Pizza and henna

The boys are excited. Cyber-vixen's henna adornments of my feet made them quite jealous, so I fetched the henna-bag the vixen had left for me and drew on Mr for a while. He now feels 'tough' apparently:-)

No idea if it will work, but Mr had fun:-) Lydgate had to leave due to his Doctoring responsibilities on the morrow, but suggested that he would like a scripted henna work with 'Doctors do it with a thermometer'. I am not convinced. If I have to do the work I think the quote should at least make you laugh til you wee. Any funny blog-reading types out there with better ideas are welcome to leave suggestions. Lydgate did get his beloved vegan pizza for din-dins though. Easy meal, but one of the best. Oh, girlies,-cooking makes Lydgate horny apparently. Buy some fab ingredients and cook with him....

Again, all true henna artists and chefs, look away! But I am having fun and surely that's all that matters? :-) I think I'd like to draw an anime figure on Lydgate. Maybe some of that bizarre anime porn stuff...or a Hogwarts crest.

Hostages

My adored photographer has all the photos still, but I took about 5 to show off immediately:-) Most are from this morning, but hey,-I was just a trifle busy yesterday.

I couldn't have asked for a more marvellous day. Following, I am now totally in love with at least 50 people (generally known as 'guests') in addition to my husband. This is not as tricky a thing to pull off as it may sound. Everyone was just so damned fabulous and peaceful, and jolly and merry and you know, everything.

Weddings are stressful things, but after the pure joy of the day, I begin to understand why people keep doing it:-) I only wish we had been able to afford a wedding videographer. I know my memory, and it is a shame that I will eventually lose some of the details (especially the marvellous speeches). I also neglected to take any photos of the post dinner and cocktails at Lillianfels. That was supremely dumb. Supremely.

However, rest assured that many many gorgeous shots will be posted with all haste and that I am a happy happy girl.

Bloody uploads keep failing. Will try again tomorrow. Grr.

stress much?

Well and good. We had a wedding rehearsal today and apart from my need to behave like a brattish 3 year old, everything went swimmingly:-) (Whosoever invented that phrase has obviously not seen Mr. swim..lol).

The weather has cleared up beautifully and the autumn colours are perfect.

Lovely lunch sitting like hippies on the Leura Mall strip followed by a couple a beers at the Royal with Lydgate and Cybervixen.

Slightly worried about things but dealing (I think) graciously. As Mr's boss said today 'Screw-ups can be charming'. Too true. I will attempt to not giggle my way through the ceremony. Official things always tickle my funny-bone. I am amused by pomp and circumstance and slightly tittilated by the idea of destroying said pomp completely....

When you're in love, my, how they fly....

I saw blue! It has disappeared again, but 'twas definately there for a few minutes. I am glad I don't have to work this week, but as a result I'm rather at a loose end here. I have done everything that needs to be done and am now kinda twiddling my thumbs. Argh...here comes the rain again....

I know I shouldn't do this 'cos it's supposed to be all secret and stuff, but here's a sneak preview of the dress...

The bottom is a little crushed because it's hanging in a protective bag (I'm attempting to keep it well clear of Miss Merow). Pretty pretty pretty! The hairdresser's did a marvellous job by the way, I have my natural colour back! (Well, natural with a few foils...), there is something wonderful about gentle female hands giving you a thorough scalp massage..indulgent to be sure, but magic. When I'm extremely rich I will get this done at least once a month.
Now I can see quite a lot of blue out there....blue skies, smilin' at me...
I should probably get off my lazy posterior and clean the house...might not though. Being bone-lazy and indolent is quite a nice change for me. Might just try to revel in it instead:-) I will clean up on thursday so all the people flocking in on Friday don't think they've accidentally walked into the Garbage set from Labyrinth. I'm looking forward to Friday actually, lots of cooking and playing with flowers. Oh bugger, I should be trying to learn those vows too...might do that then.

Gah!

It's raining! Not just raining, but raining. This shouldn't happen. The weather is mean and nasty.
Usually I adore rain/mist/general atmospheric condensation but NOT THIS WEEK! I feel selfish for even thinking such thoughts though as Lydgate and Superman have just lost their step-father to cancer. I also feel terrible asking them to celebrate with me as soon as next weekend. I'm not sure there is any way to do this well (although all suggestions gratefully received). I will completely understand if their smiles are only half-deep.

I have had a bizarrely wonderful day though. I woke up and did the quick blog/fspazbook check and was saddened and strangely shocked by Lydgate's announcement. Ma and pa kettle dropped in though to take me up to Katoomba co-op to buy 'supplies'. As a result, I now have 5 beautiful quinces (complete with fuzz), a pomegranate, another handsome green squash, walnuts, pecans and some fabulously dirty spuds. How many brides, I wonder, search for such things to decorate their wedding? How many brides squeal 'No! It's far too clean! Bring on dirty produce!'...We also stopped for tea and banana bread and that is never a hardship:-)

A quick check-in with Tyrian-the-wonder-seamstress and we discover that I can pick everything up tomorrow! For a woman who isn't 'into' clothes, I am terribly excited:-) Tomorrow is also the first hair appointment...goodbye gray, goodbye red, and a big HELLO to hair that is actually matched to my natural colour. After the hair event I will buy all cheeses and biccies for the picnic baskets that I packed and tagged today. Things are on the move.

Also discovered that one of my all-time favourite men, Mr Charlton Heston shuffled off his mortal coil this morning. At 84 he'd had what my dad would call ' a good innings' (cricket metaphors are par-for-the-course with my dad...although I apparently prefer golf....). 'El Cid' is still one of my favourite films and I adored Ben Hur in spite of the immense animal cruelty engaged in to film the famous Chariot-race. It was a 'voice' thing with me and Charlton. Boo's mum would understand...Rest well Sir.

Then I had the loveliest chat with my often absent little brother. He is terribly excited about this hitching and transferred serious $$ into my account to pay for hair and makeup (plus a kicker to make my life easier). Sooooooo grateful, as I was literally down to my last $2 and envisioning turning up to Hairdresser's shame-faced tomorrow to cancel. Last-minute to be sure, but very very welcome. Even better, he will stay around for all the festivities on the day and not have to rush off to a gig somewhere! Oh it will be the merriest of parties! Even if it rains.....(sob)...it will clear up...it will.

The Hut they never built me

I want a hut. I want to run to a cool dark place and stay there for four days. These are days of solitude, of turning inwards, of listening to your body rather than demanding it carries on as usual. These are days of long sleep and of fever dream...Who was he? and why do I miss him on waking? Why did my voice take on Siren qualities? It felt wonderful, his admiration and my ability to sing over a crowd of people. Why did my mind make him married and unattainable? Where did that face come from? It was no one I know or have ever known. The air is restless today. Restless skies make me unsettled and uneasy; not least because they are often harbingers of wet weather. I want to lie under a soft blanket with a cup of tea and have a low male voice read me short dark stories from the 1800's. Maybe he could brush my hair and pour me a glass of very fine red wine. I want his eyes to dance and laugh with kindness and mischief. I don't want this man to be my lover. I don't want this man to 'want' me. I want him to love me like a sister, to be kind to me because he wants my smile and warmth, not my body. I think he will light candles and the fire because he knows I love them both. This man smells nice; of cedar and cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper with a trace of vanilla. He is wearing dark jeans and a large jumper. His hair is clean and smells newly washed. I am allowed to look at his beautiful hands as he reads and the beauty of his neck and Jaw. I am allowed to revel in his maleness and magnificence, all the more apparent because he isn't trying to make me notice. When I fall asleep he will curl away into the night like woodsmoke. Fleu de feu, oh flower of fire.

The reality is that I am on my way to work to teach 7 students in a row. I will come home and try to cook something for us that isn't too awful. I will then apply my mediocre calligraphy skills to the name cards that will hang from the picnic baskets. I will have a cup of tea and collapse into bed (where I should have been all along) and try to conjure my red-moon man from the ether. I will wake, having succeeded or not, and go out to teach all over again.

Gently Johnny....

Bit of a pagan old day really. Maybe it's the red moon, maybe it's the impending nuptials...Thought I'd share the lyrics of two wonderful songs from the original 'Wicker Man' film.

But first, I took some apples down to old man apple tree and placed them in his branches. I think he may have forgotten what they look like...

I also took some snaps of my extremely enthusiastic beans and my glorious pineapple sage. The sparks of brilliant red look wonderful in the autumn sunlight and will be welcome additions to wedding decorations (should balance beautifully with the apple branches, pumpkins, corn wheat and herbs spilling from every available crack in the stone walls)

So, my all-time favourite Gently Johnny:

I put my hand upon her kneeAnd she said - do you want to see? I put my hand upon her breastAnd she said - do you want to kiss? Gently gently johnnyGently johnny, my jinglo(repeat)I put my hand upon her thighAnd she said - would you like to try? I put my hand upon her bellyAnd she said - do you want to fill me? Gently gently gently johnnyGently johnny my jinglo...(repeat)I put my hand upon her kneeAnd she said - do you want to see? I put my hand upon her breastAnd she said - do you want to kiss? Gently gently gently johnnyGently johnny my jinglo

And the delightfully literal May Pole Song:

In the woods there grew a treeAnd a fine fine tree was heAnd on that tree there was a limbAnd on that limb there was a branchAnd on that branch there was a nestAnd in that nest there was an eggAnd in that egg there was a birdAnd from that bird a feather cameAnd of that feather wasA bedAnd on that bed there was a girlAnd on that girl there was a manAnd from that man there was a seedAnd from that seed there was a boyAnd from that boy there was a manAnd for that man there was a graveFrom that grave there grewA treeIn the Summerisle,Summerisle, Summerisle, Summerisle woodSummerisle wood.

To conclude todays little rant, Christopher Lee's monologue (only in the Director's cut)...what can I say? Agree agree agree:-)

I think I could turn and live with animals, they're so placid and self contain'd,I stand and look at them long and long.They do not sweat and whine about their condition,They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,Not one is respectable or unhappy over the earth

Quite.