And once again...

I have taken over Di's shiny new computer on a Friday evening to blog. Actually, I've spent most of the evening looking up things to do with Turkey -- dvds and books on Turkey (on eBay), horseback riding in Turkey, cool photos of Turkey, trip reports of Turkey. You might have guessed a trend :-)

Last Saturday, after cat-dosing and roommate-pie-giving, we headed into town for my work Christmas Party. En route, we stopped at Park Royal, now less-than-affectionately named the Rat Hole of Infested Parking. Ahhh, Christmas shopping. Anyhoo, we went in to the Bay and picked up the Cuisenart grill we had put on our registry. We had gone through two Hamilton Beach grills in the summer due to overuse and them being crap, so we had decided to get a really good one on our registry... but we couldn't wait. Mmm... buffalo steaks... mmm chicken.... mmmmmmmm grilled veggies!

Anyway. After the grill buying, my poor beleagured Steve was in ZERO mood to go traipsing all over the Bay looking for a bra and two pairs of socks, so I took him to a bookstore and abandoned him with the grill while I went back for more shopping! Yay! When I returned (with one bra, two pair socks and some cute Christmas ornaments), Steve was despondent in a chair outside the bookstore.

"The books said Crete sucks" he said. "It is overpriced and touristy and there's not much to do."
He eyed me sideways. "But... Turkey sounds nice."

Ok! let's go to Turkey! I've wanted to go to Turkey for just about forever, and spending three weeks there instead of three days at one end of a trip to Crete sounds bloody fantabulous! We dragged the grill straight back into the store and bought a Lonely Planet Guide to Turkey right there, and have been fighting over it all week. Well, more wrestling -- wrasslin' -- over it more than actual fighting per se.

So excited! Did I mention I'm excited about Turkey? The excitement even carried me in an euphoric haze on the reverse trip through the RHoIP (which was drearier than getting in in the first place).

The Christmas Party was fun. We sat with other people from the Gibsons office, all of whom I like, and Patti (my boss) and Steve got all mischevious to one side of me. Steve said he was trying to get me drunk, but I think it was Steve who was at least a pillowcase to the wind, especially considering the strength of the Rye & Coke (I didn't think you liked Coke?) Patti bought him. The jaccuzi was not so fun -- I brought some fancy flower-filled bath bomb, and I spent the entire bath scooping bedraggled deadheads out of the water for fear they'd clog the jets -- but the kingsized bed was comfy.

Sunday we raced back to the Coast so that Steve & Diana could play Chez Ray at Ray & Susann's recording studio. It was beautiful and magical -- the music was simply amazing, the candles glittered up Susann's tapestries, and the audience watched, rapt.

Steve gave me his old camera to play with, and, despite the low light, I was able to get a few more or less in focus.





Di looks like an angel playing the harp. I'm looking forward to hearing that music float over the water by the Gazebo in May.

This is my wildly talented man, who will be waiting for me.



In other news, Bean is doing much better -- she is almost back to her old self. Still thin, but eating like a very small, black and white horse. She struggles against the medicine, now, but refrains from violence. I've never been so glad to be covered in a fine mist of cat antibiotic as I was the first time she fought back.

We also got our tree up last night -- our first tree together. All together now... awwwww! We picked it out without any argument, found a star for it, crammed tree + star in my tiny little car, unpacked, trimmed, stand-ed (?) and decorated, all without any clashes. Except for me sureptisiously moving a few of Steve's less... decorative? maybe overly decorative? decorations to the back of the tree. We had plenty of truly beautiful ones for the front of the tree. I have been promised photos of said tree to post tomorrow.

For tonight, I am listening to Steve, Di and Erynn playing music. It is warm in here, the tea is lovely and the cookies crumbly. Di is applying her immense talent to... the triangle. Goodness! If I press my nose to Di's window, I can look across the Straight to the lights of Nanaimo. Our world is so big and so little at the same time -- as small as this room, as large as a lifetime, as fleeting as a wedding, as forever as a marriage.

Someday I will press my nose against glass and look over the Golden Horn of the Bosphorus, or the Aegean Sea.

This is the Straight from Ray & Susann's studio, as I took photos before the show. I love my world.

=^..^=

We took Bean to the vet this morning. After her shots last night, the plan was to see how she was doing today and take it from there. It might have just been the adreneline in her system from the car ride and all that, but even last night she seemed a bit perkier: she lapped some milk, licked some wet food and groomed a bit (including grooming off the salmon oil Tanya dabbed on her paws). She also came out of her spot behind the chair to visit with Steve and then greet Tanya when she came in, which seemed like a good sign. She even ate a few crunchies!

This morning she seemed like she was moving around more easily and, well, moving at all was an improvement over the past few days. She had groomed a bit more and looked altogether like a cat with some interest in life.

When the vet saw her, he said her temperature was back to normal and she looked like an entirely different cat! Not too happy about the *ahem* thermometer, but much more alert. He gave us some more antibiotics with cortisone to give her at home for 10 days, after which we'll see how she's doing. If it's feline leukemia or some such, then there won't be much we can do, especially as bloodwork has to be sent off coast; by the time the lab results are back, it'd be too late.

That said, we're optomistic. Especially as we stopped by the IGA to get some Fancy Feast (cat junk food) and Pounce treats. We also got Tanya a pie, since she'll be cat- and dog-sitting when we're away this evening (and we forgot to ask her -- bad roommates!). When Steve gave Bean the Pounces, she lit into them like she hadn't eaten in a week. And, of course, she probably hadn't. She ate a half-dozen of those, and we also gave her some more wet food, and she ate that too!

Yay!

Ready, set, go!

So. It is starting to feel like we hit the ground running with this whole wedding thing. Last Saturday was the crux, really -- having finally signed the hall contract, we were in town (and in Metrotown, no less) where we, in quick succession, purchased Steve's suit (which he can wear to my work's Christmas party) and our wedding rings, as well as registering at the Bay. I've also ordered darling cake toppers -- ok, things to be reworked to be cake toppers -- and Sandol Stoddard's "I like you" from eBay. Oh, and did I mention my sparkly headbands came in and they're wonderful?

That's how I know I'm becoming a bride -- sparkly headbands no longer fill me with an urge to simultaneously laugh and hurl. Now I go "awwwwwwwww" and try them on. Again.

Getting the rings was a relatively easy process. We wandered very unenthusiastically around a few jewellery stores, then saw the place where our second-choice engagement ring was. We went right over, were greeted politely, helped immediately, tried on, loved and bought. Our rings are pretty much exactly as above: Steve's is 5mm and mine is 4mm but they are identical in every other way, which was Steve's only real stipulation. Plain and "I want us to match." It actually ended up really sweet: we wanted to do something really nice with Grandma's Christmas money so that we could write her about the buying experience, and we wanted to buy rings so... and it will be very nice to write a thank-you to her describing how meaningful her present was. The other nice thing is that her and my Grandpa had a lovely relationship which lasted really 'until death [did them] part' -- we can only hope to be so lucky. Except not with one of us dead.

Steve's suit was equally as easy. We stopped by a shop where the suits didn't look polyester from fifty paces and took a look. The first suit the saleswoman brought would have been the one we bought except that it was a 'tall' and Steve isn't quite as tall as he looks. She brought a normal size and sold! The WOOL suit was on sale already and they threw in a shirt, tie, socks and leather belt. The bonus was that they had very sharp shoes for $29.99 down from $95.00. Holy sale, batman!

The Bay didn't go quite as smoothly -- Steve thought you signed up then shopped online... not so much. The magazines (bridal porn) describe the registering process as the part grooms are most likely to enjoy. After all, it's just running around a store pointiing a gun-like object at barcodes on items you would never ordinarily think of purchasing. Sounds manly, right? Did I mention Steve hates shopping? Ah well. Maybe next time.

As I write this, it is Friday night and I have taken over Di's computer. I blog; they make astonishingly beautiful music. Right now they are playing Balteorum (15th C. Irish) and I love it. Recessional, mmmm?

A few minutes ago, Mary and Erynn were teasing Steve about his shiny new shoes -- his wedding shoes, which he wore because he was supposed to do a gig tonight (and forgot to remove the stickers from) -- just as I was writing about purchasing them. It was an interesting meta-fiction/meta-life moment.

I also chatted with Tracy earlier in the week -- hey! Happy Birthday to my mum! -- and we got to do what I'd been wanting to do for so long -- gush over dresses. Even on the phone, looking online, it was wonderful fun. Alex likes the brown silk best, and Lisa likes both the brown and the pink. They both (independently) like this wrap shirt:



With a more a-line skirt like this one, which is one of the contenders for the top I would wear with the skirt like this:



But I also like these dresses, too, though in floor-length a-line:



I am going to see if they can add sleeves to these designs, and that poor, single, lonely, traditional bone is demanding that I wear white. Which is fine. Did I mention that I got sparkly headbands?

What else happened... We spent last weekend (less shopping trip) with Steve's parents, which was lovely. The look on Gayle's face when I showed her the rings was wonderful. Her face lit up and she said "looking at them makes it seem so REAL" which is exactly what I felt when I looked at them on our hands. I think I'm most looking forward to how Steve's hand with that beautiful ring on it will look on the neck of his mandolin: the white gold against the dark wood, on my beloved's hand.

We decorated John & Gayle's tree, which reminds me that we need to get ours next week and set it up. I don't know where any of my decorations are (Kaslo?), so I picked up a few pretty ones to go with Steve's motley collection. We're going to have an open house on Twelfth Night (January 6), so we need to put it up late enough that it won't be naked sticks and a pile of needles on the carpet by the day of the party.

I'm looking forward to having our first tree. Along with our first... well, everything :-)

Did I mention Crete? THIS is why I need to do entries more often! We had originally been thinking of doing a drive 'round the Rockies for our honeymoon in October. We realized it wasn't going to be as cheap as we hoped, considering the cost of lodges, even in the off-season. When that lightning struck, we thought of our other options. We initially thought about Central/South American, then Morrocco, Turkey and then... Crete! Which is apparently pretty cheap by Europe standards, and if possible we'll take a few days in Turkey at one end or the other. I've always wanted to go to Turkey, but even by my somewhat-foolhardy standards, going as a woman alone seemed downright stupid. Now I'll have the protection of my husband's (!) name.





It's very exciting, as I've never travelled anywhere, and Steve has gone just about everywhere -- except Europe. We'll still go in October, when it's the off-season. Oh my!

I also have been in contact with potential caterers; I'm expecting menus any time now.

On a sadder note, Steve's cat Bean isn't well. She's been all listless for about a week; we thought it was her sulking at the snow, but we gradually realized she wasn't eating much and was looking sore when she went to walk or jump. She's not a very sociable cat, so it took some time to grasp her condition, which of course makes us feel guilty. The vet gave her an antibiotic shot and some cortisone this afternoon, and we're to take her back in tomorrow to see if that's made a difference -- which will determine the next course of events. Sad!



She has had a nice long life: she's eaten lots of small defenceless animals and houseplants, jumped amazing distances, soaked up lots of sun, and danced with raccoons. Hopefully she'll be ok, but if not, she didn't miss out on anything life had to offer. I just hope Steve is ok too. He loves Bean a lot. And I love him. And Bean, except when she scratches me.

A walk in the park.

A few weeks ago, we went for a walk in Snickett Park in Sechelt. Steve wanted me to write something to go with the day, and I finally got around to it :-)



The wind picked up the waves as we walked along the sea wall, turning the sea the same grey as the sky. We reached the bulge of granite that marked the end of the path, but were drawn on to a stretch of pebble beach we could see just beyond a small thicket. Following the dog into a tunnel of brown, we made our way through the brambles to the other side, a sea side more immediate than the civilized distance the sea wall provides. The pebbles were large, almost rocks, each rolled smooth by the waves that had crashed forever and were crashing, here, now. As the waves receded, the tinkling of each rock against its neighbour was almost a rustle, much louder than the familiar whisper of sand grains being swept by water.

The conversation of crash and whisper marked our progress down the beach; we walked with chins tucked against the bitter, beautiful wind. Stepping over crumbling cement boat ramps, I thought of Victorian garden parties; walking beached logs I thought of cool dark forests, and the smell of salt and cedar filled my nose.

We reached another granite outcropping, where the waves lashed and sprayed. The boom of the breakers belied the delicacy of the white froth: foam from retreating waves spread like a bridal veil on the rock. We climbed a little rise and a path of short grass appeared; we walked this fairy trail to the top of a tiny hill, where the ocean spread out below, and the dark sky spread out above.

Clouds piled on clouds; the mountains across the Straight one band of blue amongst many; shafts of light reached out to touch a small island we could not remember the name of. Colours were intense: the green of the grass more green, the dog more white, the sea greyer and crashing harder, and still we lingered. Air rushed against our faces, and our eyelashes shivered against the onslaught. It felt hard to leave the comfort and chill of the wind, our vantage point, our moment of turbulence caught in time.

Finally we turned, put our backs to the storm, and walked away. The wind pushed and tugged -- go away, come back -- and the rocks crunched under our feet. Our ears were full of wind and our pockets full of hands, and still we turned back to let the cold take our breath away . Back through the path and onto the sea wall, sanity returned, and we hurried, frozen, to the car.

Awww...

I had a lovely chat with my parents tonight about a miriad of things, a conversation which ranged from the Jabberwock (beware!) to art books, via cars and dresses. I do love my parents!

They mentioned that my UK Grandma, recent widow, had sent along her usual Christmas gift o' cash to them. The sweetest thiing ever is that she included Steve in her largess! The money is, truly, neither here nor there, though much appreciated -- it's that she already thinks of my honey as family.

All together now -- awwwww!

Thanks Grandma!

On a related note, I sent out my Christmas cards today. And it's not even December 22! Yay me. Which reminds me... I need to start collecting mailing addresses for invites. Hard to think I'll be sending out invites in less than three months. Which reminds me -- I need to join my FH in bed, as I do work tomorrow. Which reminds me! He put a moratorium on wedding-speak/read/research etc. until Tuesday. He forgot, however, to include a moratorium on wedding-writing... hee hee!

Something old, something new

Has it been so long since my last post? How sad.

November 11 was Remembrance Day, and we went to the cenotaph on a clear, crisp day to honour our veterans. I realized that this was the day of my own private tradition: remembering my UK grandfather (my dad's dad) Daniel (Dane) Dunnett as well as all the other fallen (my mum's dad who I never met, my dad's friend Alan, Nana, and all the others who have passed on).

Well, when my Grandpa died in early December last year, I didn't really mourn him. I was sad in an abstract way, sad that I hadn't know him better, sad that my parents were leaving for England and wouldn't be back until January... nervous that I'd be spending Christmas with Steve's family (who I didn't know barely at all). I wondered that I wasn't mourning him more, but really wasn't that fussed about it.

Until November 11. Apparently, my day to remember my Grandpa also was my day to mourn him, because I was in tears from Oh Canada until Reveille. Poor Steve. Poor Grandpa. Poor Grandma.

So, in remembrance:

My Grandpa grew up in Wick, in Northern Scotland. He joined the RAF as a young man and worked as a mechanic on planes. He was stationed for a while in India. The experience of watching other young men fly away in planes he had worked on -- and not come back -- scarred him so that he didn't get on a plane again until in his sixties. But he did get on -- he was brave, and kind, and teased me about saying "what?" when I was a kid. He married my Grandma, a divorcee with a young son, and loved them very well. He drew little animals in the margins of his letters to us. He was a wonderful Grandpa, even with a continent and a very cold ocean between us.

And on November elevenses, I will think about him and miss him.



And, on a much more weddinglike front, last weekend was the Roberts Creek Craft Fair held, conveniently enough, in the Roberts Creek Community Hall. I went (of course) and even dragged Steve. It was a great opportunity to a) do some pressie shopping, b) take photos of the hall and c) get that darn contract signed! I tracked down, pinned down, and stuck a pen onto, the hall manager and made her sign! Done and done.

I was also very pleased that the hall was prettier and more perfect that I remembered. I hadn't seen it since last winter, and was actually quite worried it would be cavernous and bare, gloomy and dark, with a tall cavernous bat-infested roof. It is, in reality, not too big, homey and light. Here are photos, though keep in mind there won't be a craft fair going on in there for the wedding :-)

This is the hall taken from the stage. I estimate that the pillars are 10 feet apart and 10 feet from the walls, which means the total dimension is approximately 40 x 40. The kitchen annex is over to the right, along with bathrooms. You can clearly see that the ceiling is painted to look like the sky (and not in a cheesy way, either).



This is the hall taken from the front entryway/mudroom. You can see the stage from here! I admit, the sunset is a little cheesy.



This is the kitchen, large and old-fashioned. The cupboards are full of cups and bowls and plates. The plates are mostly nice (but I'll rent a few so as to not use the truly fugly ones) and the silverware is completely sketchy, so will need renting. There isn't any glassware at all. Good think the rental place penciled me in!



There is also a little prep/serving room right by the kitchen, though I think we might have the food laid out along the wall by the kitchen to prevent bottlenecks. Here is the serving room:



And here is the outside of the hall. The kitchen annex is on the left. Isn't it sweet? Sweet, fun and wonderfully rural.




That same day, we took a walk down onto the pier and the gazebo. It was a stunning day, bright and sparkly, with a chill in the air that warmed the soul. Aren't Steve & Angel cute?





Then we went down to Secret Beach. Usually Secret Beach has the loveliest rocks, but the tide was high and the pickings were slim. Fortunately, Monday's walk at Snickett Park in Sechelt was more productive. Mmmmm... rocks. Lest you think these are the ravings of a madwoman, as opposed to wedding related -- rocks are figuring in the decor. So there.



"Still life: table with rocks"

Rememberings.

So. I forgot to mention, we had an anniversary. October 21, 2006 was the one-year anniversary of the night we first met, and since we were/are one of those 'love at first sight' couples, it marks the beginning of our relationship as well.

Oh... actually, I did mention it. A few posts ago. What I didn't mention was all the anniversaries that have followed in the past few weeks: the anniversary of our first kiss, of my first trip to the Coast, of Steve's friend Hahle's death on October 31, 2005 (shocking and very sad, and left me, the new girlfriend, with exactly no idea of what to say), and of course, the anniversary of my first evening at our friend Diana's house.

Friday nights, Steve and an assortment of other musicians go over to Di's oceanfront cottage and play Celtic music (mostly). Di has a grand and beautiful harp, Steve plays mandolin, and various people play various other things. It is an amazing thing to be able be able to attend, as a non-musician, and I still feel honoured every time I go. Even though their close friend Hahle had just just passed away, Diana still said 'yes' when Steve asked if his new girlfriend could come and listen for a night. It was generous and warm and I am very grateful -- especially to have been invited back. Diana's on Friday nights is our standing appointment, and this past Friday was the one year of it.

I remember standing up to go, all nervous and what do I say -- um, thanks? for the most amazing live concert I've ever heard? in your living room? -- and Barbara Lee telling Steve "we like this one. Don't fuck it up." Which, of course, completely broke the awkwardness and there were laughs and hugs all round, and "come back next time you're in town." Which I did.

Thank you Diana. If I haven't said so before.


Here is a picture of Dutton's (including Diana and her harp oh wait! and Steve!) which I stole shamelessly from the 'Music in the Landing 2004' website. Hee hee. Incidentally, the gazebo they (Dutton's) are playing in is the one we are having the wedding in, and in fact, it was the Dutton's Music in the Landing performance in that very gazebo in 2006 that gave me the idea of having it there in the first place!



Here is another (stolen) photo of Steve, Susann and Laurel:



In other news, I ordered fabric swatches from ariadress.com. They are shantung silk in #1 white, #4 scarlet, #15 dark red, #16 brown, #71 petal, #47 peony and #42 leaf. I want a colour that won't clash with whatever colour of flowers comes out of the ground at wedding-time; if the bloomers are orange, pink, red, white -- whatever, I don't want major clashing. Fortunately, I like orange and red and pink and red together just fine, so they all should pretty much work. I was thinking, though, that the dark brown is most likely to not clash, plus it's kind of neutral so it will suit everyone, plus it is quite fashionable now, so the re-wearability factor is high.

These are the colours:







This is the brown:



I'm guessing it would surprise no-one to find out this colour is called 'espresso' -- I do like my coffee!

I've left messages for the hall-lady in order to give her the contract and deposit, but I haven't heard back yet. This doesn't really surprise me as it took almost a month to get the contract in the first place. Oh well -- Creek time.

My good friend Andie is an awesome artist, and I think I may have suckered -- I mean 'convinced' -- her into taking photos during the ceremony and a few posed shots afterwards. When I asked her if she'd mind, she got all enthusiastic and suggested renting a digital SLR camera! Fortunately, Steve has one of those and a) doesn't mind her using it (use it, please!) and b) will even show her all about how to use it. I'm excited, as I think Andie has a real photojournalist/artistic eye and marvelous sense of composition. Thanks, Andie!

Speaking of art, my darling FH (future husband, per Indiebride lingo) ruined his own Christmas present today. I had found a set of new pastels (the kind he likes) on eBay. I told him the bidding went too high, but I actually bought them and had them sent here. In a shocking turn of events, they were delivered (along with a book I bought) right to our mailbox and he picked them up (literally and figureatively). Having used pastels oh about a million times, he recognized right away what they were. He called me to ask if he could open the packages -- what packages? I asked all innocent. He mentioned that one felt like pastels. I told him not to fondle anything else! and my co-workers were VERY curious about what I was talking about :-) Silly man. He ended up just buying the pastels so that I could get him a proper surprise.

Where can I find coal on the Sunshine Coast?

Well, he took this sunset photo yesterday, so I guess he deserves a present:



(I stole it shamelessly from his blog. Thanks, Steve!)

It's creeping up, like something slimy and cold-fingered...

Well, it is almost Hallowe'en, so scary metaphors are pretty apt.

But really -- six months, three weeks and ONE DAY TO GO!!!!!

Oh my.

So, I should be picking and ordering my dress and the bridesmaids dress within the next few weeks, picking a location... which I can do, now that I found out for sure that Camp Elphinstone is booked for our weekend already. That means getting deposits (and the contracts) to the RCCH, to the wharf people and, oh right, the dress people. I need to send cards to the UK rellies to give them fair warning, order paper for invites which need to be made in the next few months in order to be sent in February, book and give deposits for B&Bs for the night before and few nights after the wedding, MUST remember to call the SCRD people to get the revised contract (and my partial refund) for Chaster House (since it's only going to be for the brunch now), I need bridesmaid measurements and picks, and wouldn't it be nice if I helped Phil & Susan do some digging in exchange for flowers? Oops... I bet they want their book-totes back... I should unpack.

Or take a deep breath.

Or have a stiff drink.

Instead, I'm looking at eBay for sparkly headbands and finding out the difference between plain tulle, english netting and silk tulle. I'm pleased to report that I think the cheapest looks the bridey-est and therefore the most appealing. I could add a DIY veil to my list.

On sadder news, Steve's grandma passed away last night. It sounds like she was a hoot; I wish I could have met her, or at least sent the photos of my family I collected. Important Moral: life is short, do not hesitate to do important things.

Like call your friends and family.
Like hug your fiance.
Like pet the beloved kitty.
Like order a few yards of practice tulle.

How much is too much?

So. We've been busy.

We moved on Sunday the 1st, thanks to the wildly generous support of our friends, and the (seemingly-improbable but inexplicably continuing) health of Ray's truck. Then we did a HUGE dump run for our ex-landlady, which resulted in the rapid return of our damage deposit (something we thought we'd have to go to arbitration for).

Then... Wednesday we left for Kaslo. Actually, we spent two days in Kelowna visiting Rita, then we went to Kaslo. The visit was great:



This is Rita, my Maid of Honour and bestest friend. She moved to Kelowna a year-and-a-half ago, and I don't see her nearly often enough. We went for a great walk on the Kelowna Greenway, and she took a pic of Steve & I:



It was a short but satisfactory visit.

We dashed off to Kaslo on the Friday, and drove down the Kettle Valley on the way. We stopped for lots of photos!



We arrived just in time to drink beer & play pool at the Legion with my parents. Well, watch my parents cream all comers, actually. They are pool sharks. I did not inherit that gene.

Saturday we went jeeping in my dad's tiny 4x4 up scary mining roads to get to a little hiking spot.



Here is a photo of Rod & I:



Steve and Rod (and Angel) went a little further up the mountain as it was my first hike since burning my foot. Steve took a photo of Angel (eek!) on the edge of the peak.



Sunday I sifted through boxes I had stored in the basement. It was like Christmas! except that Steve doubted I would ever get the boxes I decided to bring home all fit in the car. Infidel! Then back to the Legion, where I beat Steve by one ball at pool, and my dad only beat him by three.

Monday was Turkey Day (yum) and we all, including Alex, went up to Mt. Buchanen in the jeep. It was a beautiful but cold day, and we had another really nice hike.

Here is a family photo:



Here is a picture of me and my mum, Tracy, on the old fire lookout station:



Tracy took a photo of us lounging on her new carpet with Angel, post-hike. It was a really comfy carpet (and looked pretty, too).



Steve doubted my chosen pile o' crap would fit in the tiny little car, but it all fit, including the dog.



The trip back was a marathon 12 hour drive from Kaslo back to Gibsons. We made the 7:20pm ferry by 10 minutes or so. We made sure to stop quite a bit, including a screeching halt on the side of the highway (and a little illicit backing-up) to see a ginormous herd of California Bighorn Sheep on the side of the road.



They were amazingly beautiful, and even though it was mating season, all the photos are g-rated.

It was a fun trip, and it was great to have Steve hang out with my family with enough meetings under the belt to relax and enjoy the time. Steve & Rod bonded over hiking; Alex & Steve bonded over music; Tracy just loves him. This all bodes very well for future family happiness.

On other family news, Steve's grandmother in Maine hasn't been doing well, so his dad's been in Maine. We've been going into town every weekend -- mostly to visit Gayle and once both to visit and so Steve could play at a party for an environmental group he used to be active with. It's been fun -- the gig was great, the visits were fun and even included a marathon shopping trip -- even though the reason has been sad. The manager-lady at the restaurant where the party was really cracked us up. Once she heard about our highly romantic meetings (we arrived early, so chatted with her before everyone else showed up), she was just tickled. She gave us one of the roses from a table-vase as we were leaving and invited us to come back after we were married to have dinner on her! We'll take her up on it, because the restaurant (El Cocal on Commercial Drive) was awesome.

We were in town this last weekend so Steve could help babysit the triplets (I love them very much but am not very knacky with them, I fear). We abandoned Gayle for Saturday afternoon as it was our one-year anniversary... we went to Chinatown, had incredible (!) Indian food for lunch, found the Daniel Le Chocolat Belge factory store (!) and I even got Steve to go into two (2!) fabric stores in Little India to look for silk duponi to price for my dress. It was a lovely afternoon, and sure beat the heck out of unpacking, which is what we would have done on the Coast.

Having looked at fabric (the nice stuff is Not Cheap), I decided to look at boughten dresses instead of having one made. I found dresses/skirts I REALLY like on this website (www.ariadress.com) :

http://www.ariadress.com/designs.htm

I especially like this skirt:

http://www.ariadress.com/Desciptions/DesignsS-156and157.htm

and I like this top to go with, though I think my tshirt/cardigan idea has merit also:

http://www.ariadress.com/Desciptions/DesignsS-125and120.htm

I would get them for me in white shanghai silk (basically duponi). They also have vests and ties in silk, and I was thinking Steve in a vest (no point in getting him a tie) and Mike in a tie would be very cool. For some reason, having the bridal party at least kinda matchy is appealing to me. That would mean, of course, that the bridespeople would also need to get attire from the same place.

I'd like to give my lovely bridesmaids the option of getting any skirt they want and doing the tshirt thing, or if they would prefer (can afford it/would be likely to wear again) one of the dresses. Many of the skirts aren't too dear, or at least aren't more dear than buying fabric and having a skirt made (and finding a dressmaker and pattern etc. etc.). Even the dresses aren't that expensive considering the quality and material... that way I just have to pick a colour, assemble sizes and place the order.

I just don't know if it's fair to impose that amount of cost on my bridespeople... then I look at websites like indiebride or (more probably) the Knot that have brides who are asking their people for much more expensive things, not the least of which is making their people fly to god-knows-where for destination weddings PLUS the dress PLUS hair & makeup. But, of course, I don't want to BE one of those people.

Apparently bridal guilt is common.

Guilt aside, indiebrides have very good things to say about this dress company: the clothes are quality, the silk lovely, the sizes normal... I like the chocolate brown.

What do you think?

Oh bad me.

Oh, Blogger, who art in interweb, please hear my abject confession... it has been almost three weeks since my last post.

Ok, maybe I just have ceremonies on the mind right now...

While I was sitting in the gazebo on the Gibsons Pier/Wharfy thing, listening to Duttons play for Music in the Landing (including a song written by Clay Hepburn entitled... well, I don't know what it's actually called, except that Diana wants him to call it 'Rigatoni Mortis', but the chorus starts "macaroni is better in your tummy than on your own bare foot" -- thanks, Clay!) and as I was there, with dusk descending, and the lights on the boats in the marina coming on... I thought "there is no other place in the world I would rather be than right here, right now." And then I thought -- this would be a bloody brilliant place to get married!

The gazebo is very, very beautiful. It's on a long pier that is attached to the wharf, so it's right smack in the middle of the harbour. It has Keat's Island to one side, Gower Point to another, then it looks up to Elphinstone, or over to the North Shore mountains. In other words, decorations would be cheap, as it's all provided by Mama Nature. There is a reasonable amount of parking in Lower Gibsons, and a short walk to the pier. The wharf people say they will block it off and provide a few parking spots. It has a cover (though it will get cozy in there, especially if the weather is iffy) and everyone will be in a circle around us, just as I wanted. There isn't any seating, but we can bring a chair or two for the infirm. Fortunately, we're planning on a short ceremony! Then everyone dashes through the rain to the Roberts Creek Hall for dinner & music (Toast & Jam, says Clay).

Here are some pictures of the gazebo... yes, there is a very, very long aisle.





On the upside, the wharf people advised they would almost certainly get around to pressure-washing the seagull poop off the gazebo before the long weekend. Not that white isn't a very bridal colour and all, but...