Monday, October 25, 2010



Love recognizes no barriers. 
It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls 
to arrive at it destination full of hope. 



Please view the slideshow of Christina and Charlie's amazing wedding photos here:

Wednesday, October 13, 2010



We did it!  We managed to weave together an assortment of disconnected people, vendors, ideas and preparations into one glorious day full of laughter, love, emotion and the satisfying sensation of completing a (sometimes grueling/foot blistering/exhausting) marathon in first place.

Every single thing was lovely, the food was delicious, the cake was amazing, and the toasts that were given were heart-felt and sincere, inspiring much laughter and many tears.  Even the ornery, cranky and potentially troublesome relatives with axes to grind behaved themselves which is a good thing because there was an arsenal of helpful friends and family ready to hustle anyone who stepped out of line into the lobby for a little reality check.

 When I was eight years old, and very ill with a high fever, I dreamed that an Angel came to my bedside and told me that I needed to stay on Earth because I had so many wonderful things to look forward to in this life.  It was only later that I realized that this Angel in my dream was the spirit of my beautiful daughter, Christina, asking me to be her mother.

What was not revealed in this dream was the love and laughter that we would share, the bridges that we would help each other cross, the tears, the lessons and all of the many ways she would help me to heal the old wounds in my heart.

I am so pleased that in her 24th year, Christina married the man of her dreams.  I could see on her face as she walked down the aisle and met Charlie’s eyes the trust, the loyalty, the balance and the pure love that both of them share.

This day was truly one of the most profound blessings in my life and I am grateful for each and every moment of it.


Friday, October 8, 2010


Some thoughts on the day before Christina’s wedding:


 A year’s worth of planning, ordering, shopping and arranging is about to culminate tomorrow.  Family is arriving from other states and the excitement is building, leaving us all feeling joyful, but exhausted. 

Thank heavens I had the foresight to attend to most of the details by now…..except for one……the seating chart, which I have managed to procrastinate until the absolute last moment.

This has been a worrisome element due to the old feuds percolating between certain family members who would still (after 23 years) consider mixing it up in a cage match if given half a chance. 

I believe that I have figured out an acceptable seating arrangement so that the troublesome factions will be separated by 40 other (reasonably happy) people and a cake table.  Who can possibly be in a bad mood when there’s a delicious dessert to consider?  Cake:  the great equalizer and soother of ragged nerves.


 The rehearsal is tonight, and the folks in question will come together for the first time in many years.  I suspect that most of them will be on good behavior while at the venue practicing tomorrow’s events, but the real test will be the dinner afterwards when the liquor begins to flow and boundaries are tested.

 I have been asked repeatedly if I am drinking more these days to manage stress levels and calm my nerves, and I have to say that it’s never been my way to douse my emotions with alcohol.  I would much rather put on some beloved movie I’ve seen a million times and curl up on the couch with a gigantic bowl of ice cream.  If Karl Marx were living today, he might agree that religion is not the opiate of the people…..but fatty, sugary junk food IS.

 Christina’s bridesmaids took her to San Francisco for her bachelorette party where she was treated to a lap dance by a large, black transvestite in a skimpy maid’s costume.  Christina looked adorable in her bachelorette head gear:  a veil with a multitude of purple plastic penises dangling from it.  I am positive that her children will get great enjoyment from seeing these photographs one day…..