This weekend was all about family (and friends)
We went to Michelle Almeida’s wedding to Anthony, it was beautiful. And defineatly a learning experience. Michelle is Portuguese, Anthony is Italian and both are Catholic. The long wedding service was attended by no more than 50 people, including about 25 people who were Michelle’s friends who where not invited to the reception and her dance students. . . I was very disappointed that so few people chose to come and support Michelle during the ceremony of one of the most important choices she has made in her life.
We were invited to go to the Bride’s parent’s house between the ceremony and the reception. This is Portuguese tradition. Besides her immediate family of aunts and uncles, Colin and I were the only people who came.
Once we got to the reception we started to notice a ton of people who we had not seen at the Church. I believe there were about 250 people at the reception.
I’ve been told that most people wear modest clothing to the church, and jazz up for the evening.. . .which was very evident. I was very much over dressed for the church!
The reception was great, got a chance to speak to Nikky who I haven’t really talked to in years. Jim was there in all his glorious Jim-ness. ‘Nuff said.
I’m very happy for Michelle she looked beautiful and Anthony is some catch! Congrats Michelle!!
The next day we went to lunch with Kate and Paul. We gave them a Bombay “Memory Box” – its my ‘traditional’ wedding gift, Anthony and Michelle got one as well. I engraved their names and their wedding date on the top. Engraving has gotten go expensive!!! They charge a $7.00 charge to engrave anything that you didn’t buy from them, and THEN they charge $0.70 a letter!!! Highway robbery!
Kate seemed to like the box. I’m glad. We talked mostly about their wedding, they are both very excited. And I’m happy for them. Very happy. Kate is much better in all ways then any of the girls I miserably tried to set Paul up with in the past.
We then went to Michelle’s parent’s house again, to drop off the wedding gift we got for them. We were warmly invited in, her family was once again sitting around the big kitchen table, eating the left overs from the midnight seafood buffet.
Mrs. Almeida insisted we took some food with us when we left. We took a whole huge tray, probably almost 5 pounds of food. She also gave me a few packages of her world famous ‘Chouriç’ sausage.
After our time at the Almeida’s we headed to Burlington to meet up with my family for dinner at Mandarin Buffet to celebrate the wedding anniversary of Nanny and Neil.
The buffet was very good, and I got some fun pictures with my family. Skip and Mike didn’t come. Apparently a month is not enough notice for a family function. What jackasses.
Monday I went to the “ABSOLUTE DOLLAR” in Milton, the most awesome dollar store everywhere to get some supplies for the “Sisterhood of the Garter” scrapbook. Christine Hann came over to the Graham’s with Ryan for Mrs. Graham to meet. He is a doll. I went with Christine to her house so we could pick pictures for the book. We went to Walmart and had Ryan’s 5 month picture taken, and printed off all the pictures we wanted to use for the book.
In the evening Kate, Paul, Colin and I stayed in and ate the ‘leftovers’ in the Graham’s fridge. We did the Briggs’ family tree. I did well for an ‘outsider’
On Monday we drove up to Sutton for the funeral of Mabel Briggs. Colin and Paul’s grandmother. She was in her 90s and suffered from Alzheimer’s . She was very healthy and although we lost her mentally about 5 years ago, her body was very healthy almost right up to the end.
It was amazing to see how much everyone had grown. Most of the Briggs’ are very tolerant and understanding people now – even with their harsh Christadelphian upbringings. One family member who surprised me was one of Colin’s cousins, who is in course for a divorce. She brought and flaunted her new beau. Her current husband is still very much an active member of the family and was at the funeral and reception. I feel horrible for him. But I know he is a strong and virtuous man. The Briggs crew isn’t as scary as I remember them being. . . .
After a long drive back to Montreal I was very happy to see the Moggie crew and crawl into bed. . . .
I thought on the way home I guess its easier to always point out the shortcomings of our friends and family, but in the end I’m thankful to HAVE friends and family.
I apologize for the rantiness. . . .
Little Manny has his first visit to the Vet today.
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