I'm off to marry the Aussie girl of my dreams.
It's been a whirlwind trip. A quick and busy year and a half between getting to know each other and getting hitched. The details around the big day are filled with excitement and expectations of a marvelous adventure, but also more than a twinge of sadness that McMonk has chosen not to be part of it. Banana is coming along to be part of the wedding and I'm quite proud of the work she's put into building a relationship with Kate. The two of them are spending time together (sometimes without me) and creating communication ties that work for both of them. It's not a mother-daughter bond, but something much more friend/mutual-adult based.
Having foreign relatives will be an exciting new thing instead of just having in-laws that seemed to be from another planet. I've met the entire nuclear family of Kate, her parents and their partners, Kate's sisters and their husbands and children and can honestly state that they are all quite tolerable. Kate maintains close relationships with her sisters without each of them involving themselves in each other's lives.
With Kate's through-and-through patriotism, I know that Australia will continue to be a big part of our life together. I look forward to what the future has to bring.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Writing the Ceremony
Terry, my next-door neighbor, has come to my rescue. Due to Kate and I dividing up the tasks of preparing for the wedding, I am writing up the ceremony.
The minister that will be marrying us has sent a sample ceremony that I am modifying and making our own. Twice in the ceremony, I have come to a section that says, "Reading goes here." The Rev has told us that we can have one scripture reading and one non-scripture (but church-appropriate) reading. I'd been pouring over poetry books, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, but without any luck of finding words that work for me. They were either too flowery, maudlin or goofy. As the time frittered itself away and our departure crept closer and closer, I had the bright idea of asking Terry for some help. Terry, my neighbor, is also a minister in a Christian church and through some other dealings over the fence, I've found him to be quite likable and not-at-all-preachy.
He was keen to help and after a bit of conversation about what I was after, he recommended some great readings. Rather than the traditional Corinthians passage, he had a great one from Genesis that I really liked. We were even able to find a translation that changed a "servant" reference to the word "companion." I liked that.
The time I've spent working on this with Terry has convinced me that I want to spend more time just hanging out with him. As well as being a spiritual fella, he seems reflective and a gentle soul. He likes to cycle, so let's see if we can't hit the road for a few rides this summer.
The minister that will be marrying us has sent a sample ceremony that I am modifying and making our own. Twice in the ceremony, I have come to a section that says, "Reading goes here." The Rev has told us that we can have one scripture reading and one non-scripture (but church-appropriate) reading. I'd been pouring over poetry books, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, but without any luck of finding words that work for me. They were either too flowery, maudlin or goofy. As the time frittered itself away and our departure crept closer and closer, I had the bright idea of asking Terry for some help. Terry, my neighbor, is also a minister in a Christian church and through some other dealings over the fence, I've found him to be quite likable and not-at-all-preachy.
He was keen to help and after a bit of conversation about what I was after, he recommended some great readings. Rather than the traditional Corinthians passage, he had a great one from Genesis that I really liked. We were even able to find a translation that changed a "servant" reference to the word "companion." I liked that.
The time I've spent working on this with Terry has convinced me that I want to spend more time just hanging out with him. As well as being a spiritual fella, he seems reflective and a gentle soul. He likes to cycle, so let's see if we can't hit the road for a few rides this summer.
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