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This was a trip that my daughter and I have planned since early September. She called me from work and told me that her supervisor said that she had “use or lose” days. We immediately booked our trip for Dec. 27th-Jan. 6. She went down in September for 4 days, then when my sis and I booked for November 5-12, she couldn’t stand it and went down for 4 days then, too. As the days went by, we were anticipating our New Year’s Eve in Negril, especially since New Year’s Day is my birthday. Then everything changed…
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Kim got her daily call from her boyfriend in Negril. HE ASKED HER TO MARRY HIM!!
She told me, with a grin, that she and Scottie were going to get married!! Some people may express doubts about marrying on such a short acquaintance, after all they only met last July, but they don’t know Kim. She has had plenty of proposals, and propositions of living arrangements in her 37+ years, but has never “met a man I can stand for any length of time”. They were all in her words, “cracked plates” 
, and men with either character flaws or quirks that she couldn’t overlook. Scottie seems different to her. He’s introduced her to his children by his long-term partner, who incidentally is now with someone else. They range from 21-13, 2 boys and a girl. He had wanted to marry her, but she wouldn’t marry him, then she cheated and they broke up.
Now we had a problem. It started out to be a wedding with only me and maybe a few local friends in attendance—until the rest of our family was given the news. My son cried uncontrollably when she told him that she was going to get married. He loves his big sister, and like the rest of us, felt that she was missing loving and being loved by someone special. One by one, the rest of the family made plans to be in Jamaica on Kim’s special day. One by one they all managed to get not only great deals, but to travel first class at only $9 more than Kim and I paid for our tickets 3 months before! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]
Kim has always lived with me. Once I gave up trying to “mother/smother” her and yield to her adulthood, we have gotten along fabulously, more friends than mother and daughter. We discuss everything. Suddenly she became “Bridezilla”. She was arranging everything for the perfect wedding, from the dress, to the decorations, to the cake. Thanks to Marilyn for saving us from fondant! (She told Kim it tasted nasty, and she finally dropped it)
THE DRESS
OMG!! Searching websites, looking at Bridal books, nothing worked for her… either they were butt-ugly, or too expensive. This isn’t going to be easy, we knew that. Kim is not a Barbie doll. She is a big woman like me, and even regular clothing is problematic, but a wedding dress? After much pressure she got her Auntie, my sis, to make her a dress with her specifications. After searching for fabrics and combining the bodice of one dress with the skirt of another, a design was worked out. The top was an appliqued turquiose cotton and the bottom white satin. It had a by-God train! The hem around the bottom was over 7 yards. I know this because Mom and I hemmed the darn thing by hand. Kim hand-sewed beaded trim on the veil, which trailed to the ground.
Now the problem was to get Auntie started sewing. Sis is the best seamstress I know. Problem is, we stopped sewing as our vision got worse with age. She procrastinated until Bridezilla got nasty, real nasty. She told auntie to “pack it up and I’ll come get it”. The pressure was on me now, how could I in good conscience say no? This was my baby girl getting married, and even if I don’t sew as well as my sister, I used to be a capable seamstress. I got the sweats just thinking about it. Kim went over to her aunt’s home to find her busily sewing. Peace reigned, thanks be to Allah, God, Jah, and all the greater beings. My youngest niece, Jennifer, is living temporarilly with her mother and began cracking the whip on her mother. The dress progressed slowly, but Bridezilla told her Auntie that “that dress is going with me to Jamaica on the 27th”.
More tomorrow, hopefully with pictures.
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Kim got her daily call from her boyfriend in Negril. HE ASKED HER TO MARRY HIM!!
She told me, with a grin, that she and Scottie were going to get married!! Some people may express doubts about marrying on such a short acquaintance, after all they only met last July, but they don’t know Kim. She has had plenty of proposals, and propositions of living arrangements in her 37+ years, but has never “met a man I can stand for any length of time”. They were all in her words, “cracked plates” , and men with either character flaws or quirks that she couldn’t overlook. Scottie seems different to her. He’s introduced her to his children by his long-term partner, who incidentally is now with someone else. They range from 21-13, 2 boys and a girl. He had wanted to marry her, but she wouldn’t marry him, then she cheated and they broke up.Now we had a problem. It started out to be a wedding with only me and maybe a few local friends in attendance—until the rest of our family was given the news. My son cried uncontrollably when she told him that she was going to get married. He loves his big sister, and like the rest of us, felt that she was missing loving and being loved by someone special. One by one, the rest of the family made plans to be in Jamaica on Kim’s special day. One by one they all managed to get not only great deals, but to travel first class at only $9 more than Kim and I paid for our tickets 3 months before! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]
Kim has always lived with me. Once I gave up trying to “mother/smother” her and yield to her adulthood, we have gotten along fabulously, more friends than mother and daughter. We discuss everything. Suddenly she became “Bridezilla”. She was arranging everything for the perfect wedding, from the dress, to the decorations, to the cake. Thanks to Marilyn for saving us from fondant! (She told Kim it tasted nasty, and she finally dropped it)
THE DRESS
OMG!! Searching websites, looking at Bridal books, nothing worked for her… either they were butt-ugly, or too expensive. This isn’t going to be easy, we knew that. Kim is not a Barbie doll. She is a big woman like me, and even regular clothing is problematic, but a wedding dress? After much pressure she got her Auntie, my sis, to make her a dress with her specifications. After searching for fabrics and combining the bodice of one dress with the skirt of another, a design was worked out. The top was an appliqued turquiose cotton and the bottom white satin. It had a by-God train! The hem around the bottom was over 7 yards. I know this because Mom and I hemmed the darn thing by hand. Kim hand-sewed beaded trim on the veil, which trailed to the ground.
Now the problem was to get Auntie started sewing. Sis is the best seamstress I know. Problem is, we stopped sewing as our vision got worse with age. She procrastinated until Bridezilla got nasty, real nasty. She told auntie to “pack it up and I’ll come get it”. The pressure was on me now, how could I in good conscience say no? This was my baby girl getting married, and even if I don’t sew as well as my sister, I used to be a capable seamstress. I got the sweats just thinking about it. Kim went over to her aunt’s home to find her busily sewing. Peace reigned, thanks be to Allah, God, Jah, and all the greater beings. My youngest niece, Jennifer, is living temporarilly with her mother and began cracking the whip on her mother. The dress progressed slowly, but Bridezilla told her Auntie that “that dress is going with me to Jamaica on the 27th”.
More tomorrow, hopefully with pictures.
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