The second wedding I went to was on Sunday in Baltimore and was for my aunt Ellen and her fiance Barry. Ellen’s friend Vicky, Grandmom and I helped Ellen get dressed in the upstairs portion of the Elkridge Furnace Inn.
Ellen putting on her veil. Ellen and Grandmom standing by the window overlooking the courtyard.
It rained the whole day, but right before the outdoor ceremony at 2 p.m., the rain stopped and the sun came out. Ellen asked me to read a poem during their ceremony.
LOVE By Roy Croft
I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.
I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.
I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.
I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good,
And more than any fate
To make me happy.
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.
After the ceremony, we had hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while the Ellen and Barry took pictures. Then we had a delicious dinner:
Salad: Poached pears, dried cranberries, toasted pecans and blue cheese over baby spinach with a champagne vinaigrette.
My Entree: Airline chicken breast served with a red cabbage, apple and sumac slaw, apply brandy butter sauce and a savory walnut and onion bread pudding.
The food was to die for. After dinner Ellen and Barry danced to “How sweet it is to be loved by you,” by James Taylor, and the night was over.
My gift to them was an portrait painted in oils that measured 22×28 inches.
As I was listening to my Simon and Garfunkel radio station on Pandora, I came across a song by Paul Simon called “Peace like a river,” and it struck a chord within me. The sad, conflicted, lilting guitar combined with the interesting lyrics are captivating. It’s a sharp contrast to Paul’s normally happy, upbeat songs. I think that’s why I like it so much.
“Ah, peace like a river ran through the city
Long past the midnight curfew
We sat starry-eyed
Ooh, oh,we were satisfied
O-o-oh, And I remember
Misinformation followed us like a plague
Nobody knew from time to time
If the plans were changed
Oh, oh, oh, if the plans were changed.
You can beat us with wires
You can beat us with chains
You can run out your rules
But you know you can’t outrun the history train
I seen a glorious day, aiee——
Ah, four in the morning
I woke up from out of my dreams
Nowhere to go but back to sleep
But I’m reconciled
Oh, oh, oh, I’m going to be up for a while
Oh, oh, oh, I’m going to be up for a while
Oh, oh, oh, I’m going to be up for a while.”
If you’re in a music rut or just want to listen to something classic, I really recommend the Simon and Garfunkel radio station on Pandora. It features music from Paul Simon, James Taylor, The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and many more.
What Sarah Said 