Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun in 1897.

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Well, okay then

There's a shift happening within me that is very new and very big. Quite unexpected as well. You see, it seems as though I've suddenly veered off my current path and now find myself on another path, which is mostly uncharted territory:

I think I'm a vegetarian.

Maybe it's not such a crazy new path. My eating habits have certainly changed a fair amount in the past five years or so. I haven't had soda of any sort in a couple of years - not that it was ever a huge part of my diet, but I did drink it occasionally. Fast food isn't really on the menu for me, other than a soup or sandwich from Tim's or a slice of pizza now and then. The husband and I had burgers from DQ a year and a half ago, in a moment of road trip desperation, and we were both SO sick that the very thought of going back makes me feel ill.

(Obviously I'm talking savoury food here. I have definitely eaten more than my fair share of fast food baked goods from Starbucks and Tim's, not to mention ice cream from DQ.)

I've been thinking of myself as a flexitarian for a while now, since reading In Defense of Food. I can easily go a few days without eating meat. But then, about a week or so ago, I read an article that led me to this book.



Okay, don't laugh! I know it's written by Cher from Clueless, but it's very well-written and informative. Alicia Silverstone has been full-on vegan for some time now and the book is well-footnoted, citing various studies and the like.

But I'm not here to defend it. I'm here to tell you that it got to me. That her descriptions about how animals are treated made me cringe and feel rather sick to my stomach. It's not that it all came as a huge surprise. I wasn't walking around thinking that all of the cows I have eaten had long, happy, peaceful lives in big grassy fields and then, when they were done enjoying the sunshine, they fell over dead naturally and then became my hamburgers. To be honest, I didn't really think about their lives. And when I did come across happy-looking cows in a field, I didn't think of hamburgers.

I buried my head in the sand a bit. Not all the way, but it was definitely lodged securely.

Now that I've read this book, I can't seem to put my head back in the sand. So I haven't touched meat in about a week and a half. And I'm cutting back on dairy, too. And I can't say for sure if this is going to stick, but it seems like it might.

Don't worry though! I have every intention of reading more books and thoroughly learning about this new lifestyle choice. If you have any hints or suggestions - send them my way!

Aaaaaaaannnnnnd....Action!

Here's the thing - I didn't even want a wedding video. I'm not sure why, exactly. Maybe I was imagining a big old camera and a boom mic? Maybe I was just in cost-cutting mode. But when the Husband's good friend offered to record the day on his digital dvd cam (he's in the film business) at the last minute, I said, "Why not!?" Still, I didn't think to much about it and it wasn't really on my radar.

Until all the pomp and circumstance (and laughter) of the day was done and then I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, so I could relive every moment from a different point of view.

Well, the Husband finally got it last night and we watched it over dinner and beyond. Not only do we have the whole ceremony - including the amazing speeches that were included within - but we also got all of the rest of the speeches from the night. And we were both almost in tears while watching, both from the overwhelming emotions of that night and from laughing at our crazy friends (who were totally making fun of us).

THANK GOODNESS for good friends who have hindsight on their side and know that those are moments you're going to want to keep for a long, long time.

You've got to have friends

At one point, about a week before the wedding as we were finalizing the seating chart, we realized how incredibly talented all of our friends are. The small crowd at our nuptials included writers (both of books, television shows and movies), editors (book and magazine), actors, singers, directors, visual artists, interior designers, seamstresses, poets, aerospace engineers, carpenters, producers, photographers, teachers, gardeners, musicians and more. In fact, we came to the conclusion that we were probably the least interesting people at our own wedding!

But it's probably good to surround yourself with talented people, right? Keeps you motivated to be the best that you can be.

Anyway, I bring this up because last night we went to see this guest in The Messiah. She was the soprano soloist in a gorgeous burgundy gown and the whole show came alive when she stepped up to sing. I have known her since I was 15 and she was a gorgeous 14-year-old. (At 15, I was not so gorgeous...) We both wore overalls a lot and her talent, even then, blew us all out of the water. I get SO proud when I watch her perform. (Well, I'm pretty crazy proud of all of my talented friends' accomplishments!) Want an idea of how good she is? Watch this:

A snippet of history

The Olympic Torch ran right past my apartment tonight. I almost watched from the balcony, but instead chose to be part of the action. And somehow I picked the perfect spot to stand:

8 days to go!

A little view of Christmas chez moi. As the day itself draws closer, I've confirmed something important about myself—I cannot live in a house with large amounts of Christmas baking. I'm looking forward to bringing a bunch of it to the office on Friday and sending some more with the Husband to his office. Then we'll STILL have some, which we'll bring up north next week. And then?

A baking moratorium. For at least a little while.

Oh, I'm monkeying around with the blog a bit, which you've probably noticed. This isn't the final form, but I like the more neutral template for the moment. We'll see what 2010 brings. Another new look AND a baking moratorium.

The Gingerbread Forest

The Husband and I devoted some time this past weekend to creating our very own gingerbread woodland creatures.



Check out the moose! He's our favourite:



And a whole forest full of yummy, yummy animals:



Ready for Christmas!

Oh Christmas Tree

Ah, how I love a Christmas tree! They're so beautiful. And sometimes they are perfect design elements that carry a home's style into the holidays.



But that one's not mine! This one is:



The Husband and I bought it on Thursday evening, started decorating it on Friday night and then finally finished it off this morning. As you can see, it's slightly wonky, with a few branches sticking out much further than the others, and it lacks a certain overall design aesthetic. But what it does have is a whole bunch of history.

These apple ornaments were the very first ones I ever bought for myself, my first Christmas away from home back in 1996:



I bought my angel that year too, from a very country-chic store. I certainly wouldn't describe our apartment as country-chic in any way, but I'm still drawn to the simple apples and the homey angel with the paper hair.



The first year that the Husband and I were dating, he took a two-week trip to Scotland in the fall. One of the gifts that he brought home for me was this little plaid Santa:



The second year that we were dating, he took me to The Bay at Eaton Centre to see their big Christmas display, which they call Christmas Street. He bought these ornaments that day and he gets excited about them every year when we bring them out.



Two years ago I asked my mom what happened to all of the ornaments that hung on our Christmas trees during my childhood, since both my parents remarried when I was in my twenties. Turns out that she had many of them tucked away, so she sent them across the country to me. Included in that precious parcel were all sorts of German wooden ornaments from our years overseas, such as this little Oktoberfest guy:



And some elaborate crafty ornaments we made almost 30 years ago that involved blown eggs and some fancy decoupage:



Those old ornaments are probably my favourite, because they bring back that feeling of childhood Christmases with my original family. (Not that I don't adore all of the new versions of my family, but there's something special about remembering where you started.)

And finally, we have the ornaments supplied by the fantastic guy I chose for a husband:



Nothing says Christmas like the dark side of the Force!

Now for the money shot:



Ahhhhhh, Christmas.

Holiday bits and bobs

Phew! I finally buckled down tonight and finished all the cards. By the way, if you were at the wedding, you're getting a hybrid holiday/thank you card. Hope that's okay! There was just no way I could conceive of doing thank you cards AND holiday cards for everybody.

Speaking of cards, check out this charming holiday stationary:





These holiday options come from Rifle Paper Co. They also make personalized calling cards with a little illustration of your face. I'm putting those on my wish list for Santa. (By the way, most of my own Christmas cards came from Zellers. I got them on sale at the end of last December...)

Another fun thing that I found on my blog rounds are these clever cheat sheets for gift buyers:



How cute, eh!? You know, when I worked at La Senza while I was in high school, a man once came in with a wallet-sized version of something like this, with all of his wife's sizes on it. I have never forgotten that smart man! Oh check out Made in England by Gentlemen to download your own cheat sheets. (The Husband did note that the boy's cheat sheet should include things like what size of TV he would like and electronic things like that. Little does he know that I'm totally buying him a sweater!)

One more thing for all of you looking for an adorable, homemade, Canadian gift for someone special (or your special self):



My super-talented, crazy-smart, beautiful friend makes, names and sells these little bunnies at craft shows around Toronto. Check out her blog to find out when and where. If you think these are awesome, wait until you see the rest of her stuff!

And now I'm going to do some household tidying to prepare for the soon-to-be temporary addition to our little home: our Christmas tree! Luckily a little lot selling trees has sprung up less than 100 metres from our front door, so we won't even have to vacuum pine needles out of the back of the car. Stay tuned for a post with pics!

Left to my own devices

I may have inadvertently spent too much time alone this weekend. Not on purpose, but the Husband headed out of town and I had enough stuff to do that I didn't make any plans. I expected him home this evening and planned to bombard him with all of my need for human interaction. Alas, snow squalls up in Owen Sound mean he's going to sit tight until tomorrow morning. So the solitude continues.

Thank goodness for my blog!

Okay, so the big excitement of the weekend was the first batch of professional wedding photos! So far we only have the online web gallery, so I can't post any of the pics here. But you can see them all yourself if you click here and then use the password: Archeos.

I have LOTS of favourites! And I kind of wish I could turn 072 into a mask to just wear around when I'm having an off day. Tell me which ones are your favourites!

The crazy part is that we'll be getting EVEN MORE in a couple of weeks, when we get all the digital files and our proof book. Can't wait! I'll be sure to post some then.

I did a fair bit of movie viewing over the weekend, including this one:



I watched it while I was doing the Christmas baking, because I wanted something festive. I didn't expect much, but I was entertained! Although, I have this vague recollection that there were reports that Vince and Reese didn't get along during filming, so I couldn't help but look for cracks in their performances.

In order to bring some artistry to the weekend, I finally watched this:



Marion deserved that Oscar, I tell you! An incredible performance. But what a seriously sad life that poor Edith Piaf had. I felt a little guilty getting entertainment out of her pain.

I also became one of the zillions of people to see this:



I'm still completely on the fence about this whole phenomenon. Maybe I'm just too old? Although, I generally love all things produced for tween and teen girls. I also really enjoy Amanda Bynes, which is why I was so disturbed to see this:



She used to be cute and funny. Now she just looks cheap and slutty. Poor Amanda!

Anyway, in addition to a variety of chores, some exercise and a flexing of my creative muscles, I also ate more of the baking than I intended to and made this fantastic soup. All in all, a pretty good December weekend! But next weekend will definitely involve other people!

Sugar and spice and everything nice

Growing up, my mom did a ton of baking for the holidays. She would start in October, filling our basement freezer with mincemeat tarts, shortbread, Nanaimo bars, cookies and more. Unfortunately for her, my sweet tooth knew no bounds and I would routinely dip into the frozen supplies, depleting her stash and occasionally leaving her a little short when company arrived. To this day I have a soft spot for frozen baked goods.

Today, with the Husband up north, the house to myself and the holiday spirit humming within me, I took a page from my mom's book and baked up a storm. I baked enough that my cat, hungry for some attention, took it upon herself to pull a soup bowl off the ottoman, breaking it.

I baked enough to make quite a mess. Here's a shot I snapped when I was already half way through the clean up!



I made my mom's famous Nanimo bars. (I haven't perfected how to make them pretty yet. But they taste fantastic!) I confess that the Husband and I made these two years ago, and when the chocolate on top refused to cut nicely without breaking, we deemed them not worthy for presentation and ate the WHOLE PAN ourselves.



Chocolate chip butterscotch bars. This was a new recipe and they turned out pretty damn delicious, if I do say so myself.



And my first go at shortbread. I don't think I'll use this recipe again, but they have Toblerone pieces in the, so how bad can they be?



Next week, with my lovely Husband, it will be time for sugar cookies and gingerbread! We got some awesome cookie cutters as part of a very generous wedding gift and we can't wait to use them.

Oh! And don't fear for our figures! We have a few holiday events to attend, so all of this is being baked so we can spread it around. After all, that tropical honeymoon is fast approaching...

It's a good thing needles don't bother me!

Warning! If you have very strong feelings AGAINST vaccinations, just do yourself a favour and don't read this post. Seriously, Jenny McCarthy and company - just look away!

Okay. Welcome to the rest of you!

I am in the process of becoming a human pincushion.

It all started with my first trip to see my new doctor, who is clearly very pro-vaccine. In our delightfully thorough first meeting, she asked all sorts of questions that my last doctor never even touched on. (He also made me cry once, but that's another story.) The topic of chicken pox came up and I was all, "Ya, I'm pretty certain I never had that." And she was all, "Well, for some people it's just one pock and they don't even notice. Let's take some blood and find out if you're immune." The blood test was very clear - I have never, ever, ever had chicken pox. And not only is it bad to get as an adult, it's REALLY bad to get if you're pregnant. So I made an appointment and got a needle in each arm. One side for chicken pox and the other for measles, mumps and rubella. (Also things I never had.) On the way out I am prompted to make an appointment for early in the new year because I need a booster to complement the first shots. Sigh.

While I had an audience with my doctor, we had the whole H1N1 discussion. I had debated with various people about whether or not to get the shot. I didn't have a strong feeling either way, to be honest. I also have a pretty wicked immune system, if I do say so myself. (And I maintain that it's because I'm not fanatic about germs and stuff. Germs happen. I avoid eating spoonfuls of dirt, but other than that I don't stress too much.) But the doctor sort of talked me into it, so I'm headed in next week to get both the regular and the H1N1. More holes in my arms.

THEN the Husband asked me if I thought we needed any shots for our upcoming honeymoon (42 DAYS!) and so I asked my doctor's office about that. They said I should get the Twin RX vaccine for Hep A and B. It involves two shots fairly close together AND a booster. Holy crap!

So, if you see me out and about and I have a slight glow about me, it's just because I'm slowly, but surely, becoming bionic with the help of modern medicine.

Gotta love a love story...

I will totally see this movie. Not only for the romcom-ness of it, but for the scenery!



Ah, Italy! You were so good to me.

Nesting

Can we talk about how much I love this apartment in Brisbane, Australia?





Perhaps it's time to buy a lottery ticket and use up all my wishes for the rest of my life. Click here to check out the rest of the photos of this fantastic place - including a tiled bathroom that makes me swoon - and you'll be directed to my favourite site for porn. Decor porn, that is! (Come on, my Dad reads this blog!)

Quite the learning experience

I think this is so cool:



I mean, this woman is not only an awesome mom, but a brave one to travel around the world for a year with four children. In some ways, this is how I grew up. Not that we lived out of backpacks with only five outfits (the horror!), but that I got to travel to all sorts of different countries and experience how big the world is firsthand.

This, however, never happened to me:



Seriously awesome. Check out their website for more about this crazy adventure.

The WEdding - Part Eight

Here ends the wedding posts...for now. Just over two weeks later, I'm still immensely happy with the whole event and wouldn't change a thing about the day. I'm also happy to report that I didn't experience any major letdown post-event. Nope. Still feeling good. Loving being married to my wonderful husband. And excited about the future. Here's hoping that we can sustain the feeling in these two pics for many, many years to come:

The Wedding - Part Seven

I'm back after a little sojourn up north for my new mother-in-law's 80th birthday. (Guys, I have a mother-in-law. How strange is that!?) My wonderful Husband and new sister-in-law (!!) absolutely outdid themselves with thoughtful gifts and a small surprise party lunch, which went over beautifully. It was a very fun weekend.

But back to the subject at hand! I am nearing the end of the wedding posts, if only to give you all a breather before we get our professional photos back, because then I will definitely be inundating you all again.

Anyway, here's a post about the little details. I had a couple of past brides warn me not to spend too much time on the small details, because they found that they went unnoticed by the majority of the guests. I guess their sage advice went in one ear and out the other, because I did worry about the details. Although I enjoyed worrying about them!

The first project at hand was our escort card board:



The Husband found the frame at a flea market this summer for $5 when we were up north being hosted at a friend's gorgeous cottage. Then we chose the fabric and ribbon and I enlisted my very crafty friend to help me turn it all into something useful and pretty. I love the way it turned out! (It looked even better when it was full of the escort cards.)

Next up, the centrepieces:



As much as the Husband and I both LOVE flowers, I wanted to do something a little different on the tables. You see, part of my goal at the wedding was to make sure the guests didn't feel like wallpaper. Since it was a relatively small wedding, I really wanted everyone to feel like they were there for a reason! Because they are a part of our lives. So I found these photo holders (and I got a GREAT deal on them) and then went through the process of finding (and copying) photos of all of our guests to fill them. So each table had pictures of the guests sitting at that table - old pics, new pics, all kinds! I have to say, these took FOREVER to put together. I questioned my sanity repeatedly, but I'm really glad with how they turned out.

Next, our ring box:



Back in the late summer, I started to think about what I wanted for the rings. I was positive that a lacy little pillow was not the way to go, so I turned to my favourite place for crafty inspiration: Etsy! Lo and behold, I saw some nice little bark boxes. So I sent an email to my friend with the cottage I mentioned earlier (She was also the MC at the wedding!), asking her what she thought and did she think we could make one. Now, she comes from a very artsy, crafty (FANTASTIC) family, so her reply was just, "I'm on it!" In fact, her beautiful mom painstakingly made us a box from birch bark that she collected around their cottage. Apparently it took a couple of tries and many hours of effort! Also, to pay homage to the Husband and his love of comic books, she lined the box in Spiderman comics. It's so lovely.
Our talented floral designer friend put the finishing touches in of the moss, leaves and ribbons. It was perfect and suited the wedding perfectly!

And finally, quiz and favours:



In order to encourage people to interact with guests that they perhaps hadn't met or didn't know well, we concocted a quiz all about the Husband and I. It was inadvertently very hard (and several people got incredibly...creative with their answers), but there was a prize! And one of my college friends won!

The favours, hidden inside those little paper bags, were my homemade chocolate chip cookies. I'm a wee bit famous for them and they went over very well. While I baked them well in advance and stashed them in the freezer for awhile (all 12 dozen of them), my mom and I spent an afternoon wrapping them in plastic wrap, putting them in the bags and then threading the twine through and tying on a little ticket. It seemed like it was going to be an awful, tedious job, but four hand made fast work of it! Thanks Mom!!

And in case you're wondering what those little tickets say:

Brief interlude

More wedding posts to come, but tonight was fully of errands, so I didn't have time to put a post together. Still, I wanted to give you something...



Married life is awesome!

The Wedding - Part Six

I'm taking a big step backward in my wedding blogging, but I never promised to be linear! Besides, this early detail is still one of my favourite parts. Our invitations really set the mood for the entire event. Now, I can't take very much credit for these! First there was the original inspiration. Awesome, right!? And then my then Fiancé and I wrote up our own story and turned it over to a colleague of mine who designed and tweaked and perfected our masterpieces:



(If you want to make it bigger, so you can read it easier, just click on the photo.)

You know, originally I vowed that I would have a small, uncomplicated wedding. And the first thing on my uncomplicated list was to order some simple invitations on the internet. We even picked some out (the one called Swept Away). But then I saw the inspiration on one of the many blogs that I read. And it was so US! (Even though it was about other people...) And suddenly I really wanted to complicate things by having someone design it and finding paper and figuring out how to print them. Like many of the little details of the day, it took way more time than it should have, but in hindsight, I could not be happier about the result.

The Wedding - Part Five

I know I already mentioned them, but I loved them so much that I feel compelled to write a whole post about them: the flowers! I gave my dear friend one inspiration picture, a list of what we needed and a cheque back in the summer. Being the amazing designer that he is, he asked us what we didn't want. (I didn't even think of that!) And then, I went about my life. I checked "flowers" off my list of things to worry about, because I know him and what he's capable of. I knew that I would walk into the room on the day and be blown away. If flowers did come to my mind during the last few months of planning, they were only thought of with anticipation and excitement.

It's so handy to have talented friends! (I should know, because I have A LOT!)

Anyway, I already posted some before and after pics of his house full of flowers and the large arrangements. But this one was my favourite. My bouquet:



A perfect mix of jewel tones - just like I asked for. I never did choose a colour scheme for my wedding. I'm not sure why I ignored this basic step. Maybe because I wasn't planning on having a row of bridesmaids in matching dresses. I told our Best Man and Best Woman to wear whatever they wanted. And originally my Groom was going to wear a white satin tie, to look more weddingy, but the purple tie made his eyes light up at the store, so we went with that. It just so happened that our flower girl and my mom also wore purple, although different shades. And that was okay! Besides, there's something about a multi-coloured, multi-flowered bouquet that just seems more...me.

Ooooo...the close up.





Isn't it ridiculously gorgeous. I'm still trying to keep it alive, although I'm slowly losing the battle.

And the talented designer himself.



We've been friends for almost 15 years now. We've done many shows together, shared countless holidays, lived together, teased each other mercilessly, encouraged each other and grown up together. He's a permanent part of my chosen family in that awesome way that when we see each other, it's like no time has passed. Having him do the flowers meant so much more to me than hiring some strange florist.

So thank you, my friend! I truly loved them.

The Wedding - Part Four

Warning! Super sentimental post ahead!

As mentioned, we really wanted to make the ceremony about us, rather than just have a generic, cookie-cutter service. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of beautiful ceremonies out there and I love a good Kahlil Gibran poem just as much as the next person. But we wanted something a little more personal. So in addition to having four friends speak, we also wrote our own vows. For posterity (and the Internet at large) here they are:



Jamie,
It's fitting that our first date involved tea and baked goods. What started out sweet has only become sweeter for me. I didn't arrive that March afternoon with a checklist of attributes that I needed you to have. After several years of being single, I knew there was only one elusive thing that you had to be able to do - you had to make my heart skip a beat. And you accomplished that the moment we said hello.

Almost five years later, I feel confident that I'm standing here with the person I was waiting for. You are smart and funny, while also asking for my opinions and laughing at my jokes. You are strong and sentimental, yet will still lean on my shoulder when you need to.

On my happy days, you laugh with and at me and put up with the crazy ways I express my joy. And on my rare gloomy days, you know how to find a little spot to allow the sun to shine back in. With you I am 100% myself and feel loved for *almost* all of my quirks and questionable attributes.

Jamie, I love and trust you with all of my heart. You have become the keeper of my stories and my ultimate cheerleader. Besides my own, the vision of myself that matters most to me is the one that I see reflected in your eyes.

I am so excited about the future that stretches out ahead of us. From the family we will create to the accomplishments that we will celebrate. We're partners in crime and in cookie-eating. We can take turns keeping each other's feet on the ground, so that our creative whims can take flight.

Thank you for loving me. May the sweetness continue for the rest of our lives.



Tammy, from the first day I saw you staring back at me from that Internet dating website, the butterflies in my stomach told me that meeting you was going to change my life.

And of all the people I’ve encountered in my now-changed life, you are unique among them. An example, and as I told you early on, I think you are the living embodiment of musical theatre, which at once makes me wonder what I’m getting into, but also makes me so glad to have met someone who can be so passionate about something. Even if it’s musical theatre.

Your perpetually sunny demeanor makes the world a better place, and when a storm blows up in your eyes, it’s a wrong that I feel compelled to right. It makes me want to “fix you” as that band sings…

Your grumpy old lady of a cat, Daphne, seems to have adopted me, so as of today I officially adopt her and I vow to at least think about cleaning the litter box.

I also vow to:
- Notice (and comment positively) when you get a haircut;
- Tell you that you’ve “hit pretty” as you’re on your way to work in the morning;
- I vow to try to keep pace with you in your role as unofficial “celebrant” to all of our friends and family. You still send Christmas cards, you call people on their birthdays, and you never pass up an opportunity to partake in cake. Maybe that’s what it’s all about…

I vow to be better, to try harder, to make the world a better place, even if only in small ways, just like you do.

In one of the many greeting cards that you’ve given me over the last few years, all with thoughtfully written messages and expressions of your feelings, you wrote: “Thank you for letting me love you in ‘my way.’”At first I wondered a little what that meant, but now I think I know: It means that you love constantly and with determination. You love attentively and thoughtfully. Deeply and warmly. Unapologetically and perhaps a little crazily. I vow to follow your example.



And our first dance...

Give me a kiss to build a dream on
And my imagination
Will thrive upon that kiss
Sweetheart, I ask no more than this
A Kiss to build a dream on

Give me a kiss before you leave me
and my imagination
will feed my hungry heart
Leave me one thing before we part
A kiss to build a dream on

When I'm alone with my fancies
I'll be with you
Weaving romances
Making believe they're true

Oh, gimme your lips for just a moment
and my imagination
will make that moment live
Give me what you alone can give
A kiss to build a dream on

The Wedding - Part Three

So once we were all beautified, our incredible photographers arrived and there was a three hour photo shoot first with my Best Woman and I, then with my Groom and the Best Man. (Yes, we saw each other before the ceremony. I am not superstitious and preferred being able to leisurely take pics rather than worrying that my guests are totally bored during lag time between the ceremony and the reception.) It was tons of fun and I CAN'T WAIT to share all the pics with all of you, but wait I must. Patience is apparently a virtue!

For now, we will proceed with the story, pilfering from photos taken by a few great friends and family members.

The Best Man and my Groom were the first to walk down the aisle, followed closely by our gorgeous ring-bearer and flower girl.





These are my Best Woman's amazing kids and they were so, so, SO good all night.

Of course, my Best Woman followed them and then I arrived with my Mom and Dad on either side of me.



And then the ceremony began. There are many ceremony pics, but I've chosen just two. I like the first one, because you can see some of the joy and also our excellent accordion player! She gave the event the hint of uniqueness that I wanted. Also, I LOVE accordions!



The ceremony was a bit unconventional, to say the least. While we did have our fantastic officiant for all the official, legal stuff, we also included friends, so that it really felt like it was OUR ceremony. Therefore, we had one friend on each side ask us scripted questions, such as "Do you promise to love her, even if her nickname of Lordy Lorderson is frequently earned, if not entirely accurate?" and "Do you promise to love him, even though he may from hereon in refer to his wedding ring as 'The one ring to rule them all?'" You can imagine the laughter! In addition, we had one friend on either side write something they wanted to present during the ceremony, which we didn't hear until the day. One talented friend wrote a literary montage of our relationship, in which she managed to include all the song titles from "Guys and Dolls." Clever girl. And another talented friend told the story of my Groom emailing him in Tokyo and including my online profile. The friend emailed back that he had a feeling about me and suggested that my Groom respond and make a mention of "Family Ties," in the response, since I mentioned it in my profile. At the end of the story, our friend recited the lyrics to the "Family Ties" theme song.



Without Us by Jeff Barry and Tom Scott - Family Ties Lyrics

I bet we been together for a million years,
And I bet we'll be together for a million more.

Oh, It's like I started breathing on the night we kissed,
And I can't remember what I ever did before.

What would we do baby, Without Us?
What would we do baby, Without Us?

And there ain't no nothing we can't love each other through.

What would we do baby, Without Us?

Sha la la la. (The whole crowd spontaneously sang the "Sha la la la" at the end. It was awesome.)

Stay tuned for more...