Dancing the Cotton-Eyed Joe in NYC

We're back from Queenie and Doc's wedding in New York. ( Aside for new readers: Doc is my nephew and Queenie is Portia's college roommate who met Doc almost 2 years ago when she came to Texas to be a bridesmaid in Portia and DK's wedding.)

Here's a quick wrap up of an unforgettable weekend:

• The QG family became fast fans of Jet Blue after our first round trip flight on that airline. It flies out of the airport closest to our home in the Houston area and had beaucoups of leg room. It's the first time El Jefe and I can ever remember actually being comfortable for three plus hours in a plane.
• When we arrived, the weather was perfect. Then a big heat-wave hit the area and it was actually cooler back home. The locals joked we brought the Texas summer with us. Sorry!
• Queenie's family are part of the local Italian-Croatian community and could not have been more hospitable and friendly to everyone.
• The reception was so awesome--at a beautiful club on Long Island Sound with panoramic views of the ocean.
• Music at the reception was a country-western/Croatian mix. The Texans taught the Croatians to dance the Cotton-Eyed Joe! My feet still hurt.

And now for the Ave Maria review: it went very well indeed. Let me just say that one of the groomsmen told me afterwards that I "really nailed it" and many in Queenie's family went out of their way to tell me how much it meant to them. I'm sure your thoughts and prayers helped me a lot, too!

I do have a question about the ceremony that some of you may be able to answer. The officiant was a "deacon" and not a priest of the Catholic church. I'm sure the church has given him the power to conduct weddings, but I'm not familiar with this position in the Catholic tradition--it is clearly different from a Presbyterian deacon! Queenie and her family are Catholic and members of the church where the wedding was held, but Doc has not become a Catholic. Mass was not celebrated at the service, either, so a priest was not needed for that.

What authority does a deacon have in the Catholic church? Or can it vary by diocese?

W Week

This week is being brought to me by the letter W.

Wedding preparations for Doc and Queenie are the focus of the week as we all prepare to go to NYC for their nuptials next weekend.

Worry about whether or not I have spent sufficient time learning to sing the Ave Maria for the service is starting to set in. Also the fact that I don't have a copy of "On Eagles Wings" to take with me is making me antsy. Note to self: take care of that tomorrow.

Wonder about whether Portia's bridesmaid dress, El Jefe's tux and my formal for the service and reception will be less wrinkled if packed in a hanging bag or a suitcase is pre-occupying my mind.

W, my brother, was released from the hospital and is at home following serious spinal fusion surgery and faces a lengthy recovery. Also one of Dutch's (El Jefe's elderly father) caregivers was diagnosed with a return of leukemia. Prayers appreciated!

Will Beatrice and Olivia (Portia and DK's dog) enjoy their stay at the Animal Inn while we're all away? Gretel always did, but this will be their first time not to stay with a family member. They will get to stay in the same "suite", though.

Where is my "to-do" list? There's a lot on it for today since I've got meetings later this week--gotta go!

QG To Debut in NYC

Add this to the things I never dreamed I would do: sing Ave Maria at a wedding in a Catholic church in New York City.

Faithful readers may recall that my nephew Doc is marrying Portia's best friend from college, Queenie, who he met at Portia and DK's wedding.

I sang at both of Doc's sisters' weddings and so he and Queenie asked me to sing for them, too. Their choices are On Eagles Wings and Ave Maria.

I'm really familiar with On Eagles Wings, so that's no problem. Ave Maria is another story. It's not exactly a staple of the Protestant tradition, dontcha know, but it is a very traditional choice for Catholic weddings. I'm generally familiar with the song, but haven't ever sung it myself.

The internet to the rescue! Don't you love it? I found a site that allowed me to download both the sheet music and an mp3 file with the piano and voice parts (even the one transposed for soprano!!) that would help me learn it.

My late father, the staunch Calvinist, would have been mightily amused to see the day when his daughter sang Ave Maria at a wedding in New York. If you know what the Latin lyrics mean (and I do), it seems an odd choice for a wedding, but there's no doubt that it is a beautiful, prayerful piece.

So if you'll excuse me, gotta go work on those trills and double triplets.

Big Event

It's mid-afternoon and I'm finally about to start packing for the RevGals "Big Event". I got delayed by an email from Queenie and Doc asking me to sing at their wedding which made me a bit verklempt.

So talk amongst yourselves. Here's your topic: How can it be that the most economical option for our meeting turned out to be a long weekend on a cruise ship?

Ok. I'm better now. I promise a full report (within a reasonable time) after getting back Monday afternoon. It will be fun to travel and room with the lovely and gracious zorra and my friend Mary who will be our "retreat" leader. There will be no blogging while away because the cost of internet access on the ship is Ginormous.

The Tour de Showers

This weekend was aptly named "The Tour de Showers" by St. Betty's daughter, the lovely and witty Jane Long.Portia's friend, Queenie, was here for Easter with her fiance' Doc (my nephew), and with their wedding looming early in June this was the opportunity for the Texas relatives to put on the dog. So to speak.

The Tour began Friday evening with Portia's lingerie shower for Queenie and friends at a local Italian restaurant. We had a lovely private room that featured a classical Roman-style bas-relief on the wall which was soon adorned with all manner of fancy undies, much to the glee of the waiters.

Saturday afternoon several of SIL's friends hosted another shower in a home. The refreshments were dainty and delicious, the presents were plentiful, and best of all, two of SIL's childhood friends drove down from the Dallas area for the day to attend! That was truly awesome. For those of you who aren't familiar with Texas distances, that means they put in about 10 hours in the car that day. That's friendship, isn't it?

That evening we gathered at the home of my SIL and BIL for hamburgers and all the fixin's. Beatrice and Olivia got to come, too, to the great delight of all the little cousins. So the next day after attending Easter services (FAB music!), and brunch with a big group of friends, everyone Chez QG collapsed in a post-shower heap. Except for DK who spent the rest of the afternoon playing tennis, and El Jefe who was glued to March Madness on TV.

Next weekend Portia and Babs will be attending Queenie's bachelorette party. Some of us old fogey-ettes are wondering when bachelorette parties got started. Clearly getting married these days takes a LOT more stamina than it did in my day.

Stop the Tour, it's time for me to get off!

NYC, Flu, and the Texas Primary

Friday, SIL and I flew to NYC to attend the big wedding shower for her future-daughter-in-law, who also is Portia's best friend from college. Faithful readers will recall that Queenie (because she is from Queens) and Doc (SIL's son the naval surgeon) met at Portia's wedding. It was an wonderful opportunity to learn about the Croatian community where she grew up.

I seriously do not understand how these people keep their slim figures amidst the astounding amount of delicious food that is on offer. And offer. And offer. For example, the wedding shower was at a restaurant with a five course sit-down meal for all the guests. Mangia, mangia, was a constant cry--you don't eat very much, they'd say to us. And we kept eating so as not to offend them. I thought we'd have to call our husbands to come with a forklift to get us off the plane.

Unfortunately I came down with a stomach flu right after the shower and --ahem--let's just say that the forklift wasn't necessary. With the help of immodium, I made it home on the plane and am finally feeling better.

BUT, I wasn't well enough to help St. Betty and Mrs. America run the primary election today. DANG. This would have been great blog fodder, too. Because the county clerk couldn't find any Democratic election volunteers, St. Betty and I were going to be assigned to the Democratic party side of the election. Although this has happened before, I'm surprised it happened in this primary election, what with all the excitement about the Obama/Clinton matchup. What is up with that? Where are the Democrats in our precinct? I'll have to get a report from St. Betty tonight.

Meanwhile it's me, Beatrice, dry toast and tea and the cable news coverage. Sigh.

As The Wedding Bells Toll

We're all a-buzz Chez Grace over the latest news from the wedding front: my nephew, Doc the Navy Surgeon, and one of Portia's bridesmaids met and fell in love at the wedding in September. He looked so dashing escorting me down the aisle in his dress uniform--who can blame her?

Now Doc has proposed to Queenie (so-called because her hometown is in Queens, NY) following a whirlwind bi-coastal courtship and she said yes! This weekend he flew to her home, talked to her parents, and then presented her with a big batch of roses and his grandmother's diamond ring on bended knee. El Jefe and DK are already grousing that he's making them look bad by comparison.

Doc is stationed in San Diego and Queenie is in New York preparing to take the New York state bar exam following her graduation from law school. They'll make their home in San Diego where he should be stationed for at least a couple more years for his residency training. Portia is thrilled that her college roommate, sorority sister and close friend will become part of the family when she marries her cousin. And yes, Queenie has already asked her to be a bridesmaid.

SIL and I are reminding ourselves that this time it's our turn to do as we're told as the Mother and Aunt of the Groom. This is not an easy thing for either of us after planning 3 weddings for our daughters. Not to mention the older sisters of the groom, who have their own ideas. Let's face it, none of us are good at doing what we're told! Question to self: can I wear my MOB dress to a wedding in New York if I cut off the dorky mini-train foofy thing on the back?

El Jefe and I think the powerful mojo of the Presbyterian pastoral trifecta presiding at Portia and DK's wedding created the atmosphere that inspired this match between Episcopalian Doc and Catholic Queenie! Isn't it awesome when blessings flow from blessings?