Looking Ahead....

It's almost like the good old days when Portia and Babs were in college and home for Christmas break: they both took off the week between Christmas and New Year's! So we have had fun doing some Mom-Daughter things.

Today I'm off to the spice store in the Heights and lunch with Babs at a trendy restaurant. This evening El Jefe and I take Portia, DK and the in-laws out to dinner at our favorite wine bar/bistro in Sugar Land. We are all eagerly anticipating the birth of our grandson in early March!

In between, I'm starting to look ahead to the New Year and decided it was time to clean up my sidebar. So down comes the link to Presbyterians Today, since I won't be writing Best of the Blogs next year. And up goes a link to the books I am planning to review--hopefully in order that the reviews will appear! 

I am hosting book tours for The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson on February 8 and for Unprotected Texts sometime in February to be determined. (A book tour means that I have accepted a copy of the book for review from the publisher and agreed to post a review on a given date.)

So far I haven't had much luck driving readership to the book blog, but I do think it is useful to have my reviews collected in one place. I would like to do more book reviewing since general blogging is really falling off everywhere.

In the new year I also take on a new position at church: Clerk of Session. It's a long story, but to make it short, after reviewing the officer roles some changes were made this month that put me in that position rather than the one I was originally assigned. 

The main charge, other than the administrative Book of Order role, is to educate the session about denominational issues and upcoming votes at presbytery. Since we vote on the NFOG in February and the Belhar Confession in May that should keep me busy!

He WAS Listening...

Dear God,

I know I made the mistake of ever-so-briefly wondering what I would do with myself when BSD and the wedding are finished. Foolish me, I didn't really think you were listening.

So now I'm asking you to help me pull it together to lead Take Six and Go! (a study of selected parables of Jesus plus a mission project) on Wednesdays in May and June at the church.

And this time I KNOW you are listening.

Thanking you in advance,
QG

MOB Redux Update: Blowing Bubbles

Many thanks to those of you who commented on my last post. Babs decided she wanted a bubble send-off and since Teri allayed my concerns about the bubbles and gave them an enthusiastic endorsement (see her comment on this post about a Houston wedding last weekend no less!), we'll be blowing bubbles as the happy couple depart.

Ordered the bubbles. Check. On to the next thing on the list!

MOB Redux Update: Various

We're fixin' to get into high Wedding Mode Chez QG now. The calendar is starting to fill up with:

• wedding dress fitting on Saturday (Kleenex will be provided)
• juggling shower dates and themes
  
• Portia finding a date for the "bachelorette" party (no MOB's allowed!)
• looking at linens for the reception
• addressing and mailing the "save-the-date" announcements
• deciding on the invitation format
• Flowers, music, etc etc

Oh my Lord, May 1 is approaching faster than I thought!

MOB Redux Update: Yes to the Dress

Portia, the Diva, SIL, Babs and I had a wonderful time Saturday shopping for THE dress. And yes, we found it. It was clear by the way Babs' face lit up when she modeled it for us that it was the ONE.

We also found the dress for the matron of honor (Portia) and bridesmaid (P-Dubya's sister) in a beautiful saturated shade of coral. There was a darling flower girl dress as well. Now the question is, one or two flower girls?

We had a wonderful day and it was all topped off by the wedding of Dr. O's eldest daughter, Valerie! The ceremony was just perfect (Babs was one of the readers) and the reception a joyous celebration of the joining of two families and cultures from opposite ends of the word --that would be Nigeria and Australia--right here in the heart of Texas.

For us, Labor Day weekend was chock-full of blessings.

MOB Redux Update: Tour De Dresses

We're about to start wedding gown shopping in Houston.

Portia bought her wedding gown in Austin because she was finishing law school and taking the bar exam there so she didn't need to travel to Houston for fittings. Babs, on the other hand, is here in Houston.

The girls' friends and my SIL and nieces tell us that there are two major shops for this purpose in town, so Babs called to set up an appointment with one of them. Not so fast! It seems that shop is going out of business the end of this month. BUT they are having a great sale on their sample sizes, which (God be praised!) she wears.

We had planned a shopping tour de dresses for Labor Day Weekend, but now we're going to check out the big sale this weekend because...well...how can we not?

On the other hand, we are all really looking forward to the tour de dresses and Babs has appointments scheduled. So unless Babs is truly wowed Saturday, the tour will go forward.

We have engaged a florist and photographer because they get scheduled months and months in advance.

Other to-do items on the wedding check list are deciding on the cake vendor (the venue where we are doing the reception does food but not wedding cakes) and what kind of musical entertainment Babs and P-Dubya would like at the reception. DJ? Small ensemble? Dancing or not? The reception rooms can accomodate a DJ or 3 piece ensemble and a dance floor. Suggestions welcome.

MOB Redux Update: The Match Game

The last week on the Matrimonial Front has been spent getting information about possible venues for the ceremony and the reception, and checking dates available in spring 2010. Lots of phone calls and emails were generated.

Now Babs and P-Dubya have made a decision that narrows down the field of possibilities: the wedding ceremony will be at MDPC. So the Match Game now focuses on matching available dates at the church to available dates at places for the reception.

Hopefully, that gets resolved today. Then the MOB can move on from The Match Game to The Check List.

Matchy, matchy.

Note to MOB: Get a Grip

The M.O.B. realized that she might be getting just the teensiest bit distracted today when she checked out at the grocery store only to discover that her wallet was not in her purse.

The kindly checker completed the order and had it stored in the cooler while she went home to fetch it.

Half-way home (a couple of miles), the M.O.B. spotted the aforementioned wallet lying on the bottom left hand side of the windshield. OUTSIDE the car.

Pulling to one side, she adroitly retrieved it and was greatly relieved to discover nothing was missing. It must have been on the windshield the whole time she was in the grocery store. Amazing.

Why did she put it there? Dunno. Can't remember. Was too busy emailing Babs and Portia re: proposed wedding dates and venues.

RESOLVED: One thing at a time....

MOB, Redux

We interrupt Summer Slumptime with breaking news from the Matrimonial Front:

Babs and P-Dubya just got engaged!

Woo-hoo!!

~donning Mother-of-the-Bride Hat for the second time~

Now I'm awaiting my instructions, but anticipate the next few months will be ANYTHING but slumpy. The Matrimonial Bureau will bring more details as they are available and the MOB-Redux will be looking for her planning files from Portia's wedding, which must be in a moving box somewhere around here....