Tag Archives: wedding

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Old camera

The first camera I had was a hand me down from my grandfather. I don’t have it any more. The viewfinder would open and you looked down into it to frame the photograph. The pictures were square. It became difficult to find film for it quite quickly and small cheap 110 cameras were becoming plentiful.

I had a 110 cheap camera and did not like it much. My parents got a Minolta 110 in the mid 1970s with a built in zoom. I was hooked! It was much more fun to be able to frame my shot and I took many of the family photographs. That hooked my father in turn and I inherited electronic cameras with built in zooms from him: a Panasonic, a Canon and a Nikon. I think he was trying to find one with an image steadier that could stand up to him, but he had a bad resting tremor. He moved to a tripod and that worked much better.

I took the photograph at my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding in 2022. K is in his teens and we were both playing with cameras. This was the day before the wedding at a brewpub and before the rehearsal. I love that the photograph is off center and the circle behind him mimics the camera lens. I have permission to post!

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: camera.

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growing

My son and daughter-in-law got married April 30th in Black Diamond, Washington. The young man in the photograph was the youngest in the house I rented. We had my two aunts: 81 and 86 years old, and my uncle, 85 years old. Me, my daughter, my two friends and their son. This young man and I took photographs. He taught me new things about my camera and on the last day ran a slide show from my laptop to the television. He helped all of us folks with technology and we really enjoyed having him there.

And I am delighted to hear that he told his parent that he wished we had one more day, all of us. Eight people in a household from Thursday to Monday and it went very well. Weddings always have some interesting glitches, but after putting off the wedding for two years due to covid, the bride and groom did not seem rattled by anything! My daughter-in-law is truly a delight.

Here is to the next generation, surviving this pandemic, sweeping up the pieces and growing, and thriving anyhow.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: children.

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Finch Face

YOU thought I said “Fish face.” Fish faces came up at the wedding.

When my son is a baby, he goes with my husband for a well child check. I am in residency and can’t get away. The doctor asks, “Can he play patty cake?”

“No,” says my husband, “but he can make a fish face.” My husband has a long narrow face. He pulls both ears out and purses his lips. He wiggles his ears.

My son promptly makes a fish face.

“Good enough,” says the doctor.

My son has a small godson. They have mostly said hi on zoom. My son has taught his godson to make a fish face. When they visit in person, he makes the fish face and his godson’s face lights up. Oh, this is THAT person and they are REAL, not just on a screen!

The godson is the ring bearer at the wedding last Sunday. I tell him I am his godfather’s mother and make a fish face. Then I call my ex over. He makes a fish face and the godson is delighted. All of these talented people at the wedding! Who know about fish faces!

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: faces. Very Happy Mother’s Day to everyone, who is a mother, has a mother, is a grandmother, has a grandmother. I could go on.

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April A to Z reflection

April was a very interesting month! I went to Europe for the first time since 1988 and got covid, so had to stay an extra 8 days. The version I got was a mild cold and my lungs did not get worse. Traveling on oxygen is really challenging. I was anxious to get home because my son and daughter-in-law got married after postponing in 2020 and 2021, so they married on April 30th! It was a wonderful wedding!

So, I had to do some planning for the A to Z, writing about women artists, mostly Helen Burling Ottaway, my mother. I took a number of my mother’s etchings to give to friends in Europe and used those because they were what I had. In typing up her resume, I learned more about her! She was a prolific artist and I want to get more of her art out there. I had originally planned to set up an on line shop of her work, but the Europe trip, covid and the wedding derailed that idea! I still want to do that, but I am a bit slow about it. I need to catalog and photograph her work, after I recover from the wedding extravaganza.

When I got home from my trip on April 12, I started doing two posts a day. I did the present letter and then worked from the end of the alphabet, setting up Z for Zarathustra to go live on April 30th. By the last week of April, I had it all set to go live day by day. This is good, because there was no way I would have posted from the last Wednesday on!

I did not get to surf other writers blogs as much as I had planned. Too busy in Europe and too busy with wedding. This week I mostly want to do not very much. I am sorting wedding photographs, the ones I took, and sending them to the new bride and groom.

The picture is of my two aunts at the music rehearsal. I was cantor and led the two hymns. Both of my father’s sisters are church organists. They played four hands for the processional and the recessional and were wonderful! With both my parents gone I was very very grateful to have them present.

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mountain 2

It is gracious of the mountain to show herself the day after my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding. I stay in a rental house with two aunts and an uncle (all in their 80s), my daughter, and two old friends and their son. The age range is 13 to 86. When the fog and clouds fall away from the mountain we all rush for our cameras.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: gracious.

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FINIS!

Whew! I finished the AprilAtoZ blog challenge even with a wedding and not just a wedding but MY SON’S WEDDING on April 30th! Extra challenging. Two weeks before April 30th I started working on two posts a day, working backwards from the end of the alphabet and forwards from where I was. I set them to post on the appropriate days!

I have until May 7 to write a reflections post, but not today! I got home at 5 pm and it has been terribly exciting and rather complicated too. Weddings during covid turn out to be challenging, but my son and my new daughter are a delightful pair. I said that she has been a daughter for a long time now and she says that she felt like my daughter the first time that she got two pairs of wool socks in her stocking at Christmas….. That has become a family tradition.

Hooray for weddings in spite of pandemics! This one was postponed twice but is now complete! Blessings on everyone and thanks.

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The Wedding Bells Part 5 (Flash Fiction Chain #6)

The beautiful photograph above serves as a photo prompt for Flash Fiction Chain #6 hosted by Jithin of Photrablogger. In this chain, many authors from around the world and from different time zones participate, writing consecutive parts in a beautifully orchestrated story telling.

Anna Brighton- a 32 year old CEO that owns and runs a publishing company

Alex Burns – well established author, Anna’s ex-boyfriend, Toby Blackwell’s cousin

Melissa Doyle – the bride, Anna’s dear friend

Toby Blackwell – co-owns the Blackwell estate, Alexis’ cousin

(Supporting characters)

Jenny- Anna’s secretary

Adam – Owner of Adam and Eve’s

Harrison – Melissa’s fiance.

This is part 5. To read the previous four wonderful parts, click the links below:

PART 1 byΒ Sona

PART 2 byΒ Yinglan

PART 3 byΒ Priceless Joy

PART 4 by Frenesthetist

PART 5 is mine:

Oh, the hen party! The stripping “policeman” was a fabulous dancer. The “police van” took them to a private venue and the women all gave Melissa gifts. She opened them and there were shouts of laughter!

“Look at her blush!” as Melissa held up a scanty see through short neglige.

“Model, model!” shouted the women, as Melissa covered her mouth laughing.

“Here, I’ll do that,” said the dancer, and he strutted around in the filmy top. He stayed in his thong and Melissa would not let him model the very naughty underwear. “Oh!” she said, “I thought I couldn’t be embarassed!” They were quite lacy, see through and absent the crotch.

“This one!” said Anna. Melissa tore off the shiny wrapping and ribbon. It was a black box, with a screen. It was a camera, but how odd. “No download?” said Melissa, looking at Anna.

“No download,” nodded Anna. “You can take pictures but only view them in the camera. It destroys the chip if someone tries to open it.”

“Oh!” said Melissa.

“So….,” Anna grinned, “Your husband and you can take pictures with no fear that anyone else will see them.”

Melissa laughed. “You win. That is the naughtiest present of all.”

And the party continued…

_________
It was nearly dawn, with just the faintest lightening in the east, when the “police van” returned Melissa and Anna to the estate. Jenny and the others were driven to their homes or hotels as well.

Anna helped Melissa to her bed. Melissa was nearly asleep on her feet, though she had stopped drinking some hours ago. Anna was happy that no one had partied until they were sick. Melissa flopped face down on her bed and kicked off her shoes. “Night!” Anna thought Melissa was already asleep.

AnnaΒ  was glad that they had a day to rest and get ready for the wedding tomorrow. She started back to her room, but she was not quite sleepy.Β Β  She wanted to walk a little. It was a bit lighter. “Surely the gardens are safe,” she thought. Her room had doors onto a patio, and she slipped outside.

The sky was lighter, with turquoise fading up into blue black, and a few small clouds that were tinged at the bottom with gold. The house was dark and quiet. The gardens smelled of roses. She stepped onto the path very quietly.

She wandered a little. She could smell the flowers almost before she could see them. Gardenias. Fresia. More roses. The grass was dewy and it was still just barely cool.

<Crack>

She stopped. A noise. She was frightened for a moment and stood very still. Someone else. She heard quiet footsteps, ahead. Moving away. And then she heard bells. Bells, high and sweet.

She slipped her shoes off and picked them up. She tiptoed forward, quiet as a mouse, and looked around the next rosebush.

It was Alex. He was on his knees. He was humming. And when he moved, she heard the bells.

She watched and he turned. He held a small paper cone, with ribbons and small bells at the end of the ribbons. He placed a forget-me-not among the miniature roses and ferns in the cone. Then he smiled and walked very quietly towards the house.

Anna was intrigued. She followed, quiet, quiet, freezing when he stopped.

She followed him into the house and up the stairs. She felt like a spy or someone watching a romance. Who were the flowers for?

He stopped a little ways from a bedroom door. He wrote something on the cone, but she couldn’t see what. He placed the cone carefully on the floor a bit in front of the bedroom door and then he backed towards her. Anna slipped back behind a long curtain, peeping out. Now he was standing, peering at the door.

They waited. Anna tried to breathe very quietly.

After 20-30 minutes, there were noises in the room. The door opened. A small girl in bright pink pajamas came out, rubbing one eye. She stopped with her fist against her eye, staring at the cone of flowers. She swooped forward and studied the writing. She swept the cone up, hugged it with the small bells ringing and rushed back in her room. “Mama! Mama! Look! They know I am the flower girl!”

Alex turned and Anna could see his face. He looked as young as the little girl and just as delighted. He covered his mouth and stepped quietly down the hall.

Anna stood behind her curtain. This Alex, this was one that she didn’t know. When they were children, they knew each other a little. Once they had been playing at a friend’s and had teamed up to make up an elaborate play, with princes and princesses fighting dragons together. But they had rarely played when they were younger. When they had dated, he was so serious and driven and professional, she just felt cold and eventually gave up. He seemed to only care for his writing and his career.

Anna went back to her room, wondering. Was this really Alex? Was he affected by the cupid’s spirit that Melissa had mentioned? Maybe he WAS the household “cupid’s spirit”. Could he really be a romantic inside that tough exterior?

She fell asleep and dreamed of bells and flowers and….

Part 6Β  written by Sweety

Part 7 written by Itchy Quill

Part 8: written by on Ruth

Part 9: written by Austin

Part 10 : written by Rashmi

Part 11: written by Phaena

Part 12: written by Manvi

Part 13: written by Sona

Part 14: written by Yinglan