"How can it be self-centered? You're not making anyone read. People can completely ignore you. And then those of us who care can read if we want to."
I guess she's right. (I mean, that's really obvious.) The striking lack of comments is proof that people are good at ignoring my blog. So why do I care? Who knows. Probably my vanity is offended that I would do anything without surety of encouragement and affirmation. Ha! Well, my vanity is silly. And I guess some people care. So blog I shall.
I'll start with a quick recap of everything that's happened since my last post, for those of you just tuning in. The peace of Christmas quickly gave way to stress over my class schedule (which is tenuously hanging on the balance of graduating on time), and finding a job for the summer. I had decided to live in Columbus this summer with my friend from school -- for better chances of finding a nannying job (what I really wanted) and also to be closer to the Man. Since we've had a pretty long-distance relationship from the start, I thought it would be nice to spend some real time with him. I found a job at the last possible moment, and so I relaxed for a bit; I soaked up the summer sun, played with my nine-year-old charge, spent weekends with the Man and his family, and just enjoyed life. Apparently being around the Man was a good choice for my summer, because he popped the question at the end of June.
Since then, four things in my life have changed.
1) I have a very sparkly ring. With the centerpiece being two heart-shaped Mystic Topaz gems instead of the traditional diamond, it's quite the unique piece of jewelry. The Man did a good job putting it together.
2) My memory has dramatically declined. Prime example: I took my phone with me into the swimming pool. And stayed in there for 15 minutes before I remembered it. Maybe the Mystic Topaz is so Mystic because it steals memory! (This is my private theory.) I already had a bad memory, but I can find no other way to explain how I keep forgetting the simplest and most obvious of things, like what state my best friend lives in. Unless I have Alzheimer's. Yikes!
3) I have been unable to completely open my jaw. Although I didn't feel very stressed, apparently I was, according to my dentist. And apparently I had a case of latent lockjaw just waiting to spring on me when I was least expecting it. Home remedies include Ibuprofen (not often), hot-cold compresses (less often), and a mouthguard (not purchased yet on account of its being expensive). Can you tell I've been a little sidetracked? And I'm sure you can guess what I've been sidetracked with...
4) I am planning a wedding! This has occupied most of my time between June 25th and August 22nd -- the start of school. I knew I was going to be crazy-busy once I started school again, between 18 credit hours, being a leader in my small group, and having three part-time jobs. That gave me almost two full months to plan out as much of the wedding as possible.
(This was a daunting task.)
Thankfully, the friend I was living with was amazingly excited for me, and we ran off to the Main Library in Columbus almost immediately to check out as many How To Pay For A Wedding Without Mortgaging A House Or Selling Myself As An Indentured Servant books as possible. I was really hoping to find a book entitled The Secret To Having The Best Wedding Ever For Free but I knew there was a very slim chance of that.
And besides, the Man is constantly reminding me that it's okay to spend money on some things. I'm still working on being okay with that. I'm paranoid-ly frugal 99% of the time. This is sometimes helpful (price-comparing groceries) and sometimes not (stressing about finding the book that cost $.02 less than the other one). But anyway, enough about my character flaws.
We checked out ten wedding books (ten!) and she then started looking up bridal boutiques around the Columbus area. Somewhere in all of this I decided that by the end of the summer I needed to figure out the three things I couldn't have a wedding without (other than the Man. I already had him. Per the ring.)
1) The Dress
2) The Wedding Party
3) The Ceremony and Reception Location
Everything else is pretty optional in my opinion. Take that as you will. (Who needs guests? Or decorations?)
So, I visited a boutique in my home town with several of my close friends, and a David's Bridal in Columbus with Kati, and then made appointments at the boutiques around Columbus that Kati had found and highlighted as good prospective places. A few days later, Kati and I set aside a day we both had off and spent it driving around Columbus attending these appointments and trying to find The Dress. It was quite an adventure. I'll spare you the horrifying story of the store who had been struck by the Glitter Hurricane and the heart-wrenching stories of the The Dress With The Good Back But Weird Front and The Dress With The Beautiful Front But Boring Back. I ended up finding the perfect dress at the last shop we went to that day -- the one I almost skipped because it looked far too highbrow for my college-kid budget. God sighting, anyone?
Wedding Dress: Check. I got the nod from my mother and friends, and it was ordered a few weeks later when my mother came to visit.
One down, two to go. Thankfully, the next one was easier. And less glittery.
The Man and I wrestled back and forth with the size of the wedding party (seven attendants, or three?) before we finally agreed on a middle ground of five.We asked our friends, they all said yes, and everything was coming up roses.
Two down. With summer drawing to a close, I still had no idea about my Location, Location, Location.
The Ceremony Location wasn't a hard decision. Since The Man is insistent about having an open invite to both of our churches, and we both have wide friend/family groups, we decided to go with my church. It's larger than his church by a long shot, and the sanctuary is a lovely setting for a wedding ceremony (I've personally been to two at my church.)
The Reception Location, however, was a huge trial. My church doesn't allow dancing, so the Fellowship Hall -- the most convenient and hassle-free option -- was out from the get-go. I assembled a list of other reception hall and community halls, but phone calls and emails to them revealed that they were either 1) too small, 2) already booked, or 3) required use of their overpriced catering service. I was not pleased with these options, but I finally found someplace who wasn't booked, wasn't too small, and whose catering service was less overpriced than others.
Just when everything was looking up, the lady informed me that they were readjusting their prices, and she would get back to me when they were figured out.
Several weeks and emails later, still no news.
Then my godmother got a bright idea. (She's full of bright ideas.) She suggested having the food, cake, and toast portion of the reception in the church fellowship hall, and then move the party to my place for dancing.
(Note: If you didn't know, my house is pretty [very] big, and very open. It has been the host of many parties and events in its time.)
I thought this sounded like a grand idea, but the Man was less sure.
Was there enough room for everyone?
Yes, if we move out most of the furniture, which mom is happy to do.
Won't we lose a lot of people in the transition?
Probably the people who wouldn't be dancing anyway. Recall that we both go to Southern Baptist churches?
Right. What about parking?
Cul-de-sac and neighbors.
Even though I was able to answer all of his questions, he still wasn't sold. He sat on this decision for weeks until finally giving it the thumbs-up this afternoon. Since school started yesterday, I guess I'm a little behind on my goal. But, oh well. Now I've got more pressing things on my mind. Like figuring out my classes. Oh, and taking the Praxis in November. Heh.
As a side note/warning, this blog is probably going to be dominated by school and wedding planning through the next 9 months, if this post didn't give you a hint of that already. --b
Until next time.
Song in title: "Dear Heart" by Sanctus Real
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