E Is For...........

Just had to share the news - Son # 5 & his girl, the gorgeous Miss A have just announced their engagement tonight!!! She's been in Sydney all week at a conference & he flew up from Adelaide today so they could spend the weekend together. Out at dinner tonight at Circular Quay, he caught her totally unawares & pulled out the ring that's been burning a hole in his pocket for the past couple of months. They've just phoned & there has been much squealing, screeching & jumping up & down here at The Hedge.

We couldn't be happier - Miss A is an absolute delight & we couldn't ask for a better girl for our Bub. Oh gosh, what an end to quite an extraordinary week. I got very teary at one of my favourite clients this afternoon after I told them I was leaving & now this! Pass the Kleenex, I'm about to start again. I'm going to be a Mother-In-Law - YIPPEE!!

Image: Notonthehighstreet

Sign The Guest Book!

William & Catherine's Big Day Out has finally arrived........

.......so please grab a pen & leave them a message on a piece of the virtual Royal Wedding Puzzle Guest Book here at The Hedge. But you'll need to sign it using your Royal name. Starting with Lord or Lady, your first name is one of your grandparent's names. Then your surname is the name of your first pet, double-barrelled with the name of the street you grow up on. Won't it be a hoot to see the results & great fun seeing everyone's messages to the Royal newlyweds. So please join me, Lady Edie Ginger-L'Estrange as we sign the Royal Guest Book, & go enjoy every minute of this very exciting day!

Images: Bella Puzzles

Busy Signal

Yes that means you dear Hedgies! Excuse me while I run around in circles getting nowhere fast, but life's like that at the moment. Tomorrow we are heading off to Melbourne early as it's MOTH's younger brother's 60th birthday party there on Saturday. And 'cos MOTH is too tight to fly & hire a car for the occasion yes you guessed it, we have to drive 7.5 hours in the Millie-mobile to get there. A mad dash around on Sunday to catch up with the 3 Melbourne sons & elderly Aunts & then back in the car early Monday for the 7.5 hour drive home. It's Son #5's 28th birthday & I promised to be home in Adelaide in time for his birthday dinner that night. Then a massive week at work follows & Thursday night I can collapse in a heap!!

Wish me luck in the car with MOTH. Last time Mr. Grumpy & I travelled down the highway together, it was no speakies from the Stirling roundabout (where a huge brawl occurred about him not giving way to a poor elderly local who got the fright of his life as MOTH bored through!) to Ballarat (approx. 500kms). The silence was only broken when MOTH got hungry & needed to ask me for 5 bucks for a burger & fries at HJ's. See you all next week, with or without MOTH!

Sixteen

It's 16 years today that I walked down the stairs to plight my troth to MOTH. Those gorgeous young boys in the pic are now grown men of 27,29 & 31! We sure have packed a lot into those years, so Happy Anniversary to the long-suffering MOTH. He's planned dinner out on the town tonight (albeit quiet little Stirling). Any place where I don't have to share the same air with the Gangster Rappers is just fine with me! MOTH & I share the same wedding anniversary with the lovely Leigh over @ Brabourne Farm, so best wishes to you & Mr. Brabourne dear Leigh. It's the weekend, so go enjoy.

Save The Date

MOTH here dear Hedgies

Part One of my Tips For Organizing The Perfect Wedding for Prince William.

You gotta get a move on mate & lock the date in. Get those Grey Men at yor Palace to send out a card to everyone on their list & I reckon I've found the perfect one for youse considering what line of work you're in now. I had a real great idea lined up for my nuptials to Mills, a stubbie of Cooper's Pale Ale with the Save The Date card attached with a rubber band. Unfortunately Mills canned that idea pretty early on. And talking about Mills, I've got some pretty big news for you mate. Your girl shares the same birthday as my missus - yep Mills & Kate were both born January 9th (26 years apart tho). You poor lucky bloke, are youse in for some rocky deliriously happy years ahead or what!! I'll be back later in the week with some more grouse advice, if Mills unlocks the Bathroom-From-Hell door from the outside, so I come out & take a breather from the paint fumes.

The Thoughts of Bridegroom MOTH

MOTH the Expert Bridegroom has decided he needs to pass on a few hints to Prince William about organizing the perfect wedding. He says he will do this via his favourite bride's blog.....I can hardly wait. Can someone let William know to stay tuned to The Hedge for MOTH's sage advice.
P.S. I'm MIA at the moment due to a demanding clinical trial this week. Very early starts, a long, long drive & huge days in the Lab. Hope to catch up with you all over the weekend. xx

Fifteen

These 2 people have been married 15 years today. A day off from work & a long lunch up the road at The Lane Vineyard restaurant is planned. The Food Police have given a certain someone a leave pass for the day because he's been very good with his dietary 'modifications'. Pass the desert menu please. (& comments about that 'interesting' green vase in centre shot will only be published at my discretion!)

Image: The Lane

It Was A Great Party (oops Wedding)!!

Pretty petals

Gorgeous guests

Handsome MOTH's

Beautiful bride

Breathtaking scenery

Important words

Sweet touches

Candid moments

Loving family

Big conversations

Yummy cake

Knowing bride

Let's party!!

Singing groom

Happy guests

Dancing MOTH's

It was such a fun & memorable evening - sublime setting, great band, lovely people, fab food & wine & the most gorgeous, relaxed couple. Darling Kate & Damon - happiness always.

Happily Ever After

Melbourne boy goes to London to work.

Adelaide girl goes to London to work.

They meet & fall in love.

Melbourne boy comes home.

Adelaide girl follows him back.

They've chosen the gorgeous Bird in Hand Winery in the Adelaide Hills to marry tomorrow.

What an awesome round trip, it couldn't be more perfect - see you both at 5! (& I do promise to keep myself & very unelegant left leg out of all the Group photos)

Images: Shall We Tie The Knot & Millie

What's In A Name?

I was 20 when I married for the first time, the year was 1976 & I was very young & verrrry naive. I didn't think twice about changing my surname to that of That Other Husband (TOH), every new bride did it. 12 years later, when I grew up & wisely divested myself of TOH, I began to think about my name. I thought it would be a good opportunity amongst all the other changes I was experiencing to revert back to my original name. That surname is very unusual, & as I don't have any brothers & both my parents had died, I thought it would be good to at least carry on the family name in my life-time.

So I did it & it felt good, that is until I met MOTH. After getting over the initial surprise of his marriage proposal (although I still think to this day that MOTH was more surprised than me!!), I began to worry about the name issue again. I'd come to really like my new/old name again & was very reluctant to give it up. But I also didn't want to offend MOTH. I did some research & discovered it isn't a legal obligation for a woman to take her partner's name in marriage, it's just a social nicety. So that clinched the deal for me & I worked up the courage to broach the subject with MOTH.

I shouldn't have worried, as his immediate reaction was 'Doesn't worry me, please yourself'. Typical!! Then I thought about how we would communicate this to our family & friends. MOTH said not to worry, leave it to him, he'd cover it all in his speech at our Wedding. I dug the pic out of the wedding album of him announcing the news, with Son #1 looking totally disinterested! This how he did it.

'Now I need to let youse all know that Millie won't be changing her name to mine. (Audible gasp of horror from all the elderly Aunts sitting in the marquee!) As youse on my side of the family all know, our Family Coat of Arms has the motto 'Deeds Without Words' under the crest. And all of us who know Millie & her love of a chat, would understand that it would be TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE for her to ever do a deed without speaking! As she couldn't possibly uphold our family traditions, she won't be allowed to take the name!'

Any thoughts? Did you or didn't you. And if you didn't, were there any dramas?

...and the Kids came Too!

14 years ago today on a cold & rainy Saturday evening, I walked down the stairs at gorgeous Carrick Hill & took MOTH on the slippery slope of marriage with Millie. As you can see by the pics, we took the kids with us as well, & boy did that make for an interesting night!

Sons # 3,4 & 5 fessed up some years later that it was here that they experienced their first puff of a cigarette & slurp of beer (both being generously supplied by their 2 newly acquired older brothers!). We all shared the same table at the Reception & a couple of my girlfriends at an adjoining table, reminded me very loudly as I began to absent-mindedly cut up the youngest child's food, that this would be not be appropriate behaviour at my own wedding reception - thanks Robbie & Jill!

So to dear MOTH, Happy Anniversary Darling! Despite looking all those years ago, we couldn't find an instruction book on how to mix 2 families with the minimum of drama, how to respect the memories of our lives with other partners, how to accept that there will be some things we will never share together. And yes, there's been the occasional short-lived dummy spit & a couple of nights in the dog-house. But each time I look at all the boys together, the 'Brothers from another Mother' as they refer to each other, so tight & loyal, I know we've done fine you & I. There's still lots of laughter & good fun, & yes, another house renovation, so long may it continue!

The boys silently wishing it was all over so they could get out of the silly suits that Millie made them wear!

The 3 younger boys gave me away - a favourite pic with our much loved Priest who had cradled me as a baby in his arms at my Christening.

Here's all the dear little Angels at MOTH's sister's house for the morning-after recovery session following MOTH's big birthday bash in Melbourne last year. Kristy, Ghi, Heather, Leeah & Alicia I salute you all - you are 5 brave girls for taking this lot on!

7 Things

Thank you to the lovely Ewa over at Ewa in the Garden , the incredibly talented Clare, JJ & Susie Q. from Mondo Cherry & the gorgeous Ness at Marley & Lockyer for asking me to join in the 'Share 7 things about yourself' challenge.


The deal is: Share 7 things about yourself. Challenge other blogs at the end of your post through naming their blog, and post a link to it. Let them know they have been challenged by leaving a comment in their blog.


I've posted on a few life-changing Millie moments previously here & here & here so I'm not sure how riveting these observations will be, but here goes!



1. I joined the world on January 9th 1956. That makes me 52 & boy, have I got a lot more I want & need to do yet! My beautiful Mother said I was always a serious & quiet baby, no trouble really - gosh has that changed, just ask MOTH!




2. I was always Daddy's little Princess. Like Mel from the delightful MelsRosePlace, my parents were very late to parenthood, in fact my Dad was 23 years older than my Mum & he was 56 when I was born, but he was just the best Dad in the world. He'd had a very unhappy childhood, & had been a very independent & solitary man until my Mum 'found' him. They made an amazing couple & each evening at dinner he leant over the table, looked at my Mum & said to her 'Have I told you today how much I love you.' Smiling, she always tutt-tutted him, but I learnt very early that saying those 3 words openly & without embarrassment are what makes the world go round & round! To my great sorrow he died suddenly 4 weeks before I got married for the first time, so he didn't get to do the thing he'd been most looking forward to - walking his little Princess down the aisle.





3. I have one sister, younger by 2 years & we are from different planets - enough said!

4. As a little girl I was obsessed by Alice in Wonderland & frequently retreated into the mystical world that Lewis Carroll created & still do! I grew up in the Clare Valley & to my absolute joy, one year the end-of-year school play was, yes you guessed it & here I am in the starring role!

5. At the end of my second year of nursing training, my best friend the lovely P. & I headed off for 4 week holiday in New Zealand. We told our parents that we were going on an organised Bus Tour, but in actual fact, we hitch-hiked both islands. It was a life-changing experience, as at the age of 18, both of us met the Kiwi guys we both went on to marry. Here we are in Wellington, what was I thinking with the polka-dot head scarf & the Dr. Scholl sandals!

5. I met MOTH not long after this photo was taken in 1990. I think it was the high maintenance big hair that attracted him!

6. I've done the wedding thing twice, once when I was just 20 in 1976........

......and then again in 1995 at the more respectable age of 39. Sadly, my darling Mum died far too young in 1988, so never met the wonderful MOTH, but I know she would have just adored him as we all do.

7. I have been lucky to have travelled a lot with my work & over the years have sat next to some very interesting people on long-haul flights. Miss Lauren Bacall was without doubt, the most interesting, on a night flight from Tahiti to Sydney. She was every bit the movie star to the poor Qantas flight crew, but she was in the mood to talk, & talk she did - to me. I found her engaging, irreverent & incredibly funny. She wanted to know all about me, my life, my little boys at home & Australia. Like any other doting Mum, she pulled the family photos out of her handbag & proceeded to show me the lot. I was somewhat taken aback though, when she pointed out a man with a small child in one of the photos & said 'Oh, that's just a picture of my first husband Bogey, you might have heard of him.' I liked her immensely.

The other person who won my heart was John F. Kennedy Jnr. We sat together on a Chicago-Los Angeles flight that was delayed on the tarmac at O'Hare for an additional 3 hrs., so I had a lovely 9 hrs. with him, thank you very much! What a truly beautiful soul he was, so humble & self-effacing. Highly intelligent, extremely well-read & with the most exquisite manners, I was just mesmerised the whole flight. One of life's special moments that I'll never forget.

To continue the fun I'd like to hand the baton to:

Cathleen @ Design By Cathleen

Vanya @ My Endless Inspiration

Alice @ Simply Decorated

Michelle @ Hugo and Elsa

He said Yes!

Image Wedding Cuts

Right in the middle of my big night out on Friday, a good friend quietly announced to us all that she was getting married. Following all the squeals of delight, big hugs & a few tears (from those of us who'd had a few more Champers than we should have!) we demanded the full story from dear M.

Now I do need to tell you at this point that M. is not your starry-eyed 20 something. She is almost 60, a Mum & Grannie, but a very cool & funky one at that. She & her beau Mr. C. have been happily living together for 14 years & never once has the M. word been mentioned.

However all that changed one evening last week when as M. said, "The Devil made me do it!" She was peeling the vegies for dinner when Mr. C. came home from work, grabbed a beer from the refrigerator & asked how her day had been. Without even thinking she said "Yeah good - do you want to get married?" Mr. C. looked across the kitchen bench at her & in his wonderfully laconic way replied "Yep" & that was it!!

If only everything in life was that easy! So in Feb. they are heading off to Fiji & without any family & friends there to complicate things, they are going to do the deed. That's why we all love M., she's so laid-back!

A large group of her clients & friends have decided to have the ubiquitious Kitchen Tea for her in January. We were a bit worried she'd be reluctant, but when we suggested it to her, she said "That's so good, I hated everything about my first wedding, so this will be soooo much better, let's do it!".

The text messages have been flying thick & fast since then, & believe me, M. may regret agreeing to this! This will be unlike any Kitchen Tea I've ever attended. I've discovered that some of my most valued clients have the most devious & naughty minds! More to come!