The Salty Mule in Canton Georgia gave me a card with the above message on it. The title of my blog, I so appreciate all the people, places, things that jump out at me, for my writing pleasure.
I was born in beach country; I know what beach hair is.
The beach is my happy place, saltwater runs through my veins.
The dermatologist knows how many hours of my life were spent without sunscreen.
We just returned from the beach and with much help, the fam helped me to the water. ( my knees are wonky still) It was the hottest day in years, off the charts hot, and sitting on the waters edge, I felt nothing. Nothing but joy, My son and grandson, hung with me, for shell knowledge. I also had to revisit why we were not going to the sandbar, and where the sharks lived, we were not going to be their lunch. ( Jaws, and Brother man Benjie flying me over hundreds of sharks in Jacksonville) My motto, is you have to see your feet. Yes I swam out to the dark water when small, tried to surf, took little boats out, fell over in one, and swam to shore. I have been caught in undertow and riptide, but I knew to swim to the side, until I could break free.( Susan remember that boat with Jeff Owens and I think Pelegrini? and maybe Lee Carrol that fell over and some stayed with the boat, but Jeff and I swam back) ( or is that another story, that I just have pieces of??) well I know Jeff Owens and I were very good swimmers, I sure miss him and Lee. Damn, now I feel sad.
OK, back on task, which you know is not going to happen.
I live my life Beach Feeling!!
My darling daughter asked me yesterday, why I had not written about her wedding???I told her I have been recovering and not thinking of anything wedding related, since it had consumed our past year.
So I gathered some memories, and things I had saved for this very moment, and The Salty Mule, card came out of my pile. We ate there while taking stuff to the venue. Emma got married at a barn, I will have to ask someone the name of it. I want to call it Fendley Farms?? Farmstead? with Charles in Charge. It was lovely, what I remember of it. Charles took care of everything, and Emma and Jamie picked out most everything, so I had to almost just show up.( I did have some input, but honestly, the kids drove the car on this wedding)
My most favorite things about the wedding are spending the wedding day, with Emma's bridesmaids who had all been friends since they were 2. Stacie, Lauren, Erin and Ali. Malia three of the girls mom and I had been neighbors with all these girls. Next door neighbors, with revolving doors. A wonderful group of women, including my Emma. We ate and laughed and danced and discussed A LOT!! All day we were in this darling house. My cousin Leigh-Leigh was there, taking care of business, I can not do anything without her!!! I promise, her laughter will take you to your knees and her organizational skills, wonderful.( did I say Malia was with us all day too?) ( Stacie I wished Bonnie Busbin could have been with us) Stacie had the best hair, and I loved my false eyelashes, until I found them stuck to my glasses during the reception!! My dress had been altered wrong, my sew person, knows me. I like big clothes, its a texture thing. She turned a big dress with a waist into an empire dress!! I never need attention drawn to my torpedoes!! Had to wear it, it was not the end of the world.
Next favorite thing was all of my children and grandchildren were together. Nothing, not even the beach could top that. Finn walked me down the aisle, Adrian read a poem, and Wyatt stole the entire show. Ringbearer, dancer, human child!!!
Friends, near and far, relatives, strangers, all had come together after covid!! our numbers were kept down for a smaller wedding, out of pure fear of if we were going to be lucky and have this thing!!! So some of our buddies on both sides could not come. I think all our loved ones, sent their love through the country Canton Sky, we felt it.
There was, as in all weddings, a current of discontent, in some areas. We Michelle Obamaed it and rose up! I looked at Jamie and Emma and cried like a BAD CRY!! Their love for each over the past four years, is felt by anyone who has been around them. This day was no different, they ooze high school first love joy, all the time. Everything was beautiful and crazy, and we had cows!!!
I felt my brother's hand on my shoulder during the wedding, I love him so much and miss all the Blackmans that have passed. I thought about my Ward and all he has missed being gone, its extremely hard to be so happy and sad at the same time. Then you crank up the music, and all is well.
My girlfriends and I took the house down, Brian did a good Footloose, and Benjie may have pretended to be Jagger!!Brooks Ann, Nancy, Jane, Malia, LOVE SHACK will never be the same. Emma thank you for dancing with us for SuperFreak, Rick James was very proud of us.
I wish you and Jamie a real life, filled with all the feels. Good and Bad, normal everyday lawn mowing stuff. It is never easy in this world. It is your job to make it good. Its a job, get dressed, show up and look for the joy, its all around you.
Maybe I will do another wedding blog, I left out the story about Stacie and Ali washing your feet like Jesus!! to get the teal dye off your feet, from the wet grass!!Those shoes, got thrown away.
Love to all the people who came to the wedding and shared the hoopla
Love Wins
Bonnie
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