mrph...

First: The Vampire Name Generator, theifed from karthwyn , from whom you can find the link...

"The Great Archives determine you to have gone by the identity:

Giselle Vigée-Lebrun

Known in some parts of the world as:

Mother of The Highway Thieves

The Great Archives Record:

Takes more than gold from the rich on the highway - takes blood too. "

Lovely. Singularly lovely. ~Halloween Jack grin~

Mrph...what else? Ah yes. Compiling addresses for the (exceptionally long-put-off) mailing of wedding invitations...got most everyone I'm after, but I'm yet missing a few very important ones... *cough*Katya*cough*...

I'm sure you've given it to me before, liebchen, but my mental organisation is scattershot at best... and you've seen the physical organisation... Please?

....made Shepherd's Pie from scratch last night, yay! Also yay, two of my friends from high school who went into the military (Air Force and Army, respectivly) are on leave and they stopped by to say hey. 'S funny--I'm *so* not meant for the military, but I do so enjoy the company of enlisted folk.

Speaking of whom! Back at the beginning of the month, Adam and I went to SC to visit his pack... ... ... An enlightening experience, to say the absolute least. *Thoroughly* enjoyable. I've never felt more welcomed into a place. Communism at its finest. Wonderful.

On the flip side of the coin: Consulted with Granddaddy a couple of days ago to see if he'd officiate at the wedding... He asks me what I had in mind for the ceremony.

"I'd like to incorporate a kind of unity candle," says I, describing how it would be done. Admittedly, the format is pretty much lifted from a handfasting ritual I found... it fits what I mean by "unity candle", though...

And Granddad considers for a minute, then nods. "That can work. How about decorations?"

"Simple. Ivy round the candles, in the windows. Not much else. Nearly spartan."

And he nods.
"Vows?"

"Standard richer or poorer, sickness and in health, till death do us part."

And he nods.I'm feeling pretty up about my chances here; this is going well.

"How about music?"

"Background stuff, for before things get started?" I ask, seeking clarification. "Celtic harp music!" Adam interjects, giving me a look I later identify as shut-up-and-agree-with-me-fast...I missed that look the first time, though, and plunged ahead with my proposal of Creed songs... And despite the fact that there's precious little on "Weathered" that any Christian can find fault with, it all hits the fan right there.

Frivolous, he calls this proposal. Flighty, and indicative of lack of seriousness. This is a solomn, sincere occasion, no place for rock music.

"I intend it to be a sincere occasion," answer I back, "Also a joyous, celebratory one."

"Joyous and celebratory, yes...but also solomn."

Which leads to a discussion on how joyous celebration and solemnety can coexist, but joyous celebration and sincerity can't, without solemnety... My grandfather, All-Father bless him, washed his hands over his face so many times, I'm surprised he still has skin. I begin to wonder if I should mention my thought of entering to the tune of Stevie Ray Vaughn's rendition of "Little Wing"...

We've stalled. He's balking, determined not to perform the ceremony to anything but classical music and Wagner's wedding march... Why? "Because that's the way it's always been done."

"Why?"

"Because that's the way it's always been done."

"What did they do before Wagner wrote that piece?"

".......I think you'd better find somebody else."

"..........So. Let me get this straight. You're willing to join our two lives in holy matrimony, to be sundered by nothing save God Himself...but you're refusing because of *music* that will take up about...thirty minutes of our mutual lives?"

"You'd better find somebody else, if you don't want a ceremony anymore traditional than that. I only do *traditional* weddings. Call me old-fashioned if you want."

".................So. Line out for me what you mean by 'Traditional'?"

He shakes his head. "You do a little more thinking about this, and set up a ceremony--from start to finish--and present it to me, and we'll talk."

.....
...
.
.
.
.
.

~tongue planted firmly in cheek.~ mrph.
My only consolation here, is that when I told my mother this story, she nodded understandingly. Understanding of both sides presented. I sell her short sometimes, and I shouldn't.

I mean, I can understand where he's coming from. On one side of this coin, the wedding ceremony is a reflection of the two people being joined, a celebration made more memorable by the implementation of their senses of style...

But on the other, it's also an old, old ritual...and messing with it the way I'd tried to would be like...trying to do Ceremonial Magick a la the Key of Soloman from a kitchen witch mindset. Or participating in a Tae Kwan Do tournament, using Judo instead.

So. I have two options. 1) Keep my rock and roll, and find a different preacher, or 2) Keep my grandfather, and do things his way...without kvetching.

.....
...
.
.
.
yeah. Mrph.