Angie Max: Wedding Rehearsal Day

I was tired after traveling the day before, so I slept in and stayed at the house with Jim while my uncle went to Holyoke for the wedding rehearsal. I figured I'd be able to somehow figure out how to stand in the right place even if I wasn't at the rehearsal, and I wanted to help Jim get ready for the cocktail party at the house later that evening.

Jim went to pick up champagne and other supplies for the party, and I enjoyed the gorgeous mountain view from the deck while Oberon the 17-year-old cat kept me company.

When Jim returned, he had some gladiolas he had purchased from the daughter of their insurance agent who grows and sells them, and asked me to make a couple of arrangements for the party. (Obviously, Jim thinks I have skills beyond what I actually possess.) I managed to make some presentable arrangements, and then arranged the crackers (a great job for an obsessive-compulsive) and then Greg returned and there was much discussion over details and debate over where crackers and food should go, etc.

Of course, regardless of how you arrange the food, cocktail parties are unpredictable and take their own shape. A general rule for cocktail parties: it doesn't matter where the food and drink is, they will find it. If you pour it, they will come! ;-)

My grandfather and his fiancee' were there, as well as several people from the retirement community and nursing home where my grandfather has lived since my grandmother and he moved to Massachussetts years ago.

Left to Right: Pa (John, the groom), Jean (the bride),
and three of the most amazing people you could ever want on the staff from Loomis House!

My new grandmother Jean's daughter Anne and her son, Cody, both from TN, who drove up with Jean for the wedding were there as well, and I must say that Cody, though he must have been bored to tears at age 13 surrounded by not one person under 40, managed to fit in quite well. He's a great kid!

Left to Right: Cody, Anne, Greg, Jean, Pa (John), and Jim

I really enjoyed meeting everyone and showing them around the house. Of course, I had to give them a presentation of the Toto "Dream" Toilets, which have more bells and whistles than most cars! (I'll definitely do a separate blog post on that topic.)

The groom can not let go of his bride-to-be's hand!
Cody is in deep thought. Clearly, a "thinker"!

After the cocktail party, we all loaded up in cars and drove to a local brewery, where Greg and Jim had paid for an amazing wedding rehearsal dinner. They rented the upstairs, and requested their favorite server, a young Philippino college girl who is very attentive. There was great wine (both red and white) and a couple of very talented singers turned out to be among our guests!

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

A male guest sang "On the Street Where You Live" so beautifully it made us cry, and Kelley, a friend of my grandfather's sang "Dixie" so beautifully it gave me chills!