Today I received a "Save the Date" postcard for my friends' (Jenny & Daniel) wedding, which I'm thrilled to be a part of this upcoming winter. The card listed their wedding website which I decided to investigate...especially after a few rumors I'd heard about it. I was thoroughly excited to see that they selected a 'Disney Princess Personality' to describe each bridesmaid (sooo Jenny!!). Mine reads as follows:
Disney “Princess” Personality:Mulan from Mulan-Brooke has ninja skills. Brooke is a beautiful woman inside and out. She would do just about anything to save the honor of her friends and family. Although, we’re not sure how cool she would be with dressing up like a dude.
The reason this is soooo perfectly awesome is that the first time I met Daniel I jokingly (with a slightly serious edge) told him that if he ever hurt Jenny I would bust out my ninja moves on him! Glad to see that my talents have been accurately recognized... ;)
Today I was hit with a heavy swirl of emotions, mainly because I realized today is July 1st. I think so much of this sentimental uprising is based on the events of last July. Last year, the first full week of July in particular became my personal hell week. I was initially thrilled about July 1st, 2009 which marked my Granny & Papa Brooks' 60th wedding anniversary. However, that celebration was short lived, because on July 2nd they lost their youngest son (my Uncle Zack).
An already fractured environment seemed to completely unravel after that day...after a progressively tough year of loss (whether from illness that took friends and loved ones, or natural disasters that destroyed lifelong homes) countered by momentary highs (my brother's wedding, my parents' 30th anniversary, etc), it's like things just began to fall apart at a scary pace. Within a week of my uncle's death, my Granny Brooks went into ICU...my Papa Sheppard had a hospital encounter...and I was taken to emergency room on the verge of a stroke. Those who weren't in the hospital were stretched beyond their limit trying to care for the rest of us. When I went to the ER, I actually begged my friends not to contact my family just because I didn't want my parents answering another late-night call bearing bad news (of course my request was taken into account and [without my knowledge] dismissed ...so I thankfully had my parents by my side).
Needless to say, I've avoided thinking about this all for a long time (almost a year to be exact)...but with the realization that today is my grandparents' 61st wedding anniversary, the memories hit full force. It's all bittersweet...which encapsulates life in a nutshell. There are so many things to celebrate/commemorate over this next week...a rare marriage well lived; the independence of our country & the sacrifices of those who fight on our behalf; my sister-in-law's birthday; the beauty and grace of friends, family and faith; tears wept over loved ones; growth from difficult times; our homes, whether it's a brand new place or a home lived in for 30+ years; fried fish (if you have tasted my Papa's fried fish, you'd celebrate it too).
Even though last July was excruciatingly rough, it caused me to look at my conditions through a different filter. Within the past year, I've lived with a greater sense of purpose...and with this refined resolve I've taken on fresh challenges, made new friends, traveled coast to coast (and beyond), learned more about grace, repaired a few old friendships, fought for causes I believe in, etc....and I can only hope that I continue to embrace the curve balls of life and live with peace that defies circumstances.
[please excuse the ridiculously long title...I'm just a music geek...]
WEDNESDAY:
*Arrive in San Fran!
*San Fran - dinner at Home with Cherie, Krystal, Meg & Kim; traveled to Meg's to pick up an air mattress (our saving grace considering the room only had two twin beds)
1. the realization that my small digital camera was missing (luckily recovered by the Glen Ivey Spa staff!)
2. Krystal's almost-lost prescription meds ("did it go down there?"...we all took turns looking 6 stories down from the bathroom window into the back alley...fortunately the meds were safely in the bathroom)
3. the first broken drinking glass...which led to our introduction with Mehari (the adorable, elderly bell hop/custodian/etc) who, with intelligent insight/foreshadowing, offered us two glasses to replace the one lost
THURSDAY:
*Sausalito - breakfast at Cibo; pictures on the pier; the cutest bus stop ever; the almost breakfast at the Lighthouse Cafe
*Santa Rosa - caught up with a friend at Kendall Jackson Winery & checked out the garden tour
*Healdsburg - Oakville Grocery for lunch; explored Bella Wine Caves (they had hula hoops!)
*San Fran - 1st stop at the Golden Gate Bridge; recommendations from Matt (the awkwardly endearing concierge) and his "i'm not insinuating anything, but...." comment; dinner at Cafe Claude w/cute, lonely boy (who we almost invited to join our table)
FRIDAY:
*Hotel - 2nd broken drinking glass (I think little giggles escaped when we heard the glass break...like "really, did that just happen again?....someone call Mehari")
*Muir Woods - the "hiking" experience, which can't be too legit since there was a guy in a suit there
*San Fran - 2nd stop at the Golden Gate Bridge; lunch at Cioppino w/our cute waiter/hockey player; Fisherman's Wharf; breakdancing dudes; Pier 39; saw Alcatraz from a distance; the quest to find Chronicle books (where I bought this hilarious little book); shopped at the Blue Jean Bar with "Dustin Bobby" (the Justin Bobby look-a-like) and his dog Penny/Penelope; got poor bus instructions from "Dustin Bobby" ("yeah, just go right outside there and hop on the bus" ...no bus number, no sign w/schedules, etc...we should've known better!) and ended up on the other side of town; walked back to the hotel to avoid any further unwanted detours; shopped/explored Union Square; laid-back dinner at Chipotle; hung out at Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's and listened to a lot of songs by Lady Gaga & Queen
SATURDAY:
*Hotel - Krystal departed at 4:30am
*San Fran - Cherie ventured out to the ferry market while I headed out to look at art in Union Square; I walked the air mattress to Meg's office to meet up with Cherie; quick breakfast at Posh Bagels before we loaded up for the airport; farewell to the nice guys in the parking garage (these older gents called me "nice lady" and knew me by name during our stay)
*SFO Airport - watched USA and Ghana battle it out surrounded by numerous others in the airport
*Austin - made it to my lovely apartment sometime around midnight :)
The interesting DJ from Damona's wedding thought we were fun enough to put on his site...just scroll to the bottom of his site to check out his pics: DJ Pics
From Carla's wedding, Holly & I took some "single lady" pics in the photo booth that I completely forgot about...plus you can click through the other pics to see all the photo booth fun: Photo Booth Pics
Two of my really good friends got married...the weddings were two weeks apart, and on separate coasts. It's only fitting that they got married so close together, considering that both of these ladies got engaged within hours of each other (on the day before Valentine's Day). Even more fitting that Damona (Hi-C) got married only days before her "Da-mini", Carla. [Note to Holls: If we continue on the current trend, you're next!]
Trying to recapture these past few weeks in a blog just doesn't seem possible. I don't feel like I have the vocabulary to accurately portray my accounts or express my thoughts...and the photos seem to pale in comparison to the actual events...but here's what I can share:
