Weekend Wedding

It has been another busy week. This past weekend saw the wedding of my wife's niece at a scenic and celebrated location in The City. The weather was perfect (again), and the ceremony, conducted by the bride's cousin, proceeded flawlessly. At the reception we were introduced to relatives and friends from both sides. Some of the people had come from as far away as England, Canada, New York, and Washington State. The bride looked radiant. The groom was his usual amiable self. The newlyweds had planned every last detail of the ceremony and reception, but they had some help from the bride's sister.

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In the days following, we entertained several of the out-of-town visitors, and in turn we were entertained by other family members who live in the vicinity. Weddings are of course wonderful venues to meet new friends and young people. They also provide many opportunities to reminisce about old times with relatives of our own vintage. Conversations that carry on far into the night are to be anticipated as well, and we certainly had more than our share of those.

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At least for a while, I have had to leave unattended the more prosaic duties of everyday life, such as keeping up with my correspondence, and paying bills. Well, tomorrow I resume the paperwork. With determination, if not with gusto.

Visitors

The past two weeks have been especially busy, what with houseguests and visitors from overseas, more than the usual number of dinner parties and restaurant meals, and much shuttling back and forth between our house and the recently acquired pied-à-terre across the Bay. We must have put many hundreds of miles on the odometer in a week or so. Good thing gas prices have come down a bit.

The weather has been fine, except for an overcast sky today. Our guests left this morning. This is the first opportunity to add to my blog since they arrived.

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I'm reading Lawrence Wright's new book "The Looming Tower — Al-Qaeda and the Path of 9/11". It's well researched and the author's writing style makes for easy reading. I recommend it highly to anyone wanting a clear yet concise overview of the events that have led to the current confrontation between radical Islam and the West.

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There's to be a wedding this weekend. My wife's niece is getting married, and we are looking forward to a pleasant reunion with many members of her family, some of whom have come from the East Coast for the occasion.

First Rains

Friends from distant lands are visiting the area for another long-anticipated reunion, and many ancillary social functions have kept me from posting to this blog in recent days. Besides which, our recent acquisition of a pied-à-terre in another corner of the Bay Area has required a substantial investment in time and automobile mileage. Just shopping for furniture and household necessities (a process that in the best of times I try to avoid as much as I can) has added a layer of obligation to my already full schedule.

Last night we were at a dinner party where the bonhomie and fondly shared recollections of childhood friends made for a very pleasant gathering, and lasted until late.

The weather has turned cold, and during our drive home the first heavy rains accompanied us.