***Iapos;d forgotten Iapos;d saved this intending to get back to it. Shows just *how* tired I was that night in the days afterwards. This all happened on the last day of August.
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And now Iapos;m Pooped
As some of you know, on August 10th, my Parents marked their 40th Wedding Anniversary. Today though was the Grand Celebration
Our friends, as their present to us, booked our local hall and arranged to take care of the kitchen clean up. Even though we decided to make it Potluck, we do have a Community Kitchen and also use of the dishes and silverwear for things such as this. Easier to take advantage of those dishes and silverwear *and* the heavy duty Commercial Dishwasher than to buy paper plates.
I saw so many people today...My headapos;s still swimming a bit. Family I havenapos;t seen in years and others that were a total surprise. Like my cousin Craig, his wife Michelle and their two little ones from Baltimore who came up and told his parents *not* to tell us they were coming. My cousin Monica who has always been close to my Dad made a very quick trip up from Toronto for today. My Dadapos;s good friend Joe, whom we all thought a year ago would be in his grave after falling off of the roof of his house while working on it, walking over and giving my parents the biggest hug. My sister and brother in law, who has been behaving himself for a change and not baiting me over certain things as he usually does. A major Miracle
The only thing I knew would be a problem and sure enough...The friends that put it on for my parents, theyapos;ve formed a band and... Our Hall has a major acoustics problem. Put in any type of music and Yi yi yi Not only was it loud, but w/the people trying to visit, it turned into a dull roar. Combine that w/the thump a thump a thump a of the drum set and...Little wonder my headapos;s still pounding, huh?
I had to go out into the foyer at one point because I just couldnapos;t handle it and, just as I told Mom would happen, people are coming up to me to complain. As I told them, I *told Mom and Dad this would happen* Was I listened to? Nope However, one of the highlights of the night did come about due to the band.
The young daughter of our nearest neighbours and her friend, a granddaughter of good friends of ours, have gotten up and sang a couple of songs w/them from time to time. Since Abby is so close to my Parents and the other Abby knows them too, they decided they wanted to sing for Mom and Dadapos;s Party. It was the cutest thing. Neither one can read yet (Theyapos;re Kindergarden age), so the one had her Aunt prompting her and a Cousin prompting the other through a couple of rounds
If Youapos;re Happy And You Know It and then
This Little Light of Mine. Mom had managed to find two teddy bears in our stash of stuff, so fized them up in gift bags for the girls. The Abby from across the road ran to her parents to show them and then ran back to throw her arms around my Mom. The other one just yelled my Momapos;s name and then hugged her saying, "Thank you, Thank You, Thank You" They certainly deserved them, as I said, they really were one of *the* highlights of the night.
All in all...As tiring as it was everyone had a great time and Thank Goodness we made it a Potluck. Even w/doing that, we nearly ran out of food As Mom keeps saying, good thing not everyone could stay for supper. There was something like 175 who signed the Guest Book and I know not everyone did. Our friends from Hamilton who have the place on the land behind us told us he counted 220 people.
And Dad was worried not many people would show up. He thought weapos;d be lucky if 50 people would show up. I wouldnapos;t have been surprised if 100 showed up, but over 200? That really surprised me.
Then again...As Iapos;ve told them, they tend to forget how many people theyapos;ve helped out and how many kids theyapos;ve toted back and forth from the Island to Sudbury and back over the years. Like the Children of friends who needed a ride either here or there during their University/College years. Or the kids that were in the house across the street from us in our neighbourhood in Sudbury. Their parents were having a rough time, eventually divorcing, but Mom and Dad would bring the kids over here for a break from all of that whenever they could. So many of them were at the Party and it just amazed us how many came.
As I said in my speech to thank everyone for coming and those who did the hard work of setting things up in the Hall and who worked so hard in the Kitchen, itapos;s not often a kid can say to their Parents what I did when they told me they didnapos;t need a party to celebrate their 40th Anniversary and not get creamed. That was "Mom and Dad I love you both dearly. So please take this in the manner that itapos;s intended. Please shut up and get out of the house so I can start planning this thing." :oD
It really was a wonderful day and if they donapos;t know by now how much theyapos;re loved and respected not just by our family, but also the Community, I donapos;t know what weapos;ll have to do. Theyapos;re still stunned a bit by it all, but a 40th Anniversary doesnapos;t happen everyday, so why not celebrate a wonderful couple and all that they mean to not only each other, but to all of us too
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad Hereapos;s to many more
fast patrol boat, feria del libro chile, feria del libro buenos aires, feria del libro bogota, feria del libro 2005.
