Jeni’s Wedding and Such

Jeni's Wedding: I'm upset with myself for not getting a photo of Jeni and her friends, JoJo and Charlene. Her friends are organizing the wedding party we will have for Jeni here on April 18, 2009. They are going to do such a good job. JoJo is SOOOOOOOOOO organized, I need for her to move in with me and organize my life! So, things are on their way to begin the party. Jeni and Tom are married on the 11^th of April and this will be perfect for them and all their friends who aren't able to go to Antiqua for the wedding. We are going to have a DJ, wedding cake, photographer, bartender, and the works. We will pray for a beautiful day, much like the one today. Here's a photo of JoJo and Jeni. I'll try to find one of Charlene, too. :)

It was nice seeing these girls again and it was especially nice to hand over the planning and all the works to them. They know people, or know people who know people in the catering world, etc, so I will just leave it to them. A few fun (or funny) things: We will have illuminated volley ball, and lights all over the place (meaning over our whole back and front yards). This will be fun! Oh, and they saw the painting of the chair (for two) on the beach over the fireplace and said they would like to use that to draw their ideas from…colors, theme, etc. How cool is that! Jeni said she wanted a whimsical wedding cake rather than a traditional one. When questioned she said she wanted one like the one we got her and Tom for their engagement. So,, they are using that one and just having it as the top of the cake. Looks like I was able to help after all. J
Jeni and Tom's song that they will play at their wedding is Mary J Blige's "What Love Is". I had never heard of her before but I'm catching up fast. We will play it here as well and try to work it into the party, maybe in the invitations I think. What love is..joy and pain, sunshine and rain. etc. I do like the song a lot now. They are also getting married on 4-11 (information) and that is one of MJB's songs also. Quinkydink, huh?

Such: Next in my life is the arrival starting Tuesday of my friends in my writing group (online) that are coming in from California, Costa Rica, Florida. Half of the group will be here. Two in Wisconsin and one in Texas aren't able to come this year but we will have fun. I'm getting really excited about that right now and the prospect of doing some really good writing on all our behalves. This is our second annual retreat after being together about 10 years. I keep thinking there is more I need to be doing but …I'm ready. Pen and pencil in hand and ideas, too. I hope to come out of this with another chapbook at least in the works. This is a photo of last years retreat at Big Bear.

My Little Sister, Hanna, finished her butterfly painting now for the Strawberry Festival and I'm finished with mine also so we are ready to enter them on Monday. I think I will put the one with Jeni and Me, my leaf one, and my window in Venice.

A copy of my article from the Focus is now hanging in Starbucks and also at the YMCA (They even laminated it!). So cool. I am getting in touch with old friends who call about the article and one person at the hair salon where I went asked me if I wasn't the woman in the Focus. Kewl.

Speaking of Starbucks, I love their oatmeal and now they have breakfast sandwiches. They have to keep up with competition I guess. I haven't tried them yet but probably will eventually. When I'm in NC I go to Joey's Pancake house and there is no one any where that makes oatmeal like they do. I order bananas, nuts, brown sugar, milk, and raisins to go in my oatmeal. It ends up being dessert I think but so yummy. Starbucks offers a fast food variety of that. I do look forward to getting back to Joey's though.