home is wherever i'm with you

I am still recovering and this week seems rather flat after all the excitement of last week. Each day as the guests arrived on different flights from different airports, different parties, drinks or dinners were arranged.  The Fokkers had nothing on us.  Meeting most of Lucie's family this week has made me understand what makes David feel so comfortable with her family.  Lucie has 2 girl cousins, Colette and Siobhan - almost exactly a decade younger than Dalene and I.  We hit it off immediately.  We all had the feeling that we had known each other a whole lot longer than one week and it was sad to say goodbye.  Colette sang in the church without any musical accompaniment. It was tear jerking stuff.  She could very easily be one of the Celtic Woman.

(Have you heard them?  Awesome)

Dave, as a surprise, had hired a flutist to serenade Lucie and her Dad (Rauridh - Rory to us) down the aisle, to the theme from Braveheart (his second favourite movie of all time), luckily for Lucie (and all of us), not to the theme from Top Gun (his top movie of all time).  That is just so Dave (remember, I have already told you that he does not like a song unless it has a chorus) so that also explains his taste in movies (and the fact that he has been told that he looks like a blonde Tom Cruise (standing on 3 boxes)).  But the music from Braveheart was great, if a little emotional for some.

I know all of you are dying to see the wedding pictures but I don't have any (that is a lie, I don't have many).  Somehow once the service started emotions got the better of me and I only started clicking my camera much later in the evening when Percy was lying shirtless on the bar counter, Trophy (aka Mark) had started a question and honest answer competition with the ladies and 20 people were jammed in the jacuzzi (I told you it was a good wedding). 

Before the others arrived

The day after the wedding was spent trying to tidy up a bit (at a snails pace), sipping more champagne and enjoying a splendid lunch prepared by Trophy and Theresa (bridesmaid from New York) at the pool.  I love post-mortems.

We then joined the bridal couple at the Hohenhort for cocktails.  The honeymooners had booked in for 2 nights. The staff at the Martini Bar were shocked and have never had such a crowd (noisy crowd) arrive on a Saturday afternoon (and have running races and wrestling competitions on the lawns).  Of course the mothers, sisters, cousins and aunts had to inspect the "honeymoon suite" and Kelly and I had a wonderful time exploring the gardens.  It is the most beautiful garden.

Not often you see the honeymoon bed before you see the bride and groom!!

(Patience - it will be worth it - maybe tomorrow)

Victoria (Lucie's younger sister) enjoying her "cocktail"

Kelly (sorry a tad blurry)

Drawing Room in the Annex

1 bride for 4 brothers!!

Colette, Kathleen (aunt and mother of the cousins), Colette (mum of the bride) and Siobhan

(and the wedding buggy in the background)

So after Kelly and I returned from our walk, the Martini Bar was pumping (with wedding revelers).  I had just found out that the cocktails were costing R75 each and as great as the one Marguerita I had was, I thought I would maybe choke on a Dirty Martini (this had nothing to do with the price or the amount of champagne that had been consumed the previous night).  Dalene and Siobhan were swapping stories of music concerts and favourite songs, Colette and I joined in and when Dalene, Kelly and Siobhan started belting out Robbie Williams in the Martini Bar at the Hohenhort (with very distinguished paying guests arriving for their pre-dinner aperitifs), I thought it was time to be responsible (okay, maybe my mother told me it was time to leave) and remove my family (mother, sister and nieces) and head for the hills (home).

During our music discussions, I had mentioned the beautiful song called "Home" that Nic and Kelly had sung for Dalene on her 50th birthday at Rusty Gate.  Colette and Siobhan had never heard of the song (and I probably had the title wrong).  I promised to forward the song to them and here it is.  I also now have a few more "followers" of my blog!!

Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my Ma & Pa

Not the way that I do love you

Holy roly, me, oh my, you’re the apple of my eye

Girl, I’ve never loved one like you

Man, oh man, you’re my best friend, I scream it to the nothingness

There ain’t nothin’ that I need

Well, hot & heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ

There ain’t nothin’ please me more than you

Chorus:

Ahh, Home

Let me come Home

Home is wherever I’m with you

(2x)

La la la la, take me Home

Baby, I’m coming Home

I’ll follow you into the park, through the jungle, through the dark

Girl, I’ve never loved one like you

Moats & boats & waterfalls, alley ways & pay phone calls

I’ve been everywhere with you

That’s true

We laugh until we think we’ll die, barefoot on a summer night

Nothin’ new is sweeter than with you

Sweet hey?

And then I found this one as well.  Bonus

Colette, Siobhan, Hans and Pauline you are all now "Home" in different countries and re-united with your husbands and children.  Please come back soon.