Benefits are Weighing in....

I will be jumping in every once in a while to let you know my progress.
I won't tell you the starting weight, but will let you know how I'm doing. I'm weighing myself on Wed a.m. and Sunday a.m.
When I went to the doctor on Monday the 18th, I weighed--- (thought I forgot didn't you...) !**^>%

After the wedding, I'm down 4 pounds (10 days later).

I'm doing it by no seconds (at supper) and watching what I eat for snacks.

Rehearsal moments...

I'm back and pretty much settled into the normal routine now, so I can post something about the wedding and what I'll be looking forward to doing now that it's over.

...day before the rehearsal day...
Notice the temperature the day before 'rehearsal day'. We were dealing with 90 degrees and above temps for the whole week before the wedding. (So glad I opted out of making whoopies pies and had her order them. I was GLAD you give the check for those to be made in someone else's kitchen!!)

We had rain in the morning in CT (sprinkles), but I heard my daughter and her in-laws to be had torrential downpours and thunder and lightning where they live, 1 1/2 hrs away! By 1pm, we were all up at the Zukas Hilltop Barn (with the exception of Scott's parents-that story is coming...-) and the weather turned out fine. Most all of us were trying to help get things inside (centerpieces, placecards, tables numbers, etc. including the whoopie pies) for the staff to set up the next day.

This was me before we left our house...

Okay, since I mentioned the whoopie pies, let's just say, whoever was in charge of making sure they were in the car (they had an hour drive to where we were), thought they'd snagged the box of them, when they should have snagged THREE boxes of them. (The other two were in Leslie's trunk, 45 mins back at their house!). Scott's parents made it back to the house to get them, but in the process, missed the whole rehearsal. They were NOT happy campers!! And I don't blame them. If there wasn't another wedding soon to be happening (at 4pm), we may have been able to stall off until they got there (at 1:45pm).
The other thing that (I thought) was funny, was that my mom wondered why she hadn't been introduced to 'this gentleman' in the parking lot, as we're all standing around waiting to be told where to proceed to. I thought she was joking and didn't really respond, then she repeated herself. I told her, "That's Richard, you know him..(it was my ex-husband)". "No I don't" then proceeded to introduce herself... "Mom! That's Richard!... Dick, Dick Roach (?)" .... "Oh MY!, Richard I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you."  Granted he does look much older than when she'd seen him last, but mom... (he IS 67).
Here are some photos of the place we were at (not our table settings)

At the other end of the tent, is the walkway to the gazebo where the ceremony was held.

This WAS our ceremony... pink and orange balls.

We headed off to the hotel and had some time to check in and relax before the rehearsal dinner. Steve (groom's dad) chose this dinner and it was delicious.

 This was the line for dessert (the BEST blueberry pie I've ever eaten!!)

Here is my mom (in the wild jacket), far right is maid of honor, Kim R, Greg (groomsman), Jenn and her girlfriend.

Here are almost all of the parents of the bride and groom; L-to-R, Janice (Scott's mom), me, Lee (Leslie's step-dad), and Steve (Scott's dad).

Here is more of the family... L to R; Dick (Leslie's dad), Muriel (Leslie's gram/my mom), Scott (groom) and Leslie (bride).

Greg, Jamie, Ethan, & Ashley

Bridal party, Emily (bridesmaid) and husband, Mike and Billy (both groomsmen).

Jenn and Kim

Check out the pies!!!

Here is the bride and groom to be...

After dinner, the kids thanked the parents (very nice) and presented gifts to the wedding party.

Leslie and Ashley (bridesmaid)

Leslie looked so lovely....

The guys gifts....

Rehearsal Day....

Everything is ready... I'm dressed and waiting for my mom to show up and my husband to get showered, dressed and packed (I don't think it will be much in that area, since his suit is in a bag already). I'm going upstairs to do a last minute check before I put everything in the car. We will be leaving at 11:30am. the rehearsal is at 1pm. I plan to take lots of photos and drink lots of water. I have to clean out my car too. (i'll be back)...

Blueberry Season... just starting!

What is better than going blueberry pickin'? Going pickin' with your momma!! Even at 83, she can still pick with the best of them...

This is how loaded the branches were, but it's early in the season, so they aren't as full of BLUEberries as last year.

They still want you to 'pick them clean'! I think I did!!

Even mom (aged 83) is picking her little heart out! She picked 4 lbs worth. Good for you, Mom!

This is mine which weighed in at almost 6 lbs....

I even got to eat a few (JUST taste testing!!)

As we left, I turned to take a photo of the area we were picking from. Most everyone was WAY down in the back by the orange balloon. We walked down to the shade of the trees on the left and then walked halfway across to the right of the photo. Seemed a long way back with LOTS of blueberries!!

3 Days to go!

Wow.... I just had the two most fun days!

I went up to Janice and Steve's (my daughter's future in-laws) house to do some last minute things for the wedding. We did get quite a bit done!!

Wed: This is the table numbers that we put together on Wed (had to unwrap the frames, peel off four layers of celephane from clear windows in frame, assemble the stand pat, stamp two sets of numbers, trim brown insert paper -so writing wouldn't show through on other side-they are two-sided, assemble numbers to slide into frames. Whew!) That took a while.

Trimmed message boards for bathroom baskets and message table for bride and groom. Mounted those on navy folded cardstock. Stamped them with daisies.

Cut apart tags, trimmed cards, cut ribbons - 9", punched holes and threaded ribbons through . (These will be tied to whoopie pie bags).

Somewhere in here we had dinner and a snack...

Fell into bed at 10:30pm.

Thurs:

Leslie went up to Maine to get the Whoopie pies (Thank GOD I didn't cook them as I planned!!).

Janice and I got up, had breakfast and went to work on place cards. (God! Look at those thighs!! -- Wait, DON'T look at those thighs....I'll have to diet when I come home). These were pretty time consuming: Janice had to color the stamps-two different colors for each meal choice, pink-beef, orange-chicken, blue-vegetarian. There were 5 allergies, so we would eventually put a purple flower attached to these.

Janice was the flower attacher... two layered, and secured with a winged pin. I had the list of who ate what food, so I had to write the names of each person and their table number on the cards after they were dry.

Then we punched a little hole and Janice attached the flowers. We got a little nervous since we started to run out of the flowers (we figured out she attached the wrong sized flower to some- but we changed them). Problem solved! Then I had to double check, spelling of names (found one I had to add a letter to-easy), correct table number, and correct food colored-flower. Oh. And then alphabetized them (this I tried to do as I sent them to be flowered by Janice). We had such a great system and a grea time bonding. I just wished we lived closer and I was retired! We could get into so much trouble fun!)

After a full two days of artsy-craftsy stuff, we fell into their pool!!! Oh, did I forget to tell you we have had a severe HEAT WAVE in New England!!!! It's been 92-99 degrees everyday all week!

Sat, the day of rehearsal for the wedding, should be 92 and it should move to 80 degrees (Cold spell) on Sunday for the wedding. Yea! God was listening...

The rehearsal will be at 1pm tomorrow-Sat- (outside) followed by a rehearsal dinner at the hotel (air conditioning!). Leslie was saying that they are even having a wedding on Sat- so we must be out of there before they have to have the next wedding at 4pm. Then the hair and makeup moments for us girls (waterproof makeup) will be in their suite (Governors suite- two bedroom and sitting room) at the Sturbridge Host hotel, (MA).

It's getting exciting...
I won't be able to write much after tomorrow morning (no access to a computer), but I'll take notes and fill you in by Monday afternoon (I hope).

Countdown is on....1 week

Since I won't have access to my computer some days, I'll have to fill you in on those 'missed' days of posting.  There are 7 days left before Leslie's wedding day. Seven!

I have a busy day today....vet appt for the cats (missed last years, due to finances). Then clean up and have MY physical. I really need to organize what I'm bringing to MA for the wedding. It's supposed to be a scorcher for every single day between now and the wedding! Over 90 degrees, EVERY DAY!! So much for my worry about it having torrential downpours and high winds. (It's an outside wedding and reception under a tent).

Just IM'd Leslie last night, and she wanted to know if I could make an adjustment in her maid of honor's dress (shorten the halter straps). Yikes! That just put pressure on me, that I wasn't expecting. I really want to see what I'm in for, not through photos over the internet, but unless I go up there, I have to commit or not. Maybe I'll take a run up tonight....no, maybe not. Too much crazy running. Let's see what I get done...

Then I can get into quilting again. (yea!)

Quilting delayed by wedding plans

I do have a quilt in the works.... and it will get trimmed and 'bound'(?), but I'm not sure if I'll get to doing much about it until this weekend. Why, you ask? (And why isn't anything quilt related being posted in this blog lately???) Well, I'll tell you.

I have a wedding I'm attending. Soon. Actually, I'm more than attending. My daughter, Leslie-Anne is the bride! And the wedding is in less than two weeks! SO!... You can see my priorities are set for things other than quilting. I have the outfit (was to be a dress, but ended up being a top/jacket/long skirt), Just got the shoes (one for wedding, one for dancing if needed)... that was a trip and a half!... and I now have to look for earrings that I bought through Lia Sopia, but can't find them. A woman I work with loaned me a pair of diamond (probably zirconium), and I need to find a necklace for it (the top is scoop neck). I also would like to buy hubby a shirt/tie to match my top.Well, I'm thinking of how it will look in the photos.

I'm going up to MA (where the couple lives) to help with the favors (I'm buying them instead of making them--Whoopie pies), and writing out the place cards for her. I hope to go up on Wed and stay through til Thursday when Les has to pick up the pies, then I'll come home and get ready to go up to the hotel on Sat. The wedding is on Sunday, so we'll have a nice time Sat with the rehearsal and dinner (we'll have my mom with us in our hotel room), then have makeup done (I don't even have makeup on normally, so this should be interesting-it's even supposed to be waterproof, I suppose that's a good thing, since today was the humidist day I've been through in a long time.) Lee will be coming home after the wedding-- he has to be a work at 7am the next day) and I'm staying over with mom that night. I took the week before the wedding off and the day after the wedding off work, so I'm fine.

I'm getting excited!

New Spot for next year!

We have been going to see fireworks at the same place in our town every year. It's a band shell where they have music/bands/food/BBQ/horse rides/etc...and LOTS, and LOTS of people!!!! Frisbee playing, football throwing, kids running, people drinking (even though you know they aren't allowed alcohol on the grounds), young kids being sassy, but also having good clean fun. Just LOTS AND LOTS of people!!!! (However, notice no people here? This was our spot! hehehe)

Well, we realized that if we didn't go all the way to the center of campus where all the action is, we enjoyed the evening better and had the BEST VIEW of the fireworks!!!! The BEST!. No obstruction with trees, or other people. Nothing but beautiful fireworks over our heads!! This photo was of (we think) wind tracers... Certainly not UFOs! They sent up three at a time... twice. they look like lines here, but they were more like moving headlights.

Some fireworks looked just like they should! You know, the explosions and the spray of lights... beautiful!

 

 

This looks like the overhead high tension wires are on fire!!!

Armageddon!! If you notice the cars along the driveway, there are many more people on the other side of the cars, but we stayed to the 'light' side. Good decision! This photo made me realize that I shouldn't take the photo RIGHT when I hear the 'BANG!"...but wait a second or two. Wait too long and you miss the initial effect (that happened a few times)!

Some had amazing designs that I actually caught on my camera! (I only took about 6 tries to get this one pattern! Digital cameras that aren't the million $$ ones, have a delay time between when you push the button and when it captures the image :-(  )

Then there are the flowers.... beautiful!

There were some that made me think of Nova... celestrial photos. (NASA, eat your heart out. LOL)

 

  The only downfall we had that night, was that we carried WAAYYY too much to walk the distance. I'm gonna track the distance and report back later.

What did we carry, you ask?

Two director chairs, one canvas table-similar to the director chairs, one collapsible cooler (two bottles of water, huge bag of grapes, bag of cherries, three peaches, three apples, three quart-sized bags of ice cubes-- and NO, I didn't pack this, but I carried this), one backpack (two citronella candles-in thick glasses, bug spray, long-tipped lighter, two paperbacks, camera, cell phone, half bag of popped corn, two granola bars (guess who didn't get to carry this one--yeah, me). I swear I'm gonna repack them and weigh them. They were frickin' heavy!!! We each carried the chair, but I got the table and the cooler. He got the other chair and the backpack (he did rescue the table from me--I guess I whined enough...LOL). Still too much to bring.

I wouldn't take my jacket, because it was one more thing to carry-wasn't warm enough to wear there.

I wonder why my hubby looked incredulously at me when I wished we'd brought cheese and crackers!