6 Days To Go

Rocky slumbers peacefully in the sun which was streaming through the blinds in the livingroom.  Quite unperturbed - as was his master - by the frenetic efforts of his mistress to put together a table plan for the 70 adults and 6 children who will attend our nuptials next weekend.
It was a beautiful day - much nicer than the rather dismal forecast, and if I had not been planning a wedding, I'd either have been flat out on the sun-lounger, or heading into Perth to see the celebrations for the 750th anniversary of The Treaty of Perth.  Instead, I put on a bikini top and a skirt, and took my many pieces of paper, trusty wedding notebook, pens, and a bottle of beer, and sat out on the patio scheming about how to make each table a mix of interesting people who would have lots in common.  I'll be able to tell you next week if I succeeded!

To my astonishment, while I was writing, and with practically no warning whatsoever, I suddenly burst into tears.  G was very concerned, and put his arms round me tightly, as I blubbed like a baby on his shoulder for a moment or two. Eventually I was able to tell him that it had just struck me how I missed my late Dad and brother Charles, and it was only when writing the names of all the rest of my family that I realised how very much I wished they could be here to come to my wedding. 
Jeez, it's making me cry again now to think of it;  they died in 1990 and 1992 - who'd have thought that would suddenly be so upsetting?

Shortly afterwards, as I sat thinking about Table no. 3, a lovely Peacock butterfly flew off the Buddleia, and landed on my left hand. I kept perfectly still, and it stayed there for several minutes before returning to the bush.  I felt much better after that.

Extra photo is my ingenious table-plan method: draw a picture of the total number of tables you will need.  Write the name of each person attending on a separate piece of paper. Colour code the paper to reflect friends / family / close relatives.  Cut this into little strips, and affix to the pictures of tables with blu-tac.  Move around until you think you have got a good balance of people at each table.  There will always be one awkward one!