Let the serious work begin

I'll tell you all about that in a minute.

But first, I suffered ten minutes of severe personal hell this evening when I had to wait in the entrance hall of James school at 9.15pm with other parents, whilst our collective hoard of children were rampaging around the hall, dancing, singing, screaming and generally being far too full of energy for a friday night. Yep, it was the Valentine's Disco. Peter Kay, knee slides anyone? Poor James last about half an hour when he got home then basically begged to go to sleep. Fantastic :-) Happy half term!

Tomorrow he is off to a friend's house for the day so the wedding preparations get underway properly tomorrow. I have made my list this evening. It is big, but not insurmountable. I fully intend to have it all ticked off bar a couple of jobs by the end of this week (on top of marking 75 coursework folders and doing some other bits of work - hey I'm superhuman...I'll get it all done!).

Saturday will therefore mean a jaunt to town, so that Corin and I can do some shopping, me for his Valentine's card, him for my birthday and valentine's card (both on the same day!), and then off to the jeweller's to get my wedding ring re-sized.

I say "mine", but it's not mine. It's actually my Aunty Pat's ring and it has enormous sentimental value, as you will understand from the linked blip.

Around late summer last year, we were discussing rings, and being typically pragmatic, I thought it seemed a bit pointless for us to buy a ring for Corin when practically he is not able to wear it due to the nature of his work. But we wanted a ring for the ceremony. Then it occurred to me that Aunty Pat had left me her ring, and my Uncle Jim's also. Uncle Jim was a big fella, hands like shovels, so I wondered if his ring would fit Corin ...and it did. Like it was made for him. And Pat's ring is almost perfect for me.

I asked Dad at the time whether it would be OK to use the rings ourselves - I think the sentiment he shared with me was what I had already thought - that Pat would have been thrilled that we were going to. Which makes me smile.

I take it as a good omen (because I do believe in fate and other such frippery, and I am a sentimental old bugger when it comes down to it) that the rings are pretty much perfect fits for both of us - "meant to be"? I hope so. If our marriage can be as together as Pat and Jim were, and we can be as content and loving as they were, then my days will be happy and full of joy.

Now I am going to have a little cry, because I miss Pat and Jim. Then I am going to watch the end of Shawshank Redemption with Corin, and cry all over again. Sad, sad sad!

Night all.