“Spring is the mischief in me.”
“The Mending Wall”
by Robert Frost
I‘m not sure if it is mischief or not but it sure is energy. Hubby spent most of this beautiful Sunday out in the yard. He pruned our roses, some of which were damaged by the snow. We pray that they will survive. When I was in a store on Saturday morning, I saw a lavender hybrid-tea rose. Of course, I had to buy it, in case we have lost one of our current rosebushes. I love hybrid-tea roses. Their blossoms are beautiful. Hubby punched a few holes in the bag holding the roots, and put the bush into the bucket with a little water on the porch in the sun.
While Hubby was in the yard, I was hemming up both Hubby’s pants and mine (we are getting shorter as we get older). Of course, I had one eye on the ME Network, which plays episodes of “Remington Steele,” with Pierce Brosnan (sigh), at 3 p.m. each Sunday. Missing from this episode was Mildred Krebs who was played by Doris Roberts. I figured that this must be an early episode. Turned out it was the second segment of the first season. I thoroughly enjoyed the hour and got a lot of sewing done.
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On Friday evening, March 20, the first day of spring, Hubby and I drove south to Cohasset to the Red Lion Inn for the wedding of my co-worker Jack Conboy and my former co-worker Tuquyen Bui. Thank goodness Hubby had checked out the area that morning or we never would have found the inn. It was cold and spitting snow all afternoon. We were very early but were shocked to see that there was very little parking available. We found an empty room at the inn and sat down. Then we discovered that this room had an entrance to the bridge where people could walk over to a huge barn-type building where the wedding was to take place. We had a chance to see Quyen’s beautiful gown as she passed through our room (she had it made).
We chatted with Jack’s aunt Deborah and her husband Gerald about cameras. They had come to the wedding from Oregon. They told us that they had lived in California but enjoyed Oregon so much more. We discovered that Deborah and Jack’s Mom Denise were identical twins, both very pretty and both beautifully dressed. We did see the groom for a minute as he came through the room to walk across to the barn. As it came closer to the starting time, we figured we had better walk over, too. It was a little chilly and lightly snowing as we crossed the bridge.
When we went into the “barn,” we realized that it was far from what we generally think of as a barn. The woodwork was magnificent. The chairs were all set up for guests to observe the wedding ceremony. All along the walls, the tables were set for us for after the ceremony.
Overhead, there was a full-length balcony overlooking the area where we were sitting. Along the walls of the balcony were window seats where we could look out at the light snow.
Jack had told us that the ceremony would be fairly short. The flower girl, Morgan Conboy, and the ring bearer, Harrison Conboy, looked adorable and were terrific performing their roles in the wedding. We watched as the parents of the groom, John and Denise Conboy, walked down the middle aisle. Then came Quyen’s Mom, Truyen Tran. The matron of honor was Toquyen Zorn. Bride Quyen looked positively radiant as she walked down the aisle with her Dad, Vanthang Bui. Michael Zwirko officiated at the ceremony.
After the ceremony, we were asked to go to the balcony area for hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Hubby and I found a window seat near our friends where we ate the wonderful food. And looked out at the snow-covered land around the Red Lion Inn. We watched as the pure-white light snowfall covered the existing snow piles. It was beautiful. We chatted with our friends and co-workers. We saw a table where there were tiny, clear-glass flower pots. In each of the pots, there was a small amount of dirt and a tiny succulent plant. Also in each pot was a flag, with the names of the guests and their table assignments.
We took our little flowerpot and went to Table 13. All of our group from work were there. I was delighted to sit next to our friend Della Costello. We can chat about so many topics with her. Also sitting with us were Ed Forry, Bill and Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, and Maureen Forry and her husband, Aaron Sorrell. The food was excellent and served attractively.
Then it was time for dancing. We watched all the young people. In the middle of the crowd were the bride and groom having a ball. Quyen had changed to a short skirt from her flowing bridal gown and she looked adorable dancing. As it came close to 11 p.m., we said farewell to our friends and to the bridal couple. At that time of evening, with little traffic, we were home in less than one-half hour.
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Thanks to the South Boston Online newspaper, I read that there were approximately 1,500 people at the Easter Sunrise Mass at Castle Island. The newspaper also mentioned that it was exceptionally cold. Hubby, daughter Sue, and I were at Gerard’s having breakfast after the 7 a.m. Mass at St. Gregory’s. When the Castle Island people came in, en masse, most of the tables were filled within 15 minutes. Our friend Ann Fancelli came over to greet us. She was on her way to meet her sister Mary but had to have a cup of coffee first on that cold morning.
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I was sorry to hear, from cousins Margie and Janet, of the death of their good friend Rita McCauley, at age 95, on Apr. 10. I had met Rita at various functions through the years. I did know her sister Marguerite very well because she attended all Margie and Janet’s parties through the years. Rita and her siblings grew up in Dorchester and moved to Milton in 1973. She graduated from Cornell University and was a professor of biology at Boston State College, Quincy College, and Salem State College for more than 40 years. She was also a member of the Girl Scouts, attending meetings until 2009. Her wake was held at Dolan’s in East Milton; her funeral Mass at St. Elizabeth’s in Milton. I send the sympathy of our whole family to her surviving sister Marguerite. What a fine family.
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This thought is so true: “The best thing about spring is that it always comes when it is needed most.”
