Wonderful Wedding

I know I left you hanging . . . but really, that was enough for one read!

OK, where were we . . . ?
Ged and I  were clutching a glass of champagne each (I had done a deal with the baby about this!) and making some rounds of our lovely guests.  We were soon marshalled for photos by our assortment of talented and delightful photographers (all friends) and we pretty much did photos on demand with all our friends and guests who wanted one while everyone else sipped champagne and ate sushi and smoked salmon sandwiches.  Then Ged and I went down to see the horses for some pics with them and for some reason Naughty Tinkerbell (obviously realising that this was a serious photo opportunity and her big chance to shine in the limelight!) suddenly turned into Miss Butter Wouldn’t Melt in her Mouth!  Quite bizarre!
After that miracle we adjourned to the marquee for the meal, the speeches and the small amount of dancing (don’t know quite what happened there – too much talking?)  The food was superb.  Our friends excelled themselves.  Steve Fripp (Ged’s mate) did the pig on the spit which looked and smelt divine and was apparently so succulent and tender that it literally melted in your mouth (of COURSE I didn’t have any!)  Jane and Shirley’s grated organic carrot and raisin salad with my secret, special, lemon and coriander dressing was truly divine and the similarly cheffed potato salad was lovely.  Onc everyone was sated and sufficiently lubricated we kicked off the speeches.  Daddy was first and amazingly restrained – he didn’t talk about the hell I put them all through in my troubled teenage, truculent twenties, tortuous thirties and flirty forties AT ALL!  He just said that they thought I was mad when I wanted to buy the farm and now they knew why I had been so insistent and persistent and that he was bloody glad someone was finally brave enough to take me off his hands!  I had been prepared to blush and hang my head in shame but no need!  Steve was next and told long tales about how he had known Ged since they were nippers together and all the strange boys’ own clubs and sports they had done together.  He, too, was very restrained for fear of telling the McCarthy’s things that they had no idea about in their son.  Then, Ged who said lots of thank you’s, and lord, we have lots of people to thank!  I had always planned on making a speech (you know I like to have the last word!) but when Steve opened up the floor to anyone else who wanted to say a few words, the resounding call was for ‘the bride’ so it was good to have my decision condoned!
Firstly I had to thank Steve for a level of unselfish friendship that was an honour to behold.  He has humbled us all with his decision to serve and to ensure his friend had everything he ever dreamed of and more.  He gave us all a new model for love and friendship.  Then my family who not only came half way around the world to bear witness to a miracle, but came prepared to work to make the miracle happen, and did!  My parents who have supported so wholeheartedly for so long and who, with misgivings, put their money into the farm to make my dream a reality – let’s hope that today they see that they did the right thing.  Then I had to thank MY friends who know me so well, through thick, thin, flaws and more and still talk to me!  Who come to the party every time whether it’s a pity party, a celebration, a wake or a dreaming and support and nurture and applaud.  I love you guys.  Then George who has been the apex on which our world has turned for the last 9 months and who has single-handedly rescued the farm from the relentless twisting arms of lantana and blackberry, the devastation of fireweed and the scourge of bracken.  Who makes us laugh every day and who is a joy to have around.  And then the Grippers who I love with all my heart, Shirley and Marcel who came, and saw and conquered and have remained my friends though our differences have been huge, for over ten years.
Ged and I are very lucky – we finally found each other and in doing so have been embraced by the other’s friends – people of great humour, strength, honour, integrity, humility, joy and love.
Finally I shut up and those much agonised over blueberry tarts made their appearance and were devoured with relish by all present (well done, Jane!).  Then we cut the cake which had been made with so much love by Ged’s Aunt, Fran and just looked and tasted, beautiful.
And then, by popular demand, and thanks to Angus’s ipod we got down and did Nutbush City Limits (twice!)  Which is certainly a novel first dance for the bride (the groom didn’t dance!)
But then, the whole day was completely unique, essentially beautiful, totally from the heart and soul.  Perfect.
Sunday morning we woke to see young Grippers and Millie and Phil and co., coming over the hill to rouse us and we spent a happy morning drinking tea with a succession of risers and downloading their photos into the Mac, reliving the day and enjoying the photographic evidence.  When all the happy campers were up and about we got the bacon and sausages on the barby and indulged in a hearty, greasy hangover cure and then waved goodbye as everyone left soon after.  Ged and I both cried as my family drove away – it was too short, too little time, too much else to do, and it will be too long before we see and spend time with them again.
With just the hard core left (us, Grippers, Steve and family, Gary) we got down to work – checking crockery, cutlery and glassware for cleanliness and breakages, counting and packing them all away as delivered.  It was a relaxed day with friends, talking, discussing, philosophising, character building and assassinating, all the essential accoutrements for the day after.  Finally it was all done and we could relax.  The Grippers got in the river and we just put our feet up.  The Torpy’s (Steve and family) and Gary left us with their cars laden with leftover beer and we had a happy family supper and an early night.  Monday morning saw us up with the larks, still sorting and packing and feeding the children and taking phone calls from Mel whose train to Sydney had turned into a coach (is there more than one Cinderella in this family?) and could she come in the car with me?  So it was all systems go getting hire stuff back to Port Macquarie, picking up Mel from Wauchope, getting Phee’s jabs done for kennels, getting the house and fridge cleared and locked, the chooks chased in their pen and the Grippers to the airport.  And then there was a general reunion at the airport as my parents, Judy and the girls and the Grippers were all on the same flight to Sydney.  So that was a lovely surprise and bonus and we all got to say goodbye without the stress.  Then Ged left to do the last of the running around before his later flight to Sydney and mel, Phee and I set off on the long road down to Sydney (Mel) and Berry Kennels for me and Phee and then back to Sydney for me!
Needless to say it all got done though there were some very tired little soldiers at the end of the day . . . .

End of a very big year

Looks like I was premature to be signing off the year in my last missive – it still had a week to run!
I have to admit that I was FOUL in the run up to Christmas (poor Ged!), over-tired, over-stretched, and as it now transpires, suffering from severe hormonal fluctuations.  I was dreading my first Christmas with the ‘out-laws’ and as always at that time of year I was homesick for the traditional rituals, aromas and rain of England.  After all, it is the traditional time for family and I wanted mine, not his!!
We opened our ‘stockings’ at home before heading off to his parents’ place which is a beautiful 400 acre farm they raise Santa Gertrudis bulls on, about 40 minutes away.  Due to a flat tyre on the way (heaven-sent!) we missed the sit down dinner and were able to have a more relaxed afternoon with a moveable feast of family members as we munched on our vegetarian lasagne.  We were embarassed to get gifts from all Ged’s nephews and nieces (I know now for next year!) and got away at a reasonable hour so we could have our ‘first Christmas’ at home.  We opened a bottle of my favourite bubbles and traded gifts – I got my long awaited handbag and a punchbag and baseball bat which now have pride of place in the garage (he knows me well!!) and I gave Ged a big A4 filofax and new halters, lead ropes and a carrot stick for his horses so we were both very spoilt.  We only managed a glass of champagne each before we were pissed . . . and so to bed!
I had invited all his family over on Boxing Day so we had a whirlwind few hours turning the building site into something vaguely resembling a home and cooking up a storm and then had a very relaxed and easy day.  The boys BBQ’d organic beef steaks and sausages from a local farm in Comboyne, and I did potato and green salads with my special vinaigrette and homemade tomato sauce which, amazingly, all the boys hoed into and loved (just goes to show, you don’t need sugar!).
The 27th was my birthday (42!) and Ged made me Queen for a day and waited on me hand and foot so I slept on the sofa all afternoon and we both just relished the peace and quiet of a day off.  Then we had to put in a couple of days of work on the house before driving down to Ged’s best friends’ annual New Year’s Eve bash on the central coast.  I swapped places with Phee on the way down – I curled up in the back of the Pajero and slept and Phee took the passenger seat and kept Ged company in the front!  To be honest we were so tired, we weren’t great company that night, although it was good to meet a lot more of his old friends.  We were clock watching ’til midnight (‘are we there yet?’) and glad to escape to our tent once the celebrations had died down a bit.  The die-hard drinkers kept going until the wee smalls, but we were safely off with the sand man . . .

The new bathroom under the Jacaranda tree . . .

Wheels, Wine and a Ring

Thanks for all your worried emails re my wobbly wheels!  It turned out that the bone-rattling rides over the roads around here have been loosening the nuts on my bolts and THAT’S why the wheel fell off!  Actually, on consecutive runs over the next few days I found first the nut, then the washer, then the bolt at various stages on the farm road!

So it wasn’t too expensive, and I got my car back on Monday (phew!) and got back into the daily grind of winding up to the office in Comboyne.  It’s been raining for a week now.  So my grass is growing and so are the weeds!  Phoenix has learned to chase the cows away from the water troughs on command, because they love to drink all the horses’ water rather than sliding down the bank to the river and then trying to clamber back up the greasy slopes.  George has been very quiet because the lady who looks after Marcia has been away so he has been at home with her.

Ged finally wined and dined me on Friday.  We are sampling local restaurants so we can recommend fine dining for the folks when they are here in March.  We went to a little BYO restaurant called Fusion 7 with a bottle of Australian Sparkling I had been recommended to try for the wedding.  One sip and I was grimacing as the sugary sweet bubbles tasted like alcoholic lemonade to me – gross!  Back to the drawing board on something cheaper than the Widow for the wedding guests!  But the food was FANTASTIC.  Truly excellent food in this tiny little restaurant in Port Macquarie of all places.  Very pleased with that.  Ged had to drink most of the bottle, but even he couldn’t stomach too much of it!  Needless to say, I drove home!

We put the deposit down on the ring so it’s a work in progress now – 12 pink diamonds in a platinum channel setting – practical for my hard working life, pink diamonds because they are rare and exclusively Australian and platinum because it lasts and hopefully so will we!

We spent the weekend at a succession of parties with Ged’s family.  I was the entertainment as far as I can work out!  The fiancee was wheeled out in front of an enormous number of rellies (haven’t they heard of condoms???!!) at first brother Denis’s 34th Birthday Party on Saturday night, and then dad Denis’s (I know, I know, WHY do people name their children after the father?) 70th on Sunday.  I liked his sister very much, and ditto the next brother up.  I didn’t think much of the eldest but then as Ged used to work for him I know too many tales out of school!   Now I know how intimidating all the out-laws must find OUR family!! And right now I have sworn off a McCarthy Christmas (where can I run, where can I hide??) but who knows, I may mellow as the merryness of the season melts my hardened heart . . . !

Whirlwind Romance . . . Love and Marriage!

LOVE SIGN

For those of you who haven’t heard the news, here’s the official announcement. I’m getting MARRIED!!

I know it all seems very whirlwind romance, but as Ged says ‘it just feels so RIGHT’. It’s very real and practical and down to earth (it would have to be trying to build this house together!). He has been sure almost from the word go but I am the one who is commitment phobic and every step of the way I have palpitations. He actually asked me at the beginning of September and once I got over the shock I said ‘probably’ (so romantic!!) And then once I’d had a chance to process it all in my head and my heart and know that we have a good solid future together and what we have is strong enough to weather a life together, I said yes.

We kept it to ourselves because it was nice to have this special secret between us but last week we let the cat out of the bag so you can all share in our joy and start booking your flights etc!!

We are already beginning to understand how stressful planning a wedding can be because finding a date that you all agree on has been a nightmare and while I have had to forego my first choice in order to fit in with the UK delegation, and then had to abandon my second choice because of the Catholic contingent, but we have finally found a date that we are sticking with (3rd time lucky!) so set the date in your diaries now . . . . 15th MARCH 2008. Which Ged worked out is exactly a year to the day since we first met on the farm so that actually is perfect (he is such a romantic!)

Ged is already talking about just eloping in order to forego all the stress and fuss . . . But I have to have my big day (finally!)

I feel a bit like Miss Haversham, I’ve been sitting on the shelf in my wedding dress for so long! Time to dust down my frock and chase away the spiders . . . !

It’s a farm wedding and the weather should be perfect (about 70 degrees in the old money) so it’s pretty frocks for the girls and no morning suits for the men. Just light suits or nice shirts and pants (trousers for you poms!). Don’t worry about hats. I just want a relaxed gathering of our nearest and dearest for a real celebration of love in all its myriad guises – friends, family and lots and lots of children. Come for the weekend and enjoy the property and relax and celebrate with us . . . . official invitations to follow.

I’m so happy and content with this strong, safe, supportive man who loves me totally for who and what I am (no holds barred!) It all feels very natural. He’s nothing like anyone I’ve ever fallen for before, and with my track record, that’s a good thing. He’s a good, good man, with a big and generous heart and soul and he’s brave enough to take me on so that’s pretty impressive!!

He’s going to sell his place and we will make Avalon our home – it’s such a magical place. I can’t wait to share it with you all, so start making whatever plans you need to in order to be here for our special day.


MY LOVELY GED . . .