herself out arranging her sister's dress over and over and over again.

I provided moral support and took most of the pictures in this post, with my cell phone.

As we walked further inside the property, we came to the Governor's private rose garden. A small but ornate garden gate, with a heart worked into its center, was closed.

The bride was happy

I peered through and saw that it led to their swimming pool, beside which stands an impressive pool house.

Charlie was clicking away and when Audrey struck a certain pose, I was pretty sure that it would produce THE photo that my heart was looking for.

Presently a security guard approached us and said that the Governor and First Lady were on their way back, and that we would have to leave.

By then the light was gone and we were sure that there was magic in Charlie's camera, just waiting for him to bring out in post-processing, in ways most dazzling.

Which is exactly what he did.

And like I had dreamed of, among all of the beautiful pictures he took on that crazy day, was the money shot. The one that became Audrey's official bridal portrait.

It was better than I could have imagined. Early the next week, I sent a print of it to Governor and Mrs. McMaster, with a heartfelt thank-you note for their kindness and generosity.

And here is that portrait:

The one. Click to embiggen.

Special thanks to Jo-Lin's Bridal & Formal Wear, Allure Bridals, the South Carolina Governor's Mansion, Governor and Mrs. Henry McMaster, and Charlie Mather of Charlie Mather Photography.

Next post, I'll tell you some things about the wedding and the festivities surrounding it, and share more pictures.

Meanwhile the newlyweds are honeymooning in London. The cities of Paris and Istanbul will see the soles of their shoes, and their smiling faces, before they return home on November 24th. Dagny is here with TG and me.

Tomorrow's local forecast is for rain, with cooler temperatures. Our plan is to wear sweaters and go to Cracker Barrel and sit beside a window -- but within view of the fireplace -- to eat pancakes, and then do some Christmas shopping in the store.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

A Tale of Two Seths

Occasionally, wires get crossed.

I'm slammed with last-minute wedding preparations but I felt I just had to dash by and tell you about something that happened yesterday.

Of course when one wakes up on Monday of wedding week, one's brain is instantly flooded with all the myriad and varied things that must still be accomplished before the day.

It's mostly all small stuff. But still.

As I was having my coffee, I was reminded that I had not yet reached out to Seth.

Seth is a longtime member of our church who is almost always in the sound booth during services.

When Erica got married I trusted Seth with everything to do with lighting and sound before and during the ceremony.

He is a prince of a man but to be honest, I almost never see him on Sunday except, he sings in the choir and I'll see him up there, but after that it's not likely that I will run into him.

A few weeks ago I spotted Seth in the sound booth up in the balcony just when the service concluded, and I quickly made my way up there (it's a long way). When I arrived, Seth had evaporated.

But I knew that I could always send Seth a text, because I had done that very thing last June when we celebrated our forty-fifth wedding anniversary.

(I'd sent him a picture of us on our wedding day, which was displayed with other salient information of interest to church members, on the screens at the front of our sanctuary.)

I was cheerful and upbeat.

So after I'd finished my coffee yesterday morning, I picked up my phone, located Seth in my contacts, and composed a text.

I apologized for being so late reaching out but I wondered if he would be on hand to manage the sound booth for our rehearsal on Thursday night (except, I wrote Friday night, which was wrong), and join us at the rehearsal dinner afterwards.

I explained that I was mortified at the oversight of not formally inviting him and his wife to the rehearsal dinner (because we did send custom invitations for that event), but I hoped he/they would be able to join us anyway.

I waited a few minutes and then came Seth's reply.

He said that he'd be gone this weekend. But he wanted to know what the event was for.

I replied, Audrey's wedding, and reminded him that he had told Audrey recently that his family would definitely be attending (they had not sent back their reply card so she asked him in person).

And then Seth told me that I had him mixed up with another Seth.

? ? ? ? ?

He identified himself as the contractor who did our bathroom.

? ? ? ? ?

First of all, we have had two bath remodels in recent years: the guest bath completed in December of 2021, and the master bath completed in April of 2023.

Our contractor for the first one was named Michael -- he's an old friend of TG's -- and he worked alone.

And then I was appropriately penitent.

Our contractor for the second one was named Art, and he did have helpers but not a one of them spoke English so I know there was not a Seth among them.

We have no more baths to remodel.

TG came into the room as I was digesting all of this and I asked him if he remembered a contractor named Seth who had worked in our house in recent years.

He looked at the ceiling but when he did not see the answer there (to be fair he did intone Seth. Seth. Seth. several times while glancing heavenward), and said no, that he remembered no contractor named Seth.

Well anyway I wrote to Contractor Seth and said oh dear, I meant to contact Seth at church who does our sound, and I thought he was the only Seth in my contacts! I just saw the name Seth and forged ahead.

He said, no worries lol.

I elaborated that my daughter was getting married on Friday so I was addlepated. I wished him a good week.

He did not respond to that and I imagine there was an eyeroll involved in there somewhere.

For which I cannot blame him.

THEN I had to ask TG for the contact info for Church Seth, which was for some reason NOT in my contacts although I texted with him only a few months ago.

All was made right in the end.

(It's obvious to me now, after having had more than twenty-four hours to reflect on my faux pas, that I failed to ADD Church Seth to my contacts when I texted with him in June.)

So my phone dinged and TG had shared the contact and I texted the proper Seth asking him to help us out on Thursday and join us for supper afterwards.

My request was longish because I tend to use one hundred-fifty words when ten would do (I'll thank you not to snicker), but Seth's reply (unlike my request) was to the point:

Yes, I can be there for that. What time?

Sighs of relief were breathed by moi as I hastily assured him that he is my hero (I'm sure he was looking for that validation on a Monday morning) and that we needed him at six o'clock on Thursday and of course he was welcome to bring his wife to the dinner.

He responded with a thumbs-up but said he wouldn't be able to stay for dinner.

I thanked him again profusely and that was that.

Can you believe? I had to go to the church yesterday to do some stuff and I told someone that story and she laughed so hard, I realized it was even funnier than I thought.

So I figured I'd share it with you before things get too hairy around here and you think I've forgotten all about you.

We're not just going around in circles.

Time now to go and finish up a bunch of little stuff and continue moving forward to our special event. Both Thursday and Friday will be all-day events in and of themselves, what with the decorating that must be done.

But we have lots of help and it will be exhilarating to see it all come together.

Everyone is excited. I will share much wedding news next week. Keep your powder dry.

And that is all for now except to say, God Bless America.

UPDATE: While doing something else after setting this post to go live at a certain time, I remembered who Contractor Seth is. Last January he gave us a bid on redoing our TV room flooring. We went with another contractor but I remember Contractor Seth as a jovial fellow so I'm sure there's no harm done.

As you were! xoxo

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Happy Tuesday

Crunch time

You and me, babe

Y'all I'm just cruising by in my dinghy to say I'm still alive.

I have neglected you and I'm acutely aware of it.

There have been parties and celebrations and events and in and among all of that, I have been doing wedding preparation things.

But I do want to bring you up to speed.

Audrey's wedding day is two weeks from Friday so forgive me if I ramble. I am a preoccupied pirate.

Let's work backwards from Monday, because nothing much happened yesterday except that Audrey came over and we took a walk.

I early voted for the first time in my life -- wait; no. I voted absentee once about ten years ago, but I do not remember why. I only know that it was necessary.

There were luscious treats at the bridal shower

With that one exception, and the exception of two days ago, I have always cast my ballot in person, at the polling place, on election day.

I like doing it that way.

But this time, election day is Tuesday of wedding week, and just to save some time, I voted on the first early voting day.

I'm going to be honest here: I don't understand early voting. It doesn't make sense to me; there's a day for voting and that's the way it was done for a very long time, and I don't understand how or why it changed.

So I doubt I'll ever do it again, but this time, I did.

And I waited in line for forty minutes, which is about thirty minutes longer than I have ever waited in line for all the other times I have voted in South Carolina.

Put together.

Rizzo flakes out in the foyer while I work on decorations

And it was majorly sunny, no cloud cover at all, and hot -- although with low humidity -- and I had to stand in direct sun for at least half of that time.

But I consider it a privilege to vote, so I did not complain. When I turned in my ballot to be recorded and got my sticker, the lady told me that I was the eight-hundredth person to vote that day, at that location.

It was then two-thirty in the afternoon, and the line was still a forty-minute-wait long.

But I had other fish to fry, as on Monday evening we met with Mike and Audrey to take some last-minute pictures that I need for the wedding.

After that, we went to get some supper and it was a pleasant time.

Last Thursday evening, we attended Audrey's wedding shower given by the ladies of our church.

One of our charming young women has the job of planning the showers, and she came to me several weeks ago for a word of guidance about what should define Audrey's event.

I found the ringbearer's pillow and flower girl basket

I said: Paris.

That's because our wedding and reception has a Parisian/Marie Antoinette theme -- so much so that if we keep on going, I may have to rent a guillotine -- and because Audrey and Mike are returning to Paris for their honeymoon (they were there this past May).

(That's not the ony place they are going on their honeymoon, but I'll tell you the rest later.)

And M, the young lady who undertook to plan and decorate for the shower as she does for all of the showers (we've had a good many brides in our church this year), did such a beautiful job.

She had a twinkling Eiffel Tower at the table where Audrey and I and Erica and Dagny and a few other friends sat, together with Miss Ann, our beloved pastor's wife, who brought the devotional.

There was a black-and-white stripe motif too, and the gorgeous cake was emblazoned with Bonjour, Mrs. E____!, and there were macarons and other pastry-like treats, and a groaning buffet table of delicious food.

And the shower was well attended by many friends, and Audrey received numbers of beautiful and generous gifts, and she and Mike are nothing if not grateful.

Cardboard birdcage for treats at the personal shower

A week before that, we had yet another shower for the bride.

This was a personal shower, given by me and the bridesmaids (who are Audrey's sisters Stephanie and Erica, her niece Allissa, and her daughter Dagny).

There were only a few gifts but they were nice gifts and Audrey appreciated them.

I had planned the party around a theme of Marie Antoinette. From Etsy I'd bought some lavish ribbon-bedecked Marie Antoinette gift-tag type things, just because they were so pretty.

Everybody got one and the bride got two.

I'd bought a cardboard birdcage thing from Efavormart, and on its shelves I displayed several varieties of sweets for our dessert. I was going for decadent and they looked sort of Walmart (which they were, because I ran out of time), but we're semi-redneck bougie so what of it.

There were also some pretty doilies that were purchased to comprise part of the bridesmaids' gifts, but we used them at the party.

Everything but the guillotine

We held the shower at Cracker Barrel -- I know, I know, mucho lame-o -- but that was because it's relatively easy for our Stephanie to meet us there.

TG and I and Audrey and Erica and Dagny drove ninety minutes, and Stephanie, Melanie, and Allissa drove about the same amount of time, to meet there.

This is the same restaurant where we have met for several times each year, for many years, for my Tar Heel grandchildren's birthday parties and, on occasion, other birthday parties too, such as Dagny's.

Only, when we arrived, right away we realized that it is not the same restaurant.

The first clue was several PODS sitting in parking spots along the side of the Cracker Barrel.

Then we noticed that the front doors were completely different (said front doors being the only different thing that I liked). And that upon entering the general store part of the establishment, there was tons more light, and what seemed like acres more floor space between the overwrought displays.

Eventually we figured out that all of the tables and seating in the restaurant were new and different, and the entire interior design had been altered, and there was drastically lurid lighting.

Our beloved Miss Ann spoke at the bridal shower

Horrible, too-bright, garish lighting. Fake wood tables and chairs. No more cozy lanterns on each table.

I hated it.

In fact I cannot think of enough words to tell you how much I hated it, except to say that I will never step foot in that restaurant again.

It ruined my party. I needed the cozy, darkish, familiar confines of Cracker Barrel the way it's supposed to be. I had brought candles and special touches, and everything looked dumb and fake in the blinding light.

Plus, it was horribly loud in there. Awful. Awful. Awful. Whoever decided that this was the way to go in remodeling that American icon, should be summarily fired.

Just my opinion, but may I remind you that I'm entitled to it.

We'll find another place for the birthday parties -- the Charlotte area has lots of restaurants -- and remember "our" Cracker Barrel the way it used to be.

I've used well over 3000 pins in the decorations

Now it only remains to be seen whether they remodel all of the Cracker Barrels in the same hideous vein. Let's hope not.

Meanwhile, I do realize that the information I just divulged is not going to be earth-shattering to very many people.

But I hate change and we have had enough change and we need more of things staying the same.

Some things.

Anyway. That was almost two weeks ago and it almost brings us up to date.

Many days I have sat in the front room, at a table TG set up for me there where the light is good and I can be comfortable, making things for the wedding.

You'll see them all in due time. Rizzo wants to be near me, so I plopped his soft mat down in the foyer where he could flake out while I worked.

The gang -- except for TG and Melly -- at the personal shower

The girls and I were in a minor tizzy about where I'd stashed the ringbearer pillow and flower girl basket from Erica's wedding six-plus years ago, which I needed to find so that we can use them in Audrey's wedding.

I had to clear off a shelf of the guest room closet, but I found them. Along with fake pink rose petals. So we're all set for Ember and Rhett to be their cutest and most useful on the day.

I also found all of the tulle I used in Erica's wedding -- untold yards and reams of it -- to decorate the pews and front of the church, and I've reworked all of that for Audrey's wedding.

Anyone need thirty really nice pew decorations? Because after November eighth, if you want these, they are yours.

Of course I'll show you pictures of them in a few weeks.

I spent several hours last Friday in the empty church auditorium, measuring and planning my designs.

The wedding shower decor was charming

We are closing in on things, having a few last-minute issues to deal with, but everything is going smoothly as of now.

Audrey has sold her house; in fact her closing was held yesterday afternoon. She didn't have to put the house on the market.

Someone we know approached her a few months ago and said I want it, and she said Let's make a deal, and they did, and yesterday the papers were signed and money exchanged hands.

I guess that means she's renting from the new owner for a few weeks but I don't know all of the details.

She is relieved that that's done.

We're having exquisite weather. Chilly at night, sunny and warm during the day. A tad bit too warm for my liking this time of year -- highs of eighty and above -- but again I won't complain.

A few more weeks and we're off to Paris

Our winter will come but it will be mild and short.

I don't think I have forgotten anything but if you think I have, do speak up.

Also, what is going on with you? Tell me in the comments.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday

When a son is one

Wait just one minute

Guess what. We had another birthday party since I saw you last.

Not another birthday party! You may be thinking. But yes.

We had a rollicking good time

(When the immediate family tots up to eighteen in number and we have birthdays in every month except November, it's inevitable and those parties aren't going to throw themselves.)

This time it was for our Baby Elliot a/k/a Skippy, who turned one year old the Saturday before last.

We celebrated our Skippy on his first birthday

At one month younger than Baby Guy, Skippy is the youngest of our eight grandchildren.

(BTW his parents do not call him Skippy. Mostly that's me, Audrey, and Dagny. But Cherica have not issued a cease and desist order, so we keep doing it. If you knew Elliot, you'd know how much Skippy suits him.)

His adoring mama made his cake at home

His party was held on his actual birthday, at Cherica's place. 

Due to that being the weekend when Hurricane Helene caused significant damage and power outages in our area, Erica was obliged to revamp her menu.

Erica saw to all of the details for her baby's party

That was because so many stores were closed due to having no power, and she had a grocery order in at one of them but the store was unable to fulfill it.

The power at Cherica's house had been restored the night before though, and she had frozen pizzas to heat up, and I made macaroni and cheese and we had chips and popcorn and a homemade cake, and it was enough.

The party's theme was the color blue

The theme that his mother had chosen for Elliot's party was the color blue.

We all wore blue and there were blue snacks and blue balloons and paper lanterns, and other decorations.

I did not know that Jello made candy

The cake was chocolate (white on the inside and ever so delectably moist), so Erica stenciled a one on top, with blue sanding sugar.

She then popped a cursive-written one into the cake.

Naturally there was a gift table

Elliot's single candle was in his smash cake, which was actually a cupcake.

He is a foodie and a chow hound, and after he'd devoured his lunch, his eyes got big and round when he saw his mother bringing that cupcake in his direction.

Skippy be like whaaaaat

We sang to him and blew out the candle and took the paper off the cupcake, and he went to town on it.

Later we had his present-opening time and that was a big success too.

Knoppers are bussin'

TG and I got him a pounding bench and if a video that Erica sent me last week is any indication, he's partial to it. He just takes the hammer and pounds away and then turns it over himself, to pound the shapes down again from the other side.

We love classic toys.

Dreams do come true

He got a Push 'n' Pop Bulldozer from his Aunt Stephanie, and an oversized dimple fidget toy from his Aunt Audrey, and some outfits, and many other things that he seems to be enjoying.

We're having another big party this coming Friday, and I'll tell you all about that next week.

I think I'm in love

It's not for a birthday; it's to do with our Audrey's wedding which will take place four weeks hence.

I am in the thick of preparations for that, as you might imagine. All of our decorations, both for the church and the reception, are homemade.

Not bad for store-bought

Or shall I say Pirate-made.

Speaking of the wedding, several days ago we had an event/activity having to do with that occasion, and it turned out to be so special that it was rather over the top.

This is a bit of all right

I wish I could tell you all about it but I cannot because it wouldn't be fun to do that without being able to show you pictures.

And yes, there are pictures, but the reason I can't show them to you is because they involve the bride-to-be wearing her wedding dress.

Can I have two of these next year?

Naturally only a few people can see that before the wedding day, and we cannot put it online because Mike might peek.

But after the wedding, I promise I'll tell you the story, with pictures, and I promise that it will warm the cockles of your heart.

All set to open my presents now

Whatever those are.

One last bit of news is that our Rizzo, my cherished nine-year-old rescue Chiweenie (chihuahua-dachshund mix), spent yesterday at the vet.

Working on my hand-eye coordination

He needed some dental work. Many hours and several hundred dollars later, I retrieved my dog, who could walk but was still woozy from sedation.

Dr. Chambers had been obliged to pull several of the Rizz Man's teeth, and I guess I'm going to have to start brushing my dog's choppers lest he lose the rest of them.

A guy can always use one of these

I'm trying to imagine Rizzo allowing me to brush his teeth. Not coming up with anything.

I've been promised by the veterinarian that when I take Rizzo back in ten days for a checkup on his dental treatment, I'll be given a tutorial on dog teeth brushing. And they'll likely try to sell me something too.

Ah well. He's my beloved canine unit and it's all right.

Rizzo

In closing let me say that our prayers are one hundred percent with the residents of the State of Florida, who are in peril at the present moment and possibly for many days and weeks to come.

May God bless and help them, and may He bless and preserve our nation, and deliver her from enemies both foreign and domestic.

Especially domestic.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Thursday

Points north

My three girls with me at church on September first

Let's start at the end and back up.

Well, not technically the end but by that I mean, the present. Sort of.

And that would be, Hurricane Helene and its ever-unfolding aftermath.

I am grateful and humbled to report that we had no damage to our property.

Our power went out during the wee hours of Friday morning but was back on by ten o'clock that same morning.

Our internet service disappeared shortly after that and was MIA for the rest of that day and into the night.

When TG and I went out on Friday to do some grocery shopping, we were shocked to learn of the extent of damage -- mostly downed trees and power lines -- in the neighborhoods surrounding ours.

Old haunts: site of Comiskey Park, where TG and I had our first date

Our major retail outlets such as Costco and Walmart were closed due to no power.

So many friends and family members throughout South Carolina have reported power outages, even remaining until today.

Audrey's and Erica's and Mike's households lost power too but it was restored on Friday evening, so they got off easy, much as we did.

It's devastating to see the pictures and video footage of western North Carolina, where our Stephanie lives.

Her family escaped any significant damage to property too, although their church was without power all day on Sunday.

For us it was the promise of a rainy day on last Thursday. I like rainy days so I switched around some plans to run errands to the next day, so that I could remain at home and enjoy it.

The forecast was for an extremely stormy night following that pleasantly rainy day.

We rode the CTA to Clark and Addison

As said rainy day progressed, I consulted the weather app on my phone and noticed that the prediction of a wild and stormy night had been removed, replaced with promises of calm and partial clearing.

Oh, I said. I don't know how they consistently get it so wrong. Oh wait. They're meteorologists! That's how.

(It's one of the few jobs where you can be ninety percent wrong one hundred percent of the time and still get paid.)

Anyway then I received a text from my dear friend Sara up in Virginia.

She said she was praying for us because she'd read that Columbia was going to get ninety-mile-an-hour winds during that night.

Whaaaaaat? I thought. Wait. 

So I consulted my weather app again, and saw that it had once again been amended to reflect a wild and stormy night in Columbia.

On Labor Day we celebrated our Stephanie's birthday

I texted back and said I thought it was more hype than anything else for our area, but that we would see what transpired.

Still, I was grateful for my friend checking up on us. I thought that was special. And she wasn't the only one.

At any rate the thrashing winds and heavy rain did come during the night on Thursday. Residents in and around Columbia sustained a great deal of damage and the power outages were outrageous.

But we found a Walmart that was open on Friday, and we dodged cars in many an intersection devoid of functioning traffic lights, to shop there.

If I hadn't had TG to do the driving, I would not have been able to manage that.

Learning of the devastation north of us, in North Carolina, was shocking and disheartening. I cannot imagine what those people are going through. God please help.

I have no pictures of destruction to show you in my neck of the woods, because I didn't take any.

Crustless quiche! So light and yet filling.

However, I can report that on Labor Day, we had a birthday party for our Stephanie. I made her cake from scratch.

Steph and Melly came on the Sunday before Labor Day and went to church with us that night.

I made all of my girls pose for pictures with me, except for Melanie who was disinclined to acquiesce to my request.

Melanie, who will turn twenty in December, is disabled. She does not take kindly to standing, sitting, or even being next to anyone but her mother and father.

No way will she stand for a group photo, hahaha!

Ahhh Melly. Do your thing, Melly. We love you anyway. In fact we love you more.

And I can show you a crustless quiche I made a few weeks later, in fact early in the week of the storm. Why crustless? Fewer calories. Low carb. And just as delicious.

Talk about filling ... a late lunch at Eleven City Diner

Mine had, in addition to eggs and heavy cream, spinach, ham, and Swiss cheese. You just layer your ingredients in a buttered baking dish and pour the seasoned egg-and-cream mixture over the top.

About a week before I had that idea of making crustless quiche, TG and I pointed our car north and ended up in Chicago. The entire trip took four days, but only two of those days (and nights) were spent in the Windy City.

The other two were spent going halfway and then stopping for the night.

Our Cubbies' summer is over now -- no October baseball for them -- but we took in two late-season games at Wrigley Field.

It was hotter in Chicago while we were there, than it was back here at home. But the evenings were lovely and it was cool and comfortable within the Friendly Confines, the oldest ballpark in the National League.

The Cubs won the first of the two games we saw, and lost the second one. A wash. But still thrilling, just to be there.

I was prepared with my W flag (at Wrigley the song Go Cubs Go is sung after a win, and many fans "fly the W" which is a white flag with a big blue W emblazoned upon it. I sang (yes I know all the words) and held my flag aloft and it was exhilarating.

Interfere with play and you'll have to go into hiding

The second night, my flag stayed in my clear purse and that was too bad but we still had a great time.

On the second day of our visit we visited another old haunt: Eleven City Diner.

I love this place. We rode the CTA several stops from our hotel and walked the rest of the way and enjoyed a scrumptious afternoon lunch.

Then we rode the train again back to our hotel and rested for a bit before that night's game.

The next morning we left our hotel right on time and promptly became ensnared in a backup on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

And not just any backup. A tractor-trailer had overturned in the road and there was a diesel spill. Eventually TG expertly exited and we drove many miles through South Chicago neighborhoods until we could get back on the Interstate at a point past the wreck.

Several more slowdowns and total stops plagued us that day and it was nine thirty before we reached our hotel in Richmond, Kentucky.

We felt welcome in the Friendly Confines

We were deflated and so tired and hungry but we got some food and ate and then went to sleep and all was well.

The next day we got started a little later than perhaps we would have if we'd not had the hard day of travel on the day before, but we made it home by five o'clock in the afternoon.

Audrey and Dagny had stayed at our house while we were gone, to look after my pets, and we were glad to see them.

We had shopped for souvenirs for everyone while in Chicago, but prices of such luxuries have skyrocketed, so we did not buy anything Cubs-related.

I bought three of these

Instead, at a big truck stop in Indiana, I got myself and Audrey and Erica each one of these Indiana Hoosier State mugs.

Something interesting about me and my children is that all five of us were born in Indiana.

I was born in Kokomo. Not because we lived there to live there -- both my parents and all of their people were from Louisiana -- but because my dad was a pilot in the USAF and was stationed there.

My children were all born in Northwest Indiana -- the Chicagoland area -- because for the first twelve years of our marriage, after our wedding in Atlanta, that is where TG and I lived.

Where did September go?

And no one needs another coffee mug, least of all me or my girls, but a new one is always fun to have and the girls loved them. I got fridge magnets too, for my born-state of Indiana and TG's born-and-raised state of Ohio.

We're so totally middle-America. I love it. Wouldn't have it any other way.

At any rate here we are back at home and since we've been home, in addition to historic Hurricane Helene, we have had yet another birthday party.

I'll tell you all about it later in the week.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday :: Happy October

Having a One-derful time

TG and me with five of the eight

A few weeks ago, our grandson Guy turned one year old.

We all went to Knoxville for his birthday party, which was held at the home of Brittany's dad, Scott, and stepmom, Karen.

Their house is beautiful and they were so gracious. There was a mountain of fabulous grilled meat, including chicken and ribs. And there were cowboy beans and mac and cheese and other succulent delights.

There were loads of balloons

Baby Guy began walking several weeks ago and was toddling all over the place.

Ember, who will turn five in December, is an even bigger big sister than she used to be.

Since Andrew is a pilot, the theme was aviation. Brittany had thought of everything. In the foyer, she had custom-made cookies arranged atop an old suitcase. 

Passenger Guy, Destination One Year

There were clever touches such as a wheeled cart containing an assortment of single-serving chip bags, with a sign reading In-Flight Snacks.

On the kitchen island was another sign designating the area as the Fueling Station. Adorable.

Many of Brittany's family members were there, and it was good to see all of them again.

Ember was caught up in the spirit of things

TG and I traveled to Knoxville the day before, arriving around dinnertime, and enjoyed a pleasant evening meal and a restful night of sleep.

At our age, approaching big events slowly and deliberately has become paramount. Nothing sudden. IYKYK.

The others -- the Chericas (Chad, Erica, Rhett, and Elliot a/k/a Skippy) and Maudag (Mike, Audrey, and Dagny) -- got up early on Saturday morning and made the four-hour trip in time for the party's one o'clock start.

There were in-flight snacks

After lunch, Andrew and Brittany presented Guy with his smash cake. There was a single candle on top and at first it startled him and there were a few tears.

But the candle was blown out and then removed, and Guy extended a curious hand and extracted a hunk of cake and frosting, and tasted it, and quickly got into the spirit of the occasion.

Cupcakes were provided for everyone else and it was such a good time.

Guy was wished a happy birthday in such cute ways

Then the party repaired out to the patio where Andrew assembled all of Guy's birthday presents and everyone was chatting and visiting.

A kiddie pool and some water toys kept the smaller children busy for a good while.

Our handsome Andrew is a proud and loving dad

Towards the end of Baby Guy's birthday party, after Audrey and I had folded all of the gift bags that we could, and smoothed all the tissue paper that was salvageable, something about which I am obsessive at every party, I insisted on getting some pictures of me and TG with the five of our grandchildren who were there.

The mini-shoot resulted in some great pictures and I'm so glad that we did that.

Well hey little feller

Later, TG and I plus Maudag, who were staying at the same hotel as us, returned there so that Mike could check himself into his room and Audrey and Dagny into theirs.

Andrew joined us with Guy and Ember, and we got coffee and all sat in the hotel lobby for a few hours, talking and visiting some more.

Brittany had thought of everything

Brittany went home as she had some school assignments that needed her attention, and she welcomed the hours of silence.

After a quiet evening and another good night's sleep, all of us from Columbia got up, got ready for church, packed up, checked out of our rooms, and went to Sunday morning service at Temple Baptist Church, where TG and I and our children were members for several years in the '90s.

Guy was fascinated by this balloon display

We saw many old friends and even a few family members there, and it was a great service with beautiful music and excellent preaching, and we enjoyed it.

After that the children were cranky with fatigue and hunger, so we all descended on Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen for lunch.

There was a brief wait to be seated but once we were, the food was delicious. Everyone got full. Then it was time to head home.

There were a few tears as the candle was extinguished

Before the trip got really good and underway, we all stopped at the new Bucc-ee's Sevierville location, to change clothes and get cold drinks and prepare for the drive.

The trip through the Smoky Mountains was uneventful and we reached home around eight o'clock that evening.

Speaking of the Smokies (sort of), a day or so before we left for Knoxville, my dear friend Marsha had a birthday.

This cake is really quite good

She was recovering from surgery and was off work for several weeks, so one day when she was feeling stronger, we had her over to have a proper celebration.

Audrey and Dagny came too because they also love Marsha.

We had refreshments -- I'd made chicken salad -- and after that, we had some gifts for Marsha. She said she had a good time and wished us well on our trip to Tennessee.

Before our trip, we celebrated our friend Marsha

Marsha loves Tennessee, loves the Smokies, and would like to live there after she retires. She goes to Pigeon Forge on vacation every year and really gets into the whole vibe. 

That's why for one of her gifts, I gave her a throw pillow with the white tri-star design of the Tennessee state flag, only set in orange, because like my own Andrew, she is a huge Vols football fan.

(The Volunteers are the teams of the University of Tennessee. Go Big Orange.)

Go Vols ... Go Big Orange

But back to our Knoxville trip, what a blessing to be with Andrew, Brittany, Ember, and Guy for our grandson's first birthday.

Fun Fact: Guy was born forty-five years to the day from TG's and my first date.

That's right! Our first date was on Thursday, August 24, 1978. Guy was born on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Guy was ready for some pool splashing

On that warm night in Chicago, on an ordinary Thursday, on a first date, I couldn't possibly have imagined that forty-five years in the future to the very day, our third grandson would be born.

On that night in the summer of 1978, TG took me to old Comiskey Park on the south side of Chicago, for a major league baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals.

But there were many presents to open

I still have the shirt that TG wore that night. He looked so handsome in it. 

(It wasn't official Cub fan gear; we weren't Cub fans then. That happened later for TG and much later for me.)

I had never been to a professional sporting event of any kind before that night.

We gave him this pilot hat and a book about planes

TG was not particularly a White Sox fan either, but he loved baseball and attending the game made sense to him for a first date.

He tried to explain some things about baseball to me, by way of making conversation, but little if any of it sank in. I know this because decades later, he had to explain it all again. I think I've got it now.

We also got him this outfit for cooler weather

(Batting Average should be .300 or higher. Earned Run Average -- that's for pitchers -- should be under 3.00 ... don't get those decimal points in the wrong place and whatever you do, don't get the under/overs confused.)

That reminds me of something my Mamaw said many decades ago. Her youngest son and my mother's youngest brother, my beloved Uncle Dodie, had played golf with some friends. Duffers all.

Dagny made sure she got to squeeze her baby cousin

They played an eighteen-hole course with a par of seventy-two.

When he got home, Mamaw asked Dodie what the score was. He told her that he shot over one hundred but that his friends had shot in the nineties.

Mike caught Audrey and me doing good

That's good, baby, she said. You won.

She went to a professional baseball game once too. At the seventh inning stretch, she stood with the crowd, gathered up her purse, and said Thank the Lord that's over.

Me and five of my grandbabies

Mamaw was a hoot. But not a sports fan.

And that's okay. 

As for TG and me, we are most definitely sports fans. I limit my enthusiasm to baseball, specifically the Chicago Cubs and occasionally the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees.

Dagny squeezed Ember at a Starbucks

TG likes and follows lots of sports, but will no longer watch the NFL and rarely the NBA. You know why.

But baseball we can agree on, which is why in a few days we are headed up to Chicago to take in two late-season games at iconic Wrigley Field.

(We will definitely both be decked out in official Cub fan gear. We've each got lots.)

Dagny posed with one of the lions outside the church

Wrigley Field -- a/k/a The Friendly Confines -- is one of only three original ballparks in America. As in, it's never been torn down and replaced with a newer, more modern one.

Do you know the other two ballparks in America that can make the same claim? I regret to say that I have never been to either of them (for a game; we have toured one of them), but while there's life, there's hope.

If you know which two they are, without looking it up, tell me in the comments.

Skippy contemplates the menu at Cheddar's

And even if you have to look it up, tell me in the comments.

Meanwhile we're having some beautiful weather here, no longer sweltering. Speaking of firsts, be it birthdays or dates, the first day of fall is a mere eleven days away.

He was born 45 years to the day after our first date

Speaking of eleven, today is nine eleven.

Never forget.

On the twenty-third anniversary of that awful and heartbreaking day, may God bless America and confound her enemies both foreign and domestic. Especially domestic.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

Stand for the Land

Love to see you smile! Seen in West Virginia as we traveled.

TG and I had three reasons for our recent trip to Cleveland, Ohio.

One: To attend a baseball game -- the Cleveland Guardians Indians versus our beloved Chicago Cubs.

(I will always call them the Indians. Especially since they were the team that the Cubs beat 8-7 in extra innings during the seventh game of the World Series, played at Wrigley Field on November 2, 2016.)

Two: To see our niece Joanna and her husband Jacob and their little sons, Freddy and Andrew. I shared in this post about Jacob, who is a concert pianist and professional musician; and

She adorns a corner of Riverside Cemetery

Three: To visit Lake View Cemetery, where Jacob and Joanna's second son, Noah, is laid to rest, and also to pay our respects at the grave of Ray Chapman.

Baby Noah, afflicted with Trisomy 13, lived for 42 days.

Ray Chapman is famous for being the only major league baseball player to die as a result of being hit by a pitch.

It happened during a game in New York in August of 1920. Ray Chapman, who played shortstop for the Cleveland Indians, was twenty-nine years old at the time of his passing.

Giving a new meaning to "keeping up with the Joneses"

If you're so inclined, you can read the whole story about the terrible accident that claimed Ray's life here.

And if the baseballs and other memorabilia left at his grave are any indication, he has not been forgotten.

As if what happened to Ray were not bad enough, what his wife Katie and little girl, Rae endured after his death is heartbreaking too.

Katie delivered her beloved husband Ray's daughter six months after he died, and named her Rae Marie. She later remarried and in 1926 had another child, a boy.

Me with Freddy, nearly 5, and Andrew, 17 months

But, still deeply depressed over losing Ray, she committed suicide in April of 1928. Almost exactly one year later, their daughter Rae Marie, age eight, succumbed to measles.

I learned of all this back in the spring and that's when plans were made to attend the Cubs game in Cleveland, and to visit Lake View Cemetery and to spend some time with Jacob and Joanna and the boys.

We left on a Sunday afternoon and drove to Beckley, West Virginia, where we spent the night.

The next morning we drove the rest of the way to Cleveland, where our first stop was Riverside Cemetery.

I got this book at the dollar store. It's good. Mike gave me the pen.

I didn't know anyone there, but we had a few hours to while away before checking into our hotel and then going to Jacob and Joanna's house for dinner, and the weather was splendid.

Riverside is a typically glorious older cemetery, with acres and acres of monuments. Beautiful place.

It's unfortunate that I was there at the wrong time of day, because to walk and photograph this cemetery during the golden hour (just before sunset, or just after sunrise) would be a real treat.

You need some Garnier Thiebaut towels

But it was seventy-three degrees with low humidity, and the cicadas were doing a continuous winding-ringing noise from their sticking places in thousands of mature trees, and although the light was not right, it was a near-idyllic experience.

I took lots of pictures in spite of sub-optimal conditions, but really only two appeal to me enough to show to you.

The first is an upshot of a female figure high on a pedestal, with one arm stretched heavenward and the other in an interesting position relative to the outstretched one, as if she had just released something.

Cleveland's best-kept secret

You can see in that picture how blue and cloudless the sky was.

The other is the boulder marking the grave of the Joneses. The ones who, in this case, you may or may not want to keep up with.

After checking in at the InterContinental Suites Hotel, we got reorganized and set out for our niece's home about five miles away.

The main gate of Lake View Cemetery

Cleveland is, among other things, all about the Cleveland Clinic, and buildings for that health care system are everywhere. They don't match; conceptualizing and constructing those edifices must have kept a great many architects and craftsmen busy for a good many years.

Once at Joanna's house in a cozy neighborhood where most if not all of the domiciles were built during World War II, we found Jacob grilling chicken out by the garage and the two little boys playing nearby.

Joanna, expecting again and due next February (25 in 2025! my sister crows, that being the number of grandchildren she will have when this child arrives), came out of the house smiling and reaching to hug us.

Cenotaph for the family of Eliot Ness

My niece, my sister's youngest child, is one of the most positive, happy, upbeat people you will ever meet, and she loves being a wife and mother and homemaker, and she is a gracious and thoughtful hostess.

I had not come empty handed; I had a gift for Joanna of two cobalt-blue bottles full of twinkling fairy lights, and a loaf of homemade banana-nut bread for the family, and dollar store transformer vehicles for each of the boys.

Joanna told us that she has to protect her gardens (she has more than one) with netting supported on tall sticks, or the deer that roam freely in Cleveland will eat everything!

On an August day in 1920, Ray Chapman became a statistic

But she served us delicious grilled zucchini along with the chicken, and a green salad, and for dessert there were skillet peaches (she got those from the farmer's market) with real whipped cream and chopped pecans.

We had the nicest visit, and when we left around nine, there were plans to meet the next day at Baby Noah's grave, and spend some more time together before TG and I were due at the ball game.

Our hotel was so comfortable and we settled in to look at our devices (we play word games to keep our minds sharp; not sure it's working in my case) while Forensic Files played nonstop on the TV.

In due time I took a refreshing shower. The towels! They were so thick, so fluffy, that I took pictures of the tags so that I can buy some of these for my own house.

Baby Noah is buried not far from the twisty oak

I had never had my consciousness raised to Garnier Thiebaut towels but they're on my radar now. There was a matching robe in the closet but I did not wear it!

The next morning we went to the Landmark Restaurant for breakfast. I am always looking for local non-chain diners and restaurants where I can get an omelet -- spinach and feta being my favorite -- and TG can get whatever looks good to him.

When we walked into the restaurant it was quickly apparent that we were the only white folks present. It is a large place in an old building, and other diners nodded pleasantly at us as we were seated.

I had one of the top three spinach and feta omelets I have ever been served, and the best bacon I have ever eaten, period, hands down. I even ordered a second round of that bacon.

No doubt the deer have eaten the flowers by now

When we had concluded our meal and TG had paid the bill and we were heading out for Lake View Cemetery to spend a few hours walking around before meeting Joanna and her family, TG told me that the owners of the restaurant are white.

He knew because the wife was serving as cashier and her husband was doing the cooking. All I know is, it was delicious and I would not hesitate to eat there again if I ever end up in Cleveland in the future.

At Lake View we saw the cenotaph* dedicated to Eliot Ness and his wife and son. Ness was a legendary lawman and author of The Untouchables, which was made into a 1987 Hollywood movie starring Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness.

*A cenotaph is a marker that memorializes more than one person, any or all of whom may or may not be buried there. In Ness's case, he died in 1957 and his wife and son lived until the 1970s, but the ashes of all three were scattered in a pond at Lake View Cemetery in 1997.

Little brother Andrew Sebastian

President James Garfield is also entombed at Lake View. I did not visit his impressive grave site but TG did and said it was fascinating.

After a while we drove back to the office, where I had arranged to meet with Joanna and family at two o'clock. I wanted to put flowers at Noah's grave and it was nice that there were pretty bouquets for sale in a cooler in that office.

Flowers purchased, we met our party and set out for Noah's resting place.

We had actually already found it earlier, since its coordinates are listed on Noah's Find a Grave page.

He ain't heavy; he's our brother

Joanna remarked when I placed the flowers on Noah's little headstone that the deer would only eat them. I kind of like the thought of a gentle-eyed deer bending over Noah's grave to munch on the flowers.

After a lovely time there with Noah's family, we were invited to join in their tradition of going for ice cream after a cemetery visit.

And not just any ice cream. Joanna told me that Mitchell's of Cleveland is the best. After enjoying a Taster's Duo consisting of one scoop of dark roast coffee ice cream and one scoop of lemon sorbet, I would have to concur. 

It was exceptional ice cream.

Freddy's selection featured sprinkles

After our treat, we walked outside for a bit. The little boys played under a huge silver sculpture of a hand that looks as though it's trying to walk across the ground.

After a bit it was time for us to regroup and get back to the hotel and set out for the ball park.

We said our goodbyes. Jacob and Joanna and the boys went out into the sunny day and we made our way back to our room.

TG wanted us to ride the city bus to and from Progressive Field, and since we only had to walk across the street to get on, I was okay with that.

Once at the ball park, we got into a long queue but it moved very quickly and before we knew it, they had scanned our tickets on my phone and we were inside.

A hand for the land

Upon entry to the venue we were each handed a bright pink pouch which, when I focused on it, I realized was coffee. Yay coffee!

It was in honor of the Indians' special guest that night, a young man called Machine Gun Kelly, a performer of some sort who is from Cleveland and goes by the initials MGK.

And if the design on the coffee pouch is any indication, he is also known as "The Blonde Don" but do not ask me why.

If I have ever heard of MGK it was only in passing; I know nothing about him. And if you know the pirate at all, you know this is not my kind of scene anyway.

The line was long but extra-quick

But MGK was actually there that night and I heard that he threw out the first pitch but that was when I was in line for my pretzel and a refill of my nine-dollar souvenir cup of Diet Pepsi, so I missed it.

I think he led the crowd in singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the seventh inning stretch too.

TG does not drink coffee so the two pouches are all mine and when I open them I'll let you know how MGK Joe rates.

Our seats were in full sun but we were early, so I got a hot dog and we both got soft drinks, and we sat in some shaded seats and I ate the excellent hot dog and was still hungry. As I said, even before the game started I went back for a pretzel and then still later, seventh inning or so, some popcorn.

I cannot resist concessions.

The big sign encourages fans to stand for the land

The Cubs not only lost in the second game of their series as guests of the Cleveland Indians, but they had lost the first game too, and would lose the third game the next night.

It's the only time this season that they have been swept. Meaning, they lost all games in a series.

Oh well. Move forward. There's still a little bit of time to make the playoffs. It may take a miracle, but there is still time. Barely.

Which is what we did when the game was over. Move forward, that is. Apparently riding the bus back to our hotel was not an option, so we called an Uber. 

We had to wait fifteen minutes but eventually our driver appeared and it wasn't long before we were again comfortably ensconced in our room.

It's coffee. That's all you need to know.

The next morning we had a ten-hour drive ahead of us and ideally we would have been on the road by nine o'clock at the latest.

But for no reason that I could ascertain, I woke up at three o'clock in the morning and was wide awake until seven. Yes I got up. Then I went back to bed. No it was not good.

So, we got on the road at eleven o'clock and bit the bullet. It was about nine that night when we got home.

It was altogether an interesting and enjoyable three-day excursion, with a lot of things packed into a short time.

Until next time, shine on, Cleveland

We took another trip this past weekend, from Friday to Sunday. I'll tell you about it in a few days.

And our next trip is coming up in a little over three weeks. This is a big one! Stay tuned.

What have you been up to? Tell me in the comments.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday