Back from travels

Here I am again, back home after an absolutely fantastic week of family and friends, old and new.  My niece's wedding was so beautiful.  The weather was cool and bright and windy.  I had written out the ceremony I wanted to lead, but found that trying to memorize it made me feel stiff and artificial, so I just made note of the points I wanted to touch on and then allowed myself to be in the moment.  There was much laughter during the ceremony, and also a lot of happy tears.  And best of all, my family is just wild about the man who became part of us that day.

There were loads of folks from my family, but fortunately a lot of friends and family of the groom also showed up.  It was delightful getting to know some of them at different gatherings throughout the several days.  That was pretty much my Something New for the week.  I was in a familiar place, with the familiarity of my family around me, eating at favorite restaurants, walking a coastline trail I've walked hundreds of times in the past.  The newness was meeting the groom's family and friends, having jolly, inquiring conversations, some of which went deep and some of which danced on the surface.

I find that I enjoy big hooplas, but also sometimes find them tiring, having to rise to a continuous flow of socializing, often having to speak loudly to be heard and strain to hear.  The smaller, quieter gatherings were my favorite.  Best of all was when another niece and her husband stopped by the house where Sweet Hubby and I were staying.  They are new parents (Baby was at the hotel in the care of her grandmother), so it was a treat for them to be able to be out without carrying baby and all the stuff stuff stuff that comes with her.  It was about 11pm when they knocked, and the four of us stayed up until almost 3am, talking and talking and talking.  I haven't had a lengthy conversation with this niece for ever so long, and this was my first chance to really get down with her husband, who I continue to fall in love with.  What joy to be with them in a private, quiet setting.

All in all, the week was satisfying, nourishing, exciting, fun, and best of all, I got to share it with Sweet Hubby.