The Masque Ball Plans Continue....

Party dress - check! Invitations - check! Invite list - check! DJ reserved - check! Cake - check!  Whew, and we are no where near finished.  We still need to sort out the carriage ride, food, decorations, photographer, music list, and so much more.  I'm a very organized person and I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist but if nothing else I LOVE the details.  I want every "t" crossed and "i" dotted.  I don't leave anything open for "winging" it.  It's just not my style and this is why I do what I do for a living (Business Analyst - Software Development).  I want a back-up plan for the back-up plan.

There are so many decisions to be made....Solid white lights or twinkling lights?  White or chocolate cake? Real flowers or icing flowers on top of the cake? RSVP cards or a phone number to call? Slow music or just dance music? Tarot Card Reader or fortune teller? Chocolate fountain or not? Entry music?  Yikes!  To top it off, the final answer comes from the guest of honors - two teenagers - Lindsey and Mckenna.  This is a joint party and they each have their own preferences but they have been able to work out each difference and come to an agreement quite easily.

They have decided to have a party with the theme of the "Ever After" movie.  Cream-colored invitations topped with a scarlet red ribbon and sealed with red wax will be hand delivered to each guest by a pageboy (Mckenna's brother).  The guest will be given a small satchel to bring to the party to fill with golden chocolate coins and other items left in appreciation of their attendance. The guests will be asked to wear a costume and mask or just a prom-like attire and mask.  Mckenna and Lindsey will arrive in a white horse drawn Cinderella-like carriage.  They will be announced at the entrance.  A nice song (TBD) will be playing upon their entrance. The party will be at Mckenna's house.  It will be in the main downstairs and the back garden which will be covered in solid white lights in the trees and around the fencing.  There will be vases of long peacock feathers on tables for centerpieces.  The living room ceiling will have sheer fabric draped with twinkling white lights to imitate stars.  The DJ will be playing a mix of dance and slow music.  The food will be finger sandwiches, fruit, chocolate fountain and other miscellaneous goodies.  There will be tasty punch to quench the thirst of over 50 teenagers. The guest will enjoy getting their Tarot cards and palms read.  Each girl will have their own version of the birthday cake.  Lindsey has chosen a 2-tier, butter cream icing, white cake from Cretias. It will have baby blue icing with fancy white swirls and scrolls on both tiers.  The top will be adorned with real flowers - Blue Azaleas. Mckenna's cake - TBD. The guest will have their picture taken as they enter and there will also be a group picture taken that will be hand delivered to the guest with a thank-you note after the party. 

Mckenna's mom is making our costumes.  She is also making Mckenna's gown to look like the ball gown in the movie. Amazing! She has done this for theaters and schools. She is looking forward to making these and I'm sure they will be breathtaking.  I'll stick to invitations and other party details. :-)

So that's it. October 2nd will be a day to remember for Mckenna and Lindsey. Just helping plan this event makes me want to convince Lindsey to elope when it's time for a wedding!

McKenna Garrison

and

Lindsey Wilhelm

Request the honour of your presence 

At a masque ball

To celebrate their 16th birthday

on the eve of 

the feast of St. Adalgott

the 2nd of October

in the year two thousand and ten

You are cordially invited to join us in celebrating our 16^th birthday on October 2^nd at the Sandford Castle. Festivities will begin at 8 o’clock and continue until the stroke of midnight. We encourage you to wear 16^th century costume, or, for those unable to do so, prom-like attire.

Please find enclosed a satchel. It has been provided for you to bring to the party and collect golden coins and other trinkets left by the royal family to show their appreciation of your attendance.

Individual pictures will be taken upon arrival to the castle (until ~half past 8) and then a group photo will be taken at ~half past 9, so please arrive in time so we can get everyone in the picture. You will receive a copy of the picture.

We hope you will come and enjoy the music provided by a DJ; have your handwriting analyzed and feast on sumptuous fare.

Please instruct your carriage driver to bring you to 2908 Stallion Avenue at promptly 8 o’clock.

In lieu of gifts....

Their Highnesses request that you please bring new or gently used clothing and shoes for orphaned girls and boys, and new toiletries to benefit the Genesis Women’s Shelter.

Mckenna Garrison and Lindsey Wilhelm

Worth it? No. Never!

A very good friend, Kay, has had a great loss in her life.  A great loss for a senseless reason.  She has a tight knit family who she is very close to.  Her family has lived in the same house since she was 2 yrs old.  Those years provided her the opportunity to build strong relationships with people in the community.  After time it was hard to remember if they were just friends or relatives. One in particular, we'll call him Jay, was always intertwined in the family. It just worked well for everyone. He was there for a last minute ride to school, a badly needed bike repair, or a dinner guest who added conversation and laughter. Jay was a good man with a kind and giving soul.  On Tuesday, Jay was taken from all who love him in a terrible and senseless accident. One that could of been avoided. Please allow me to outline the incident and you can be the judge.

Kay's sister and her husband continue to live in the McKinney area.  They have a large ranch where Jay was hired to manage 22 yrs. ago.  The day Jay died was like all others.  He had put in a day's work and then called his oldest daughter to "chat".  She was at her home after a tough day at work.  She saw that her dad was calling and decided she was just too tired for a conversation and possible lecture from a previous conversation. She pushed the button and his last words to her went into voice mail.  There was no way of knowing this would of been the last conversation with her father.  Of course, she regrets not taking that call.

Dinner was over and the day was cooling down.  Jay turned to his wife and said "Hey, want to ride into town with me and pick up that part?"  "Nah, I'll just stay here and get some laundry done." she said.  Jay asked a few more times only to get the same response.  Once again, there was no way she would know that this would be the last time she would speak to her husband. Jay had been given a Harley by the family for his many years of devoted service.  He put on his helmet, jumped on the Harley and started down the road.  He came into a s-curve that he was particularly careful with.  He could not prevent what was about to happen.

Unfortunately, I don't know this level of details on the other driver.  He was driving a large pick-up truck on the same s-curve form the opposite direction. Before he got into the curve he was talking on the phone.  He dropped the phone and reached down to pick it up. He crossed the road and hit Jay head-on. Jay died on the way to the hospital.  He never regained consciousness.  He was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital. The other driver did not have a scratch, at least not on the outside. He told the police exactly what he had done. The family could tell he was hurting.  A hurt that is deep inside the soul.  A hurt that will not go away any time soon.  

I'm happy that 2 people didn't die. But I am upset that picking up a cell phone is what caused another person to die a senseless death. I have vowed to not talk while driving and in fact I have made it a new rule to turn off the phone and put into the center console.  I hope that everyone will do the same.  No call is worth causing someone to lose their life, or lose your life.  

My prayers are with the man who caused the accident, and the family and friends who Jay left behind.  They are all hurting.