During their two nights with us, we ate excellent dinners, drank beautiful vino (including a red all the way from Greece) and watched fantastic footage of their recent European holiday with brisk commentary. They tested out our guest room and gave the space a glowing review.
Bronwyn recharged her batteries with afternoon snoozing. If there is anybody out there who still believes that teachers are on an easy wicket, I suggest walking in their shoes for a day. Bron leaves for work before seven o'clock. She currently has a Year 2 class. The kids rock in from eight o'clock. Bidding them farewell around three, she then launches into designated paperwork, marking and preparation. She usually arrives home around five. That's a ten hour day. Five days a week. With her current bunch of seven and eight year old children. Then she works at home. Not to mention every teacher has to take down and set up their classrooms at the end and beginning of each school year. And buy resources out of their own money. Anyone crazy enough to be a teacher?
Cal's workplace is officially open until midnight. Which means he may not arrive home before one or two in the morning. Then there is the usual crowd control with drunks, counselling the lonely, having a chummy relationship with the local coppers, overseeing staff, the kitchen and the bar and being called at a moment's notice to assist with bookings, bouquets and brickbats at the adjacent villas. Recently, I met him for lunch during his "break". His supposed thirty minutes of down time was filled with ongoing work issues. He was able to sit with me for a few minutes at most. Even then, staff were coming to our table to see him. Anyone crazy enough to be a restaurant manager?
And now they are planning their wedding. I have never seen a more organised couple. They had met with a wedding stylist on their way up to Station House. Ye Gods. Their conversations were filled with flowers and themes and photography packages. Emails were flying backwards and forwards to various purveyors of wedding paraphernalia. Images of suits were being perused and overnight accommodation already being discussed.
They have a date and a venue. They have a budget and the Wedding File. They are exploring options for their honeymoon. As if they don't already have enough stress in their lives, their wedding seems destined to ramp up their mutual anxiety levels.
I want to remind them, every day, to just breathe. There may be an increase in panicky phone calls, especially as the day draws closer. I am Prepared for Emergency Mothering. I have no doubt that their wedding will be beautiful and spectacular and provide them with some of the happiest memories for the rest of their lives. I hope the day runs like clockwork for them. This is, fortunately or unfortunately, all in the Lap of the Gods.
I also hope that the Mother of the Groom behaves with suitable decorum for the entire event. Wish me luck!
Montage of a proposal...
The Trevi Fountain, late night with just a few other tourists...
Incognito mafia?
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?
Greek night on their cruise...
Now if that isn't the look of love, I don't know what it is!
My beautiful daughter-in-law to be.
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