I Hear Music

The music in my head yesterday was Al Jolson singing "The Anniversary Waltz" (1946).  Sixteen years ago you wouldn't have recognized this place.  There were over one hundred people here to celebrate Deb and Craig's wedding.  After snow a few days before, the sun came out on April 28 and the weather was perfect.  Every pot on the deck was blooming with white flowers, tulle bunting draped the rails, and an ivy-covered trellis waited below at the end of a red carpet for the bride to walk down. There was a food tent where a buffet would be set out after the ceremony.  Pans of casseroles and ham were zipping up and down the road to anyone who had an oven to spare.  Deb's aunt and uncle from Oregon arrived early and caught me in nightgown and sweatpants, mopping the kitchen floor at the last minute.  Steve had finished decorating the three-tier cake the night before and it was a work of art.  We  had the help of a lot of worker bees and chairs were set out for the guests and long tables waited, with centerpieces of hand-painted pots of ivy (Deb's colors were green and white).  I had made hundreds of white ribbon roses to decorate the trellis and elsewhere.

And then came the moment when all the crazed activity stopped.  Deb's father walked her to meet Craig, her handsome, beaming husband-to-be (Craig has the best smile in the world).  They say all brides are beautiful.  Yeah, well, they'd have to go some to outshine my girl.  I had bought a couple of dozen pairs of plastic glasses with a big nose and mustache attached and had a friend pass them out with instructions to guests put them on just before the bride and groom would be introduced as Mister and Missus.  Deb and Craig turned to see a crowd of Groucho Marx look-alikes!  Their expressions were priceless.

After luncheon, there were toasts and speeches before the DJ set up for dancing, which lasted until sundown. Deb and Craig were spending the night at a local B&B.

Deb called me yesterday morning to reminisce about the day.  And I heard music.