On July 04 Joanne and I and a car full of three pets, took off for a week of cottage living.
While cruising down the road listening to a Rockin’ mixed tape, I began to think of some of the blogs that I could write and the pictures that I might need – I always put a lot of effort into the photos that I select and prepare for this blog.
I took these two photos while we were stopped for a short break. I was already laying down the foundation for a blog story. Since many of my readers are from different parts of the world, I always like to share our Canadian landscapes.
As we continued, I told Jo’ about the photos I had taken and she said, “Taking pictures for your blog sounds like work to me. I thought you said you weren’t going to do anything for this week.” I laughed! Jo’s always so wise. I put the camera back in its bag and brought it out on just one occasion…
Our wedding day!
Jo’s parents and my parents and sister had made arrangements to meet us in a gardened area with a gazebo for our ceremony in Niagara Falls. Jo’ and I got there about one hour early to take some of our own pictures with the Falls in the background.
Unfortunately, my head got in the way and it’s blocking the Falls – LOL!
We must have been quite the scene, taking this photo. This was the best shot of the American Falls, but there was a stoopid dead tree in the way, so I kept telling Joanne to move ‘a bit this way, a bit more forward, wait, a bit more’ so that I’d be in position to block the tree. Wouldn’t ya know it – now my head didn’t get in the way and you can still see the dead tree!
So… it was on to the bed and breakfast cottage gardens to greet the family and get married.
And everything was going really well…
…Joanne and I were holding hands, the minister was talking about something, the sun was shining, I was waiting for my cue to say what I had prepared to say and then something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It started in the distance and drew ever closer.
I gave a quick jerk of my head to see a man standing behind my dad with his arm raised and waving in the air. He was trying to get our attention and I thought that he might be there to ask directions to the Falls. I nodded to Jo’ and pointed with my eyes, she took a quick glance, looked back at me and we both laughed out loud! (The photo above – with Joanne laughing and the minister smiling broadly, was taken at this exact moment)
Soon, we became aware that this man had his wife, mother, sister and daughter with him and they got comfortable so that they would be able to enjoy the rest of our ceremony. At the end, the man’s sister took a few photos for us!!!
Without missing a beat, the ceremony continued. Funnily (is that a word? LOL!) the next sentence that the minister spoke had to do with ‘those gathered’ and he added in a very low voice that trailed off to a laugh, “most invited…and some not.” Jo’ and I chuckled.
A moment later, it was my turn to recite my vows. Now, I’ve had a LOT of experience with public speaking and I’ve had to deal with many spontaneously unusual situations but none of that helped me at this moment. I went completely blank. I don’t know if the ‘interruption’ helped to unbalance me, but the next three seconds seemed like three days of everyone looking at me, waiting, and nothing comes out. I looked to Jo’ for help – she had been coaching me on my lines all morning – and she said, “Sorry!” with her eyes. She went as blank as I did.
I didn’t want to, but I had to reach into my pocket and get the paper with my lines written on it. After I saw just one word it all came back to me, and as I continued I made sure that everyone could see me folding the paper and returning it to my pocket, to prove that I did know my lines – LOL!
Then we exchanged rings, kissed and…
…now we can continue as Jim and Joanne!!!!!!!!
And these were the invited!!!
Later, everyone was agreeing that a ‘perfect’, ‘flawless’ or ‘ordinary’ wedding just would not have been a ‘Jim and Joanne’ thing to have happen. With the Brazilian family spectators, the forgetting of the words, and all the laughs and smart assed remarks that continued, it was definitely full of excitement and spontaneity. Most of all, everyone agreed that it all helped to build the strong feelings of love that surrounded us during this wonderful time in our lives.
Jim
While cruising down the road listening to a Rockin’ mixed tape, I began to think of some of the blogs that I could write and the pictures that I might need – I always put a lot of effort into the photos that I select and prepare for this blog.
I took these two photos while we were stopped for a short break. I was already laying down the foundation for a blog story. Since many of my readers are from different parts of the world, I always like to share our Canadian landscapes.
As we continued, I told Jo’ about the photos I had taken and she said, “Taking pictures for your blog sounds like work to me. I thought you said you weren’t going to do anything for this week.” I laughed! Jo’s always so wise. I put the camera back in its bag and brought it out on just one occasion…
Our wedding day!
Jo’s parents and my parents and sister had made arrangements to meet us in a gardened area with a gazebo for our ceremony in Niagara Falls. Jo’ and I got there about one hour early to take some of our own pictures with the Falls in the background.
Unfortunately, my head got in the way and it’s blocking the Falls – LOL!
We must have been quite the scene, taking this photo. This was the best shot of the American Falls, but there was a stoopid dead tree in the way, so I kept telling Joanne to move ‘a bit this way, a bit more forward, wait, a bit more’ so that I’d be in position to block the tree. Wouldn’t ya know it – now my head didn’t get in the way and you can still see the dead tree!
So… it was on to the bed and breakfast cottage gardens to greet the family and get married.
And everything was going really well…
…Joanne and I were holding hands, the minister was talking about something, the sun was shining, I was waiting for my cue to say what I had prepared to say and then something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It started in the distance and drew ever closer.
I gave a quick jerk of my head to see a man standing behind my dad with his arm raised and waving in the air. He was trying to get our attention and I thought that he might be there to ask directions to the Falls. I nodded to Jo’ and pointed with my eyes, she took a quick glance, looked back at me and we both laughed out loud! (The photo above – with Joanne laughing and the minister smiling broadly, was taken at this exact moment)
Soon, we became aware that this man had his wife, mother, sister and daughter with him and they got comfortable so that they would be able to enjoy the rest of our ceremony. At the end, the man’s sister took a few photos for us!!!
Without missing a beat, the ceremony continued. Funnily (is that a word? LOL!) the next sentence that the minister spoke had to do with ‘those gathered’ and he added in a very low voice that trailed off to a laugh, “most invited…and some not.” Jo’ and I chuckled.
A moment later, it was my turn to recite my vows. Now, I’ve had a LOT of experience with public speaking and I’ve had to deal with many spontaneously unusual situations but none of that helped me at this moment. I went completely blank. I don’t know if the ‘interruption’ helped to unbalance me, but the next three seconds seemed like three days of everyone looking at me, waiting, and nothing comes out. I looked to Jo’ for help – she had been coaching me on my lines all morning – and she said, “Sorry!” with her eyes. She went as blank as I did.
I didn’t want to, but I had to reach into my pocket and get the paper with my lines written on it. After I saw just one word it all came back to me, and as I continued I made sure that everyone could see me folding the paper and returning it to my pocket, to prove that I did know my lines – LOL!
Then we exchanged rings, kissed and…
…now we can continue as Jim and Joanne!!!!!!!!
And these were the invited!!!
Later, everyone was agreeing that a ‘perfect’, ‘flawless’ or ‘ordinary’ wedding just would not have been a ‘Jim and Joanne’ thing to have happen. With the Brazilian family spectators, the forgetting of the words, and all the laughs and smart assed remarks that continued, it was definitely full of excitement and spontaneity. Most of all, everyone agreed that it all helped to build the strong feelings of love that surrounded us during this wonderful time in our lives.
Jim
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1 comment:
Congratulations Jim and Joanne! Wow. What a beautiful story, lovely photos, and blessed wedding. Thank you so much for sharing your special day with us.
May you two have a long and loving life together.
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