Friday Photo

It’s been a long and busy day…but here is my Friday Photo:

erinwedd.JPEG

I did a quick look to see if I had ever posted this one before, and I couldn’t find it. If I have…oh well.

Anyway, this photo was taken when I was a flower girl in my aunt and uncle’s wedding in approximately 1978. Wasn’t I cute? 😉

Since I was so young, I’m pretty sure this was my first wedding experience. I don’t remember all that much about it. I think I made it down the aisle without any tears. I was disappointed that I didn’t actually get to drop flower petals along the aisle. I danced with the ring bearer at the wedding. (I have no idea who the ring bearer was at the wedding…)

The reception was held at a place called the Kersey Community Building. My mom and dad’s reception was there, my other aunt’s reception was there, and my cousin Amanda’s reception was there. Basically, the community building is a big old gymnasium with a stage. For a long time, it was the only place in Elk County big enough to hold a group larger than, say 150. It still exists, but apparently, they don’t do receptions there anymore.

Other than that, I remember that it wasn’t a big deal for me to think of Uncle Steve as my uncle, because he’d been in the picture for, well, pretty much my whole life. Now, I’m going to be making the transition to “auntie” for Rand’s nephews.

Kooky. 🙂

Weekend wrap-up

Rand and I went to Pennsylvania over the weekend for my cousin Meghan’s wedding. I’m waiting for my dad to post some actual photos of the ceremony, because I wasn’t in a very good position to get them…

On kind of a whim, we stopped for dinner at Blasdell Pizza in Springville. I’d never had it before, but Rand had. I heartily approve. 🙂

Friday night was pretty mellow. We went to the reception hall to help with some last-minute decorating things. Saturday morning, I finally had the chance to cash in a massage gift certificate I received last Christmas. Ahhh…very nice!

The ceremony began at two, and we headed over early. My brother needed to be there to hand out programs. The photographer was one of my old high school teachers, so I chatted with him briefly about my becoming a teacher and teaching eighth grade. He told me that when he made the move from teaching middle school to teaching high school (after 14 years), he found that his 40-minute lesson plan only took 15 minutes. I laughed. Everything takes three times as long with middle schoolers because you’re constantly saying things like “be quiet,” “don’t touch that,” “put that down,” and “stop it.” 😉

While I couldn’t take any actual ceremony photos, I did get a couple of interesting shots during the ceremony:

window

colten and daddy

Amanda (Meghan’s sister) was the matron of honor. Her son, Colten, was the ring bearer. I caught this cute shot of Colten resting on daddy.

My cousin Scott (Meghan’s brother) sang Ave Maria quite beautifully. I continue to be impressed with his talent. 🙂

The reception had a sort of garden faerie theme. This was their cake:

waterfall cake-front

waterfall cake-side

cake cutting

There was, of course, the obligatory cake-smooshing. I was assured that there will be no cake smooshing at mine. 😉

We posed for a family photo, which I think is pretty nice…but for the redeye I can’t remove and the slightly crazed expression on my brother’s face.

family

Then I posed for a couple of shots with my “double sister.” (Leslie, my sister-in-law, and I were in the same sorority…)

double sisters

There was much drinking, dancing and general carousing. The reception was huge–around 400 guests–and *everyone* was there to party. I did the chicken dance, which I have to admit that I like. I did not do the hokey pokey. The electric slide was not played. As is usually the case, I was unimpressed with the DJ.

Later, my aunt showed me some pictures I had drawn for her way back when (I’m guessing I was somewhere around ten). My repertoire consisted mainly of unicorns and Care Bears.

unicorn

other care bear

Later still, we enjoyed the adventures of Dudley, the Highly Energetic Shih Tzu. Here’s Dudley with his new most favorite toy, a Swiffer duster handle.

dudley

We went out for breakfast Sunday morning, then said our goodbyes and headed back to Buffalo.

All in all, a lovely weekend. Congratulations to Meghan and Tom!

Friday photo

adam eats guitar

Adam and Rand were waiting to perform “Home” during the Pegasus Awards concert at OVFF last weekend. “Home” is, of course, a lovely song…but it was up against some pretty tough competition. 😉

I was trying to be stealthy with the camera, but if you get a camera within ten feet of Adam, well, this is what you get! There’s just something about the composition of this that I like…

This is also a good moment for me to congratulate all of this year’s Pegasus winners:

Best Filk Song: Rich Fantasy Lives by Rob Balder and Tom Smith
Best Classic Filk Song: Falling Down on New Jersey by Mitchell Burnside Clapp
Best Performer (tie): Dr. Mary Crowell and Seanan McGuire
Best Writer/Composer: Talis Kimberley
Best Dorsai Song: Shai! by Steve MacDonald and Steve Simmons
Best Song of Home: Emerald Green by Michelle Dockrey (vixy) and Tony Fabris

This was a difficult ballot, and I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. Lots and lots of good stuff. I didn’t know any of the Dorsai songs before last weekend, and although it did not win, I have to admit that “Green Hills of Harmony” was my personal favorite…

Tony and vixy’s performance of “Emerald Green” was stunning, and I’m sure it sent more than a few votes in their general direction! Also quite impressive was Seanan & company’s performance of “Still Catch the Tide” by Talis Kimberley. (aside–I think my favorite Talis song is “Small Mended Corners.” Does anyone perform that? I don’t think I’ve ever heard it, other than on the CD.)

I had the good fortune to sit with *three* of the winners (Seanan, vixy and Tony) at the banquet, plus two nominees (uh, that’d be Ookla, of course). Great fun was had by all. 😉

Weekend wrap-up (coming soon)

Ack. Where does the time go?

I opened this draft half an hour ago, figuring I’d write my weekend wrap-up post. And I got sucked into other things. And now I’m tired. Here are some photos:

dress-side view

Yeah, I bought the dress. And paid too much to have it altered. 😉 But it was a big hit. Where else do you suppose I could wear it? (aside–I have *evil* redeye in this photo. I’m going to have to fix that…)

comic!

Seanan put a custom comic in the auction, and used this one (among others) as an example. I am now the proud owner of “Spider Powers” (I won it in a raffle!). 🙂

haircut

Got my hair cut. France rocks!

butter it's not!

Made me laugh.

LMB and Rand

Rode in an elevator with author Lois McMaster Bujold.

i can has bat?

Encountered adorable bat on the way to Ohio. Said to self, “I must buy this for Seanan.”

More photos here. More words, well, when I have time. 😉 Fun times were had. Erin is tired…

Honey, I’m home

From a fun but tiring weekend away. Photos being slowly uploaded to flickr. More later!

October storm photos

Yeah, I’m a little late on this…it’s been a busy weekend, though!

trees, lines down in road

It’s so strange looking at these photos, remembering that at this time last year, I had no power. The set is here. And here is my post about the storm.

Wedding weekend

Tyra and Paul

This adorable couple is Rand’s cousin, Paul Spitale, and his girlfriend Tyra. They met on the show Confessions of a Matchmaker. (their episode is the only one I’ve seen…if you watch the show, Paul is aka the “wannabe rock star”) Meeting online is SO 2004…

We got to hang out with them at Kristen’s wedding, which was a lot of fun. Photos here.

Photos

When Debbie came to visit at the beginning of September, she took some amazing photos of me and Rand. She also gave us a CD with all the photos she had taken on it. I just got around to uploading some of them to my flickr account.Some of you may have already seen them on hers, but here they are!

erinrandkiss

This one is probably my favorite photo ever.

walking down main street

erinrand2

You can see the rest in this set.

Pictures posted

Just logging in quickly to share the photos I posted last night. These are from last week up through the weekend.

I need another weekend to recover, by the way. Who do I see about that?

debbie's arrival
Debbie’s arrival in Buffalo. We picked her up at the train station.

Enjoy more photos on my photostream. More soon…

Love (exciting and new)

Last week’s photo day at Create a connection was “love.” I didn’t take a new photo, but instead, created a flickr set of photos that said “love” to me. (It has 27 photos in it! I can’t add or take any away…hee)

slow dance
Kelly and Ben, dancing at their wedding

rand and noah b&w
Rand holding Noah, our friend Chris’s baby

aiden
Rand’s nephew Aiden, looking up adoringly at daddy

darienlake4
Rand and me in a photo booth at Darien Lake

ring
My engagement ring. I thought this one had an “artsy” feel to it!

I like many of the others, but most of them either weren’t taken by me, or were taken with my phone, or had some other flaw that prevented me from posting them…but do check out the whole set if you’re so inclined!