The Wedding is Over

The morning after the wedding, many of the guests gathered again for breakfast. After eating, everyone scattered.

We drove around Leadville for a while, waiting for time to go to church. The web site said the service was at 11. Hearing someone talking, we tiptoed in and sat in the last row. As we walked out a few minutes later with the rest of the congregation, John explained to the pastor that we were there for the 11 am service. He didn’t realize the published time was not correct. Here are photos of three houses I liked. The older homes in town were very colorful.

There was no landscaping to speak of. You can see where the house meets the dirt. I saw only one house that had a few scraggly shrubs around it.

We saw no homes with decks or huge windows in Leadville. I liked the house that had a fence made of skis. Most appropriate!

When we met strangers on the street or in the motel, everyone said hello. We concluded people from Colorado are not wavers, only speakers. In driving around, we noticed the houses away from the town center had no curbs. There were signs warning of dips in the road, and we assume that was for rain water and melting snow. Everything was on a slope, so water had to find its own way to the sea.

The scenery leaving Leadville was gorgeous. None of my photos show it well, but I’ll include one for the record.

Several times we went over a little creek getting to the wedding venue. John explained that it was the beginning of the Arkansas River. From the interstate, I took this view of it after other streams joined it. I found it hard to believe that some of that water would end up in the Gulf of Mexico. Not long after that we saw a sign that we were passing the continental divide.

There were some tight spaces between mountains, and we found they were called canyons here. In North Carolina, we’d call the same thing a gorge. The space was so tight in several places that opposing lanes of the interstate were stacked on top of each other. I tried to get a photo of that, but the only thing I have is one showing our side of the highway. The other side was under us.

There are more travel stories for that day, but we are on a tight schedule. I must have some sleep before we set out on a train adventure with our great nephew and his wife in Utah.

Wedding of Anna and Eddie

Can you imagine the parents of the bride preparing breakfast in a rented condo for family, friends, and neighbors on the day of the wedding? Carolyn and Eric did just that. They are amazing. The biscuits were baked, and Eric was scrambling eggs when we came in. Along with fresh fruit, they had a bottomless pot of coffee always ready.

Anna and Eddie share their wedding date with Anna’s aunt and uncle. Kirsten and Jay married June 8, 1968, and I was blessed to be there.

Although I’ve heard of it before, this was the first time I’ve seen wedding photos taken before the ceremony. They picked the spot so that the mountains would be in the background. I was lurking behind the photographer and failed to zoom in on the faces. These two pictures show the couple with their respective families.

John drove us lame people across the road for the ceremony, while the others walked. My family graciously let me sit on the aisle, and I took my responsibility seriously. Hopefully they won’t be disappointed. This was my favorite shot – Anna and Eddie listening to the words of the minister before exchanging vows.

They rushed down the aisle as a married couple, moving faster than I expected. Both are runners, hikers, skiers, and rock climbers. It’s no wonder my camera couldn’t keep up with them and cut off their heads. Surely you can see pure joy radiating from their faces.

The reception was held in a former railroad freight station. I don’t think it’s nice to hound the newlyweds, but I dashed before them to take a quick shot. They graciously smiled. That’s what they did all day long – beamed spontaneous smiles.

Anna’s dad, Eric, gave the first speech. He’s a college professor and used to addressing people. Everyone laughed when he said that his normal limit was 55 minutes. His talk was tender and touching.

John’s first cousin Eric, father of the bride

Eddie’s mom recounted a bit of his history with some amusing stories from his young years. Her love for her son was plain for all to see.

The friends who spoke shared their joy in knowing the happy couple. I was behind a beam and did not have a clear view of the speakers, so I set the camera and nudged John to take it and press the shutter. This was the one that turned out the best. I’m sorry I don’t remember his name, but he was most amusing.

The first dance of the newly married pair was dramatic and tender. Twice Eddie tilted Anna back, almost to the floor, and kissed her. The crowd roared with delight. The acrobatics should not have surprised me from these extreme sports enthusiasts. I caught only the tender moment. A fairy tale would call them a beautiful fair maiden with her handsome prince charming. And they lived happily ever after.

May God bless you richly, Eddie and Anna

Day Before the Wedding

Colorado is gorgeous, especially with the sun shining on the snow-capped peaks as you drive to a wedding.

We went straight to the old freight station in Leadville, where John helped set up for the reception. I took a nap in the car, trying to recover from an altitude headache. This took me by surprise, since being in Denver twice had not been a problem. Someone said Leadville is the highest city in the US. I woke up hearing a train whistle and got out of the car in time for a shot of the engine. I should have known that John would sense it. He said someone took his photo as he watched the excursion train go past.

We went out to lunch with the parents of the bride, Carolyn and Eric. John and Eric are first cousins; their mothers were sisters. It was wonderful to have a special visit with them at this busy time.

As we left the restaurant, Carolyn pointed to a mountain and said that was where the bridal couple were. Anna and Eddie started hiking up the mountain at 6 am with friends. They hiked up and came down on skis. I suspect lots of people were relieved they all got down without breaking a leg. I don’t remember the name of the mountain, but it is the highest peak in the state.

The East coast relatives got here in time for a very short nap before we went to the rehearsal dinner. The New Yorkers had gotten up at 2:30 in the morning, and the ones from South Carolina at 4:20.

Carolyn said 150 people were coming for the wedding. As far as I know, not a one was local. The bride and groom picked Leadville because they had many happy memories of doing their extreme outdoor sports in that area. It was wonderful that the meal drew all of us together. As the crowd gathered, the cousins posed on the deck. Look at how the mountains tried to photo-bomb the shot!

Jay, Eric, Chris, Carolyn, John, Thom, Kirsten, Barbara

After the meal, everyone sat inside to enjoy hearing friends of the couple speak about them. The question was, “What were your thoughts and feelings when you heard that Anna and Eddie had gotten engaged?” There were many comments about their meeting on an airplane, but that is where the romance began. As the friends talked, we began to get a mental picture of the couple. They are loving, caring people who have many friends and admirers. It was marvelous to be caught up in the love surrounding them.

One Mile High

The most important item on our agenda in Denver was visiting our college friends. You say Janet and Tom to us, and rafts of memories come flooding in. When I wrote their names, I remembered the choir tour to Mobile about 1963. We stayed in Tom’s home that night. Janet and I had his parents’ bed. I nearly froze to death and kept turning up the heat of the electric blanket. Janet was sweltering and turned her dial down as low as it would go. You guessed it. The controls were mixed up.

We had a long lunch to catch up. I asked for a refresher account of their moving to Colorado. They had been in New Orleans and camped in the mountains on vacation. The lure of the area was so great that they ditched their plans and moved to Denver. They had three children and worked through various jobs to a place of peace and happiness. It was marvelous to see them still thriving since the last time we were here three years ago.

On the way out of town, we drew closer to the snow-capped mountains. Here is the scenery that excited John. I’m sure he explained what railroad line it was, when it was founded, who owns it now, what the freight would have been. My brain-sieve did not retain that.

I wildly snapped a second shot from the moving car. I remember John’s comment then. He said, “David will enjoy seeing the train.” That’s your assignment, David.

We stayed in the small town of Idaho Springs. John did not expect there to be restaurants or a supermarket, since those amenities were missing at several of our stops. What a surprise to find a Safeway adjacent to our motel! We walked there, looking for a dessert, which is what we often do instead of eating supper. John let me pick, and I couldn’t resist Unicorn Cake. Have you ever heard of Unicorn Cake? If you like very sweet things, this is a dessert for you. If you don’t like sweets, I’ll be glad to help you dispose of it.

Kansas in One Day

We were going through flat land punctuated with oil wells, small oil tanks,windmills, and grain elevators. Come to think of it, that would describe several states, but we were in Kansas.

The wind farms were impressive. I took a number of pictures and discovered white blades against a light blue sky do not work. I have only one shot of a lone windmill and present it here with a flourish.

There were small oil wells scattered everywhere, many of them pumping away. Three years ago when we were on that same highway, most wells were still. That’s not to say they were stills; stills produce moonshine in the Tennessee hills.

Grain storage buildings and elevators lined the railroad tracks at intervals. John knew lots about the movement of grain. He said one fifth of the wheat grown in the US is grown in Kansas. Those grain facilities proved it. I took these shots from the interstate. John read a sign that said grain elevators are called the cathedrals of the prairie. They were impressive in that flat landscape.

St. Louis and Then Some

The iconic site (and sight) in St. Louis is the Gateway Arch. We saw it about ten miles away, but it didn’t show up in my photo. I’ll substitute a picture taken in 2012 when grandsons David and Nathaniel were with us. John and I went up in it when our daughters were young.

We left St. Louis through a sad part of the city, a wasteland of burned out buildings. That gave way to a halfway area where several houses in a block would be in shambles. Finally there was the outer suburb with lovely homes set in manicured lawns. Wouldn’t it be great if the bad parts were razed and a new city raised up from the ashes? Guess they’d have to rename it Phoenix.

As we crossed the Missouri River, John spotted a flood wall holding back the river. It’s left of center in the photograph, if you can see it through the bridge.

Railroad cars and buildings on the left are many feet lower than the water.

We ate lunch in a former KATY train station in Columbia, Missouri. John liked the sign on the fence of the outdoor eating area. It said, “Please, NO EXCESSIVE NOISE.” I’m laughing as I write this, because all caps denotes screaming.

In Kansas City we drove by Union Station, so named because several rail lines converged on it. Most of the building is used for educational purposes now, although the train station is still in use.

John had fun driving the route of the trolley line in Kansas City. The city center seemed to be a thriving place with very few empty storefronts.

Kansas City from our car, driving on the trolley route

Paducah Wall

After getting a motel room, we drove toward the river and the old city of Paducah, Kentucky. John probably knew we’d see railroad tracks and the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers. His geographic and choo-choo antennae are always up. He didn’t sense a barrier wall, and that’s what we found. I took a photo of John standing before the wall at a mural depicting a steam engine. To the right was the Ohio River.

A few steps down was a mural welcoming visitors to the wall depicting Paducah in the past. There were scenes of Indians, early settlers, historic events, important people, and cultural buildings. Before each mural was a brass plaque explaining the scene. What a marvelous history walk it was!

We found out the city had three devastating floods. To prevent it happening again, they erected this barrier wall. The highest flood was 11 feet higher than the pavement we were standing on. John stood at one of the gates where a large concrete slab would rise to close the gap.

To our surprise, the steam engine in the mural was sitting around the curve. It had an odd collection of cars behind it, making it look like a train. John said the cars were ones that would have been used in that area, but not necessarily together.

We walked behind the wall, near the water. Evidently, the river draws people there to stroll, ride bikes, and enjoy the cool breezes. Some drove their cars, watched the water for a while, and drove away. It seemed such an old-fashioned, low-tech pastime. Good for you, Paducans!

Traveling

What is the last thing you did before going on a road trip? I found myself dusting! Dusting the bathtub!

The day before we left, we were in the car six hours, taking grandson Nathaniel back to Charlotte. These are the before photos – the mirror ritual before Nathaniel left, and before we drove him back to campus.

I was in zombie mode while packing that night, so I got up earlier than necessary to check that I had everything. With the extra time, I got the dust out of the big tub. After hiking, both son John $pencer and Rose like soaking in hot water. I told Rose she was welcome to use my tub, one of those garden tub monstrosities. Daughter Lise is the only one who likes it so far, and that’s why it was last cleaned six months ago. The dusting was overdue.

Our first stop on the trip was in Nashville to have lunch with John’s cousin Harold and wife Susan. We were celebrating the first weekday of Harold’s retirement. Susan retired two years ago and has had her taste of first freedom. Harold does not feel free yet. He had come from his office where he was working on papers. He was an orthodontist and has many things to file and will take all the records to his home. We had a delightful time chatting with them.

David’s Birthday

I didn’t see grandson David until we were having his birthday brunch. There was plenty of activity leading up to the meal. The day before, grandson Nathaniel meticulously cut out parchment paper to line the cake pans. He poured the batter in, and soon the kitchen smelled like a bakery. We had a whole day to anticipate that cake.

We were opening the front door to go walking when Nathaniel appeared in the hall. He is an early riser and walked to the creek with us. His long arms made this selfie easy.

Animals played a part in David’s day, too. The neighbor’s cat joined us for a few minutes, and Nathaniel enjoyed petting her. It was more comfortable for him to sit on the road than to bend over to play with her.

At home, friend Rose had Sadie running all over the yard chasing a Frisbee. Later I was near an open window when the two of them were outside. It was lovely to see the dog race about and hear Rose’s musical laugh.

[I could not find a way to put photos side by side as I used to. I’m using the old editor, but it is behaving badly, too.]

Nathaniel cut potatoes for David’s brunch casserole. The dish featured potatoes, chicken, seasonings and cheese. Yummy!

David, dressed for work, waited to blow out his candle as we sang to him.

He had quite a cake day. At work, the manager brought in cupcakes for his birthday. He took one as he was leaving and ate it in the car. We wondered what was going on when he called and asked that Sadie be restricted when he came home. He loves Sadie, so that seemed strange. He explained that he dropped the cupcake on his lap, and he knew Sadie would be licking him the instant he set foot in the door. He solved the problem a different way. Nathaniel took shorts to the garage, so David changed into them before coming in the house.

The lemon chiffon cake deserved a shot of its own. It was light, fluffy, and lemony delicious.

Baking for the Baker

John drove to Charlotte to pick up grandson Nathaniel, and it was fairly late when they got home. We had a cheese snack when grandson David finished work and chatted for a while before heading to bed. I thought about the mirror ritual, but maybe Nate wouldn’t hang the hall mirror on the upper hook for just a weekend.

The next morning I asked myself, “What am I doing??? I’m rolling out biscuits for a young man who is majoring in baking and pastry? Am I out of my gourd?”

The answer to my question was no. I was doing what I always do. In chatting with neighbor Marla recently, truth came out of my mouth unbidden. I surprised myself when I said, “Cooking for people is the way I show that I love them.”

For the foodies, we had bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and Southern biscuits made with White Lily Flour.

After breakfast, Nathaniel called out, “I didn’t do the mirror!”

David came to the hall, and I had the camera. Nate took the mirror and carefully moved it to the hook where the former owners had a clock. He moved slowly so that I could get a photo.

Egging him on, I told him to smile at himself. That’s why all his teeth are on display. David can see his head in there, but the mirror is useless for the rest of us. Nathaniel will do the ritual in reverse when it is time for him to go. It’s a silly thing, but we enjoy it.