Suzy Q meets her Waterloo!

Hello again, dear friends, my faithful fans and occasional followers, and welcome back! It's been longer than I ever intended to stay away, as I do enjoy writing for you, so please do forgive me, but the organization of our fabulous wedding anniversary party, (I did warn you that that might happen) took so much time and effort. What I wasn't prepared for was the aftermath, cleaning up, returning of goods, bottles (empties aplenty) and glasses and the fun of spending time with good friends kind enough to visit us for the occasion, not to mention the rest of the freeloaders (you know who you are) who kept coming back, determined to do the final damage to the party supplies. For once in my life, I think I can safely say I'm all partied out, and am finally getting our lives back to normality (whatever that might be!?)

But let me tell you how wonderful our day was. It was everything we could have hoped for and more, to have our home filled to overflowing with friends, one dear family member, fabulous food, flowers, wonderful wines, love, laughter and the dreamy music of a great saxophonist, who just got better and better the more red wine he imbibed. It really was a dream come true, as we haven't even wet the roof of this house in ten years, having been too broke after getting it tiled. So a very happy day it was for us as it all worked well, and I think and hope for our guests too. All the months of planning, organizing, and getting our house spruced up paid off. The curtains were clean (I hope you all noticed after such a mammoth effort) the garden fluffed and replanted here and there, trees shaped, window frames painted, we now boast a number on our garden wall (not bad after ten years) and we had fresh flowers everywhere in place of the usual clutter. Now how do I get it to stay that way?? 


The renewal of our vows was a deeply meaningful ceremony for me, as I looked into the eyes of the man I love, with our two beautiful daughters and my brother at our sides and our friends as witnesses, and thought back on all the events, joyful and otherwise which had marked our marriage of 20 years, and set myself up for another round with gratitude and optimism. The party got off to a great start with flutes of local bubbly which never seemed to stop coming. The food (which I barely got to taste having spent so much time planning, but that's the nature of the day) exceeded our expectations and friends are still raving about it, the black clouds and the rain which had poured the previous night abated, and we all, I hope, enjoyed a right royal day. I was so sorry when people went away, and was grateful for the hard core of bittereinders who lasted until nearly midnight. Suzy Q last seen serving soup and crackers at 11pm before falling happily into the arms of her longstanding and long suffering husband. But I can see why the honeymoon was invented.

One guilty confession however. The morning after, for the very first time in 16 years, the young Misses Suzy Q, of whom I was so very, very proud on the day, went to school and campus with tuck money instead of a packed lunch. But I still made the early morning Pilates class - too much at stake!