Two funerals and a wedding

Saturday we went shopping with my grandmother for her outfit for the wedding. Wednesday morning she quietly passed away in her sleep. We took the adress list from the wedding invites to send out the mourning letters. While getting my mom a suitable outfit for the funeral, I had to pick up my jewelry for the wedding.
Friday noon I was choosing a coffin and flowers, Friday evening I had to choose the menu for the wedding dinner. And while we were having that dinner, P's best man called to tell us his dad had passed away.
It's becoming surreal, and I'm very very tired of all the emotions I feel. For the moment I quite like the dulness caused by the tranquilizer.

Carrots!

This cartoon sat waiting in "my documents - wedding" for the last six months. Waiting for the moment I could finally write the "ring-post". And behold - the moment has arrived! As of Friday evening, there's a beautiful "carrot" ;-) on my left ring finger. Needless to say, I'm soooo happy - especially 'cause P managed to completely surprise me with it.
It's quite a change from 3 Euro, brightly coloured, plastic rings; and I have to admit it still feels a bit weird, and very...grown-up, in a way. But at last now it is for the world to see : here's a shining brightly bride to be!

La promesa de amor y de fidelidad

I can’t believe it, but it’s true : the wedding is in more or less one month. All the invitations are sent (“almost” to be honest), my dress finally fits, the logistics are taking form and all the admin stuff is nearly done.
The maids of honour are dressed, the food will be tasted in two weeks, the rings are on their way, my hairdresser knows what to do, the mass is almost written in 4 languages, and even our parents have their outfit.

This weekend, we finally took the time to forget about all that practical stuff. And think about the meaning of the marriage itself. Saturday we spent a beautiful evening with our Mexican priest – who talked and prayed with us, listened to us, and asked us some important questions. We also had a taste of what it will be like to say our wedding vows to each other: a very special experience, which learned me that I don’t have a doubt in my mind. I mean every word of it.
Saturday evening, the “wedding” finally became something else again than the “project-management” it has been for the past few months. Granted, all that had to be done, but in the rush of things it’s so easy to forget what it’s really all about.
Thank you padre R.

Lullaby nr.2

I’m so tired
Guess I’m wrongly wired
So it’s time I retired
My energy pills have expired
And sleep is required

I’m so sleepy
That I almost feel weepy
Guess I’m going loopy
And I’m looking all droopy
‘Though I’d love to feel whoopee

Maybe it’s the autumn blues
Guess that’s the only excuse
Allthough I have a few other clues
I hit and rehit the snooze
And fall asleep in my shoes

I’m living on sugar and green tea
Being all bitchy and cranky
Suffering from an outburst of acne
Becoming more and more fatty
And less and less chatty

This being said
I’m now off to bed
Counting the nights ahead
‘Till I’m finally happily wed.

Hallelujah!

For more than two weeks I had been calling the priest for our church wedding. No luck – the priest was never home, I always had the former (now retired) priest on the phone. I went to the church for the second time. No luck, it was the former (now retired) priest who did the mass.

On Tuesday I finally got the present priest on the line. Not that this helped me any further. “Oh, but you first have to check with the *French-speaking* priest if the church is available that day”. I started to loose my faith at that point.....
But not without a final battle. I went to the headquarters of the “Dutch-speaking” Church in Brussels. Guess who opened the door? Right, the former (now retired) priest.

“Miss, you again!”
“Yes, me again. And I still want to get married in your church, and I still didn’t get any help from your new priest, and I’m starting to get desperate.”

So the kind old priest let me in, and started the whole process to marry us in church (including sending letters to our “home-churches” to see if we aren’t secretly married to someone else).
The old priest kept talking and talking – apparently he was more than happy with my unannounced visit. We ended up discussing celibacy, the values of marriage, the problems of the church today, his entire career, etc, etc. I even got a tour of the house. I finally got out after almost three hours. With the promise that he would call me the next morning to tell me if the church was available on the 5th of December.

I came home, and inspired by the priest I started writing our wedding mass. Until well after midnight.

On Wednesday I waited. And waited. No phone call. Around 6 pm I lost my patience, and I decided to harass the former (now retired) priest once more.

“Yes, miss N, how can I help you?”
“Well, I was just wondering if it’s ok for our wedding – you know – on the 5th?”
“But of course it is! I told you yesterday not to worry!”

So, my faith was tested. And I actually start to believe that this wedding is going to get planned in time after all! Talking about miracles...

Amen

Just reporting - still alive
Too tired to do anymore writing.
Just wrote our entire wedding-mass.
Never knew there were such beautiful words in the Bible.

Amsterdam, no cars & hot milk

On my programme the past weekend:
- going to a great wedding in Amsterdam with P
- driving back to Brussels in the middle of the night, ignoring the GPS-lady, only to realise that she was right, and that, yes indeed, the entire highway was closed for road works.
- enjoying the car-free day in Brussels. Fresh air! Silence!
- updating our guest list in Excel for more than 2 hours. And P doing all kinds of stuff with pivot-tables. I only understood the part that told us that the “sum” of people who are “80% likely to come” is still too high.
- Creating a wedding-blog with all the details.
- Going to bed really early tonight (even skipping House MD), only to realise that I keep organising the wedding in my head, and that “sleeping” is wishful thinking.
- Getting back up to drink some hot milk, and spilling the entire contents of my mug all over the kitchen (and over my PJs).
- Yawning and thinking I might go back to bed after posting this on my blog.