Wedding bells

Jose and Lindy's wedding was my first American wedding! Lots of things were similar but there were a fair few differences, like the rehearsal dinner the night before for family and friends.

The Rehearsal Dinner
I really enjoyed this, we had so much fun! There was just one speech at the dinner and Luis, Jose's brother made a short toast at the wedding reception. Now, I like a good speech at a wedding but this made me appreciate the value of not talking for talking's sake.

The bride and groom at the rehearsal. I think it's true to say that Lindy has actually injured people with her piercing blue blue eyes.

The rehearsal dinner was Costa Rican fare of pinto (that's rice and beans to you and me), pork and some sort of banana like thing. Jose's parents made it the day of the dinner, you know, because your son getting married is when you have time to do all this extra stuff!

The Wedding Ceremony
Another difference is that it comes much later in the day, this one was at 5.00pm, but later is also common. This made for a nice short day, well if you were a guest I suppose. The service itself was pretty average I thought, about 40 minutes. But there was no singing from the congregation. Everyone else thought it was way long, normally weddings are like twenty minutes or less. But I suppose that makes sense because everything was translated into spanish.

This is the amphitheater where the ceremony took place. It had been raining that morning but thankfully it turned out to be a beautiful. It's at Jose's uber church and he pointed it out to me the first time I was there. Ah, little did we know he'd be marrying Lindy there three years later (although I'm sure he wished for it!)

Ah, true love's kiss. Only afterwards in the photo review Mellissa and I had did we notice the Ring Bearer (there's another difference - ring bearer not page boy. It seems a little contradictory though because Luis had the rings so on top of Best Man and translator he was the actual ring bearer) and his obvious need to pee. That could spoil the photo. Mellissa and I think that it makes for a much more interesting wedding kiss photo though.

The congregation had communion along with Jose and Lindy which was nice. But it was communion to go in little individual plastic cups with the cracker on top.

I had the important job of being the guest book attendant at the reception. I know! It's an important job, you might even go as far as to say the whole wedding hinges on it. In the programme (not Order of Service) it gave a little description of who everyone was. This is where I was reminded of the fact I was first to know they were going out. I had totally erased that from my memory, if I ever knew it to begin with.

The wedding party are introduced to everyone as they enter. But the DJ doing the announcing got things slightly wrong and we think this photo is where the wheels fell off. The DJ is trying to go through things with Jose before the arrival of the wedding party. Look at Jose, he is not one bit interested in what he's saying. So we all had a chuckle when one of the groomsmen was given the surname Magenta. Pink is so not his colour!  But worst of all he announced 'please welcome for the first time Jose and Linda...'! Oh dear.

The reception was in a downtown restaurant which brands itself on 'New South Cuisine' and I really can't think of a wedding I've been to that had better food. It was amazing, there was shrimp, beef, turkey, all kinds of vegetables, cheese and fruit. But it being a southern wedding there was grits and no potatoes. I don't know how I made it through a meal like that without them.

This is the first dance. They've got quite the hips. I'd love to tell you what Mellissa said as they were dancing but this is a family blog. Maybe if you see me you can ask. 

This is a ritual similar to throwing the bouquet (which by the way, I totally could have got if I have made an effort but I'm too polite!). The groom takes of the bride's garter and then throws it to the menfolk. It's not as inappropriate as it sounds.

The end of the night and we had to soak our feet.

Home again already

I totally meant to blog more when I was away but lack of tinternet and time got in the way. Suffice to say I had a super time! It really did feel like I was back home again. The wedding was great too and it was so much fun reminiscing about old theme parties! But more about that...tomorrow...maybe. Anyway here are the photo highlights.

New York

I had a few hours in NYC on my way to the Carolinas.

So I walked up to Central Park, the perfect place to spend Sunday afternoon. They're either really prepared for Christmas or the ice rink has always been there and I've never noticed it. But just by the way, there's no way Kate Beckinsale was able to throw that glove and have it land right beside John Cusack in 'Serendipity' and make it to the entrance of the rink in mere seconds. No way.

I walked along 34th Street and past the Empire State Building. It's big alright.

Hello Times Square.

North Carolina

I thought it best to get out of South Carolina while wedding preparations were in the home straight. The last thing Jose and Lindy was a guest to entertain. So of course I headed for I-40 and Hicksville!

I walked around the lake, just like old times. Thankfully these ducks were in the water and so didn't scare me.

One of my favourite houses round the lake has the steepest drive ever (which I'm not sure this photo shows to its fullest). But it looks like they're building some sort of Stannah Stair lift device to help during the winter months. That's smart thinking, they're probably old and house bound come a snowy day.

Ah so pretty. The lake of course, although my back is also lovely (especially that nearly bit of butt I am displaying).

When I arrived Maggie broke the terrible news to me though...

Wal-Mart closed. I guess they tried, but couldn't do it any longer without me.

Oh no wait, they just opened a Super Wal-Mart clear the other side of town. And what's better than Wal-Mart? That's right, Super Wal-Mart!! It's a grocery store and a everything-else-you-could-possibly-want-to-buy store rolled into one. It's hardly a word of lie to say that I spent most of Tuesday in its aisles.

But look what I found?! I looked twice at this Christmas Card, and knew I had to take a photo too. Is this not ex-BBC newsreader Moira Stewart, albeit dressed a wiseman, celebrating the birth of Jesus?!

Mast General Store were also quick to get with Christmas stuff! Check out this Mary, Joseph and little baby Jesus snow globe. I'm sure that's just how it was in Bethlehem. Well, duh, it was winter.

I made time for an appointment in Whitman's for a big stinking Napoleon. Well it would be rude not to.

I also made it to Sonic. But alas the Coconut Cream Pie wasn't on the menu any more. After the disappointment of Panera's lack of Fuji Apple Salad this was not the news I wanted to hear.

Halloween at Maggie's apartment. V. spooky. Her neighbour has too much time on his hand it seems.

So like I said, tomorrow I'll move on the actual wedding and that. But I know you won't be surprised if it doesn't make it.

I know you'll want to celebrate this too!

That's fifty years of witty church signage! Well done Pastor Dan! Here's to fifty more!

As if there was a doubt

I normally don't ever blog/email/Facebook on a Saturday night for fear that people will think I'm sad but tonight I don't care. And here's why:

1. I'm packing because I leave for the Carolinas tomorrow so it's not sad to be in tonight.

2. This post will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am sad.

I ironed the clothes mountain today.

Here it be. And that's not a mini laundry basket, just so as you know.

So like I said, this had most of the clothes I brought home from CHW in August and most everything I've worn since:

24 pairs of socks*

26 pairs of knickers*

5 pairs of jammies

38 t shirts/tops/shirts/vest tops

5 pairs of trousers

1 skirt

1 pair of shorts (it had been summer)

7 hoodies

*Please be aware these items have been on a cycle since I got back from CHW, and I have not just worn 26 pairs of knickers in over two months. That's gross.

Told you I'm sad, I counted. What else makes me sad, my wardrobes (yes, plural) don't look particularly lacking.

In other news today, 18th October is a day that will be remembered, by me anyway, as the day I went back to having a fringe. Around about 15 years ago I grew it out, and except for that disaster of a haircut before ICYC in Befast I've never had one since. But today I took the head staggers, as it were, and as Dyanne was cutting away I decided to go back. Dyanne convinced me that with modern technology (GHDs) and a thicker fringe my big old cow lick could be covered up. 

Right now I really like it! I keep raising my eye brows because it feels weird to be able to move my hair. And when I look in the mirror I hardly recognise myself. But I'm also slightly nervous because Dyanne dried it and she's, you know, a professional, and I'm, you know, me. Plus I'm about to travel to a land where GHDs aren't welcome and use a crappy travel hair dryer. Good luck everybody.

Photos no doubt will follow, but I'll maybe wait until I'm somewhere exciting. Oh I can't wait. Free refills, Wal-Mart, the Lake, Fuji Apple Salad, the wedding. I don't know what I'm more excited about!

You would think I'm never on the computer

Back again. I know, this is getting ridonkulous. But I'm a busy girl. 'Busy doing what?' I hear you wonder. Well I shall tell you:

1. YF Weekend

It seemed like I had just the place after CHW and I was back again, although there was about 2 months in between. Of course it could be that the ironing from CHW was (and is!) still waiting to be done. Oh I've done washing since, it's just been added to the pile. Hopefully this weekend I'll get round to it. Although I said that last weekend. And a few before that too.

It may have been two months ago, but it looks like it's still recovering from the mud.

Anyway, the weekend was good and all. Although it's a very different event when you are actually in charge of something as opposed to just having a little bit of responsibility. With the number growth, we ended taking away 30 which was great. Not so good was the tiny room we were in, because when we booked it we thought it'd be similar numbers to last year. It did slightly affect what we did, but it was all ok.

My favourite thing we did, actually I have two, was the Sunday Service where each group contributes a song, a thought - something God has been saying to someone/the group, and bible verse etc. It was brilliant to actually hear and see the growth in some people over the weekend and see some of our group raising their hands in worship for the first time. One of the guys made a photo montage video doings and that was brilliant too, kind of showed the journey we'd all been on over 36 hours or whatever it was.

My other favourite part, less holy, was the group games we had late night on Saturday night. We had various rounds to compete in, all taken from TV shows. So we had to sell a product (Dragon's Den), perform a song (X Factor), hummed tunes (Never Mind the Buzzcocks) and Played our Cards Right, complete with massive playing cards Brucie style. 

In the Dragon's Den game our group was given a polly pocket (the stationery product, not the doll). From that we created the Carpel Diem ('Sieze the hand, sieze the day') Mitten Master 4000 and a brilliant infomercial complete with demos as to all the things it can do, such as shield you from chemical attacks, protect your hand from spillages and showed how people don't even know you're wearing it! Even though I say it myself we were brilliant!!

But my personal favourite was the X Factor game. We were given a nursery rhyme and had to sing it to a different tune or in a different style. Ours was 'The Grand Old Duke of York' and the tune we decided on, no scratch that, the tune we kicked ass with was '500 Miles' by the Proclaimers, complete with second verse and repeat choruses (chorusi?) with the boys singing 'Up, up, up' and girls echoing (although with different words) 'down, down, down'. I'm telling you it was an Ivor Novello award winning song.

iPod in, blue sky, and beautiful surroundings. Does it get better?

2. School

Quite dull this so it'll be short. Finally learning the names and actually beginning to like the students. But driving is getting beyond annoying now.

3. Sox

The parents have left me again holding the cat as it were as they're off enjoying all the treats that Italy has to offer. Sox and I now get on quite well. He's reasonably easy to get out in the morning, not like Tigger who'd make you chase her through the house. But one of the plusses Tigger has was the silent meow, where she'd open her mouth and nothing would come out. Not like Sox who, I promise you, meows every other second at his worse. This has resulted in me sounding like my dad 'aww shut up cat!'. Said with love, of course.

4. Cobbling/Bespoke shoemaking

I know, who knew I had the skills? Well let me explain, I got my wedding shoes the other day from the mighty New Look. Excellent and match my outfit perfectly. All except they have bows on them. I don't do bows. So I had a look at them to make sure I could get them off in order to put something else on, and so I did.

They went from this:

Barf-o-rama

To this:

Jimmy Choo has been on the phone.