Home at last

It must have been seven-thirty when we pulled in last night...spitting rain and a tad warmer that the North Country we left four hours ago. It was good to be back. We were tired.

I do not know quite how to describe yesterday; fulfilling, I guess. Aleene cleared the sheets at 5:55 a.m. and began perpetual work until we left at 3:30. Get the ham in the oven, the potatoes washed, the coffee cake ready, set up the tables outside and wipe off the chairs was the game plan I heard her reciting over and over before she went to sleep. It was as if she needed to commit this all to memory lest she be distracted by anything. And so it was; the plan went into action.

In a blur it was after nine and the first car arrived: Bob and Nancy. A welcome sight because what we needed at that time was two extra pairs of hands. While the heavy lifting was done, the repetitive stuff was coming up. The sterno heaters were lighted, the pans filled and the table was set...then came Don and Bobbie.

From then it is a blurr...all the invited guests arrived and ate...a bit chilly yesterday morning in the Northland; 44 degrees at sunrise and 50 as the sun shone brightly over the trees by 10:00, but it was a beautiful day. About 11:00 the bride and groom arrived...just after the first to depart had made their way out of the forrest toward civilization. They opened gifts then it got warmer and became almost a delightful place to be...outside in the sun, under the white tent.

As with most of these gatherings, we laughed and cried and hugged and talked. I found a new hidden compartment in the motor home as we went in to show it to those who had not be inside before. Bob Swartz finally asked if I cared if he lifted the bed up to just see if maybe I had missed the fact that there was a huge storage area underneath? No, I allowed that I might be wrong... shazaam. There it was. Good thing we found it because the next time we head out we will be gone two months, at least.

By one o'clock the crowd shifted and the cleanup began...a gazillian things had to find there place first inside to be cleaned then repacked and readied to transport. Jeff and I dashed to the church (24 miles round trip) to get the boxed up decorations...and while we were gone the bee hive produced a stack of boxes ready for loading if I could unmoor the motorhome from its berth. Another flurry of nonstop activity and the caravan assembled ready to head south.

On the road, Aleene, Rose and I just sighed in relief...and it became another road trip. Very comforting.

Reflecting, what is overcoming is how far and how dedicated these folks were (those who made the effort to be with us) to disrupt their lives and their travel budgets to support the marriage of a very special couple. Yes, Mary wore the lavalier that has been worn by the brides in our family for the past 30 years and is at leas 105 years old. I had forgotten that Amy had it, but when I looked in the box there was a registry of each wedding couple and the date of their wedding. It was inpressive.

For forty years we have traveled hither and thither to witness the weddings of our nieces and nephews and grand nepthews. And because Amy chose a wedding in the Pacific Northwest in October...the crowds were sparce...but on September 23, 2005...forty years and seven months...to the day after Aleene and I roared off into the sleety night the crowd showed up for THE event. Jeff was pleased and we all just enjoyed each other's company...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...Amen