I’ve survived the weekend, and even more amazing, so did the people around me. It was busy enough to wear out a hyperactive toddler, let alone a normal adult. I must say, though, insomnia was not a problem.
Friday evening found me helping the friends that were to be married on Saturday to decorate the hall they were using. The plainest and most utilitarian of spaces, when they were done it actually looked like a place to hold a wedding. We stayed up way too late, of course, but the project got done with much laughter to ease the way.
The wedding itself, on Saturday afternoon, went beautifully if I do say so myself. I was delighted; the bride is one of these people who does what suits her and tradition can fly a kite. So she did wear a formal gown (not a wedding dress, but those really aren’t designed for 50-somethings), but instead of some shade of white or pastel, it was amethyst purple. It’s a good thing I’m not the sort to be derailed or flustered by mis-steps and modifications on the fly, or I’d have been in trouble. But I’m told everyone could hear me, even the elderly lady with the hearing aids at the back of the room, and the couple themselves were very happy with it all, so it’s all good. I was a little stunned when a young woman present as the date of a friend of the groom came up to me with a truly odd expression on her face and asked my last name. When I gave it, she said “I’m Irma”. She’s a college friend of my husband’s who was at our wedding. And I’d known the groom’s daughter as well, when she was a kid. Her parents had already divorced by then, so I’d never met her dad, only her mom. The world is not merely small, it’s the approximate size of a peach pit.
After the guests had left, those of us involved in putting on the wedding went out together, which was very pleasant. Then I went for dessert with my household. Seven of us descended on Cold Stone Creamery for ice-cream and sociability to celebrate the sale of our house, or as one friend put it, to hold a “house-cooling party”. I think we confused the shop employees. Most people came in, had their treats, and left. We sat down and took over two tables and most of the chairs, talking and laughing for about two hours. It was fabulous! Not that all is perfect in everyone’s world. My foster-daughter was sold a car by a buy-here, pay-here lot that turned out to be in need of an entire brake system, master cylinder, brake lines, pads, rotors, the works. She’d had it less than a week, so I stepped in and stepped on the dealer, with very good results for her. (Sometimes I’m still glad I’m a lawyer.) She now needs a car again, though, so if anyone knows of a safe car that isn’t too expensive, and even better is willing to take payments from a hardworking reliable young woman, please let me know. I figure we can pick up anything in Indiana, Kentucky or northern Illinois without too much difficulty, though of course Indianapolis would be best.
By the time I got to Li’s house after all of that, though, she decided I was too tired to drive anywhere else, so I ended up staying there even though it had been planned otherwise. She was right, too, so I didn’t even try to argue with her much.
Sunday, as promised, I went to my folk’s house and staged another cleaning assault, this time on my mom’s room. This time the trash collection was smaller, but there were two goodwill bags to make up for it, so I’m still pleased. Mom asked me why, when I came and started working, things actually got done where when she did, nothing changed. My response? “Mom, you pick up two things, then say ‘look, a sparkly’ – and never get back to it.” And while I hope I didn’t hurt her feelings by it, truth is an absolute defense.