Winter, travel, the wedding

Winter returned last night. It is not so cold that you would think it unbearable, only 25®F, but the wind is blowing at twenty five miles per hour. It will be very uncomfortable for Mama this morning as she is out doing the morning feeding.

My off site meeting was cancelled due the weather so we are having the meeting over the phone and internet. It will not be as productive or tolerable as it would have been were we in a meeting room at a hotel but I will muddle through. My part is only supposed to be fifteen minutes tacked on to the final hour of the meeting agenda. I cannot figure out which is worse, having the first fifteen minute presentation or the last one.

Brittany and Andrew will be leaving today. They had a good visit with Brittany Pena yesterday evening. She drove up from Austin to meet Brittany and Andrew in Dallas – a little over three hours for her. There are very few friends we have that are willing to go to that much effort to get together. They figured out it had been eight years since they had seen each other so they had plenty of catching up to do.

As we were talking about Chase and Makaila’s wedding Mama called Chase to ask a couple questions. What she found out was not inspiring. They have paid for a venue that is inclusive – including the wedding set and reception as well as a minister to conduct the ceremony; they have no idea who that will be. Mama was not impressed. They are not having a rehearsal dinner. We are all meeting at the Plaza Mexican restaurant – Dutch treat.

Neither Mama nor Makaila’s mother have any part in the ceremony. Until a few weeks ago there were not going to be any attendants to the bride or groom. Makaila was afraid of offending one of her sisters but Chase has asked Joshua to be his best man and Mama insisted there be at least one counterpart for the ceremony. I am afraid if Mama and Makaila talk too many times she will call off the wedding and just show up at the Justice of the Peace. We still have until May 3 to see how that works out.

One thing is for certain, the two of them need help planning this wedding. It is starting to remind me of little Norman and Samantha’s wedding. They had no idea what to do so their preacher had to insist on the order of service, who would be participating, what they would wear,   and how they would each carry out their parts. There was no photographer, no real plan on the reception (Mama and I put that together the morning of the wedding.) and no clue on the part of Samantha’s parents what to do.

The major difference is that Samantha wanted a wedding. Makaila does not. I have always said that a couple is no more married if they spend $50 at the county court house or spend $10,000 entertaining two hundred guests. The issue here is the divide between Chase and Makaila in their plans.

I believe Chase is having the wedding to honor Mama. Makaila has little or no interest in it. In her mind they have spent all they are going to spend and every additional dollar from here on out will be not be relinquished without a protracted discussion.

This could get pretty interesting as we approach the date.