Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Silver Celebration

With overwhelming thanks to the Lord, Ron and I, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, have been married 25 years today.   Today, looking back at 'the' original Valentine card that was the catalyst for our eventual union, many other cards I have kept over the years and a diary of our honeymoon we reminisced with fond nostalgia for the many experiences we have shared together. 

In 1987 we didn't have the benefit of digital photography.  However in daylight, the digital photos I took of our wedding photos came out fairly reasonable. 


                               Phew, I made it up the aisle.


      
Notice Eric's rapt attention to the exchange of the rings!


            A continuation of the nuptial kiss.

         
My lovely sisters Esther and Sandra outside our family home in Wainuiomata and Jenny.     

                              
                                   Flanked by parents and parents-in-law, a smiling quintet.



Our flower girl, adorable Jenny de Reus nee Snoek, our niece, only two years old at the time, who is now married with two children of her own.


One wonders what the dialogue is here.



It's so hard to get good staff around here. 


A shame about the red skin tone on the photo but one of the few close-ups we have of the wedding.

I dedicate this poem T S Eliot wrote for his wife to Ron although it may be a little earthy for some:


To whom I owe the leaping delight
That quickens my senses in our waking time
And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleeping time
The breathing in unison

Of lovers whose bodies smell of each other
Who think the same thoughts without need of speech
And babble the same speech without need of meaning

No peevish winter wind shall chill
No sullen tropic sun shall wither
The roses in the rose garden which is ours and ours only.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Weather contrasts

A couple of weeks ago Ron was in Bangkok on business for a global sales conference.  Getting from his hotel to the conference even though it was relatively close was quite an ordeal since he had to make his way there on crutches in the sizzling heat and humidity.  So much for taking a shower beforehand!  The day he was due to fly back into New Jersey (where Troy and I picked him up from) was our second major snowfall of the season.  The trip itself was no picnic; 7 hrs to Japan and then 18 hrs to Newark airport in NJ.  En route apparently a little Asian flight attendant while trying to stuff baggage into the overhead bins had been 'jumping up and down' on Ron's ankle.  Well that's his story and he's going to stick to it. 

Meantime, back in CT, Troy and I are busy clearing the driveway of snow, and sweeping the 5 or 6 inches off the car in preparation for the long slow trip to airport, when to our delight, Zac from across the road comes over with their new snowblower and in about 5 minutes has taken care of everything. 

I've never coveted one of these machines until I saw how fast the job got done.  They apparently are subject to breaking down fairly often from what we have heard.  Mmmm... perhaps we will stick with the manual method for now but I daresay if this hadn't been such a mild winter thus far, I could be tempted..






Speaking of mild, and weather contrasts, we have been having spring like weather for the last couple of weeks.  I wouldn't be surprised if the daffodils start to pop their heads.  Today it was at least 12C.  We have been painting and staining some interior walls and trim that our neighbour has been working on.  I was able to open windows to let the fumes escape. 
I don't recall a single February that we have had no snow on the lawn.  I took this photo today in the late afternoon and it's what the yard has looked like for the last several weeks.  Ben and Franci Hoyt from Christchurch who are currently living in NYC, and who we have got together with a few times asked me last time if this was a typical winter.  Absolutely not, not, not.  We're enjoying it though. 

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Unwelcome guest in the porch

I have a backlog of photos and after being chided many times by someone who will remain nameless, have decided to process the pics from my photo file to my blog.  This past summer when Ron was on a business trip (the unwanted guest knew) and Oma a.k.a Marijke/Mum/Mrs de Vries was with us, she shrieked when she encountered a black snake in our porch.  To her credit, she remained cool, calm and collected, and helped to sweep the snake out with our largest broom after we were unsuccessful in trying to shoo it out with another long handled tool.  I originally assumed that it was a garter snake, very common around here and pretty harmless.  However, when Ron matched my photo with one on the internet, he discovered that it was a black rat snake.  No wonder Tammy yelped when I sent her after it!