There are so many things during the wedding that I don’t think I will ever forget. Some have larger stories and will be expanded on. Some won’t. And the list might be updated as I remember more of those little moments.

1. Shop towels
2. The tears in his eyes when we were standing at the altar
3. The smile on his face
4. The story of 4:20
5. Being pelted with flower heads
6. My thali’s clasp coming undone during the ceremony
7. The Hindu priest asking how to pronounce Harrison
8. Our First Dance
9. Dance with Dad – all choked up
10. Talking with Shankar in the moonlight while cooling down
11. Enjoying Robert Fleury with friends
12. The colors
13. I’m the lakshmi (and I’ve finally figured out what that means)
14. I wasn’t right for a few minutes
15. The priest being kind enough to move the coconut out of my way
16. That feeling, walking up the aisle and everything else sort of fading away
17. Poor Phoenix bustling me, bustling me, bustling me, and bustling me
18. Chris’s present
19. Getting the photo frames for favors at IKEA
20. How happy everyone was
21. My uncle David talking about making Raju “disappear” during his toast (it was in jest)
22. Martin spilling the beans
23. Tiffany noting that Raju still makes me laugh
24. The smoldering Geeta
25. Being surrounded by our friends and family
26. On the way down the aisle, trying not to cry and Dad saying “Just smile”
27. the Sharp Dressed Man
28. Joey’s dance to Sexy Back
…

Filed under:
Memories from the Wedding Celebrations, Reminiscences, Wedding by Courtney

The pizza has arrived and we’re sitting on the couch, box between us, two-liter at our feet.

“Do you have any napkins?”

A blank look comes across my face. Napkins?

“Paper towels maybe?”

“Ummmm, no…” I’m not making a great impression on this first date. I need to get the man something to wipe his hands on after eating greasy Papa John’s pizza.

“Oh!” I jump off the couch and run back through the hallway, into the back room, the junk room. Ahh, yes, this will work.

“Here you go.” I plunk down a box of shop towels next to the two-liter of Coke. I’m quite proud of my find.

He pauses for a moment and just looks at me. Then he smiles and takes one and we eat.

The wedding is upon us. I arrive home, with a few moments to myself. On the kitchen counter: blue shop towels and a note, “In case you don’t have something used and something blue…”.

Tears well up in my eyes. It was by far the best wedding present he could have bought me. And it was my something blue (and used).

And by far, my favorite memory of the the wedding week.

Filed under:
Memories from the Wedding Celebrations, Reminiscences, Wedding by Courtney

Instead of the Easter basket filled with chocolate, Mom has sent tulips the past two years for Easter. Maybe she read my smile post; maybe she just thought it would brighten my day. It did – my day and my table.

Last year I rushed. I was excited to have received tulips. I grabbed them out of their box and went to town cutting the stems and trying to arrange (I suck at arranging). I broke a few stems. I arranged them in a smaller glass.

This year instructions were read. Plastic stayed wrapped around the flowers so they’re heads wouldn’t droop. A penny was added to the bottom of the vase to keep them standing straight. It worked — they’re still beautiful 3 days later. Now I carry the vases from room to room with me as I move throughout the day. If I’m outside, my flowers are outside. If I’m cooking, they’re on the dining room table. If I’m at my desk, I have one vase to each side.

Funny, the flowers seem to last way longer than the chocolate.

Filed under:
Day in the Life, Happy, Reminiscences by Courtney

“So, what is it?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Can I shake it?”
“No.”
“Is it fragile?”
“You can’t shake it.”
“Well, what is it?”
“You’ll see.”
“C’mon, just a hint… Pleeeeeasssssee!”
“Nope. You’ll have to wait until Christmas.”
“But, that’s not the way it works. You’re supposed to give me a hint.”
“Don’t you want to be surprised when you open it? I want to be surprised when I open your gift.”
“Just a hint.”
“It’s made out of wood.”
“Really? Give me another hint.”
“I gave you a hint.”
“But I need another. I can’t shake it, so I need another.”
“Wooden clogs. I got you wooden clogs.”
“Clogs?”
“Yep, clogs.”
“Like people from Holland wear?”
“Yep. Clogs.”

Filed under:
Reminiscences by Courtney

Nothing kicks off the Christmas season like Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. In the South you’ll hear that song a million times on the radio during the month of December. Outside the South, well, I’m happy iTunes had the song.

Which is what got me thinking about the song to begin with. I would also hear plenty of Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and occasionally the morning shows would play Jeff Foxworthy’s Redneck 12 Days of Christmas (yuk :-P). Occasionally being only 4 or 5 times a week.

At home though, Christmas was not Christmas without Elvis, Bing Crosby, Dino, and the aforementioned Elmo & Patsy classic, more Elvis, and the classic Tractors Christmas (I almost forgot about Santa Claus is Coming in a Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train). Well, this was not so much at home, but at Ninny Price’s house. She was the one who liked to play the music, and these were her Christmas songs, now my Christmas songs.

Filed under:
Music, Reminiscences by Courtney