Heidi and Matt's Wedding Slide Show

This free digital slideshow made with Smilebox   

Another Boomer Challenge

Invitation envelope seal



Invitation cover - Senate House, Kingston - Wedding location

All art the creation of Matthew Pleva
 

So, as it turns out we Baby Boomers are also, on occasion, referred to as "the sandwich generation"; the generation living well beyond middle age with the generation before them and their own 'begats' simultaneously calling for attention. The lives of many of my friends are bracketed by elderly parents on one side and on the other by young adult children who, even if independent and making their way through the world, require attention, if only to keep those wonderful relationships going.

 

Sometimes it is all a bit much and the tugs from opposite poles a bit uncomfortable. I continue to ride out a demanding time as I look after my 89 year old mother who is in an assisted living facility. But in my case, at this time the tug from the other end is just to share in the joy of lives moving on. Next month my middle son Matthew, will wed Heidi with whom he has lived for about five years. They've resisted the idea of legal marriage for so long and admit that they have finally surrendered, will put aside their resistance and take the plunge.
 



 

Thus the wedding invitation pictured here. And this is another feature of the sandwich generation; adjustment to an entirely different way of doing things so different that one can wonder, "Didn't I raise this child?" Well I raised one creative child who found a beautiful kindred soul. They love each other and I love them.

 

Upon full opening - one hears the military theme music from "South Park",
a take-off of the march from "Les Mis"
(Note that the Senate House was burned by the British in 1776)

 

Below are the theme related invitation inserts.





Finding Buried Treasure

Today I took advantage of the presence of my youngest son to carry out still more archaeological investigation in  the home my parents have enjoyed for 45 years. In these last weeks I have found my baby blanket, the comb, toy and collar of a dog laid to rest 50 years ago, my sister's communion veil and an exquisitely beaded evening bag first used by my grandmother.

On the top linen closet shelf Andrew found a cardboard box from Bonwit  Teller carefully tied with string. Resting in a nest of tissue paper was the top of my parents' wedding cake - August 3, 1943. Also in the box was memorabilia of my mother's graduation from the High School of Industrial Arts in January of that year. Among these momentos was the wedding invitation for the original planned date of July 6. When permission for my father's leave from the Army Air Corps was withdrawn the wedding was hastily rescheduled. We also found the invitation to Mom's sweet sixteen party and various certificates from schools attended in Brooklyn, NY.

 

The cake topper reflects how much World War II influenced culture and society. Note the red, white and blue ribbon in a "V for Victory" touch and groom in uniform indicating his branch of the armed forces.

 

Also discovered today were the Kodachrome 2 x 2 inch slides of our family's 3-month trip to Europe in 1961. Under the most demanding direction of my father we hand mounted the film between 2 layers of thin glass and taped the edges so that less of the image would be lost than is the case with cardboard mounted slides. These illustrated many travel log presentations. Perhaps we will find a way to have such outstanding photos digitized for future enjoyment.

 

What shall we do with all of these treasures? Wonder how this wartime cake topper would be valued on "Antiques Roadshow". Do know that it is priceless to us.

 

I am still looking for the Belgian lace cathedral length veil first worn by my aunt in 1928; used by my mother in 1943 and then again by me in 1967. Will be sure to photograph that gem.