wedding whirl

The last several weeks have been a whirlwind. I’ve been keeping pretty mum about the wedding prep — head down, eyes on the goal — but lots is going on. Just to give you a general idea, here are some photos…

My adrenal glands have taken quite the beating. Every few days (minutes?) my stress levels spike, I erupt in shrieks and/or tears, things get done, I calm down, and then — maybe a week (or a few hours) later — the whole cycle repeats itself. My poor body. My poor family.

For the most part, I think the preparations for this weekend are pretty much where they should be. Supplies have been ordered, tools and help sourced, lists made, fires lit under butts (my husband’s, specifically). For so long, I’ve been actively thinking and anticipating and working and planning and now — NOW — things are really starting to move. 

It feels like this event is an enormous merry-go-round that, up until recently, was a cluster of smaller merry-go-rounds. For weeks, I was plugging away at my tasks — my merry-go-round: the reception meal — pushing it, trudging alongside it, pulling at it, yelling at other people (my husband, specifically) to help. Every now and then I let go long enough to help someone else push their project, or I’d just stay put and yell instructions. Gradually, more and more people began trotting alongside the spinning rides and grabbing hold of the rungs until, just this last weekend, we reached the tipping point: all the little merry-go-rounds finally gathered enough momentum, whipping themselves into such a whirling frenzy, that — POOF — they crashed into one single enormous, glorious, dizzying merry-go-round. Now events are moving so fast the wedding has a life of its own and I can finally stand back and just watch it go. 

Just kidding! I still have loads to do — but! The wedding does feel weirdly manageable. I occasionally get twinges of panic but I’m pretty sure that’s just my over-active alarm system testing to make sure I’m alive.

It’s strange (though perhaps perfectly normal): Now that things are mostly in order, emotionally I’m spiralling. Moods, tempers, tears, joy, sadness, pride, panic — it’s running the gamut. All in one weekend — the same day, actually — my oldest child is graduating from college and getting married. I’m gaining another daughter. We get to meet my son’s other family (and they us). Then the next day, we’re having a huge party filled with incredible friends and family. It’s a lot to take in.

Anyway. Here to report: I’m alive.

Wheeeeeee!

This same time, years previous: just what we needed, turkey broth jello, second amendment sanctuary, in praise of the local arts, the quotidian (12.12.16), Italian wedding soup, hot chocolate mix, constant vigilance!, sunrise, sunset, my elephant, cracked wheat pancakes.