You were there, you saw it, but now you can see it again. I think that was the most fun ever had by me at a party of my own creation. You all had a hand in making it, so it is to you that we tip our hats.
I'm not sure how many of you were there on Friday night when I took a little stroll with a handful of stargazers to the water. We passed through the tent to have a look at her. As we walked in, we noticed ah! A pole was down, slam bang, right on the dance floor. It didn't look good. Then we saw a gaping hole, a big tear in one side. Through an incongruous skylight the stars looked shiny and hopeful but how, I wondered, was this going to come off? Milton, plummy with red wine and good vibes reassured me in the kitchen that it would all be just fine, he'd call about the tent in the morning and I should go to bed. So I tottled off. When I returned awash in anxiety the next morning, there were half a dozen toned young men doing Milton's bidding, erecting tent poles and swinging mallets. Need I say more? The man of honor was on it.
Nell and Ro and Si arrived with bunches of bittersweet and redberry and we hauled out vases. Rowan has inherited the picking gene and convinced me to let her scamper through the bushes to get at a promising tree shiny with red berries. Fine, fine, but stay out of the poison ivy I warned, but she had scampered in so fast, she was already out of sight. Handfuls of branches were thrown skyward as she snipped. The rapid fire jettison of vegetation was like a good cartoon. Rowan's nimbleness and determination once again hard at work. When Nell decided that we needed a few store-bought flowers to plump up our wild assortment she took leave and I engaged in a few moments of full on panic. The tent wasn't up, I couldn't set any tables, and I wasn't entirely convinced that my assorted bag of tablecloths was going to cut it. Huh.
Susie had set out on an ambitious run at nine but now the sun was high in the sky. At last, the tent was officially up, and Milton had in a genius move, figured out how to deal with an awkward tent entrance, to make everything flow. Most of the people staying at the house had vanished into town for breakfast at my scary command. Now I wondered if I needed all those hands. Just as I was contemplating how this was going to come off, Susie, my fair lady, trotted into the drive, dripping with sweat, and demanded to be put to work. 'Don't you want to shower?' I asked. 'Later' she reassured, 'what can I do?' The tables had been unfolded into a generous horseshoe, and we set about putting cloths down, Susie working at lightning speed and thinking of obstacles before my slow-brain had contemplated them. The girls returned and Nell drove in with a fat bunch of saffrony roses and got to work arranging all of the flowers. I showed Susie how I thought the tables should look. She gave me a quick nod, and I exited the scene regretfully, watching this tableau of friends and family like a small village--erecting, smoothing, polishing. At the water Ben and Silas were making a genius (and classy) firepit. Down the road, Elizabeth and Jesse were tying balloons to the stakes dad and Jonathan had pounded into the ground. In town Angie and Ben were perfecting the crowning glory of the ceremony: the hot air balloon, while mom was making multiple trips to the boat, the band's house, the fish market and the juicebar to ready people and food for later.
When I returned with hair in a bun that I could never have made myself, things were sparkling. 'It's time for you to go drink a glass of champagne while I do your make up' Susie smiled at me. 'Really? I can leave this now?' I fretted aloud. 'Yes donkey, let's go.' Champers in hand Susie lead the way and patiently besmoothed and becreamed while a trickle of women entered into the cabin. Jesse fed me bluefish from Dan while Susie worked. Sybil arrived with my and Ro's bouquets and smiled bemusedly at the girlish scene unfolding. Fuff rapped on the door and asked for the marriage license which, with tremendous luck, I had with me. The past and the present and the future seemed contained in that small room--as these friends and family members prepared me so lovingly.
As many of you know, I was opposed to a wedding of any sort. But I have met my match. Peter is as stubbornly obstinate as his mate, and he won me over. I am so glad he did. We come together pretty rarely in our society to cheer on a good cause. It's good to have something happy to celebrate, together, with the people that make us who we are. I would be adrift without my foundation of friends and family. I will never forget that day, and seeing all of your happy faces looking out on us, and dancing with you, and breaking bread with you. The world, it seemed, was happening, right there in that tent. I am still aglow with all of the good feeling that was passed on, from person to person, through the entire weekend. If we could be fed by love alone, we would not sup for a year or more.
More photos are viewable here. Sachi deserves an award for these. She promised me she would only take a few, and she wouldn't be working during the weekend. Amazing.
