Ten weeks later ...

It's been a long time since my last post. And for good reason.

Ten weeks ago, my sweetheart, partner and love, Richard Hess, died. Suddenly. There are no words to adequately convey the emotional journey I have traveled since that time.

What I do want to say, today, is this:

I ALWAYS knew Rich loved me, and I honestly believe he knew how much I loved him. We expressed our feelings daily, in word and action. Even when we did not see eye-to-eye, we always knew our love was strong. And we worked -- individually and together -- to keep it that way.

Our time together was far too short (in my opinion -- but, then, I'm not God). I am so grateful for the time we did have, the memories we shared, and the love that continues. If I could do it all over again, I would not change a thing.

Why do I write about my loss? Because I hope that anyone who reads these words will be inspired to LOVE FULLY. True love is ABSOLUTELY worth the risk of pain or loss.

Hey, Sailor. I love you. Thank you for being such an amazing part of my life.
JT

Vows ... still meaningful after all these years?

This evening I attended a networking mixer for AFWPI (Association for Wedding Professionals International) at the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg. While I'm not really fond of "networking" per se, I do enjoy "visiting" with my colleagues, and I was glad to have the opportunity to connect with friends tonight.

One highlight was my delightful chat with Shannon Cosgrove-Rivas, of Flourish, and her hubby, Jim. As she posted on Facebook today, she recently came across the personal vows she wrote for their wedding back in 1994.

Naturally, I was interested in hearing more, since Vows are such an important part of what I do.

Shannon and Jim said that they sat down together and talked about what they wanted to say to each other in their vows. Then they wrote the beginning and the end of their vows together; they each personalized the "middle" part of the vows, which they didn't share until their wedding day. What a beautiful idea!

And they kept a copy, so when they renew their vows in five years (on their 20th anniversary), they'll be able to use their original vows. (I'm sure they'll add a bit; imagine how much their love and commitment has grown in the past 15-years-plus-two-kids.)

One thing I really loved about Shannon and Jim's story is that, back in 1994, they did exactly what I encourage couples to do today: Sit down with each other and talk about what is important to each of you to say (and hear) in your vows.

Of course, many (if not most) couples choose to "repeat after me" rather than write their own original vows. Which is still beautiful, especially if they've thoughtfully chosen to repeat vows that are meaningful to them.

(Post-wedding, I always send a copy of their vows to the newlyweds, with the encouragement that they "renew" their vows annually by saying them aloud to each other on each anniversary. )

Thank you, Shannon and Jim, for sharing your story. I'm eager to see your vows ... and, as promised, I won't post them!

PS: I don't have any recent photos of Shannon's floral art. Check out her website for some stunning stuff!!

Hugs,
Rev. Jeri

Michael and Victoria got married!

And I had the delightful honor of officiating at their wedding, held yesterday at David Girard Vineyards in Placerville.

This fun couple came from San Francisco, where Michael owns a club in the Mission District. Victoria has incredible attention to detail. No wonder. She and I share the same birthday; we Taurus Babes are organized! She was a delight to work with, and Michael was charming and kept us smiling!

They purposely chose not to have their wedding in The City, as the weather might be too cold.
Obviously, that wasn't a problem in Placerville yesterday!

Although the guests were not accustomed to the heat, Michael and Victoria were prepared to offer respite. The guests each received a square fan, on one side of which was the program and on the other, a hand-drawn picture of "Aunt Vicky" and "Uncle Mikey" getting married, with all the guests crying tears of joy. Suh-weet!

Chilled bottles of water, another thoughtful touch, also helped keep the guests cool. And they were obviously happy to celebrate this couple's nuptials! I suspect that a fun party occurred after the "I do's" were done! I'm eager to see their photos; I know their photographer, Christina Diane (from San Francisco) got some great ones!

A delightful couple, a beautiful wedding, and a great beginning to their many years of marriage.

Congratulations, Michael and Victoria!

Pretty things ... and changes coming.

I've been pretty lax about posting on my blog ... as you've probably noticed.

I'll soon be doing my wedding blogging through a different program (WordPress.org; shhhh, don't tell Blogger.) Supposed to be better for my marketing efforts, etc. So far, I haven't figured it out -- but I have a great webmaster who will help me. Thanks bunches, RJ from The SiteBarn!

So this blog is going to change a bit. Instead of focusing on wedding-related topics, I'm going to write about whatever I'm interested in at the time. Which, of course, means I'll be posting a lot more photos!

I hope my pics will inspire, surprise, and amuse. Not necessarily in that order!

Today's post and photos:

My sweetheart has taken up quilting. He's very creative, and can look at a quilt (or, even, a photo of a quilt) and figure out how to reproduce it. I am so impressed!

So yesterday, when we went to the State Fair, we naturally headed for the shopping area (to look at sewing machines) and then to the California Creative Arts building to look at the prize-winning quilts.

W-O-W!! Here is a sampling of the beautiful handiwork ....

Quality of Life

Take a look at this beautiful quilt!

(I spy Carrieanna in the photo; do you see her, standing on the right?)

The quilt is being raffled off in Monterey on Saturday, September 19, 2009, during the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life ("MSQLP") Walk-n-Roll Walkathon.

All proceeds go to MSQLP, which has been a true blessing in our lives.

And Carrieanna has blessed many others there, with her candor as well as her positive outlook: "Anything is Possible."

As I say, we are truly blessed ....

Thank you, Vicki and friends ("The Flying Needles") for sharing your quilting talent and showing your love!

And if YOU are feelin' like a winner, I have raffle tickets to sell. Wouldn't you LOVE to own this quilt?!

With gratitude,
Rev. Jeri

You are kidding ... aren't you?

A recent conversation I had with another wedding vendor (and I'll call him "Vendor" to preserve his anonymity):

Vendor: Hey, I'm going to perform the ceremony for my best friend!

RJM: Wow! That's great! (Big smile!)

Vendor: Yeah, it's going to be a blast! I'm planning to wear a tuxedo -- just the shirt and jacket. No pants, just my underwear.

RJM: (Surprised silence.)

Vendor: Either that, or I'm going to wear a bear's head, or ... (he mentioned another outrageous costume; I forget what it was).

RJM: You're kidding, right? (Smaller smile.)

Vendor: Oh, no! He's my best friend, and it's going to be a huge party!

RJM: (Little smile; what could I say?)

Okay, maybe I'm old-fashioned.
Maybe I'm conservative.
Maybe I'm just thinking of my own comfort zone.
Maybe I'm wondering what the Bride thinks of this idea -- or if she even knows.
Maybe I'm thinking of the wedding photos, and how this guy is going to stand out in ALL the ceremony pictures.

Or ... maybe I'm thinking of the importance of the wedding ceremony, and wondering why anyone would want to turn it into a comedy routine, rather than a strong foundation upon which the couple will build their marriage.

Humor in a wedding ceremony? ABSOLUTELY! (IF it's appropriate for the couple, that is.)

Am I a stuffy person? Um, no. (At least I don't think so!) I like to have fun, and I've been called the "Irreverent Reverend" more than once. And I like that! ;)

But a bear's head? Or half a tuxedo? I don't think so.

(And I hope someone tells the Bride. Somehow, I think she would want to know.)

Rev. Jeri

At last ...

It's been a long time since I've posted. Much has happened -- lots of good things! -- and I'll be sharing ...

Here's one of the two best things: I got to spend the Fourth of July weekend with all three of my children, and my granddaughter! Yup, it was the first time in nearly 6 years that we have all been together.

The occasion? Family reunion, this year in Springville, Utah. We had thunderclouds, a little rain, mosquitoes, long (and rather eventful) drives -- and a great time!