A Break for Nuptials

Tomorrow's the big day and everything's coming up Milhouse!

Today's been one to-do after another, but they're going smoothly. Mom & Dad are up from New Brunswick; the two of them and Sis worked hard with us yesterday afternoon to transform our home into a party palace. The living room/dance floor's ready for some shakin', crates of empty wine & beer glasses await their sweet nectar, and the kitchen table awaits its three-cake centerpiece. Cassie's even been groomed with two little doggie bows, making her the sweetest cutie petutie I've ever seen.

Tonight is the Meet & Greet with the two families, generously hosted by Sis & Bro-in-Law at their place. Tomorrow is hair & girly stuff - bright & early 'cause it's an 11:30am ceremony. There should be about eight or nine of us chickies milling about at the pre-ceremony peak. I have champagne chilling in the fridge to spike the orange juice.

The only bummer to date is that because we don't trust this week's flip-floppy weather we decided to have our luncheon indoors, which means that it won't be accompanied by one of our favourite jazz musicians and his trio (there's no room in the dining room for them to set up). They will however be there for the ceremony and cocktails. YAY!

Et voilà! One last update before tomorrow. I suspect there will be a slight hiatus here for a week or so, but come back & check! You never know, there may just be a few photos.

Now I must return to scrubbing the toilets (ugh); our overnight company arrives soon.

Hugs,
Steph
xo

A Wedding Update - Five Days Before

Five days to go before the big day. Can someone please tell me where the past five months went?!?

Here's a bit - ok a lot - of an update. Bear with me it's therapeutic...

• Wedding bands - check. We found a jewelry designer who deals with a company that makes reproductions of retro/vintage rings. With a bit of tinkering she tailored the one I ordered into an almost perfect match to my 1955 engagement ring!
• Handfasting ribbon - check. It helps to have a dress with a 5 1/2' sash that just happens to match the colour of the flowers.
• Ceremony - check. Final text sent to the officiant Saturday.
• Party munchies & booze - almost check. Most of the food is ordered or we at least we know where we're going to buy it the day before. More than half of the booze is sitting in the basement waiting to be uncorked or cracked open with the ol' Homer Simpson bottle opener.
• Wedding attire - almost check. Poor D. After FINALLY getting his first fitting last week, he got there only to see that the tailor ordered the wrong fabric for his zoot suit. He even had the two tone shoes picked out. Sigh. Luckily when the tailor was dragging his @ss, D. was smart enough to book a tux as a backup. So tux it is. I finally found shoes, had my hair trial appointment last week and am happy to report that the dress still fits (hurray!).
• Party decorations - almost check. Outdoor fairy light-stringing get-together is scheduled for tomorrow night, lighting's been purchased for the living room/dance floor and furniture overhaul & layout will be happening during the week.
• Party playlist/dance tunes - almost check. From Michael Jackson to Metallica to The Who, it's gonna be fun! It's such a hoot to see what our guests are submitting with their RSVPs.
  
• Engagement photos - check. They're gorgeous and I can't wait to see the prints we ordered. How lucky am I to have a friend be my photographer, it'll just make the day that much more special. :)
• Day-of schedule - almost check. I vowed I would never be one of those brides who would have a schedule typed up for the day of, then I found myself typing "7:30am - hair, 9:30am - pick up flowers...". Oh my.
• Cakes (3) - check. Chocolate Symphony, Lemon Pound Cake with Buttercream icing and a Chocolate French Mousse. Cake toppers Frida and Oscar (Wilde) ready and waiting.
• Last-minute stuff like seating charts, guest book, etc. - almost check. This morning was a fun run at Michaels Craft Supplies for some last-minute goodies.
• Ooooh and honeymoon - check. Part I at the Château Laurier downtown Ottawa for Canada Day festivities, Part II camping in Bar Harbor for the 4th of July weekend in a brand new Airstream camper.
• Sanity - almost check. Sometimes elusive, sometimes present. Sometimes somewhere in between.

The past few weeks have been crazy but it's the home stretch baby and this chick's looking forward to a good party come Saturday! Then she looks forward to all the good stuff that comes afterward.

Hugs to you all.

Peace in the Present

morning reflection at Mud Lake (May 2009)

Today I strive to live in the present, worrying about neither past nor future, simply living the moments as the fleet by or saunter with acceptance of all they bring - sadness, fear, hope, laughter and love. I strive to let go of old wounds and put aside expectations of what may come. I am me, here, now.

The more I practice this, the more I feel at peace.

Dreaming

Today I dream of...

• Owning a piece of land in the country with a meadow and a stream
• Tending a vegetable garden and maybe even a few laying hens, producing food to nourish myself and my loved ones
• Watching our dog Cassie run freely under the sun with no worries, ears flopping up & down, until she drops of blissful exhaustion
• Spending lazy afternoons in a hammock with a favourite book
• Hosting parties, gatherings and family reunions with laughter, music and hugs, hugs, hugs
• Sitting on the back porch with D, Cassie at our feet, gazing at the constellations and dreaming up the future
• Planting a butterfly garden
• Watching fairy-like fireflies dance in the night, reminding me that Mother Nature truly is magical
• Cooking healthy meals from scratch with ingredients fresh out of the garden, savouring them with D on some nights, sharing them with friends on others
• Learning how to sew, preserve food and live more self-sufficiently
• Working the soil, making a happy home, being a good steward to our space
• Simplifying my belongings to include only what soothes body, mind and soul
• Gathering wild strawberries
• Delighting in bird songs
• Walking barefoot in the grass

That's not too much to ask on a Wednesday afternoon is it? :)

Creative Surrender

cosmic
(a result of creative surrender)

"The discipline of creation is a mix of surrender and initiative. We let go of inhibitions, which breed rigidity, and we cultivate responsiveness to what is taking shape in the immediate situation. The creative person, like the energy of creation, is always moving. There is an understanding that the process must keep changing."

- Shaun McNiff, Trust the Process - An Artist's Guide to Letting Go

Breathing

I've been a bit of an electronic hermit this past week. My body feels tired, my eye is giving me trouble and my mental energy is low - not exactly conducive to sitting in front of a screen and writing. I've so many thoughts swirling in my head, but seem to lack the mental energy or clarity to coherently put any of them together.

It doesn't surprise me really. I've been going at an intense pace since February in several facets of my life, culminating with a wedding in less than four weeks (eep!). It was bound to catch up with me.

So just for these few days, I'm letting it.

Craving an outside retreat but with no practical way to do so, I'm doing the next best thing: retreating in the comfort of my own home as best as I can within my current circumstances.

I'm allowing myself a much needed respite from outside commitments for sleep, rest and relaxation, interspersed with gentle play to keep me from spiralling down & out - 'cause let's face it, spiralling out just ain't no fun unless it's in an upward direction.

In essence, I'm allowing myself the space to breathe and it. feels. good.