We're Getting Married and A Change In Direction

I know I've mentioned it before, but we are getting married. And there is still much to do. I've enjoyed planning things so far. So far!. But the crunch time is really going to hit. I've decided during all this to take this blog in a new direction, a food direction, because really, I am all about food. So, I'm going to start writing about what we eat, why we eat it, and what we're going to have. I'm a look in the refrigerator kind of cook. It may make it easier to see what happens in the kitchen.

Friday, and not a moment too soon!

I'm sitting in the back of my classroom watching my students take a test. It's open book, open note, and they aren't supposed to be helping each other. Geez! I really think they forget that I'm not an idiot and I was there age once, too.

For some reason, some random thought made me check out my sister's blog and lo and behold, she had written something, which then made me think I should write something, so here I am.

I was home the first part of the week with a double ear infection. I must say this is one of the worst things you could wish for in the minor illness category. Although, you can conveniently say that you didn't hear when someone asks you to do something you don't want.

I've been doing a lot of purse construction here lately. I'm really enjoying it. I'm using the Amy Butler designs which, after a little tinkering to make them easier for my weird brain to handle, are super. I've created a messenger bag out of bright red paisley and am working on a travel bag in a cool flower print. I'll post pictures this weekend.

It's snowing here, which makes for a grey day. I'd rather be home making bread or cooking something totally yummy.

Can you tell I have not been doing any wedding planning. I don't know why, but I just can't get into the swing of it. We will be in Reno in two weeks and then we are finding a place to have the wedding. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Some people may want to ski, but I think this is much more important. Once that is done, the rest is easy. Oh, yeah, I have to order a ketubah also. Getting Rob to sit down and look at Ketubahs is going to be interesting. Well, it's a must be.

I'm half way through the day, so I'll just enjoy the rest.

Wow!

I was supposed to be grading papers this evening, but I got to thinking about my family and then I got to thinking about my sister Heather's blog and so I went online to find out what was new in her house. She is as bad as me. Hasn't blogged for a month, actually to be technical, six weeks.

I have no room to cast aspersions, throw blame, or anything else along those lines. I just forget, or don't make the time, or well, whatever! I'm trying to plan our wedding, a honeymoon afterward, make a bunch of purses and stuff and do my regular job at the same time.

Well, our wedding, I may actually have some ideas where to have it. We've decided to rent a house at Tahoe. Just for a couple of nights. I think this might be the most economical way to do it. We'll have to have some place to stay anyway, because Doris' sister and nephew will probably stay at the condo. We need three nights. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I think this may be the way to do it too, because if I can find a house that has a nice enough yard, we can have the wedding and reception there also. It seems like a win-win situation for everyone. The website is www.vrbo.com. They have tons of vacation rentals, some really expensive, and some not so expensive. It might be a thought to go in together and get a house. It would save money for people who are traveling to the wedding. More bedrooms, more people, more fun. Just a thought.

I think I have the food squared away. I hope. I have to talk to the kosher meat guy and I also need to start thinking about non-dairy side dishes. No meat and dairy at a kosher jewish wedding. I have ideas about lots of things, but I should get organized and get them done. Dresses, flowers, rings, huppah, ketubah, ahhhh!

Well, must correct papers.

Could I really be organized enough to get this done every day?

Have you ever looked at the amount of stuff you do in a day? Have you sat down, pulled out the paper, and listed everything you do in a day? I know I do when I've had more than enough of being the only one in the house who seems to be able to do anything. You know, when people you live with can't even put a glass in the dishwasher when they are finished with it. They can put it in the sink, but they can't put it in the dishwasher. Why is that? Is it impossible to make the transition from the sink to the dishwasher? These are thoughts that I am sure many women ponder on a daily basis, while they are working like crazy to take care of every other thing they have to do.

I took a class on Saturday, just a short 6 hour class. Now, in that six hours, I could have cleaned the entire house, baked bread, done at least three loads of laundry, some ironing, and maybe started on a sewing project. I love Rob, don't get me wrong, he tries hard, but in that same amount of time he washed six pots and some pans, did two loads of laundry, and cleaned up the bill pile. That's it. The house looks like heck, the bathroom really needed to be cleaned and ..... well, I could go on and on, but why. It's impossible to explain why it's a problem. It's also impossible to understand why they think this small amount of stuff is applaudable and that they should get a standing ovation for doing it.

I guess I should just be thankful that he did something. Did I mention that he didn't put the stuff he washed away? He just left it on the counter.

Today, I'm going to go home and throw something in the crockpot and then start working on a sewing project for Lilly for chanukah. I've got three such projects to do, and so much correcting that I can't see over the pile on my desk. I'm so ready for the break I can hardly stand it. But, it'll all eventually get done and I'll eventually not feel like I'm being covered in stuff.

General Junk

That's the day it seems to be. One of general junk. Got up this morning. Didn't make it to Torah Study. Didn't make it to Matt Stoll's eagle scout ceremony. Finished a skirt, started a skirt. Rob worked on the front porch with his tennis buddy Lorenzo. I had a head ache most of the day. Not functioning very well. Talked with Dad on the phone. Made a roast for dinner. Took a nap to get rid of the head ache. At the office with Rob working on this instead of a lecture on populism. I have a general junk malaise. Can't get excited about too much. We are going to Salt Lake on Wednesday for Drs. Appointments. How do you make that plural? Will be gone Thursday and then Friday, Rob has court in Wendover, so we'll spend the rest of the day there and then head to Reno, so that we can see Lili on Saturday. Doris is going to be there so we can do a thanksgiving dinner type thing. I called her and asked if that was something she'd like to do. She seemed to think that it would be great. She's bringing the turkey.

Then we have three days and it's time for Thanksgiving. We'll leave Wednesday and spend the night in SLC and then fly to Salina. We'll only have a thirty minute drive to my parents which is great. Then we'll come back late on Sunday.

I have to find a trip to Mexico for us to take. It's very difficult to find airline flights that aren't a gazillion dollars.

So it's just general junk.

Tena'im Contract

True and certain, established and enduring, fair and faithful, beloved and cherished, delightful and pleasant, awesome and powerful, correct and accepted, good and beautiful is this affirmation to us forever and ever.
Robert J. Lowe, son of Doris Lowe and the late Joseph Lowe and, Shawn Ann Welton daughter of Wallace “Rocky” Welton and Phyllis Welton agree to enter into the covenant of marriage, through huppah and betrothal, in accordance with the Laws of Moses and Israel.
The wedding will take place, b'ezrat Hashem, on the 11th day of July in the year 2009 corresponding to the Jewish date of the 19th day of Tamuz in the year 5769, at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Robert and Shawn commit to the following conditions for their marriage
• To create a home that follows Jewish rhythms, including a meaningful celebration of Shabbat and holidays, and incorporates Jewish rituals, traditions, and laws into their everyday life.
• To make tikkun olam a part of their everyday life by having an environmentally conscious home, being involved in social justice projects and organizations, and giving tzedakah on a regular basis.
• Robert makes a legal commitment not to withhold a Get should one be required.
• To live a life that affirms their belief in the importance of diversity and equality in their community and the world.
• To give friendship and support to one another and to work together as equal partners through life's challenges.
• To resolve conflict through listening to each other and empathizing with one another, and through taking responsibility for their own feelings.
• To support each other to be excellent in their professional endeavors, but, at the same time, to make their home life and time together as a family their top priority.
• To share financial responsibilities for the family and, at the same time, affirm each other's freedom to make personal spending decisions. They will also maintain awareness that money is a means to an end and not an end in itself.
• To share home responsibilities fairly, recognizing each other's abilities and constraints.
• To, God willing, be blessed with children and to raise them in a home filled with love for one other, dedication to Judaism, and commitment to inclusiveness.
• To create a warm and open home where their family, friends, and community always feel welcome.
They shall not run away nor conceal from each other anything with regard to their possessions; rather, they should equally share authority over their possessions, in peace and tranquility, as is the way of those who are children of the Torah and who are in awe of God. All this was done with perfect understanding and due deliberation,
AND EVERYTHING IS VALID AND CONFIRMED.

The Date Has Been Set

Finally, they all say! October 12, Rob and I set a date for a wedding. How auspicious, 12 years and we decided on the 12th. We are getting married July 11, 2009. We're headed to Lake Tahoe and hopefully, when the guy calls me back tomorrow, the venue I want won't be booked. I'm hoping to be married in the Aspen grove at about 7:00 pm on that day. I've got a book and I'm taping all kinds of ideas into it, but it's starting to become a little overwhelming. I've got the check list and have done some of the things. I have someone to marry us, I've figured out a dress, I just have to spend some time with Mom to get it all going, I've figured out about a ring for Rob, one of our local jewelry artists is going to do it for him.

I've talked to Rabbi ElizaBeth,and she will happily perform the ceremony. We're going to have blues and greens, like the Mediterranean, for our colours.

We had our engagement party/ceremony on Saturday, October 25. It's called a Tena'im. We read a contract that we have written, kind of like a pre-nup, only I get sheep instead of a lot of money, if we split up. Really, It's kind of cool. I've put it on the blog page, so you can read it if you are interested.

Then two of our older friends broke a plate to mingle our families together. Neither of our parents could be here, so that's the way we did it. We had about 20 people and it was a lot of fun.

This is when I really wish I lived closer. I miss everyone so much, and would like to share all of this with them, daily.

Remember when I said that there were three projects I wanted to get done this summer? One of them was the porch, well, Rob found someone who's going to do something to the porch, I'm not sure what, but we have to scrape it and prime it and something else. I really didn't want to do this when school was going on. But, there will be no tennis and no goofing around today, and we'll work on the porch.

Ick!!!