Weddings, Funerals and Birthdays

Today is my youngest daughter's birthday. She's already opened all her presents and I don't think we're going to be doing much to celebrate--maybe a trip to Chuck E. Cheese or something for dinner. Her party for her friends will be in a few weeks once things calm down--which really never happens in our life.Last night my oldest daughter and I went to a wedding and reception for Lucy Kate McMenamy while the youngest went on a Girl Scout roller skating outing.

I used to babsit Lucy and her older brother every day after school and over summer break for five years. I started when Lucy was in first grade and left when she was in fifth or sixth. By then she didn't really need a babysitter; I was more the adult to be in the house. Lucy then babysit my two daughters. So I wouldn't have missed the wedding for the world, but my oldest (who is 12) wanted to skip it until her dad called (I'm divorced, btw) and told her that her great-grandmother had died. The funeral is on Monday (tomorrow) and everyone but my children are headed down to Mississippi. We're in St. Louis; the rest in Alabama.

So I went home and picked Alison up between the wedding and the reception as there was about an hour and a half free time. We arrived at the Grand Hall in the Hyatt Union Station and all had a blast. I remember that when I left I really needed this. It's great to watch two young people you know are going to make it get married. It's great to see old friends who knew you long ago--I typed those first books (that will never see the light of day) on their computer during those long summer days. Now they are in awe and thrilled--20 books! Wow!As for my young charges, John is doing his residency and specializing in radiology. He's in Dallas.

Lucy works for the Hyatt hotel chain as a banquet manager and her husband is an executive sous chef. They met at work when they were both in Kansas City--now they are on the east coast. He's eight years older. Sounds a bit like some of the books I've done but probably without the conflict. All was beautiful--the church, the flowers, the 55-pound wedding cake that the Hyatt chef in Austin carried up in boxes (unfrosted) on the plane. She then used the St. Louis kitchen to put it together.Working for the Hyatt and having the reception at the Hyatt meant that everyone pulled out all the stops. In two days Michael and Lucy are off to Hawaii for 10 days.

As for me, this morning, life was back to normal as my two daughters got into a fight before church.However, while I was there last night, parts of my next story wrote themselves in my head. The muse clicked and put the ideas where they were supposed to be. What about my hotel manager Hank being asked to be teacher Jolie's date? He owes her one, and she needs to dig up a guy for a family wedding. I like it.As for the pastry chef idea, I just did that in The Marriage Recipe, out in April 2008.

Michele Dunaway
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